EVSE Vehicle Identification via Charge Current and Pilot Signal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) requires additional hardware and complexity for extracting vehicle information, such as make, model, and year, through serial data connections, which increases costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
Measuring charge current profiles and pilot signal interactions between EVSE and electric vehicles to discern vehicle information without additional hardware, using existing power and pilot connections in Level 1 and 2 EVSE, allowing for the identification of vehicle make, model, and year by comparing measured signatures to stored profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If serial data connection hardware is added to EVSE to extract vehicle information, then vehicle information extraction capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The EVSE uses existing connections (power and pilot signals) to extract vehicle information without requiring additional dedicated hardware. The vehicle itself provides information through its normal charging interaction patterns, eliminating the need for separate data extraction equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing power and pilot signal connections are made multi-functional by using them not only for their primary purposes (power delivery and charging control) but also for vehicle information extraction. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated data connections.
2Loss of information
If serial data connection hardware is added to EVSE to extract vehicle information, then vehicle information extraction capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The existing power and pilot signal connections are made multi-functional by using them not only for their primary purposes (power delivery and charging control) but also for vehicle information extraction. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated data connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The EVSE uses existing connections (power and pilot signals) to extract vehicle information without requiring additional dedicated hardware. The vehicle itself provides information through its normal charging interaction patterns, eliminating the need for separate data extraction equipment.
3Device complexity
If current measurement and profile comparison methods are used to identify vehicle type, then vehicle information extraction is achieved without additional hardware, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the pilot signal responses and uses feedback from these measurements to identify vehicle type. The ongoing interaction provides multiple data points that can be analyzed to determine vehicle characteristics without requiring ultra-precise single-point measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system collects and analyzes current profiles and pilot signal responses during the normal charging initiation phase before full power delivery begins. This preliminary measurement period provides sufficient data for vehicle identification without requiring high precision throughout the entire charging process.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for discerning information about a vehicle (e.g., an electric vehicle's make, model, and/or year of manufacturer) being charged by an electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”). Vehicle make, model, and model year can be discerned by measuring charging current supplied to the electric vehicle over time and comparing this profile to stored profiles of known electric vehicles. Vehicle information can also be discerned by monitoring a pilot signal sent to the electric vehicle by the EVSE. When the EVSE is ready to charge the electric vehicle, the pilot signal sends a charge-ready indication. When the electric vehicle is ready to be charged, it sends an acknowledgement. The time between the EVSE indicating it is ready to charge and the electric vehicle acknowledging that it is ready to be charged is measurable and can used to identify an electric vehicle make, model, and model year.