EV Charging Workflow Control for Interoperability Mismatches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure faces interoperability issues due to fragmented components and user interaction mismatches, leading to frequent charging cancellations despite testing, as standardization efforts like the Open Charge Point Protocol (OPCC) do not fully address these challenges.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle charging infrastructure with a policy configurator and master event processor that adaptively controls human-machine interfaces, payment, and charging subsystems via a flexible policy set, enabling coordinated workflows to handle minor errors and inconsistencies, ensuring successful charging operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standardization efforts like Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) are implemented, then interoperability between EVSE and EV is improved, but compatibility issues still occur due to fragmented components and custom backend parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a compatibility layer as an intermediary component between the OCPP standardized interface and the charging infrastructure components. This compatibility layer acts as a mediator that translates and adapts communications between different components, resolving compatibility issues while maintaining standardized interoperability. The compatibility layer handles custom backend parameters and fragmented component variations without breaking the standard OCPP interface.
2Device complexity
If a static workflow is provided in the charging infrastructure, then the system structure is simplified, but user interaction mismatches occur leading to charging cancellations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static workflow into a dynamic, adaptive workflow system. The workflow is no longer fixed but can adapt in real-time based on user behavior patterns, system state, and learned preferences. This dynamic approach allows the charging infrastructure to adjust its interaction model to match user expectations while maintaining overall system structure through the event processor architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors user interactions and charging events, then uses this information to adapt and improve the workflow. The event processor collects data from various sources, analyzes user behavior patterns, and adjusts the workflow accordingly, creating a closed-loop system that improves ease of operation over time while maintaining manageable complexity.
3Reliability
If extensive testing is performed on charging infrastructure, then the number of issues is reduced, but not all scenarios can be tested reliably in advance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-learning and self-adjusting system that automatically improves its performance through operational data. The event processor and compatibility layer learn from real-world charging scenarios and automatically adapt to handle new situations without requiring manual re-testing. This self-service approach allows the system to reliably handle an expanding range of scenarios as it operates, rather than requiring exhaustive pre-testing.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric vehicle charging infrastructure (100) is provided. The electric vehicle charging infrastructure includes an electric vehicle supply equipment, EVSE, (12) for charging an electric vehicle, EV, and a policy configurator (10). The EVSE (12) includes a human-machine interface, HMI, for interacting with a user (14), a payment subsystem for processing payments (16), a charging subsystem for charging the EV (18), and a master event processor (19). The HMI, the payment subsystem and the charging subsystem are adapted for issuing event data to the master event processor. The policy configurator is adapted for configuring a policy set and for sending the policy set to the master event processor. The master event processor is adapted for receiving the event data from the HMI, the payment subsystem, and the charging subsystem, and in response to the received event data, controlling operation of the HMI, of the payment subsystem, and of the charging subsystem according to a workflow based on the policy set.