EV Charging System Secure Power Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle charging systems lack transparency and security, as customers cannot easily verify the amount of energy paid for, and are vulnerable to power theft due to the intangible nature of energy transactions.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle charging system with a controller that enables secure power transfer measurement and payment verification between the vehicle and charging station, using power transfer measurement units and communication systems to ensure accurate billing and prevent unauthorized power usage, allowing for peer-to-peer transactions without a large infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power transfer measurement is performed only by the charging station, then the system is simpler, but the measurement accuracy and trustworthiness deteriorate due to potential power theft and lack of verification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by equipping both the charging station and the electric vehicle with identical power transfer measurement units. Each party independently measures the power transfer at its own location, creating localized measurement capabilities that ensure accuracy and mutual verification without requiring a complex centralized monitoring system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by having the charging station and electric vehicle continuously exchange measurement data through communication systems. Each party's measurement results are fed back to the other for real-time comparison and verification, creating a closed-loop system that detects discrepancies and prevents power theft automatically.
2Reliability
If a centralized back-end infrastructure is implemented for payment processing, then payment security is improved, but the system complexity and initial setup costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the charging station and electric vehicle to autonomously perform payment transactions through integrated payment modules. The system automatically compares power transfer measurements, calculates charges, executes fund transfers, and generates receipts without requiring human intervention or connection to external back-end payment processors, thereby ensuring security while minimizing infrastructure complexity.
3Productivity
If power delivery is controlled in large batches, then the charging process is faster, but the impact of any measurement discrepancy or power theft increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the power delivery process into smaller time intervals or energy units (e.g., per kilowatt-hour). Payment modules process transactions for each segmented unit independently, allowing the system to maintain fast overall charging speed while limiting the financial impact of any single measurement discrepancy to a small, manageable amount.
4Ease of operation
If the customer pays in advance for the entire charging session, then the payment process is simpler, but the customer cannot verify the actual power received until after payment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by providing real-time or near-real-time information to the customer about the power transfer and corresponding payment status. Through the communication system, customers can monitor the measurement data exchanged between the charging station and vehicle, see how much power has been delivered, and verify that payments are being processed correctly for each unit of energy received, maintaining transparency while keeping the payment process simple.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides an electric vehicle charging system in which the charging station and the vehicle each have a power transfer measurement unit, and a communication system for communicating data at least from the vehicle to the station. The power delivery is controlled based on a comparison of power transfer measurements made by the charging station and by the electric vehicle control system.