Method and system for communication between a vehicle and a charging station for locking mechanical charging cable coupling

A charging station for electrically charging at least one energy storage device of an electric vehicle, the charging station comprising:

• a charging station terminal for connection, via a lockable mechanical coupling, with a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle, wherein the electric vehicle is connected via the lockable mechanical coupling in order to supply charging current from the charging station to the at least one energy storage device during a charging operation;
• a second communication control unit configured to exchange information with a first communication control unit of the electric vehicle over the course of the charging operation based on a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station via at least one communication connection for communication between said first and second communication control units selected from the group consisting of:
• a PLC communication connection through one or more current-conducting lines of the charging cable;
• a monitoring connection that is isolated from current-conducting lines in the charging cable;
• a communication connection that is isolated from the charging cable;
• wherein the electric vehicle is subject to a plurality of different states, the states include a first state, which represents that the connection between the charging station and the vehicle for electrically charging the at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle is disconnected, and a second state, which represents that the at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle is being charged via the charging cable and the second state is indicated via one of the communication connections, and wherein a change from the first state to the second state represents the signaling that triggers the locking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station;
• and
• said second communication control unit being configured such that the information transmitted between the first and second communication control unit includes the signaling, generated by said first communication control unit, for locking the mechanical coupling via the signaling.

A communication method between an electric vehicle and a charging station,

• wherein, during a charging operation for electrically charging the electric vehicle, the electric vehicle is connected to the charging station via a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle and a terminal of the charging station, and charging current is supplied from the charging station to at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle through the charging cable,
• the method comprising:
• transmitting information over a course of the charging operation for communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station, the information transmitted from the electric vehicle to the charging station including a signaling for locking the mechanical coupling, to thereby trigger in the charging station a locking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station via the signaling;
• using one or more of the following communication connections for the communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station:
• a power line communication (PLC) connection through one or more current-conducting lines of the charging cable;
• a monitoring connection that is isolated from the current-conducting lines in the charging cable;
• and
• a communication connection which is isolated from the charging cable;
• representing states of the electric vehicle by one of a plurality of states, the states including a first state, which represents that a connection through the charging cable between the electric vehicle and the charging station is disconnected, and a second state, which represents that the at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle is being charged via the charging cable and the second state is indicated via one of the communication connections, with a change between the first and second states representing the signaling by way of which the locking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station is triggered.

A system for communication between an electric vehicle and a charging station and electrically charging at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle, wherein the electric vehicle is connected, during a charging process, to the charging station via a lockable mechanical coupling between a terminal of a charging cable connected to the electric vehicle and a terminal of the charging station in order to supply charging current through the charging cable from the charging station to the at least one energy storage device, the system comprising:

• a first communication control unit for the electric vehicle;
• a second communication control unit for the charging station;
• at least one communication connection for communication between said first and second communication control units selected from the group consisting of:
• a PLC communication connection through one or more current-conducting lines of the charging cable;
• a monitoring connection that is isolated from current-conducting lines in the charging cable;
• and
• a communication connection that is isolated from the charging cable;
• with information being transmitted via the first and second communication control units during operation of the system over the course of a charging operation based on a communication between the electric vehicle and the charging station;
• said first and second communication control units being configured such that the information transmitted therebetween includes signaling, generated by said first communication control unit, for locking the mechanical coupling via the signaling;
• wherein the electric vehicle is subject to a plurality of different states, the states including a first state, which represents that the charging cable between the charging station and the electric vehicle is disconnected, and a second state, which represents that the at least one energy storage device of the electric vehicle is being charged via the charging cable and wherein the second state is indicated via one of the communication connections, and wherein a change from the first state to the second state triggers the locking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station;
• and
• wherein said second communication control unit is configured to trigger the locking of the mechanical coupling between the terminal of the charging cable and the terminal of the charging station via the signaling that indicates the change from the first state to the second state.