EVSE Clock Synchronization via Short-Range Wireless Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) systems face challenges in maintaining accurate time synchronization due to intermittent network connectivity and power failures, leading to clock drift and inability to perform accurate billing and data reporting.
Innovation Solution
A short-range wireless communication-based automated process using cellular mobile devices with Bluetooth or ZigBee interfaces to synchronize the EVSE system clock and retrieve data logs, enabling Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronization and automatic data upload to the cloud, even during power outages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the EVSE relies on network connectivity for time synchronization, then accurate timekeeping can be maintained when connected, but time synchronization fails when network connectivity is down
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing time synchronization data and operational data locally in the EVSE's internal memory before network connectivity is lost. This allows the EVSE to continue functioning and maintaining accurate time records even when disconnected from the network, resolving the contradiction between relying on network connectivity and adapting to its loss.
2Reliability
If the EVSE continuously stores interval data logs locally, then data availability is maintained during power failures, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data storage system is segmented into different types of data (interval data logs, charging session data, time synchronization data) with different retention policies. The EVSE stores critical time synchronization data and essential charging session data locally with high reliability, while maintaining a connection to the utility for cloud-based storage of comprehensive operational data. This segmentation reduces the burden on local storage resources while ensuring data availability during power failures.
3Measurement precision
If the EVSE performs automated cloud data uploads, then data reporting accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The EVSE performs automated cloud data uploads using periodic action by scheduling data transmissions during off-peak hours or when energy availability is higher. The system accumulates data locally and performs batch uploads rather than continuous real-time transmission, reducing the frequency of energy-consuming communication events while maintaining data reporting accuracy through periodic synchronization with the cloud.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) system clock time synchronization based on a short-range wireless communication-based automated process. A system comprises a cellular mobile device having a short-range wireless communication capability to communicate with one or more EVSEs. The system further comprises a smart EVSE capable of gaining network connectivity, maintaining an EVSE system clock, and storing multiple days or months interval data logs and charging session data in order to provide reporting to a utility that allows retroactively calculating meter data and performing accurate billing to its customers such that the smart EVSE to synchronize time if power is lost when the network connectivity is down and to retrieve the interval data logs and the charging session data for updating to a cloud automatically to gain network connectivity for gaining an ability to perform Network Time Protocol (NTP) synchronization of the EVSE system clock.