Apparatus and method for verifying power adjustment by multiple electric vehicle supply equipment

Abstract

Example embodiments provide an apparatus (100) and a method (600) for managing and verifying power adjustment of electric vehicle supply equipment (200). An apparatus (100) may be configured to monitor (602) charging transactions of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment (200); monitor (604) for a signal indicating that a power adjustment needs to be activated; after detecting the signal, calculate (606) a target power for a subset of the electric vehicle supply equipment (200) that are currently charging based on the charging transactions, and wherein the target power is calculated based on the signal and a total power of the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200); send (608) a request for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to adjust power based on the target power; send (610) a trigger message for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) after a preset delay, wherein the trigger message is configured to request an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to report latest meter values; verify (612) the power adjustment was activated within a specified time frame based on meter values received in response to the trigger message.

Description

[0001] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR VERIFYING POWER ADJUSTMENT BY MULTIPLE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SUPPLY EQUIPMENT

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application generally relates to energy management . Some example embodiments of the present application relate to verifying power adj ustment of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE ) .

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] An electrical grid must have a constant balance of demand and supply . In other words , electricity production needs to match electricity consumption, as there may not be a way for conveniently storing a large amount of electricity . Imbalance leads to problems , such as outages and broken electric devices . Further, with the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources , it may constantly become harder to match the supply and demand of electricity .

[0006] Hence , it would be beneficial to find an alternative to help in balancing the electrical grid .

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a s impli fied form that are further described below in the detailed description . This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subj ect matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subj ect matter .

[0009] Example embodiments may enable initiating and verifying power adj ustment of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment within a requested time window . This may further enable , that a large group of EVSEs , such as thousands of EVSEs , can be reliably used as a power reserve for demand response in order to tackle sudden disturbances in the electrical grid .

[0010] According to a first aspect an apparatus is provided . The apparatus may comprise at least one processor ; at least one memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to monitor charging transactions of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment ; monitor for a signal indicating that a power adj ustment needs to be activated within a specified time frame ; after detecting the signal , calculate a tar-get power for a subset of the electric vehicle supply equipment that are currently charging based on the charging transactions , and wherein the target power is calculated based on the s ignal and a total power of the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment ; send a request for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment to adj ust power based on the target power ; send a trigger message for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment after a preset delay, wherein the trigger message is configured to request an electric vehicle supply equipment to report latest meter values ; verify the power adj ustment was activated within the specified time frame based on meter values received in response to the trigger message .

[0011] In an embodiment , the signal may indicate frequency of an electrical grid exceeding an upper threshold or falling below a lower threshold .

[0012] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the preset delay may be configured based on a time it takes for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment to adj ust power .

[0013] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the charging transactions may be monitored based on charging statuses and meter values reported by the multiple electric vehicle supply equipment ; and wherein the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment is determined based on charging statuses indicating an active charging transaction and the total power is determined based on the meter values of the active charging transactions .

[0014] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to configure a first retry counter to indicate how many times the request to adj ust power is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment of the subset ; receive an indication that the request to adj ust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; increase a value of the first retry counter when the request to adj ust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; if the value of the f irst retry counter is less than a preset first retry limit , resend the re-quest to adj ust power to said electric vehicle supply equipment ; and if the value of the first retry counter meets the preset first retry limit , determine the power adj ustment of the electric vehicle supply equipment failed .

[0015] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the at least one memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to configure a second retry counter to indi cate how many times the trigger message is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment of the subset ; receive an indication that the trigger message was not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; increase a value of the second retry counter when the trigger message is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; if the value of the second retry counter is less than a preset second retry limit, resend the trigger message to said electric vehicle supply equipment ; and if the value of the second retry counter meets the preset second retry limit , determine the power adj ustment of said electric vehicle supply equipment failed . In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the trigger message is resent after a second preset delay .

[0016] According to a second aspect , a computer-implemented method is provided . The method may comprise monitoring charging transactions of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment ; monitoring for a signal indicating that a power adj ustment needs to be activated within a specified time frame ; after detecting the signal , calculating a target power for a subset of the electric vehicle sup-ply equipment that are currently charging based on the charging transactions , and wherein the target power is calculated based on the s ignal and a total power of the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment ; sending a request for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment to adj ust power based on the target power ; sending a trigger message for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment after a preset delay, wherein the trigger message is configured to request an electric vehicle supply equipment to report latest meter values ; verifying the power adj ustment was activated within the specified time frame based on meter values received in response to the trigger message .

[0017] In an embodiment , the signal may indicate frequency of an electrical grid exceeding an upper threshold or falling below a lower threshold .

[0018] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the preset delay may be configured based on a time it takes for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment to adj ust power .

[0019] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the charging transactions may be monitored based on charging statuses and meter values reported by the multiple electric vehicle supply equipment ; and wherein the method comprises determining the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment based on charging statuses indicating an active charging transaction and determining the total power based on the meter values of the active charging transactions .

[0020] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the method may comprise configuring a first retry counter to indicate how many times the request to adj ust power is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment of the subset ; receiving an indication that the re-quest to adj ust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; increasing a value of the first retry counter when the request to adj ust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; if the value of the first retry counter is less than a preset f irst retry limit , resending the request to adj ust power to said electric vehicle supply equipment ; and if the value of the first retry counter meets the preset first retry limit, determining the power adj ustment of the electric vehicle sup-ply equipment failed .

[0021] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the method may comprise configuring a second retry counter to indicate how many times the trigger message is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment of the subset ; receiving an indication that the trigger message was not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; increasing a value of the second re-try counter when the trigger mes sage i s not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment ; if the value of the second retry counter is less than a preset second retry limit , resending the trigger message to said electric vehicle supply equipment ; and if the value of the second retry counter meets the preset second retry limit , determining the power adj ustment of said electric vehicle sup-ply equipment failed .

[0022] In an embodiment , in addition or alternatively, the trigger message may be resent after a second preset delay .

[0023] According to a third aspect , a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of the second aspect is provided .

[0024] Many of the attendant features wil l be more readily appreciated as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings .

[0025] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings , which are included to provide a further understanding of the example embodiments and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate example embodiments and together with the description help to explain the principles of the example embodiments . In the drawings :

[0027] FIG . 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to practise one or more example embodiments ;

[0028] FIG . 2 illustrates an example of an energy management system according to an example embodiment ;

[0029] FIG . 3 il lustrates an example f low chart of a power adj ustment process , according to an example embodiment ;

[0030] FIG . 4 illustrates an example state diagram of a state machine according to an example embodiment ;

[0031] FIG . 5 illustrates an example state diagram of a state machine according to an example embodiment ;

[0032] FIG . 6 illustrates an example of a method for verification of power adj ustment of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment according to an example embodiment .

[0033] Like references may be used to designate like parts in the accompanying drawings .

[0034] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present examples may be constructed or utili zed . The description sets forth the functions of the example and a possible sequence of operations for constructing and operating the example . However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples .

[0036] Demand response may refer to different demand response operations , such as shifting electricity consumption from on-peak hours to off-peak hours . Demand response operations may be performed or requested to be performed by transmission system operators ( TSOs ) . TSOs are responsible for ensuring that the electrical grid is always in balance . The balance between consumption (demand) and production ( supply) of electricity at any given moment may be indicated by the frequency of the electricity grid . In a normal state , the electrical grid typically operates on a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz , depending on a country . The frequency falls below a nominal value when consumption is greater than production . Correspondingly, the frequency exceeds the nominal value when production is greater than consumption . The frequency may be allowed to fluctuate between some tolerance values . For example , i f the nominal value is 50 Hz , the frequency may be allowed to fluctuate between 49 . 9 and 50 . 1 Hz in the normal (balanced) state .

[0037] TSOs can acquire power reserves to be used on occasions when supply and demand do not match . Power reserves can be utili zed for demand response purposes and can be of various types depending on the country and use case . TSOs may procure power reserves as precautionary measures in case of sudden disturbances in the electrical grid . The power reserves may not be activated until other types of balancing mechanisms are implemented .

[0038] Power reserves can be obtained from both flexible power consumers, including factories and facilities with high power usage, and utilities such as power plants that can increase and sometimes decrease production as required.

[0039] A frequency containment reserve (FCR) may refer to a power reserve procured by the TSO when supply and demand do not match. The goal of the power reserves participating in the FCR is to either increase their production or decrease their consumption to maintain the frequency on a desired level. In other words, the FCR power reserves may react on changes in the frequency. For example, one or more of the FCR power reserves may be activated when the frequency of the electrical grid falls below 49, 9 Hz or above 50,1 Hz.

[0040] The FCR can be divided into two categories: FCR-N and FCR-D, where the latter may have stricter requirements. FCR-N refers to a frequency containment reserve for normal operations. FCR-D refers to a frequency containment reserve for disturbances, e.g., when the frequency deviation is 0,5 Hz or less. A frequency threshold for activating an FCR may be determined by the TSO.

[0041] FCR-D may be further divided to FCR-D upward adjustment and FCR-D downward adjustment. Both the upward and the downward adjustment may have same technical requirements, but an aim of the upward adjustment is to adjust the frequency up and an aim of the downward adjustment is to adjust the frequency down. The technical requirements may comprise, for example, at least one of the following:

[0042] - the power reserve is at least for a requested amount, such as 1 MW,

[0043] - the power reserve is available at least for a requested time, such as one hour, - a power modulation method used by the power reserve is based on the frequency, wherein power may be increased ( or decreased) in a stepwise manner as a function of the frequency,

[0044] - once the frequency reaches a certain threshold, the power reserve is activated within a specified time frame ,

[0045] - real-time reporting to a local TSO may be provided; for example , the reporting may be requested to comprise a 1 Hz log file of reaction to the reached threshold up to 7 days from a response .

[0046] The specified time frame may have some given value . The specified time frame may be also referred to as a required reaction time . For example , the value may be from a few seconds to a few minutes . For example , 50 % of a capacity of the power reserve may need to respond within a first time interval and the remaining 50 % within a second time interval . The first interval may be , for example , 5 seconds . The second interval may be , for example , 30 seconds . Calculation of the first interval and the second interval may start from the time point when the certain threshold is reached . For example , the frequency may have an upper threshold and a lower threshold, and the power adj ustment may be acti vated when the frequency exceeds the upper threshold or falls below the lower threshold . The specified time frame , the first time interval and the second time interval may be received from the TSO .

[0047] An obj ective of this disclosure is to solve at least some of the technical requirements in demand response , such as FCR-D, in order to enable a plurality of EVSE to act as a power reserve . An example embodiment may enable getting meter values from a subset of ( a group of ) EVSE fast enough to meet a required reaction time of a demand response operation . An example embodiment may enable creating a decentralized power reserve, wherein both public and private EVSE may be incorporated. The power reserve (s) can then be utilized for demand response purposes while ensuring that the technical requirements for activating the power reserves, whether it involves increasing or decreasing the total power, are met within the specified reaction time. A method for managing and verifying power adjustment of a group of EVSE in a timely manner is provided, as well as an apparatus configured to perform the method.

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to perform one or more example embodiments.

[0049] The apparatus 100 may comprise at least one processor 102. The at least one processor 102 may comprise, for example, one or more of various processing devices, such as for example a co-processor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP) , a processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) , a microcontroller unit (MCU) , a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like.

[0050] The apparatus 100 may further comprise at least one memory 104. The memory 104 may be configured to store, for example, instructions such as computer program code 106 or the like, for example operating system software and application software. The memory 104 may comprise one or more volatile memory devices, one or more non-volatile memory devices, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the memory 104 may be embodied as magnetic storage devices (such as hard disk drives, magnetic tapes, etc.) , optical magnetic storage devices, or semiconductor memories (such as mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM) , EPROM (erasable PROM) , flash ROM, RAM (random access memory) , etc.) . The apparatus 100 may further comprise a communication interface 108 configured to enable the apparatus 100 to transmit information to other devices . The communication interface 108 may further be configured to enable the apparatus 100 to receive information from other devices . The apparatus 100 may be conf igured to , for example , exchange data with one or more electric vehicle charging stations , electric vehicle supply equipment , or other charging devices . Electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS ) are used to charge electric vehicles (EV) . Electric vehicle charging stations may be also referred to as charging stations or charge points . EV drivers may own electric vehicles (EV) and charge their EVs on charging stations . A charging station may comprise one or more electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE ) . An EVSE may comprise a unit configured for controlling the power supply to an EV during a charging session . The unit may comprise , for example , one or more electrical circuits . The unit may further comprise at least one socket ( or connector) per electrical circuit . Charging stations and EVSE may be managed and controlled remotely by the apparatus via an internet connection . The apparatus may be part of a charging station management system (CSMS ) . Charging stations and the apparatus may communicate via various protocols , such as an OCPP protocol or any other open protocol .

[0051] The communication interface 108 may be configured to provide at least one wireless radio connection, such as for example a 3GPP mobile broadband connection (e . g . 3G, 4G, 5G) . However, the communication interface 108 may be configured to provide one or more other types of connections , for example a wireles s local area network (WLAN) connection such as for example standardi zed by IEEE 802 . 11 series or Wi-Fi all iance ; a short range wireless network connection such as for example a Bluetooth, NFC (near-field communication) , or RFID connection ; a wired connection such as for example a local area network (LAN) connection, a universal serial bus (USB) connection or an optical network connection, or the like ; or a wired Internet connection . The communication interface 208 may comprise , or be configured to be coupled to , at least one antenna to transmit and / or receive radio frequency signals . One or more of the various types of connections may be also implemented as separate communication interfaces , which may be coupled or configured to be coupled to a plurality of antennas . The apparatus 100 may further comprise a user interface 110 compris ing or coupled to an input device and / or an output device . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive one or more parameters or instructions on which signals to monitor via the user interface 110 .

[0052] When the apparatus 100 is configured to implement some functionality, some component and / or components of the apparatus 100 , such as for example the at least one processor 102 and / or the at least one memory 104 , may be configured to implement this functionality . Furthermore , when the at least one processor 102 is configured to implement some functionality, this functionality may be implemented using program code 106 comprised, for example , in the memory 104 .

[0053] In an embodiment , the apparatus 100 may be configured to apply energy management services to multiple EVSE . Each of the multiple EVSE may be located at dif ferent charging stations and may be here referred to as EVSEs . Additionally, the apparatus 100 may be configured to form the EVSEs into one or more groups , i . e . , subsets of EVSE . These EVSE subsets may be then subj ected to energy management services by the apparatus 100 when apparatus detects a trigger .

[0054] The EVSEs may be subj ected to various energy management operations by the apparatus 100 . The energy management operations may be used to adj ust a total charging current of the subset of EVSEs or a charging power that individual EVSEs cannot exceed for different reasons . The adj ustment may be initiated by the apparatus 100 , for example , due to a grid connection limitation, peak shaving, peak shifting, demand-side management , or similar load management use case .

[0055] The apparatus 100 may be configured to adj ust a maximum current / power output of the EVSE . The apparatus 100 may be configured to use methods available in the open protocols implemented in charging hardware of charging stations , such as the OCPP protocol . Hence , the apparatus 100 may be able to make the adj ustments in any charging station / EVSE without being limited to certain hardware manufacturers . The apparatus 100 may communicate with any charging device that operates on open protocols .

[0056] The apparatus 100 may be configured to perform centrali zed cloud-based energy management operations . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to continuously adj ust a maximum rated current the EVSEs can use for charging based on an adj ustment logic . The adj ustment logic may depend on an applied energy service (e . g . , FCR) . Even though the EVSEs may be assigned into a group, the apparatus 100 may control each EVSE individually, for example , via an API . Every time an energy management event takes place , the apparatus 100 may be configured to recalculate the maximum rated current for each EVSE .

[0057] The functionality described herein may be performed, at least in part , by one or more computer program product components such as software components . According to an embodiment , the apparatus comprises a processor or processor circuitry, such as for example a microcontroller, configured by the program code when executed to execute the embodiments of the operations and functionality described . Alternatively, or in addition, the functionality described herein can be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardware logic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) , applicationspecific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) , application-specific Standard Products (ASSPs) , System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs) , Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs) , Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) .

[0058] The apparatus 100 may comprise means for performing at least one method described herein. In one example, the means comprises the at least one processor 102, the at least one memory 104 including program code 106 configured to, when executed by the at least one processor 102, cause the apparatus 100 to perform the method .

[0059] The apparatus 100 may comprise for example a computing device such as for example a server device, a client device, a mobile phone, a CSMS, a tablet computer, a laptop, or the like. Although the apparatus 100 is illustrated as a single device it is appreciated that, wherever applicable, functions of the apparatus 100 may be distributed to a plurality of devices. The apparatus 100 may be configured to operate in a cloud, i.e., remotely via the Internet.

[0060] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of an energy management system according to an example embodiment. The energy management system may comprise a computing device, such as the apparatus 100, configured to manage power of multiple charging devices, such as EVSEs.

[0061] According to an example embodiment, an apparatus 100 may have tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of charging stations, or EVSEs 200, connected to it. The EVSEs 200 consume electricity when they are drawing power from the grid and supplying it to EVs, thereby contributing to the total demand of the electrical grid. In practise, the apparatus 100 may be a decentralized virtual power plant that comprises a network of power-consuming units (charging devices, i.e., charging stations / EVSEs) . The apparatus 100 may act as a gatekeeper and control energy flows of the EVSEs 200 connected to the apparatus 100. Hence, the apparatus 100 may be used to participate in demand response operations as a power reserve supplier. For example, the apparatus 100 may be configured to offer power reserves for the TSO, wherein the amount of power reserves to be activated when requested by a TSO can be estimated based on historical data of available capacity of the EVSEs 200.

[0062] The apparatus 100 may provide flexibility by controlling the charging power of the EVSEs 200 when and where needed (e.g., during on-peak hours across a country) . The apparatus 100 may comprise a logic for operating different energy management services which are used to control the power / current of the EVSEs 200 based on signals received from one or more sources. Based on the signals, the apparatus 100 may send out commands to the EVSEs 200 using open protocols, such as OCPP. The apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor signals coming "behind-the-meter", i.e., on-site, associated with e.g., dynamic load management (DLM) of the charging stations and / or adaptive load management (ALM) , or available local renewable energy, such as solar power. In addition, or alternatively, the apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor signals associated to grid services, such as demand response and / or congestion management. The signal may indicate, for example, a current frequency of an electrical grid and / or an energy management operation to be activated. The communication between EVSEs, and other entities participating in the energy management system, and the apparatus 100 may be bidirectional. Hence, both the EVSEs and the apparatus 100 may initiate certain operations and confirm operations initiated by the other. An EVSE may be affected by multiple energy management services operating at the same time . To address this , the apparatus 100 may be configured to store restrictions from different services and select a most optimal one to dispatch to the EVSE . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to prioriti ze grid services in order to help to keep the electrical grid in balance by reducing supply, but also ensuring service provided for users such that the energy suppl ied by an EVSE may not be completely shut down but reduced to a level in which an EV is still able to charge . The apparatus 100 may be configured to manage multiple operations related to EVSEs and EVs simultaneous ly with the energy management services . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to manage prioriti zation of charging transactions for certain users or queuing operations with a preconnect service .

[0063] However, in many cases demand response requires a certain reaction time . The reaction time requirement may be strict . For example , the requirements for FCR-D upward restriction may comprise that within the reaction time 50 % of total capacity of the power reserve needs to be activated within 5 seconds , and 100 % of the total capacity needs to be activated within 30 seconds from detection of a need for the activation .

[0064] The apparatus 100 may be configured to perform multiple actions within the reaction time . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to compute and dispatch power regulation commands to the EVSEs 200 involved in demand response , receive reports of adj usted power from the EVSEs after the EVSEs have adj usted their power to the requested power level , store information of the reports to a database with timestamps (e . g . , for further reporting to a TSO) within the reaction time . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to form an aggregated value for the adj usted power based on the reports within the reaction time . Hence , the apparatus 100 may be able to verify that the EVSEs 200 managed to adj ust their power as requested and such that requirements of the demand response operation were met , e . g . , that enough power was decreased fast enough based on preset requirements .

[0065] The apparatus 100 may rely on the EVSEs 200 to transmit relevant data before the apparatus 100 can determine the status of the EVSEs 200 . Therefore , even if an EVSE adj usts its power immediately upon receiving a request from the apparatus 100 , the apparatus 100 may not know the adj ustment is performed until the adj usted power is reported by the EVSE to the apparatus 100 .

[0066] The EVSEs can be configured to report various information 204 to the apparatus . The apparatus 100 may be configured to receive , for example , at least one of a status , a charging current , a charging power, and / or charged energy of the EVSE . The information may further comprise a maximum rated power / current 202 of the EVSE . The information may be reported, for example, according to the OCPP protocol , but there can be also other existing or future protocols , such as other open protocols or manufacturer' s proprietary protocols . However, because OCPP is widely used, examples in thi s disclosure are based on the OCPP . It is , however, noted that example embodiments are not limited to any specific protocol .

[0067] Demand response operations may be applied to the EVSEs that are in an active charging session . Hence , the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive from the EVSEs their charging statuses . A charging status may indicate if the EVSE is currently charging, not charging, or doing something else . For example , the charging status may be available , preparing, charging, finishing, suspended EV, or suspended EVSE . The available status may indicate when a connector ( of the EVSE ) becomes available for a new user . The preparing status may indicate when a connector becomes no longer available for a new user, but no charging session is active . Typically, a connector is occupied when a user presents a tag and inserts a charging cable . The charging status may indicate when a contactor of a connector closes , allowing the vehicle to charge . The suspendedEVSE status may indicate when the contactor of a connector opens upon request of the EVSE , e . g . due to a smart charging restriction or when charging is not allowed . The sus- pendedEV status may indicate when the EVSE i s ready to deliver energy but contactor is open, e . g . the EV is not ready for charging . The finishing status may indicate when a charging session has stopped at a connector, but the connector is not yet available for a new user, e . g . the charging cable has not been removed .

[0068] The apparatus 100 may be further configured to monitor how much power or current the EVSEs are consuming . The apparatus may be configured to monitor the consumed power based on meter values received from the EVSEs . Meter values may denote data captured by a built- in energy meter of a charging station . The meter values reported by the EVSE may be used by the apparatus to determine at least one of an amount of charged energy, how much energy is currently flowing through each ( cur- rent / voltage ) phase , and / or what the actual charging power is . The meter values may be transmitted at a configurable interval during an active charging transaction . Some charging station models may be also configured to transmit meter values outs ide of an active charging transaction . When an EVSE i s connected to the apparatus , the apparatus may configure the EVSE to report specific data, such as the meter values , with a specific interval . The specific data to be reported may comprise electric current per phase and power .

[0069] To participate in demand response , such as in FCR, the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine based on the meter values when the EVSEs have dropped their charging power as requested by the apparatus 100 . Especially when charging stations are from different manufacturers , the meter values may be a common source of information for the apparatus to determine how much power / current an EVSE is drawing .

[0070] In order to obtain the meter values on time to meet a required reaction time , one approach could be to configure the EVSEs to report their meter values as often as possible , e . g . , every 1 second . However, hardware of charging stations from different manufacturers may support different meter value intervals . Further, the configured intervals for meter value reporting may not always function properly . For example , it has been observed that the hardware of a manufacturer may support a 5-second interval , but after the EVSE is configured to report the meter values every 5 seconds , the EVSE starts instead reporting the meter values randomly between 2 -20 seconds . Further, even if the EVSE was capable to report the meter values every 5 seconds , it may not be enough in terms of the overall reaction time . There may be some delay al so from software running internal operations , calling microservices , gathering data and formulating payloads . Further, there may be delays coming from connectivity when a message travels from the apparatus to the EVSE , for example , via mobile data .

[0071] In addition, the EVSEs may not report meter values synchronously even if the reporting interval was the same for all of the EVSEs because the EVSEs may have own timers for reporting the meter values . For example , a lowest meter value reporting interval configuration of an EVSE before shipping from a factory may be 60 seconds . In this case, an EVSE may report a meter value 1 second before a new restriction request comes to limit power . The restriction request may be sent when there is an event indicating that a certain pool of charging stations need to drop power . For example , in the context of FCR, the frequency may have dropped to a predefined activation limit . Then, the EVSE may report the next meter value after 59 seconds have passed from the restriction request. The EVSE may have restricted its power immediately after receiving the request, but it may not report it before reaching the next reporting interval. Also, when there is a large subset of EVSEs (e.g., thousands) , it may be possible that some of them (e.g., one-third) report their meter values just before receiving new adjustment requests. The next time the EVSEs report the meter values would be about 50 seconds later. Another third of the EVSEs might report their meter values somewhere in the middle of the 60-second interval, while the remaining third of the EVSEs might report their meter values on time (e.g., within the 5 second reaction time limit from the moment the FCR was activated) . Given this distribution, the 5 second reaction time would not be met with the EVSEs of this example as only one third of the EVSEs managed to report in time and the other two-thirds failed to do so.

[0072] Another approach could be to adjust the whole set of EVSEs to report meter values as often as possible at all times, even when there is no need for having the meter values. However, this would cause a huge increase in incoming messages, causing a big load on a management system. Also, data costs due to a need for more data storage, upgrading SIM-card data plans, etc., could be an issue. For example, even with a 15 second reporting interval, the amount of messages would be much higher (3 messages within 60 seconds) when comparing to the 60 second reporting interval (1 message within 60 seconds) . If there were a hundred thousand EVSEs reporting every 15 seconds, the overall load from the messages would be considerable. The EVSEs may not either be configured to send the meter values at a different interval on the fly, as there are many things that could go wrong due to the interval change. Hence, there is a need for a solution to obtain the meter values from the EVSEs when they are needed. A trigger message may refer to a command that can be used e.g. for asking a charging station to update its most recent status or report its latest meter values at any point in time. The apparatus 100 may be configured to send a trigger message to an EVSE . With the trigger message, the apparatus 100 may request the EVSE to send EVSE-initiated messages. In the trigger message request, the apparatus 100 may be configured to indicate which message it wishes to receive. For every such requested message, the apparatus 100 may optionally indicate to which connector of the EVSE this request applies. The requested message may be leading, meaning that if the specified connector is not relevant to the message, it may be ignored. In such cases, the requested message may still be sent by the EVSE to the apparatus. Inversely, if the connector is relevant but absent, the EVSE may be configured to interpret the request as "for all allowed connector values". For example, a request for a status notification for a specific connector (e.g., connector ID=0) may be a request for the status of the EVSE. A request for a status notification without a connector ID may be a request for multiple status notifications: a notification for the EVSE itself and a notification for each of its connectors.

[0073] In a response to the trigger message, the EVSE may indicate whether it will send the requested message, by responding with accepted or rejected to the trigger message. It may be up to the EVSE if it accepts or rejects the request. The trigger message mechanism is not intended to retrieve historic data. The messages it triggers may be configured to give current information. For example, in response to a trigger message with a request for a meter values message, the EVSE may return the most recent measurements for all measurements configured in a configuration key (e.g., OCPP MeterVal- uesSampledData) . The meter values may be sent, for example, in a separate message after the trigger message is accepted . A distinction compared to a standard meter value message is that , with the trigger message , the EVSE may provide meter values in response to the request from the apparatus , rather than based on an own timer of the EVSE .

[0074] A trigger message may be intended for troubleshooting a single or a few EVSEs , but here , the trigger message is used for asking thousands , tens of thousands , or even hundreds of thousands of EVSEs to report their meter value to the apparatus 100 . The apparatus 100 may be configured to implement the trigger message such that the apparatus 100 may enforce a certain desired subset of EVSEs to report their latest meter value at an optimal time or a period of time without interruptions . As a result , the EVSEs that are conf igured by the apparatus 100 to participate in demand response may report their latest meter values at the time determined by the apparatus 100 in an approximately synchronous manner . The trigger message may be sent only to a subset of EVSEs , instead of each EVSE . Hence , the apparatus 100 is not unnecessarily burdened with an excessive amount of messages which could be the case if the latest meter values were requested from all EVSE managed by the apparatus 100 . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to send the trigger message to at least some of the EVSEs that are actively charging at the moment .

[0075] FIG . 3 il lustrates an example of a flow chart of a method for managing and verifying power adj ustments of multiple EVSEs , according to an example embodiment .

[0076] At 300 , a cloud-based computing device , such as the apparatus 100 , is configured to monitor charging transactions . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to continuously monitor events related to charging transactions , such as changes in statuses of the EVSEs and meter values reported by the EVSEs . The apparatus 100 may be further configured to monitor one or more signals configured to trigger power adj ustment of the EVSEs . The one or more signals may indicate a need to activate one or more demand response operations . The signals for demand response may comprise , for example , an indication that a frequency has exceeded a first predetermined level , or that the frequency is lower than a second predetermined level . The frequency may be updating in real-time . There apparatus 100 may be configured to obtain the frequency from one or more sources . The signals for demand response may also comprise a request received for power adj ustment . The request may be received, for example , from a local TSO . Depending on the demand response to be applied, there can be other signals than frequency . Whatever the signal is , the apparatus 100 may constantly monitor the signal and react to changes in the monitored signal .

[0077] At 302 , the apparatus 100 detects a signal indicating that power reserves need to be activated . For example, the frequency may have fallen below the second predetermined level .

[0078] At 304 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to calculate a new target power to the EVSEs that are charging in response to the detected s ignal . The apparatus 100 may know which EVSEs are currently charging based on the charging transactions . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to receive a status notification from an EVSE when a charging transaction is started or ended . The target power may be calculated based on the detected signal and a total power of the charging EVSEs . According to the target power, a subset of EVSEs may be requested to adj ust the total power either up or down . How much the total power needs to be increased or decreased at different stages may depend on requirements of the applied demand response . For example , with FCR, power may be decreased ( or increased) in a stepwise manner as a function of frequency .

[0079] Once the apparatus 100 has calculated how much the whole subset of EVSEs needs to increase / decrease its power, the apparatus 100 may be configured to calculate a new power level for individual EVSEs to achieve the des ired change in the total power . The new power level could be e . g . a proportional power drop based on a maximum rated power of the EVSE . The new power level can be unique to each EVSE , depending on the method of achieving the total power drop for the subset of EVSEs .

[0080] At 306, the apparatus 100 may be configured to generate payloads to the subset of EVSEs . Once the apparatus 100 has calculated the new power level for each individual EVSE , the apparatus 100 may generate the payloads using a chosen protocol (e . g . OCPP , but could be some other protocol ) and include the new power level in the payload . In terms of the OCPP protocol , the current can be adj usted either via Change Configuration or Set Charging Profile messages sent by the apparatus 100 , for example .

[0081] At 308 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to send messages to the subset of EVSEs with the payloads to instruct the EVSEs to adj ust power .

[0082] At 310 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to wait for a configured time (delay) to make sure the subset of EVSEs have adj usted their power after receiving the messages . The configured waiting time may depend on a time it may take for an EVSE to adj ust its own power . In addition, or alternatively, the configured waiting time may depend on the applied demand response .

[0083] After the configured waiting time , at 312 , the apparatus 100 may be configured to enforce the EVSEs ( for which the payloads were dispatched) to report their most recent meter values using a trigger message . The apparatus 100 may be configured to ask the EVSEs to respond to the trigger message specifically with the meter values . I f the trigger message was sent to the EVSEs immediately after sending payloads adj usting power, it would be li kely that all EVSEs were not able to adj ust their power yet . This means that some of the EVSEs would report their old power level, i.e. the power level before adjustment to the new power level, as a response to the trigger message. Also, there may be differences in the performance from one manufacturer to another, and even from model to model. This means that it is possible that the waiting time is different for different EVSEs. The needed waiting time may be investigated and implemented case by case.

[0084] At 314, the apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor for the meter values. The meter values may be received from the set of EVSEs approximately simultaneously due to the sent trigger messages. In this case, there should not be a considerable delay in receiving the meter values at least from 95 % of the EVSEs.

[0085] At 316, the meter values are received by the apparatus 100 from the subset of EVSEs. For example, the meter values may be received at [time when the signal was detected at 302] + 3 seconds. Hence, the meter values may be received by the apparatus 100 before the 5 second reaction time is met at 318. In this example, the overall reaction time is approximately 3 seconds. In other words, the required power adjustment by the power reserve may be performed and verified within the required reaction time for performing the demand response.

[0086] At 320, the apparatus 100 may be configured to store the meter values to a database. Once the EVSEs have reported their up-to-date meter values, the apparatus may store the meter values in the database with timestamps. The stored data can then be extracted for different purposes, such as proving that the EVSEs collectively reacted within an acceptable delay.

[0087] If the trigger messages were not used, reaction times of the EVSEs (based on received meter values after adjusted power) would be random or unique, and the apparatus would not have any control on when the EVSEs report their meter values. Hence, without the trigger messages, the required reaction time (e.g., 5 seconds) for a required number of EVSEs (e.g., 50%) would not be reached with sufficient certainty for demand response, wherein reaching the required parameters may be critical for balance of the electrical grid.

[0088] The apparatus 100 may be configured to implement internal message types which may not be standard OCPP protocol messages, but new message types configured to be used in internal processes of the apparatus 100. The internal messages may be understood by internal systems of the apparatus, but once dispatched to the EVSEs, the messages may be transmitted as basic OCPP keys. The purpose of the new internal message types is to optimize the information flow and ensure scalability of the solution from a performance standpoint. For example, a situation where the apparatus 100 has to make multiple queries and start internal processes from scratch once one part of the flow has been completed may be avoided.

[0089] For example, once requests to adjust the load (i.e., supplied power) are sent out to the EVSEs (e.g., based on IDs of the EVSE with a charging status 'charging' ) , the apparatus 100 is configured to automatically follow up with a trigger message after a certain time, without having to query e.g. the EVSE IDs again and forming the corresponding payloads. Instead, multiple operations may be performed all at once in internal systems of the apparatus 100, and as an output of the process, standard OCPP messages may be delivered to the EVSEs (e.g., a trigger message and a change configura- tion / set charging profile message after a configurable delay) . Therefore, the apparatus 100 may be configured to combine messages and introduce new parameters in internal layers before actual OCPP commands are sent out to the EVSEs.

[0090] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a state diagram of a state machine according to an example embodiment. A state machine may refer to a behavior model and instructions for performing the model. Based on a current state and a given input a computing device, such as the apparatus 100, may be configured to perform state transitions and produce outputs programmed according to the state machine.

[0091] Referring to FIG. 3, handling the complexity of operations 310, 312 and 314 using simple OCPP synchronous requests and also handling exceptional cases may require a complex state machine. The state machine may be e.g. stored in a memory of the apparatus 100. For example, the state machine may be located inside middleware containers which provide the closest and fastest compute / process power to the hardware (e.g., web socket) .

[0092] With the new internal message types, the apparatus 100 may be able to acknowledge and identify the steps used for dispatching suitable OCPP commands in a timely manner and in a correct order, without other requests / commands interrupting the chain of requests to the same EVSEs. Restrictions and parameters may be included within the new message types.

[0093] For example, the following configurable parameters may be incorporated to the new message types. The parameters can be configured e.g. for a subset of EVSEs that are grouped together via various methods.

[0094] A first parameter may comprise a current / power adjustment retry limit. The first parameter may indicate a number of times the apparatus can retry the messages for adjusting current / power if rejected from the EVSE. The messages may comprise, for example, the change configuration or set charging profile command.

[0095] A second parameter may comprise a trigger message delay. The second parameter may indicate the delay (e.g., in milliseconds) before sending the trigger message triggering the sending of meter values after the EVSE has accepted current / power adjustment.

[0096] A third parameter may comprise a trigger message retry limit. The third parameter may indicate a number of times the apparatus can retry sending the trigger message if previously rejected by an EVSE.

[0097] A fourth parameter may comprise a trigger message retry delay. The fourth parameter may indicate a delay (e.g., in milliseconds) before the apparatus can retry sending the trigger message triggering the sending of meter values if EVSE rejected previous trigger message .

[0098] For example, a triggering signal may be detected for decreasing power levels of a subset of EVSEs. The apparatus may calculate new power levels for the subset of EVSEs based on the trigger signal and current power levels of the subset of EVSEs. The next operations may be performed internally by the apparatus for each EVSE of the subset of EVSEs. At 400, a request to adjust power of an EVSE is received (e.g., byCoreRequestRe- ceived, wherein byCoreRequest refers to a request initiated by the apparatus) . In response to the request, a state may be set to indicate that the request is received, at 402. At 404, the apparatus 100 may determine if it is able to write the request. For example, if the requested power adjustment cannot be performed, e.g. the EVSE is detected to be offline, and hence the current power may not be reduced, the state may transition to indicate that the request failed, at 406. The request may also fail if the request has timed out. For example, a time restriction may have passed before the requested power adjustment has been verified. If the apparatus 100 determines that it is able to write the request, the apparatus 100 may proceed to send a message to the EVSE to carry out the requested power adjustment (e.g., as described in 306 and 308 in FIG. 3) . At 410, the state may be set to indicate that a change of power level is asked from the EVSE.

[0099] Thereafter, the apparatus 100 may monitor for a response to the message. At 412, the response is received by the apparatus 100 from the EVSE. At 414, the apparatus 100 may determine if the message was accepted by the EVSE based on the response. If the message was not accepted, the state may transition to indicate that the asked change failed, at 416. At 418, the apparatus 100 may determine if the message should be sent again to the EVSE based on the first parameter, for example. The apparatus 100 may have configured a retry counter to indicate how many times the message has been sent to a specific EVSE. If a number of the retry counter is less than the current adjustment retry limit, the apparatus 100 may be configured to increase the retry counter at 420, and then return to operation 404. After the message is again sent to the EVSE, the state may be set back to indicate that the change of power level has been asked, at 410. However, if the retry counter indicates the current adjustment retry limit is met, the apparatus 100 may determine at 406 that the request for power adjustment failed.

[0100] After receiving a confirmation from the EVSE that the message is accepted at 414, the state may transition to a delay before trigger message, at 422. The trigger message delay may be set based on the second parameter. After the delay has passed at 424, the trigger message for meter values is sent at 426 to the EVSE by the apparatus 100. The apparatus 100 may be configured to first determine if it is able write the request (i.e. send the trigger message) , for example, in case the EVSE is offline. If the apparatus 100 is not able to send the trigger message, the apparatus 100 may determine that the request for power adjustment failed, at 406. After the trigger message is sent to the EVSE, the state is configured to transition to indicate that the trigger message is sent, at 428. After the state transition at 428, the apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor for a response to the trigger message. At 430, the response to the trigger message is received by the apparatus 100 from the EVSE. At 432, the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine if the trigger message was accepted by the EVSE based on the response. If the response was accepted, the state may transition to indicate that the apparatus 100 waits for meter values from the EVSE, at 440. If no confirmation is received from the EVSE in response to the trigger message, or the EVSE rejected the trigger message, the state is configured to transition to indicate that receiving the meter values with the trigger message failed, at 434. At 436, the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine whether to retry sending the trigger message. Further, a value of a retry counter configured to indicate how many times the trigger message has failed is increased at 438. The decision whether to retry sending the trigger message may be based on the value of the retry counter. If the retry counter reaches the third parameter, the process may proceed to 406. If the retry counter has a value below the third parameter, the trigger message may be sent again to the EVSE after a configured delay, and the state returns to 428. The delay for sending again the trigger message to the EVSE may be configured based on the fourth parameter.

[0101] At 442, a message is received from the EVSE. At 444, the apparatus 100 may be configured to determine if the message comprises meter values. If the message does not comprise meter values, the message may be passed through a default handler for processing, at 428. When the message comprises the meter values, the state may transition to indicate that the power adjustment at the EVSE was successful, at 446.

[0102] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a flow chart of a state machine with transitions according to an example embodiment.

[0103] After a message is received at 442, and the apparatus 100 has determined it does not comprise meter values, at 444, the apparatus 100 may be configured to pass the message through a default handler, at 448. The default handler of the apparatus 100 may be configured to process other messages received from the EVSE than the triggered meter value messages. The default handler may be configured to run, for example, when a request (e.g. DeviceRequestReceived at 500 or byCoreReqRespons- eReceived at 502) is received from an EVSE. The default handler may be configured to process received requests in any state. These messages received from the EVSE, or any other device, may be for example a request initiated by the device itself (like a heartbeat message etc.) or a response to some older request made in the past by the apparatus. According to OCPP, devices may be allowed to write these messages at any time and the matching between request and response can be done using a unique ID per message. In these cases which the message is not the one the process is interested in (not a meter-value at 444) , a standard default procedure may be let to continue handling the message. For example, a heartbeat message to be acknowledged by the apparatus may be processed by the default handler and a correct response may be written back to the device.

[0104] When a request response is timed out, at 408, the apparatus 100 may determine at 406 that the request has failed, at 406. The apparatus 100 may be configured to determine at 504 that the process has failed, e.g., the demand response operation was not successful.

[0105] If the apparatus 100 received a new by-core- request (i.e., a request initiated by the apparatus itself) while there is a pending one, at 506, the apparatus may be configured to ignore the new by-core-request at 508. The new by-core-request may comprise, for example, a request to change a configuration or to reset the EVSE. The apparatus 100 may be configured to process new by-core-requests after the previous by-core-request is either failed or succeeded.

[0106] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a method for verification of power adjustment of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment according to an example embodiment . The method 600 may be performed by a computing device , such as the apparatus 100 .

[0107] At 602 , the method may comprise monitoring charging transactions of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment . For example , the apparatus 100 may monitor charging statuses reported by the EVSEs . The apparatus 100 may further monitor meter values reported by the EVSEs . The meter values may indicate , for example , how much energy is charged during the charging transaction and what a charging power level or a maximum rated current of the EVSE is .

[0108] At 604 , the method may comprise monitoring for a signal indicating that a power adj ustment needs to be activated . The signal may be associated with a specified time frame , within which time frame the power adj ustment should be performed . For example , the apparatus 100 may be configured to monitor a frequency of an electrical grid, or any other signal that can be used to trigger the power adj ustment . The signal may further indicate whether ( charging) power levels of at least a subset of EVSEs need to be increased or decreased . The specified time frame may refer to a reaction time after detection of the signal and until the power adj ustment has been done .

[0109] After detecting the signal , the method may comprise at 606 calculating a target power for the subset of the EVSE . The target power may refer to new total charging power of the subset of EVSEs . The target power may be calculated based on the signal and current charging power at the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment . The current charging power may refer to a total power level of the EVSEs , determined by the apparatus 100 for example based on previously received meter values . The subset of EVSEs may be determined by the apparatus 100 to comprise at least part of the EVSEs that are currently charging based on the monitored charging transactions .

[0110] At 608 , the method may compri se sending a request for each EVSE of the subset of EVSEs to adj ust power based on the target power . For example , the apparatus 100 may send to each of the EVSEs instructions to lower their individual charging power level such that the target power is met . One EVSE may be requested to lower power more or les s than other EVSE , or each EVSE may be requested to lower their charging power level the same amount , depending on a situation and a use case .

[0111] At 610 , the method may comprise sending a trigger message to each EVSE of the subset of EVSEs , wherein the trigger message is sent after a preset delay . The trigger message may be configured by the apparatus 100 . The trigger message may be configured to request the EVSE to report its latest meter values .

[0112] At 612 , the method may comprise verifying that the power adj ustment was activated within the specified time frame based on meter values received in response to the trigger message . For example , the apparatus 100 may determine that the power adj ustment was successful when the meter values are received within the specified time frame and indicate that the total power of the subset of EVSEs was adj usted as requested . In addition, the method may comprise storing the meter values to a database . The meter values may be stored to the database with timestamps . The database may be used by the apparatus 100 to verify the power reserve was activated . For example , the apparatus 100 may send a report to a TSO that the power reserve ( i . e . , the EVSEs ) was activated according to requirements of the TSO based on information stored in the database .

[0113] With the method, activation of a requested power adj ustment may be verified without a need for additional hardware . For example , there may be no need to physically link the EVSEs together via an Ethernet cable or the like . Further, there may be no need for an additional control unit on-site . In addition, additional capital expenditures and operating expenditures caused by local solutions (e . g . , caused by additional cabling and digging the cables into the ground) may be avoided .

[0114] The method may not be reliant on any particular manufacturers or models of charging stations . The method may be compatible with charging stations that operate on open protocols ( such as OCPP) which facilitate the exchange of pertinent information between the charging station and the apparatus . The information may comprise , for example , meter values , status information, heartbeats , and so on . The method may work seamlessly with a mix of AC ( alternating current) and DC (direct current ) charging stations from various manufacturers .

[0115] The apparatus may manage each EVSE independently . The charging stations may not be connected or communicating with each other, and the EVSEs may not be required to be linked together by cables or by other remote connections in addition to the apparatus . Hence , an exclusive repository of knowledge regarding the formation of the EVSEs into groups or sub-networks for diverse obj ectives , such as energy management , as well as configuration details pertaining to both the EVSE and networks , may reside solely with the apparatus . In contrast , the charging stations themselves may remain entirely oblivious to the existence of one another . The logic required for managing the charging stations and stored by the apparatus may be in the cloud and not within the charging stations of the EVSEs themselves . Everything may be done remotely by the apparatus . The logic may serve several critical functions , including identifying which charging stations belong to a specific energy management group, detecting events that indicate when a charging station is offl ine or online , recalculating the available capacity for the energy management group, generating payloads to be delivered to individual charging stations , and dispatching these payloads to the individual charging stations within the energy management groups , configuring charging stations , etc .

[0116] Further, although the demand response is used as an example use case for the method, the method is not limited only to requirements in specific demand response operations . Ultimately, the method is applicable to all such applications that may require a certain provable reaction time from a de-centrali zed subset (whatever the grouping or pooling mechanism is ) of EVSEs .

[0117] It is obvious to a person skil led in the art that with the advancement of technology, the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in various ways . The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above , instead they may vary within the scope of the claims .

[0118] Further features of the methods directly result from the functionalities and parameters of the apparatus as described in the appended claims and throughout the specification and are therefore not repeated here . It is noted that one or more operations of the method may be performed in different order .

[0119] An apparatus may be configured to perform or cause performance of any aspect of the method ( s ) described herein . Further, a computer program may comprise instructions for causing, when executed, an apparatus to perform any aspect of the method ( s ) described herein . Further, an apparatus may comprise means for performing any aspect of the method ( s ) described herein . According to an example embodiment , the means comprises at least one processor, and memory including program code , the at least one memory and the program code configured to , when executed by the at least one processor, cause performance of any aspect of the method ( s ) .

[0120] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or altered without losing the effect sought . Also , any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment unless explicitly disallowed .

[0121] Although the subj ect matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts , it is to be understood that the subj ect matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above . Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims .

[0122] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or may relate to several embodiments . The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benef its and advantages . It wi ll further be understood that reference to ' an ' item may refer to one or more of those items .

[0123] The operations of the methods described herein may be carried out in any suitable order, or simultaneously where appropriate . Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subj ect matter described herein . Aspects of any of the embodiments described above may be combined with aspects of any of the other embodiments described to form further embodiments without losing the effect sought .

[0124] The term ' comprising ' is used herein to mean including the method, blocks , or elements identified, but that such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements .

[0125] As used in this application, the term ' circuitry' may refer to one or more or all of the following : ( a) hardware-only circuit implementations ( such as implementations in only analog and / or digital circuitry) and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as (as applicable) : (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit (s) with sof tware / f irm- ware and (ii) any portions of hardware processor (s) with software (including digital signal processor ( s ) ) , software, and memory (ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions) and (c) hardware circuit (s) and or processor ( s ) , such as a microprocessor ( s ) or a portion of a microprocessor ( s ) , that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation. This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims.

[0126] As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0127] It will be understood that the above description is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity, or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from scope of this specification.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An apparatus (100) , the apparatus (100) comprising : at least one processor (102) ; at least one memory (104) comprising instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor (102) , cause the apparatus (100) to: monitor (602) charging transactions of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; characterized in that the apparatus is further caused to: monitor (604) for a signal indicating that a power adjustment needs to be activated, wherein the signal indicates frequency of an electrical grid exceeding an upper threshold or falling below a lower threshold; after detecting the signal, calculate (606) a target power for a subset of the electric vehicle supply equipment (200) that are currently charging based on the charging transactions, and wherein the target power is calculated based on the signal and a total power of the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; send (608) a request for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to adjust power based on the target power; send (610) a trigger message for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) after a preset delay, wherein the preset delay is configured based on a time it takes for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to adjust power, wherein the trigger message is configured to request an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to report latest meter values ; verify (612) the power adjustment was activated within a specified time frame based on meter values received in response to the trigger message.

2. The apparatus (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the charging transactions are monitored based on charging statuses and meter values reported by the multiple electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; and wherein the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) is determined based on charging statuses indicating an active charging transaction and the total power is determined based on the meter values of the active charging transactions.

3. The apparatus (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one memory (104) further comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor (102) , cause the apparatus (100) to: configure a first retry counter to indicate how many times the request to adjust power is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) of the subset; receive an indication that the request to adjust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; increase a value of the first retry counter when the request to adjust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; if the value of the first retry counter is less than a preset first retry limit, resend the request to adjust power to said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; and if the value of the first retry counter meets the preset first retry limit, determine the power adjustment of the electric vehicle supply equipment (200) failed .

4. The apparatus (100) of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one memory (104) comprises instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor (102) , cause the apparatus (100) to:configure a second retry counter to indicate how many times the trigger message is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) of the subset; receive an indication that the trigger message was not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; increase a value of the second retry counter when the trigger message is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; if the value of the second retry counter is less than a preset second retry limit, resend the trigger message to said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; and if the value of the second retry counter meets the preset second retry limit, determine the power adjustment of said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) failed .

5. The apparatus (100) of claim 4, wherein the trigger message is resent after a second preset delay.

6. A computer-implemented method (600) , the method (600) comprising: monitoring (602) charging transactions of multiple electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; characterized in that the method further comprises: monitoring (604) for a signal indicating that a power adjustment needs to be activated within a specified time frame, wherein the signal indicates frequency of an electrical grid exceeding an upper threshold or falling below a lower threshold; after detecting the signal, calculating (606) a target power for a subset of the electric vehicle supply equipment (200) that are currently charging based on the charging transactions, and wherein the target power is calculated based on the signal and a totalpower of the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; sending (608) a request for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to adjust power based on the target power ; sending (610) a trigger message for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) after a preset delay, wherein the preset delay is configured based on a time it takes for the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to adjust power, wherein the trigger message is configured to request an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) to report latest meter values; verifying (612) the power adjustment was activated within the specified time frame based on meter values received in response to the trigger message.

7. The method (600) of claim 6, wherein the charging transactions are monitored based on charging statuses and meter values reported by the multiple electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; and wherein the method comprises determining the subset of electric vehicle supply equipment (200) based on charging statuses indicating an active charging transaction and determining the total power based on the meter values of the active charging transactions.

8. The method (600) of any of claims 6 to 7, further comprising: configuring a first retry counter to indicate how many times the request to adjust power is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) of the subset; receiving an indication that the request to adjust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ;increasing a value of the first retry counter when the request to adjust power is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; if the value of the first retry counter is less than a preset first retry limit, resending the request to adjust power to said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; and if the value of the first retry counter meets the preset first retry limit, determining the power adjustment of the electric vehicle supply equipment (200) failed .

9. The method (600) of any of claims 6 to 8, comprising : configuring a second retry counter to indicate how many times the trigger message is sent to an electric vehicle supply equipment (200) of the subset; receiving an indication that the trigger message was not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; increasing a value of the second retry counter when the trigger message is not accepted by said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; if the value of the second retry counter is less than a preset second retry limit, resending the trigger message to said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) ; and if the value of the second retry counter meets the preset second retry limit, determining the power adjustment of said electric vehicle supply equipment (200) failed.

10. The method (600) of claim 9, wherein the trigger message is resent after a second preset delay.

11. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause thecomputer to perform the method (600) of any of claims 6 to 10.

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