US 10,647,208 B2Granted

Charging control unit and charging control method

AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.

InventorsNoboru Nakano, Yoshio Shimoida, Takashi Yoshida

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Abstract

A charging control unit determines whether the electric vehicles are coupled to the respective charging ports and calculates the estimate value Tc and the estimate value Tr for every charging port coupled. The estimate value Tc is the period from start of charging to completion of charging. The estimate value Tr is the period from completion of charging to departure. The charging control unit, when the electric vehicle coupled t last is set to the N-th vehicle and the electric vehicles already coupled are set to the first to N−1-th vehicles in the order of being coupled, and only when Formula (4) is satisfied by all the first to N−1-th vehicles, starts charging of the N-th vehicle. The charging control unit controls to resume charging of the vehicle that was charging immediately before the N-th vehicle started charging as soon as charging of the N-th vehicle finishes.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A charging control unit including a plurality of charging ports, the charging control unit controlling a charging order of electric vehicles coupled to the respective charging ports, the charging control unit comprising:

a vehicle coupling determining unit configured to determine whether the electric vehicles are coupled to the respective charging ports or not;
a calculator configured to calculate a respective estimate value Tc and a respective estimate value Tr for every charging port that is determined to have a coupling of the electric vehicle by the vehicle coupling determining unit,
wherein the respective estimate value Tc being a period from a start of charging to a completion of charging of a respective electric vehicle coupled to the charging port, and
wherein the respective estimate value Tr being a period from the completion of charging of the respective electric vehicle to a departure of the respective electric vehicle;
and
a control unit configured to:
determine whether to stop charging of an electric vehicle currently being charged and to start interrupt charging for charging a last-connected electric vehicle to the charging port at least by comparing a sum of the respective estimate values Tc of the every charging port that is determined to have a coupling of the electric vehicle excluding the last-connected electric vehicle and an estimate value Tr of the last-connected electric vehicle;
and
control the charging order of the electric, wherein
the control unit, when the electric vehicle coupled to the charging port last is set to an N-th vehicle and the electric vehicles already coupled to the charging ports are set to first to N−1-th vehicles in an order of being coupled to the charging ports and N is an integer of 3 or more, and only when Formula (1) is satisfied by all the first to N−1-th vehicles, starts interrupt charging of the N-th vehicle and controls to resume charging of the electric vehicle that was charging immediately before the N-th vehicle started charging as soon as charging of the N-th vehicle finishes:
Tr(n)>Σn+1NTc (1)
wherein
Tc:
estimate value of period that takes for charging of electric vehicle,
Tr:
estimate value of period from completion of charging of electric vehicle to departure of this electric vehicle, and
1≤n≤N−1.

14 more elements

A charging control method using a plurality of charging ports, the charging control method controlling a charging order of electric vehicles coupled to the respective charging ports, the charging control method comprising:

detecting whether the electric vehicles are coupled to the respective charging ports or not;
calculating a respective estimate value Tc and a respective estimate value Tr for every charging port that is determined to have a coupling of the electric vehicle by a vehicle coupling determining unit,
the respective estimate value Tc being a period for charging of the electric vehicle coupled to the charging port, and
the respective estimate value Tr being a period from a completion of charging of the electric vehicle to a departure of the electric vehicle;
and
determining whether to stop charging of an electric vehicle currently being charged and to start interrupt charging for charging a last-connected electric vehicle to the charging port at least by comparing a sum of the respective estimate values Tc of the every charging port that is determined to have a coupling of the electric vehicle excluding the last-connected electric vehicle and an estimate value Tr of the last-connected electric vehicle,
wherein, when a last electric vehicle coupled to the charging port last is set to an N-th vehicle and the electric vehicles already coupled to the charging ports are set to 1 to N−1-th vehicles in an order of being coupled to the charging ports and N is an integer of 3 or more, and only when Formula (2) is satisfied by all the 1 to N−1-th vehicles, performing steps comprising:
stopping charging the electric vehicle that was charging immediately before the N-th vehicle;
starting interrupt charging of the N-th vehicle;
and
controlling to resume charging of the electric vehicle that was charging immediately before the N-th vehicle started charging as soon as charging of the N-th vehicle finishes, wherein Formula (2) is:
Tr(n)>Σn+1NTc (2)
wherein Tc:
estimate value of period for charging of electric vehicle, Tr:
estimate value of period from completion of charging of electric vehicle to departure of this electric vehicle, and 1≤n≤N−1.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/577,953Filed 29 May 2015
Published: US 2018/0147950 A131 May 2018
Granted: 12 May 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

B60L 53/14
Characterised by the energy transfer between the charging station and the vehicle: conductive energy transfer
B60L 50/60
Using propulsion power supplied by batteries or fuel cells: using power supplied by batteries
B60L 53/60
Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of…:…
B60L 53/63
Monitoring or controlling charging stations: in response to network capacity