A bluetooth-based identification method for DC and ac ev charging

Abstract

An automatic Bluetooth-based identification system for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging in authorized charging stations being connected to a remote CSMS and capable of providing charging services to one or more subscribed EVs, comprising a first capsulated Bluetooth component, installed in a subscribed EV that has been registered to charging service by an authorized charging station; a second capsulated Bluetooth component installed in a charger of the charging station; a controller and a local memory in each charger. The controller is adapted to transmit a command to the second Bluetooth component to start scanning to detect the first capsulated Bluetooth component; upon detecting the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component, receive the unique ID from the second Bluetooth component; compare the unique ID to a list of IDs stored in the local memory; initiate a charging transaction of the EV upon verifying that the unique ID is in the list.

Description

[0001] A BLUETOOTH-BASED IDENTIFICATION METHOD FOR DC AND AC EV CHARGING

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to Electrical Vehicles (EVs). More particularly, the invention relates to a bluetooth-based identification method for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging.

[0004] Background of the Invention

[0005] Charging stations (that employ electric vehicle supply equipment) are widely used by any vehicle which requires charging, such as electric vehicles and rechargeable hybrid vehicles. In order to recharge the battery, the vehicle should connect to the charging station (via a charging cable) and at the end of the process, the owner of the charging station is paid for the consumed electricity, according to the vehicle's identity.

[0006] The charging process requires one-to-one identification of each EV which connects to a charging station before its activation, in order to avoid unauthorized charging and allow accurate billing of the charged EV. Today, there are two main alternatives to connect and activate a charging transaction. The first alternative is to identify the EV before charging using a dedicated application that is installed on the terminal device of the EVs owner upon becoming a subscriber of the charging service. The charging service provider has a database which contains the license plate number of each EV, with an association to the subscriber's details, for billing purposes. Upon connecting to a public or private charging station, the EV's owner (or authorized driver) runs the dedicated application, which connects to a server of the charging service provider. In turn, the server identifies the details of the EV's owner (for example, his cellphone number) and checks if he is a valid registered subscriber. If he is, the server approves the charging transaction and sends an activation command to the charging station, to start charging the connected EV. At the end of the charging process, the charging transaction is terminated and the subscriber is billed according to his registered billing details.

[0007] The second alternative is to identify the EV before charging using an RFID tag which is given to EV's owner or installed on the EV, upon becoming a subscriber of the charging service. The charging service provider has a database which contains the license plate number of each EV, with an association to the subscriber's details, for billing purposes. Upon connecting to a public or private charging station, an RFID reader installed on the charging station activates the RFID tag, retrieves the details of the vehicle and the EV's owner and transmits the read details to a server of the charging service provider. In turn, the server identifies the details of the EV's owner (for example, his cellphone number) and checks if he is a valid registered subscriber. If he is, the server approves the charging transaction and sends an activation command to the charging station, to start charging the connected EV. At the end of the charging process, the charging transaction is terminated and the subscriber is billed according to his registered billing details.

[0008] However, the above alternatives are cumbersome and require the activation of a dedicated application, or the integration of an expensive RF reader, which consumes energy, into each charging station. In addition, the subscriber is exposed to unwanted RF radiation.

[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide an identification method for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging, which is automatic and does not require any operation from the EV's driver.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention, to provide an identification method for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging, which does not expose the subscriber to unwanted RF radiation.

[0011] Other advantages and objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

[0012] Summary of the Invention

[0013] An automatic Bluetooth-based identification method for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging in authorized charging stations, comprising: a) installing a first capsulated Bluetooth component in the EV; b) installing a second capsulated Bluetooth component in a charger of the charging station; c) registering the EV to charging service by an authorized charging station; d) transmitting, by the controller of the charger, a command to the second Bluetooth component to start scanning to detect the first capsulated Bluetooth component; e) upon detecting the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component, sending the unique ID by the second Bluetooth component to a controller of the charger; f) comparing the unique ID to a list of IDs stored in a local memory of the charger; g) upon verifying that the unique ID is in the list, initiating a charging transaction of the EV.

[0014] The method may further comprise the step of running a local start transaction, while informing the CSMS that the charging session has been started by a local start transaction command.

[0015] The charging station provides DC or AC power to the EV.

[0016] The first capsulated Bluetooth component may be installed in the vicinity of the charging socket of the EV.

[0017] The Bluetooth components may use Bluetooth Classic radio or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication.

[0018] The EV may register to a charging service in an authorized charging station, by: a) associating the EV to be charged with the charger using a user interface of an application installed on a terminal device of the user by inputting a unique ID of the charger; b) registering the EV to the charging service by scanning the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component; c) extracting the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component; d) allowing the user to confirm that the scanned unique ID belong to the EV; e) transmitting the extracted unique ID to the charger's controller; and f) storing the unique ID at a local memory of the controller; and g) verifying the unique ID against a local list that corresponds to the charger, which is received from a remote Charging Station Management System (CSMS).

[0019] Whenever a subscribed EV starts a legitimate charging transaction, the remote CSMS checks if other charging transactions are carried out by different charging stations, while using the same unique ID and blocking all the charging transactions that are associated with the unique ID.

[0020] The amount of EV charging power may be verified using an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) monitoring device, installed inside EV's OBD port, by: a) identifying the connected EV and starting a charging session; b) transmitting, by the charging station, a session report to the CSMS system; c) transmitting, by the OBD monitoring device, the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EV's battery, to an OBD server; d) transmitting to the CSMS system, by the OBD server, the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EV's battery; e) comparing, by the CSMS system, the amount of charged power reported by the charging station to the amount of charged power reported by the OBD server; and f) in case of a mismatch, issuing an alert regarding the current charging session. Unauthorized charging may be prevented, by: a) checking if the obtained unique ID during EV identification matches the ID of the OBD monitoring device; and b) in case of a mismatch, terminating the charging session.

[0021] The unique ID may be the BD_ADDR of the Bluetooth component.

[0022] An automatic Bluetooth-based identification system for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging in authorized charging stations being connected to a remote CSMS and capable of providing charging services to one or more subscribed EVs, comprising: a) a first capsulated Bluetooth component, installed in one or more subscribed EVs that has been registered to charging service by an authorized charging station; b) a second capsulated Bluetooth component installed in a charger of the charging station; and c) a controller and a local memory in each charger, being adapted to: c.l) transmit a command to the second Bluetooth component to start scanning to detect the first capsulated Bluetooth component; c.2) upon detecting the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component, receive the unique ID from the second Bluetooth component; c.3) compare the unique ID to a list of IDs stored in the local memory; c.4) upon verifying that the unique ID is in the list, initiate a charging transaction of the EV.

[0023] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The above and other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limitative detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a flowchart of the EV registration process, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0025] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the EV identification and charging process, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0026] Fig. 3 shows an implementation of a charger transaction in a DC or AC charging station using a bluetooth-based, according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0027] Fig. 4 shows the scanning operation described in Fig. 3, according to an embodiment of the invention; and

[0028] Fig. 5 illustrates the process of verify the amount of EV charging power consumed by the EV during a charging session.

[0029] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0030] The present invention provides an automatic Bluetooth-based identification charging method and system for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging, which is safe and does not require any operation from the EV's driver.

[0031] The proposed EV identification method used a Bluetooth component (transceiver) at each side of the charging parties. A first capsulated Bluetooth component is installed in the vicinity of the charging socket of the EV. A second Bluetooth component is installed in the charging station, for example, in the charging plug. Each Bluetooth component comprises a unique Bluetooth Device Address (BD_ADDR - a unique 48-bit 12-digit identifier assigned to each Bluetooth device by the manufacturer. A Bluetooth address is usually displayed as 6 bytes written in hexadecimal and separated by colons, for example - 00:ll:22:33:FF:EE).

[0032] The invention may be implemented using Bluetooth Classic radio, which is a low power radio that streams data over 79 channels in the 2.4GHz unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical frequency band. Supporting point-to-point device communication, Bluetooth Classic is mainly used to enable wireless audio streaming and has become the standard radio protocol behind wireless speakers, headphones, and in-car entertainment systems. The Bluetooth Classic radio also enables data transfer applications.

[0033] At the charger's side, the bluetooth-based identification method is implemented by embedding in the charger's firmware and by defining permissions to write, store and read values at the charger's memory (e.g., the charging station's controller memory or the memory of the Bluetooth component at the charging station).

[0034] Fig. 1 is a flowchart of the EV registration process, according to an embodiment of the invention. Once the charger is installed and connected to the grid at the charging station, the charging station can be configured. The EV user associates the EV to be charged with the charger using a user interface 102 of an application installed, for example, on his smartphone or on another terminal device. To allow association, the EV user is asked to scan a Q.R code of the charger or to type the serial number of the associated charger. At the next step 101, the user registers his EV to the charging service and becomes a subscriber of the charging service by scanning the BD_ADDR of the first capsulated Bluetooth component 100 that is installed in his EV. At the next step 103, the user extracts the BD_ADDR of the first capsulated Bluetooth component. At the next step 104, the user confirms that the scanned BD_ADDR belong to his EV. At the next step 104, the user transmits the extracted BD_ADDR to the charger's controller 105. At the next step 106, the controller 105 stores this BD_ADDR at a local memory of the charger's controller 105.

[0035] The EV's BD_ADDR is verified against a local list that corresponds to that charger, which is received from a remote Charging Station Management System (CSMS - a platform where multiple charging stations can be managed) of all charging stations that provide the charging service), using an Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP - is an application protocol for communication between EV charging stations and the central management system).

[0036] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the EV identification and charging process, according to an embodiment of the invention. The charger is in a standby mode, until the user connects the plug at step 200. By doing so, the charger state is changed from standby to a pre-charging mode, in which a 9V voltage appears at the Control Pilot CP line (a bi-directional communication line that enables communication between the charging station and the EV) inside each charger connector of the charging station. This voltage indicates that the plug connection is completed. At the next step 201, the charger's controller sends a command to the second Bluetooth component to start scanning. At the next step 202, the second Bluetooth component scans for the BD_ADDR of the first capsulated Bluetooth component of the EV.

[0037] Once the BD_ADDR of the first capsulated Bluetooth component of the EV has been found at step 203, the second Bluetooth component sends this BD_ADDR to the controller 105 that compares it, at step 204, with the EV's BD_ADDR (of the first capsulated Bluetooth component) that is stored in the charger's local memory.

[0038] With the verified comparison, at step 205, the charger initiates a charging transaction and runs local start operation, while informing the CSMS that the charging session has been started by a local start transaction command. At the end of the charging process, the charging transaction is terminated and the subscriber is billed according to his registered billing details.

[0039] It should be noted that the invention may be implemented using Bluetooth Classic radio, which is a low power radio that streams data over 79 channels in the 2.4GHz unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical frequency band. Supporting point-to-point device communication, Bluetooth Classic is mainly used to enable wireless audio streaming and has become the standard radio protocol behind wireless speakers, headphones, and in-car entertainment systems. The Bluetooth Classic radio also enables data transfer applications.

[0040] The invention may also be implemented using Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), which is designed for very low power operation. By transmitting data over 40 channels in the 2.4GHz unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) frequency bands (which are designated radio frequency bands that were set aside for RF use for purposes other than telecommunications), the Bluetooth LE radio provides developers a tremendous amount of flexibility to build products that meet the unique connectivity requirements of their market. Bluetooth LE supports multiple communication topologies, expanding from point-to-point to broadcast and, most recently, mesh, enabling Bluetooth technology to support the creation of reliable, large-scale device networks. While initially known for its device communications capabilities, Bluetooth LE is now also widely used as a device positioning technology to address the increasing demand for high accuracy indoor location services. Bluetooth LE now includes features that enable one device to determine the presence, distance, and direction of another device.

[0041] Fig. 3 shows an implementation of a charger transaction in a DC or AC charging station using a bluetooth-based, according to an embodiment of the invention. An EV 300 connects to a charger 301 in a charging station. The charging plug 302 at the distal end of the charging cable 304 comprises a Bluetooth scanner (transceiver) 303 (which is the second Bluetooth component described above). The first capsulated Bluetooth component (transceiver) 305 with a unique BD_ADDR, which has a one-to-one association with the license plate number of EV 300 and the subscriber's details, is installed in the vicinity of the charging socket 306 of the EV 300. Following connection, the Bluetooth scanner (transceiver) 303 detects the unique BD_ADDR of EV 300 and transmits it to a Bluetooth component (transceiver) 307 installed at the charger 301 and is in data communication with charger's controller 308. The charger's controller 308 is in data communication with the charger's local memory 309, which holds the local list of BD_ADDRs that belongs to subscribed EVs that are authorized to charge from charger 301. The unique BD_ADDR of EV 300 is verified against a local list that is stored in local memory 309, to approve or deny the charging transaction. Charger's controller 308 is in data communication with a remote CSMS 310, which can update the local list of each charger by adding or deleting subscribers.

[0042] Fig. 4 shows the scanning operation described in Fig. 3, according to an embodiment of the invention. The charging plug 302 comprises the Bluetooth scanner (transceiver) 303 (which is the second Bluetooth component described above). Following or before connection of charging plug 302 to the charging socket 306, the Bluetooth scanner (transceiver) 303 establishes BT data connection 311 with capsulated Bluetooth component (transceiver) 305, so as to detect and transmit the unique BD_ADDR of EV 300 to the charger's controller 308.

[0043] Whenever an unauthorized EV user, which is not subscribed to the charging service with the bluetooth-based identification proposed by the present invention, connects to the charger 301, the controller308 will not receive a verified BD_ADDR that is in the local list, and in turn, will not initiate an automatic charging transaction. In this case, the unauthorized EV user will be able to charge using the conventional methods (application or RFID tag) described above.

[0044] In order to prevent double illegitimate charging (e.g., if the BD_ADDR is illegitimately duplicated), whenever a subscribed EV 300 starts a legitimate charging transaction, the remote CSMS 310 will check if other charging transactions are carried out by different charging stations, while using the same BD_ADDR. If so, the remote CSMS will block all the charging transactions that are associated with that BD_ADDR.

[0045] According to another embodiment, the proposed charging system is adapted to verify the amount of EV charging power using an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD - an automotive electronic system that provides vehicle self-diagnosis and reporting capabilities for repair technicians) monitoring device that will be installed inside EV's OBD port.

[0046] Fig. 5 illustrates the process of verify the amount of EV charging power consumed by the EV during a charging session. This way, the system will monitor the exact amount of charged power (in kW) during each charging session. At the first step, the charging station identifies the connected EV and starts a charging session. At the next step, the charging station transmits a session report to the CSMS system. At the next step, an OBD monitoring device (a device that is in data communication of the OBD system of the EV and can transmit a unique ID of the OBD system of that particular EV) transmits (e.g., using a built-in wireless transceiver) the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EV's battery (e.g., by sensing the charge level of the battery), to an OBD server (a server that collects data transmitted from OBD systems of EVs and stores that data). At the next step, the OBD server transmits the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EV's battery to the CSMS system. At the next step, the CSMS system compares the amount of charged power reported by the charging station to the amount of charged power reported by the OBD server. In case of a mismatch, an alert regarding that charging session is issued. The OBD monitoring device is configured to transmit the amount to an OBD server during a defined time slot (which can be a week, a month etc.). This way, the actual power consumption at the end of a charging session can be monitored and unauthorized charging can be detected. At the end of the charging process, the charging transaction is terminated and the subscriber is billed according to his registered billing details.

[0047] According to another embodiment, the proposed charging system is adapted to prevent unauthorized charging, whenever the EV identification is not completed properly. This is done by checking if the obtained BD_ADDR during EV identification matches the unique ID of the OBD system of that particular EV reported by the OBD monitoring device. A detected mismatch is used as an indication of an unauthorized charging session, and this session will be terminated by the CSMS system.

[0048] As various embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated, it should be understood that variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the principles herein. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in the drawings.

Claims

Claims1. An automatic Bluetooth-based identification method for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging in authorized charging stations, comprising: a) installing a first capsulated Bluetooth component in said EV; b) installing a second capsulated Bluetooth component in a charger of said charging station; c) registering said EV to charging service by an authorized charging station; d) transmitting, by the controller of said charger, a command to said second Bluetooth component to start scanning to detect said first capsulated Bluetooth component; e) upon detecting the unique ID of said first capsulated Bluetooth component, sending said unique ID by said second Bluetooth component to a controller of said charger; f) comparing said unique ID to a list of IDs stored in a local memory of said charger; g) upon verifying that said unique ID is in said list, initiating a charging transaction of said EV.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising running a local start transaction, while informing the CSMS that the charging session has been started by a local start transaction command.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging station provides DC or AC power to the EV.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first capsulated Bluetooth component is installed in the vicinity of the charging socket of the EV.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the Bluetooth components use Bluetooth Classic radio or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the EV is registering to a charging service in an authorized charging station, by: a) associating the EV to be charged with the charger using a user interface of an application installed on a terminal device of said user by inputting a unique ID of said charger; b) registering said EV to the charging service by scanning the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component; c) extracting said unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component; d) allowing the user to confirm that the scanned unique ID belong to said EV; e) transmitting the extracted unique ID to the charger's controller; and f) storing said unique ID at a local memory of said controller; g) verifying the unique ID against a local list that corresponds to said charger, which is received from a remote Charging Station Management System (CSMS).

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein whenever a subscribed EV starts a legitimate charging transaction, checking by the remote CSMS if other charging transactions are carried out by different charging stations, while using the same unique ID and blocking all the charging transactions that are associated with said unique ID.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising verifying the amount of EV charging power using an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) monitoring device, installed inside EV's OBD port, by: a) identifying the connected EV and starting a charging session; b) transmitting, by the charging station, a session report to the CSMS system; c) transmitting, by the OBD monitoring device, the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EV's battery, to an OBD server;d) transmitting to the CSMS system, by said OBD server, the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EV's battery; e) comparing, by said CSMS system, the amount of charged power reported by the charging station to the amount of charged power reported by the OBD server; and f) in case of a mismatch, issuing an alert regarding the current charging session.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising preventing unauthorized charging, by: a) checking if the obtained unique ID during EV identification matches the ID of the OBD monitoring device; and b) in case of a mismatch, terminating the charging session.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the unique ID is the BD_ADDR of the Bluetooth component.

11. An automatic Bluetooth-based identification system for Direct Current (DC) and Alternating Current (AC) EV charging in authorized charging stations being connected to a remote CSMS and capable of providing charging services to one or more subscribed EVs, comprising: a) a first capsulated Bluetooth component, installed in one or more subscribed EVs that has been registered to charging service by an authorized charging station; b) a second capsulated Bluetooth component installed in a charger of said charging station; c) a controller and a local memory in each charger, being adapted to: c.l) transmit a command to said second Bluetooth component to start scanning to detect said first capsulated Bluetooth component; c.2) upon detecting the unique ID of said first capsulated Bluetooth component, receive said unique ID from said second Bluetooth component; c.3) compare said unique ID to a list of IDs stored in said local memory;c.4) upon verifying that said unique ID is in said list, initiate a charging transaction of said EV.

12. A system according to claim 11, in which a local start transaction is run, while informing the CSMS that the charging session has been started by a local start transaction command.

13. A system according to claim 11, in which the charging station provides DC or AC power to the EV.

14. A system according to claim 11, in which the first capsulated Bluetooth component is installed in the vicinity of the charging socket of the EV.

15. A system according to claim 11, in which the Bluetooth components use Bluetooth Classic radio or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication.

16. A system according to claim 11, in which the EV is registering to a charging service in an authorized charging station, by: a) associating the EV to be charged with the charger using a user interface of an application installed on a terminal device of said user by inputting a unique ID of said charger; b) registering said EV to the charging service by scanning the unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component; c) extracting said unique ID of the first capsulated Bluetooth component; d) allowing the user to confirm that the scanned unique ID belong to said EV; e) transmitting the extracted unique ID to the charger's controller; and f) storing said unique ID at a local memory of said controller; g) verifying the unique ID against a local list that corresponds to said charger, which is received from a remote Charging Station Management System (CSMS).

17. A system according to claim 16, in which whenever a subscribed EV starts a legitimate charging transaction, checking by the remote CSMS if other charging transactions are carried out by different charging stations, while using the same unique ID and blocking all the charging transactions that are associated with said unique ID.

18. A system according to claim 11, the amount of EV charging power is verified using an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) monitoring device, installed inside EV's OBD port, by: a) identifying the connected EV and starting a charging session; b) transmitting, by the charging station, a session report to the CSMS system; c) transmitting, by the OBD monitoring device, the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EVs battery, to an OBD server; d) transmitting to the CSMS system, by said OBD server, the amount of charged power that has been transferred to the EVs battery; e) comparing, by said CSMS system, the amount of charged power reported by the charging station to the amount of charged power reported by the OBD server; and f) in case of a mismatch, issuing an alert regarding the current charging session.

19. A system according to claim 11, in which unauthorized charging is prevented by: a) checking if the obtained unique ID during EV identification matches the ID of the OBD monitoring device; and b) in case of a mismatch, terminating the charging session.

20. A system according to claim 11, preventing the unique ID is the BD_ADDR of Bluetooth component

Images