# US 11,993,169 B2 · Vehicle charging systems and methods of operating thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,169 B2 - Document ID: US11993169B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/478,484 - Filed: 2021-09-17 - Published: 2022-03-24 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-18 - Assignees: Intrinsic Power, Inc. - Applicants: Intrinsic Power, Inc. - Inventors: Broc William TenHouten; David Brian TenHouten; Eahab Nagi El Naga; Kenneth James Goodstein; Kurt Jason Mitts; Michael Karl Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993169B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/62: in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces} - B60L 53/51: Photovoltaic means - B60L 53/53: Batteries - B60L 53/63: in response to network capacity - B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types - B60L 53/66: Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles - B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment} - B60L 53/67: Controlling two or more charging stations - H02J 7/342: {The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68)} - H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells - H02J 7/40: characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data - H02J 7/42: with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones - H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - H02J 7/933: {the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters} - H02J 7/977: {of the battery} - B60L 2210/10: DC to DC converters - H02J 2105/37: exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] - H02J 2207/20: Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract Provided are electric vehicle charging systems (EV charging systems) and methods of operating such systems for charging electric vehicles (EVs). A system, which may be referred to as electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE), comprises one or more EV charging ports (e.g., charge handles) for connecting to EVs. The system may include various features to identify specific EVs. The system also includes a grid connector for connecting to an external power grid and, in some examples, to monitor the power grid conditions (e.g., voltage, AC frequency). The system also includes a system controller, configured to control the power output at each EV charging port based on, e.g., vehicle charging requirements and/or available grid power. The system can also include an integrated battery, serving as a backup and/or an addition to the power grid. Furthermore, in some examples, the system includes a solar connector (e.g., with an integrated inverter) for connection to an external solar array. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric vehicle charging system comprising: an electric vehicle charging port, for connecting to an electric vehicle and charging the electric vehicle; an integrated battery; a grid connector, for connecting to an external electrical grid; a power conversion module, electrically coupled to each of the electric vehicle charging port, the integrated battery, and the grid connector and comprising a bi-directional AC-DC inverter configured to supply AC power to the electric vehicle charging port; and a system controller, communicatively coupled to at least the power conversion module and to the integrated battery, wherein the integrated battery is configured to pass state of charge of the integrated battery, voltage of the integrated battery, and temperature of the integrated battery to the system controller, wherein the system controller is configured to control electrical power output of at least one of the electric vehicle charging port or the integrated battery based on at least one of charging requirement of the electric vehicle and power availability from the external electrical grid, and wherein the electric vehicle charging port is configured to detect a charging waveform when connected to the electric vehicle and to identify the electric vehicle connected to the electric vehicle charging port from the charging waveform using voltage detection and logging capability to match a voltage profile over time to detect regular variations in the AC power being drawn on by a vehicle on-board charger of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to communicatively couple to the external electrical grid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 2, wherein the system controller is configured to communicatively couple to the external electrical grid using a wireless communication link. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising a solar connector for connecting to an external solar array, wherein the power conversion module is electrically coupled to the solar connector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 4, wherein the system controller is configured to communicatively couple to the external solar array to receive solar tracking information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the power conversion module is further configured to provide DC/DC direct charging to the electric vehicle charging port based on power received from at least one of the integrated battery or the grid connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional vehicle charging ports electrically coupled to the power conversion module, wherein the power conversion module is configured to multiplex DC power to the electric vehicle charging port and to the one or more additional electric vehicle charging ports. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising a set of jumpers or other physical switches, configured to provide power reduction to the electric vehicle charging port. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising one or more current sensors, configured to detect a current at the electric vehicle charging port and at the grid connector, the one or more current sensors are communicatively coupled to the system controller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising one or more visual sensors, communicatively coupled to the system controller and configured to capture and visual process a vehicle image or a license plate image and to identify the electric vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising an RF communication module, communicatively coupled to the system controller and configured to communicate with the electric vehicle and to identify the electric vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to control the electrical power of output the electric vehicle charging port based on different charging levels requested from the electric vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to control the electrical power output of the electric vehicle charging port based on one or more financial functions related to public information on regional rate structures. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, further comprising a communication module for communicating to one or more additional electric vehicle charging systems. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 14, wherein the system controller is configured to control the electrical power output of at least one of the electric vehicle charging port or the integrated battery based on information received from the one or more additional electric vehicle charging systems. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 15, wherein the system controller is further configured to control the electrical power output of at least one of the electric vehicle charging port or the integrated battery based on location, in the external electrical grid, of the one or more additional vehicle charging systems. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the power conversion module is configured to perform high-frequency switching. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to measure and store the regular variations in the AC power, present at the electric vehicle charging port, while the AC power is drawn on by the vehicle on-board charger of the electric vehicle in a database for at least one of (a) detecting vehicle types, (b) ascribing a probability of a specific vehicle in a single household, and (c) determining the state of charge of the integrated battery. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 18, wherein the system controller is further configured to measure time between (a) connecting the electric vehicle charging port to the electric vehicle and (b) drawing the AC power current by the vehicle on-board charger of the electric vehicle. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The electric vehicle charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging waveform is detected by sampling real-time voltage and current measurements at a set rate to determine power levels and power quality of the AC power.