Method of receiving charge, method of controlling charge, charge control unit and charging equipment

Charging equipment comprising:

• a power output part which outputs DC power used for charging and which comprises a plurality of power conversion units;
• a plurality of user operation units capable of being connected with a device mounted with a battery;
• a charge control unit which controls a power supply from the power output part to the user operation unit, to charge the battery by supplying electric power thereto, and
• a switching circuit which changes a connecting combination between the power conversion units and the user operation units, wherein
• the charge control unit is configured to distribute the electric power outputted from at least one of the power conversion units selected from the plurality of power conversion units via the switching circuit to supply the distributed power to the user operation unit connected with the device mounted with the battery, and
• wherein the charge control unit is configured to acquire information on a time zone of peak electric power from the outside of the charging equipment, and to select the predetermined number of the charge conversion units in the order of a longer operation time from the plurality of power conversion units, so as to restrict the operation of the selected power conversion units during the time zone of the peak electric power.

A method of controlling charge which is executed by a charge control unit included in charging equipment:

• the charging equipment comprising:
• a power output part which outputs DC power used for charging and which comprises a plurality of power conversion units;
• a plurality of user operation units capable of being connected with a device mounted with a battery;
• a charge control unit which controls a power supply from the power output part to the user operation unit;
• and a switching circuit which changes a connecting combination between the power conversion units and the user operation units,
• wherein the charge control unit is configured to acquire information on a time zone of peak electric power from the outside of the charging equipment, and to select the predetermined number of the charge conversion units in the order of a longer operation time from the plurality of power conversion units, so as to restrict the operation of the selected power conversion units during the time zone of the peak electric power,
• the method comprising the steps of:
• changing a switching state of the switching circuit based on necessary electric energy information outputted from the device mounted with the battery;
• distributing the electric power outputted from at least one of the power conversion units selected from the plurality of power conversion units via the switching circuit;
• supplying the distributed power to the user operation unit connected with the device mounted with battery;
• and
• charging the battery by supplying electric power thereto.

A method of receiving charge which is executed by a user operation unit included in charging equipment, the charge equipment comprising a power output part which outputs DC power used for charging, a plurality of user operation units capable of being connected with a device mounted with a battery;

• and a charge control unit which controls a power supply from the power output part to the user operation unit, to charge the battery by supplying electric power thereto,
• wherein the charge control unit is configured to distribute the electric power outputted from the power output part to supply the distributed power to the user operation unit connected with the device mounted with the battery, and
• wherein the charge control unit is configured to acquire information on a time zone of peak electric power from the outside of the charging equipment, and to select the predetermined number of the charge conversion units in the order of a longer operation time from the plurality of power conversion units, so as to restrict the operation of the selected power conversion units during the time zone of the peak electric power,
• the method executed by the user operation unit comprising steps of:
• (a) displaying an acceptance screen on a display part comprising a timer charge acceptance part which accepts a charge schedule determining a charge end time of the battery and a quick charge acceptance part which accepts a quick charge request requesting an immediate execution of charging with a predetermined charge output capacity of the battery,
• (b) receiving information on the charge schedule or the quick charge request on the acceptance screen,
• (c) storing the information on the charge schedule or the quick charge request received in the step (b) in a storage part of the user operation unit, and
• (d) transmitting the information on the charge schedule or the quick charge request stored in the storage part to the charge control unit.

Charging equipment for connecting a device mounted with battery thereto;

• the device being equipped with a battery, to charge the battery by supplying electric power to the battery,
• the charging equipment comprising:
• a plurality of power conversion units which convert electric power from a system to DC power and output the DC power,
• a plurality of user operation units each of which has a charge cable connected with the device mounted with a battery,
• a charge control unit which determines which power conversion unit is to be used from the plurality of the power conversion units, and based on the determination, connects the user operation unit with the power conversion unit, so as to control to start and stop a power supply from the power conversion unit to the user operation unit, for the user operation unit to be used by connecting the charge cable with the device mounted with the battery,
• a fault detection means which detects a fault in the power conversion unit, and
• a separation means which separates the power conversion unit with a fault from a state being used,
• wherein the charge control unit is configured to acquire information on a time zone of peak electric power from the outside of the charging equipment, and to select the predetermined number of the charge conversion units in the order of a longer operation time from the plurality of power conversion units, so as to restrict the operation of the selected power conversion units during the time zone of the peak electric power.