TWI870045B - Charging management methods and systems for electric vehicle charging stations - Google Patents

Abstract

Charging management methods and systems for electric vehicle charging stations for use in a charging field with charging stations are provided. First, a server instructs a first charging stations to perform a first charging operation for a first electric vehicle through a network, wherein the server sets a first target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging operation, and the power output from the first charging station to the first electric vehicle in the first charging operation does not exceed the first target power parameter value. The server continuously monitors the first charging operation through the network and receives charging data corresponding to the first charging station during the first charging operation to execute an energy management scheme, wherein the server generates and records first data based on the charging data and the energy management scheme is utilized to determine whether to adjust the first target power parameter value. The server determines whether the charging data corresponding to the first charging station is received within a predetermined time period. When the charging data corresponding to the first charging station is received within the predetermined time period, the server generates the first data based on the charging data and executes the energy management scheme based on the charging data while when the charging data corresponding to the first charging station is not received within the predetermined time period, the server obtains the first data and executes the energy management scheme based on the first data.

Description

Charging management method and system for electric vehicle charging station

The present invention relates to a charging management method and system for an electric vehicle charging station, and in particular to a charging management method and system for an electric vehicle charging station that can dynamically allocate power based on charging data in a charging field.

In recent years, with the rise of environmental awareness and the advancement of electric vehicle technology, the development of electric vehicles powered by electricity to replace traditional vehicles powered by fossil fuels has gradually become an important goal in the automotive field, making electric vehicles more and more popular. In order to improve the range and willingness of electric vehicles, many countries or cities have begun to plan to set up charging stations in public places to provide electricity for electric vehicles, and have also begun to plan to deploy a large number of charging stations in urban areas or scenic areas to make charging electric vehicles more convenient.

Generally speaking, the power equipment in most sites has already been built. If you want to update the power equipment, such as the capacity of the power disk, it is very expensive and time-consuming to build. Generally speaking, the number of electric vehicle charging stations that can be set up in a single charging site is limited by the existing maximum load capacity of the existing site. Therefore, in the case of limited electric vehicle charging stations, electric vehicle drivers may have to spend time waiting because the charging station is in use, or need to find other nearby charging stations to charge, which causes inconvenience in use and affects the willingness of drivers to adopt electric vehicles.

Therefore, without updating the power equipment, some charging sites can introduce load adjustment operations to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations that can be set up in the site. In the load adjustment operation, by reducing the power output of individual electric vehicle charging stations, more electric vehicles can be charged at the same time in this charging site. However, due to factors such as communication limitations between electric vehicle charging stations and electric vehicles or network status between electric vehicle charging stations and servers, when load adjustment is required, the relevant calculations of the load adjustment operation cannot be completed smoothly within the specified time because the specific electric vehicle charging station cannot respond to the current status in time or the response of the specific electric vehicle charging station is always waiting, causing the electric vehicle in the charging operation to be paused or interrupted or causing the following vehicle to be unable to charge smoothly.

In view of this, the present invention provides a charging management method and system for an electric vehicle charging station.

A charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a charging field including a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations and a server connected to the electric vehicle charging stations via a network. The server causes a first charging station among the electric vehicle charging stations to perform a first charging operation for a first electric vehicle via the network, wherein the server sets a first target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging operation, and the power output by the first charging station to the first electric vehicle in the first charging operation does not exceed the first target power parameter value. The server continuously monitors the first charging operation via the network and receives charging data of the first charging station corresponding to the first charging operation to execute an energy management plan, wherein the server generates and records a first data based on the charging data and the energy management plan is used to determine whether to adjust the first target power parameter value. The server determines whether the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within a predetermined time. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within the predetermined time, the server generates the first data according to the charging data and executes the energy management plan according to the charging data. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is not received within the predetermined time, the server obtains the first data and executes the energy management plan according to the first data.

A charging management system for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a charging field including a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations. The system includes at least one first charging station and a server. The server is connected to the first electric vehicle charging station via a network, and causes the first charging station to perform a first charging operation for a first electric vehicle, wherein the server sets a first target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging operation, and the power output by the first charging station to the first electric vehicle in the first charging operation does not exceed the first target power parameter value. The server continuously monitors the first charging operation via the network and receives charging data of the corresponding first charging station in the first charging operation to execute an energy management plan, wherein the server generates and records a first data based on the charging data and the energy management plan is used to determine whether to adjust the first target power parameter value. The server determines whether the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within a predetermined time. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within the predetermined time, the server generates the first data according to the charging data and executes the energy management plan according to the charging data. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is not received within the predetermined time, the server obtains the first data and executes the energy management plan according to the first data.

In some embodiments, the server receives a charging demand corresponding to a second electric vehicle from a second charging station or a mobile device in the electric vehicle charging station through a network. In response to the charging demand, the server waits to receive charging data from the corresponding first charging station in a first time period. When the server receives the charging data from the corresponding first charging station in the first time period, the server generates first data based on the charging data and executes an energy management plan based on the charging data. When the server does not receive the charging data from the corresponding first charging station in the first time period, the server obtains the first data and executes the energy management plan based on the first data. The server executes an energy management scheme to determine whether to start a second charging operation corresponding to a second electric vehicle, and when deciding to start the second charging operation, the server causes the second charging station to perform the second charging operation for the second electric vehicle through the network, wherein the server sets a second target power parameter value corresponding to the second charging operation, and the power output by the second charging station to the second electric vehicle in the second charging operation does not exceed the second target power parameter value.

In some embodiments, the server receives a first charging data of a corresponding first charging station through the network after a first predetermined time, and determines whether the first charging data matches the first data. When the first charging data does not match the first data, the energy management scheme is re-executed according to the first charging data to determine an adjustment value and the first target power parameter value and/or the second target power parameter value are reset according to the adjustment value.

In some embodiments, the first data is stored in a storage unit and the server further determines whether the storage unit contains the first data. When the storage unit does not contain the first data, the first data is set to a specific target power parameter value of the corresponding first charging station.

In some embodiments, the first charging station further has an output power upper limit value and an output power lower limit value, and the server sets a specific target power parameter value according to the corresponding output power upper limit value or output power lower limit value and a buffer value.

In some embodiments, the server further marks the first data according to at least one predetermined condition in the corresponding first charging operation. Then, the server obtains the first data and determines whether the first data is marked as a trusted data. When the first data is not marked as a trusted data, the first data is reset according to an output power upper limit value of the corresponding first charging station and a historical charging data.

In some embodiments, at least one predetermined condition includes a connection failure rate between the corresponding first charging station and the server, and when the connection failure rate is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data. In some embodiments, at least one predetermined condition includes a response time for the corresponding first charging station to respond to the charging data to the server, and when the response time is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data. In some embodiments, at least one predetermined condition includes an adjustment coordination degree of the corresponding first charging station responding to the server adjusting the first target power parameter value, and when the adjustment coordination degree is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data.

The above method of the present invention can exist in the form of program code. When the program code is loaded and executed by a machine, the machine becomes a device for implementing the present invention.

In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following is a detailed description of the embodiments with accompanying diagrams.

100: Charging management system for electric vehicle charging stations

110: Charging area

112: First charging station

114: Second charging station

EV1, EV2: Electric vehicles

120: Internet

130: Server

132: Storage unit

134: Network connection unit

136: Processor

200: Electric vehicle charging station

212: Storage unit

214: Network connection unit

216: Rechargeable gun

218: Processing unit

S410, S420, S430, S440, S450, S460: Steps

S510, S520, S530, S540, S550, S560, S570: Steps

S610, S620, S630, S640: Steps

S710, S720, S730: Steps

S810, S820, S830, S840, S850: Steps

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a charging management system of an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing a charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the method of obtaining the first data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a flow chart showing a method for obtaining first data according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a charging management system for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention. The charging management system 100 for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a charging field 110 including a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations. It is noted that the charging field 110 has a power limit. As shown in FIG. 1, the charging management system 100 for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations, such as at least a first charging station 112 and a second charging station 114, and a server 130 connected to the first charging station 112 and the second charging station 114 via a network 120. Individual charging stations can provide electric vehicles (EV1, EV2) with a charging operation. In some embodiments, the network 120 may be a wired network, a telecommunications network, and a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network, etc. The server 130 may receive various data from the first charging station 112 and the second charging station 114 through the network 120, and transmit relevant signals to the first charging station 112 and the second charging station 114. The first charging station 112 and the second charging station 114 may perform relevant operations according to the signals received by the server 130. For example, when the electric vehicle EV1 is coupled to the first charging station 112 through a charging gun of the first charging station 112 to perform a charging operation, the first charging station 112 can continuously transmit the charging information of the corresponding charging operation of the electric vehicle EV1 through the network 120, and the server 130 can receive the charging information of the corresponding charging operation from the first charging station 112 through the network 120. Similarly, when the electric vehicle EV2 is coupled to the second charging station 114 through a charging gun of the second charging station 114 to perform a charging operation, the second charging station 114 can continuously transmit the charging information of the corresponding charging operation of the electric vehicle EV2 through the network 120, and the server 130 can receive the charging information of the corresponding charging operation from the second charging station 114 through the network 120.

It is worth noting that the user can connect the electric vehicle EV1 to the first charging station 112, such as inserting a charging gun into the charging port of the electric vehicle to send a charging request corresponding to the first charging station 112, so as to use the first charging station 112 to charge the electric vehicle EV1. Similarly, the user can connect the electric vehicle EV2 to the second charging station 114, such as inserting a charging gun into the charging port of the electric vehicle to send a charging request corresponding to the second charging station 114, so as to use the second charging station 114 to charge the electric vehicle EV2. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the server 130 can directly or indirectly receive a charging request from a mobile device (not shown in FIG. 1) of the owner of the corresponding electric vehicle EV1, generate a charging authorization instruction according to the charging request and transmit it to the first charging station 112 through the network 120, so that the first charging station 112 outputs power to an electric vehicle EV1 electrically connected thereto, such as an electric motorcycle or an electric car, or prohibits the first charging station 112 from outputting power to the electric vehicle EV1. It is noted that in some embodiments, the charging request can be accompanied by an identity authentication and/or a payment mechanism, and the charging authorization instruction will be generated only after the identity authentication and/or the payment mechanism is completed. In some embodiments, the user of the electric vehicle EV1 can download and install an application using his mobile device to generate a charging request through the user interface of the application. In some embodiments, the user can scan a quick response code (QR code) on the first charging station 112 through the scanning function of the application to generate the above-mentioned charging request, thereby starting a charging process. In some embodiments, the user can select a specific charging station through the application and execute an activation function to generate the above-mentioned charging request, thereby starting a charging process. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the owner of the electric vehicle EV1 can use an RFID sensing card to approach a sensing area (not shown in Figure 1) on the first charging station 112 to generate a corresponding charging request and transmit it to the server 130 via the network 120. It is noted that in some embodiments, each user can have an RFID sensing card.

It is noted that the device of the electric vehicle owner can be any electronic device with Internet access, such as a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a global positioning system, and a laptop. In some embodiments, the mobile device can receive status information and notifications of the corresponding charging operation from a server 130 such as a cloud management server via the network 120. In some embodiments, the status information and notifications can include notification that the electric vehicle has stopped charging, notification that the vehicle is being moved, and/or notification that the charging gun of the electric vehicle charging device has been removed from the electric vehicle, etc.

As mentioned above, the charging site 110 has a power limit. The server 130 can perform a load adjustment operation for the electric vehicle charging station of the charging site 110 according to at least one energy management scheme. Specifically, the server 130 can generate an instruction and transmit the instruction to the charging station (112, 114) through the network 120 to control the charging station to output power to the electric vehicle connected to the charging station at a specific time period with a specified power parameter, such as a specified ampere, or prohibit the charging station from outputting power to the electric vehicle. The details of the load adjustment operation will be described later. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, when the server 130 receives charging requests from the charging station, it can perform a charging scheduling operation for these charging requests. In some embodiments, the charging scheduling operation can be performed in conjunction with a time electricity price. For example, when an electric vehicle and a charging station are connected to each other, such as inserting a charging gun into the charging port of the electric vehicle, the corresponding charging operation will not be performed immediately. The server will schedule the charging according to the time electricity price, the power limit of the site, and the electric vehicles that need to be charged, select the appropriate charging time point, and perform all charging operations in a manner with the lowest electricity cost. In some embodiments, each electric vehicle that requires charging can have its charging parameters, such as the required power, the desired charging fee, and/or the estimated charging time at this charging station. The server can also perform energy management, such as charging scheduling operations, based on the charging parameters of each corresponding electric vehicle.

FIG. 2 shows an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric vehicle charging station 200 shown in FIG. 2 can be applied to the first charging station 112 and the second charging station 114 in FIG. 1. It has processing computing capabilities to perform charging management operations belonging to the electric vehicle charging station, and has a network connection function to transmit, receive, download or update various parameters and information required for charging management operations.

The electric vehicle charging station 200 includes at least a storage unit 212, a network connection unit 214, a charging gun 216, and a processing unit 218. The storage unit 212 can be a memory for storing and recording relevant data, such as electric vehicle charging station information, charging request information, etc. contained in the electric vehicle charging station. It should be noted that the aforementioned data is only an example of this case, and the present invention is not limited thereto. The network connection unit 214 can transmit, receive, download or update various parameters and information required for charging management calculations through a network, such as a wired network, a telecommunications network, and a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network. The charging gun 216 may include one or more charging connectors that conform to the same charging interface specification or conform to different charging interface specifications, which are electrically connected to the corresponding electric vehicle. The processing unit 218 can control the operation of the relevant software and hardware in the electric vehicle charging station 200, and cooperate with the server 130 to execute the charging management method of the electric vehicle charging station of this case, and the relevant details will be described later. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the processing unit 218 can be a general controller, a microcontroller (Micro-Control Unit, MCU), or a digital signal controller (Digital Signal Processor, DSP), etc., to provide data analysis, processing and calculation functions, but the present invention is not limited to this. In one embodiment, the processing unit 218 can transmit the power status of the corresponding electric vehicle through a network using the network connection unit 214, so that a cloud management server, such as the cloud server 130, can perform subsequent charging management. In another embodiment, the processing unit 218 can obtain the power parameters of a corresponding charging operation through the server 130, and determine the output power according to the power parameters received from the server 130, and output the power to at least one electric vehicle through the charging gun 216 for charging.

It should be noted that the electric vehicle charging station 200 has an output power upper limit value and an output power lower limit value. Specifically, the electric vehicle charging station 200 can use this output power upper limit value as a power parameter at most to output power to the electric vehicle in a charging operation. On the other hand, the electric vehicle charging station 200 must use this output power lower limit value as a power parameter at least to output power to the electric vehicle in a charging operation. It should be noted that charging stations of different brands and models may have different output power upper limits and output power lower limits. The present invention is not limited to any value, and the value may vary for different charging stations.

FIG. 3 shows a server according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the server 130 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be any processor-based electronic device, which at least includes a storage unit 132, a network connection unit 134, and a processor 136. It is worth noting that the server 130 can receive various data corresponding to a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations in the charging field. The server 130 can directly or indirectly receive a charging request from a mobile device, and after completing identity confirmation and other actions according to the charging request, generate a charging authorization instruction and transmit it to the corresponding electric vehicle charging station through the network to allow the corresponding electric vehicle charging station to output power to an electric vehicle connected to it, such as an electric motorcycle or an electric car, or prohibit the electric vehicle charging station from outputting power to the electric vehicle.

The storage unit 132, such as a memory, can store and record relevant data, such as various data of the corresponding electric vehicle charging station. It is noted that the storage unit 132 may include at least one energy management program EMP. The energy management program EMP records a distribution logic for controlling a charging operation corresponding to each of the electric vehicle charging stations and performing load adjustment operations of all electric vehicle charging stations. It is reminded that the distribution logic is configured to determine the execution order of individual charging demands (charging operations) in the charging demands (charging operations) of the corresponding different charging stations under the power limit of the charging field, and the corresponding target power parameter value when executing the charging demand. In some embodiments, the storage unit 132 may further record a flag (not shown in FIG. 3 ), which is used to mark whether a data is a trusted data. The flag may have a specific initial value. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the specific initial value may be implemented with a hardware and/or software protection mechanism, such as encryption, to ensure that the specific initial value is not easily obtained. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the flag may be implemented with a hardware component, such as a register. In some embodiments, the specific initial value of the flag may be deleted. In some embodiments, the value of the flag may be set to a specific value different from the specific initial value. For example, in one embodiment, the specific initial value may be 0, and the specific value may be any value other than 0, such as 1, and when the flag value of any data is not 0, it indicates that the data is not trustworthy data, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Through the network connection unit 134, the server 130 can couple and communicate with the electric vehicle charging stations such as the first charging station 112 and the second charging station 114 through the network 120, such as a wired network, a telecommunications network, and a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network, and transmit relevant data/signals/commands to different electric vehicle charging stations through the network 120 to control whether the electric vehicle charging station outputs power and specifies power parameters to output power to charge the electric vehicle. The processor 136 can control the operation of the relevant software and hardware in the server 130, and execute the charging management method of the electric vehicle charging station of this case. The relevant details will be described later. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the processor 136 can be a general controller, a microcontroller (Micro-Control Unit, MCU), or a digital signal controller (Digital Signal Processor, DSP), etc., to provide data analysis, processing and calculation functions, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is reminded that when the server has multiple energy management schemes EMP, the processor 136 can select one of the energy management schemes EMP and perform a load adjustment operation for the charging field according to the selected energy management scheme EMP. In some embodiments, the processor 136 can store the charging data of each electric vehicle charging station, such as the first charging station, in the storage unit 132 and determine whether the stored first data is trustworthy data according to the value of the flag.

FIG. 4 shows a charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention. The charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a charging field. The charging field includes a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations and has a power limit. Individual electric vehicle charging stations can be electrically coupled to a remote server via a network.

First, as in step S410, the server causes a first charging station among the electric vehicle charging stations to perform a first charging operation for a first electric vehicle through the network, wherein the server sets a first target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging operation. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the first target power parameter value may be an ampere value. In some embodiments, the initial first target power parameter value may be the output power upper limit value of the first charging station. The power output by the first charging station to the first electric vehicle in the first charging operation will not exceed this first target power parameter value. It is reminded that in some embodiments, the server may first receive a charging demand from the first charging station or a mobile device, thereby causing the first charging station to perform the first charging operation corresponding to the charging demand. Among them, the mobile device may be owned by the owner of the first electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the user can connect the electric vehicle and the charging station to each other, such as inserting the charging gun into the charging port of the electric vehicle to send the charging demand corresponding to the charging station to the server. In some embodiments, the user can scan a QR code on the charging station through the scanning function of the application to generate the above-mentioned charging demand, thereby starting a charging program. In some embodiments, the user can select a specific charging station through the application and execute a startup function to generate the above-mentioned charging demand, thereby starting a charging program. Then, as in step S420, the server continuously monitors the first charging operation through the network and receives a charging data of the first charging station corresponding to the first charging operation to execute an energy management solution. The server can periodically receive corresponding charging data from the first charging station, and generate and record a first data according to the received charging data. Specifically, during the first charging operation, the first charging station can regularly transmit the corresponding charging data to the server autonomously or passively at the request of the server, and the server can regularly receive the corresponding charging data from the first charging station, and generate the first data according to the charging data, and then store the first data in a storage unit. The energy management scheme records a distribution logic to control a charging operation corresponding to each of the electric vehicle charging stations and execute the load adjustment operation of all electric vehicle charging stations. It is noted that the power distribution logic is configured to determine the execution order of individual charging demands (charging operations) in the charging demands of different charging stations under the power limit of the charging field, and the corresponding target power parameter value when executing the charging demand. In this embodiment, the energy management scheme can be used to determine whether to adjust the first target power parameter value of the corresponding first charging operation. In each receiving cycle, such as step S430, the server determines whether the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received at a predetermined time. When the server receives the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the predetermined time (Yes in step S430), as in step S440, the server generates first data according to the charging data of the corresponding first charging station and executes the energy management plan according to the charging data. Then, step S460 is executed. In some embodiments, the charging data of the first charging station at least includes the current power output value of the first charging station and the first data can be the charging data received successfully last time or generated by the charging data received successfully last time and the historical charging data received several times before, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the server does not receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the predetermined time (No in step S430), as in step S450, the server obtains the first data from the storage unit and executes the energy management plan according to the first data. Then, as in step S460, the server determines whether the first charging operation has been completed. When the first charging operation has been completed (Yes in step S460), the process ends. When the first charging operation has not been completed (No in step S460), the monitoring operation of step S420 continues. In other words, during the execution of the charging operation, the server can record the charging data as the first data when the receiving status is good and continuously update the first data to correspond to the latest charging data. When the first charging station fails to return the charging data within the specified time (for example, the connection between the first charging station and the server is poor, disconnected or faulty), the server can use the recorded first data as its auxiliary charging data to execute the energy management solution, thereby avoiding the overall computing speed from slowing down or failing due to waiting for the response of some charging stations, and effectively improving the performance of the load adjustment operation.

FIG. 5 shows a charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to another embodiment of the present invention. The charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to the embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a charging field. The charging field includes a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations and has a power limit. Individual electric vehicle charging stations can be electrically coupled to a remote server through a network. In this embodiment, when receiving a new charging demand, the server can decide whether to allow the electric vehicle that comes in later to start a new charging operation based on the operating conditions of the electric vehicle charging stations in the charging field and the previously recorded charging data.

First, as in step S510, the server receives a charging demand corresponding to a second electric vehicle from a second charging station or a mobile device in the electric vehicle charging station through a network. It is noted that the mobile device may be owned by the owner of the second electric vehicle. At the same time, a first charging parameter corresponding to the charging demand is obtained. It is noted that in some embodiments, the first charging parameter may include at least a required power amount, a charging fee and/or a charging time, etc. It is noted that the charging time may be the time the first electric vehicle is expected to stay at the first electric vehicle charging station. It is noted that in some embodiments, the server may first receive a charging demand from the second charging station or the mobile device, thereby causing the second charging station to perform a second charging operation corresponding to the charging demand. In some embodiments, the user can connect the electric vehicle and the charging station to each other, such as inserting the charging gun into the charging port of the electric vehicle, to send the charging demand corresponding to the charging station to the server. In some embodiments, the user can scan a QR code on the charging station through the scanning function of the application to generate the above-mentioned charging demand, thereby starting a charging process. In some embodiments, the user can select a specific charging station through the application and execute an activation function to generate the above-mentioned charging demand, thereby starting a charging process. Corresponding to the charging demand, as in step S520, the server waits to receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station in a first time period. In some embodiments, the first time period must be less than the time required to successfully complete the activation operation of the second charging station. For example, assuming that the server must issue a start (start) charging command to the second charging station within 30 seconds after the owner of the second electric vehicle plugs in the gun in order to successfully start charging, it means that the time required to successfully complete the start-up operation of the second charging station is 30 seconds, and the first time period can be set to a period less than 30 seconds, such as 10 seconds or 20 seconds, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the server receives the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the first time period (step S530), as in step S540, the server generates the first data based on the received charging data and executes the energy management plan based on the charging data, and then executes step S560. Similarly, the server can generate the first data based on the received charging data. When the server does not receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the first time period (No in step S530), as in step S550, the server obtains the first data from the storage unit and executes the energy management scheme according to the first data. The server executes the energy management scheme to determine whether to start a second charging operation of a corresponding second electric vehicle. In other words, the server can use the received charging data or the previously recorded first data to execute the energy management scheme to determine whether to start the second charging operation. In some embodiments, as in the previous example, assuming that the time required to successfully complete the activation operation of the second charging station is 30 seconds, the server can also set multiple data receiving time points within 30 seconds, for example, the first time period is set to 10 seconds and the second time period is set to 20 seconds. Therefore, in step S530, when the server does not receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the first time period, the server can wait for one or more time points. The server receives the charging data of the first charging station within the second time period or issues a command to request the first charging station to resend the charging data of the corresponding first charging station. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within the second time period, the server performs the operation of step S540. When the server still does not receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station after the second time period, the server performs the operation of step S550 to obtain the first data from the storage unit and execute the energy management plan according to the first data. Then, as in step S560, the server determines whether to start the second charging operation of the corresponding second electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the server may calculate a remaining power based on the charging data received from each charging station and/or the first data previously recorded by some charging stations and decide to start the second charging operation when the remaining power is higher than the output power lower limit of the second charging station, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the server may determine whether to start the second charging operation based on the number of specific charging stations in use in the electric vehicle charging station, the charging data of the corresponding specific charging station or the power output value of the first data, and the power limit of the charging field. When the sum of the power output values does not exceed the power limit of the charging field and the remaining power is higher than the output power lower limit of the second charging station, the second charging operation is started. When the total power output value exceeds the power limit of the charging site or the remaining power is lower than the output power lower limit of the second charging station, the second charging operation is not started. When it is decided not to start the second charging operation (No in step S560), the process ends. In other words, due to power limitation, the charging demand of the corresponding second electric vehicle will be rejected, so the second charging operation of the corresponding second electric vehicle will not be executed immediately. When it is decided to start the second charging operation (Yes in step S560), as in step S570, the server causes the second charging station to perform the second charging operation for the second electric vehicle through the network, wherein the server sets a second target power parameter value corresponding to the second charging operation, and the power output in the second charging operation does not exceed the second target power parameter value. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the second target power parameter value can be an ampere value. In some embodiments, the initial second target power parameter value can be the output power lower limit value of the second charging station. The power output from the second charging station to the second electric vehicle in the second charging operation will not be lower than the second target power parameter value.

FIG. 6 shows a charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to another embodiment of the present invention. The charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station according to the embodiment of the present invention is applicable to a charging field. The charging field includes a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations and has a power limit. Individual electric vehicle charging stations can be electrically coupled to a remote server via a network. In this embodiment, when the server receives a response from the electric vehicle charging station after a specified time, it can perform the adjustment operation of the target parameter again according to the actual operation status of the electric vehicle charging station in the charging field.

As in step S610, the server receives a first charging data of a corresponding first charging station through the network after a first predetermined time. Then, as in step S620, the server obtains the first data and determines whether the first charging data matches the first data. In this step, the first data includes a first power output value that was previously successfully recorded and the first charging data may include an actual second power output value. The server may compare the first power output value with the second power output value to determine whether the first charging data matches the first data. When the first power output value is the same as the second power output value or the difference between the first power output value and the second power output value is less than a predetermined value, it is determined that the first charging data matches the first data. When the first charging data matches the first data (yes in step S630), the process ends. When the first charging data does not match the first data (No in step S630), as in step S640, the server re-executes the energy management scheme according to the first charging data to determine an adjustment value and resets the first target power parameter value of the first charging operation and/or the second target power parameter value of the second charging operation according to the adjustment value. In other words, when the actual charging data received subsequently does not match the previously recorded charging data, it indicates that the power output value has changed and the load adjustment needs to be re-performed. Therefore, the energy management scheme can be re-executed using the first charging data to determine the adjustment range. In some embodiments, when the first power output value in the first data is lower than the second power output value in the first charging data, it means that the actual power output value is higher than the expected power output value. The server sets the difference between the second power output value and the first power output value as an adjustment value, and increases the first target power parameter value to a third target power parameter value based on the adjustment value, and at the same time reduces the second target power parameter value to a fourth target power parameter value based on the adjustment value. It is noted that when the first charging operation is set to the third target power parameter value and the second charging operation is set to the fourth target power parameter value, the power actually output by the first charging station to the first electric vehicle will not exceed the third target power parameter value and the power actually output by the second charging station to the second electric vehicle will not exceed the fourth target power parameter value. Similarly, when the first power output value in the first data is higher than the second power output value in the first charging data, it means that the actual power output value is lower than the expected power output value. The server sets the difference between the first power output value and the second power output value as the adjustment value, and reduces the first target power parameter value to a fifth target power parameter value based on the adjustment value, and at the same time increases the second target power parameter value to a sixth target power parameter value based on the adjustment value. It is noted that, similarly, when the first charging operation is set to the fifth target power parameter value and the second charging operation is set to the sixth target power parameter value, the power actually output by the first charging station to the first electric vehicle will not exceed the fifth target power parameter value and the power actually output by the second charging station to the second electric vehicle will not exceed the sixth target power parameter value.

Figure 7 shows a method for obtaining the first data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, as in step S710, the server determines whether the storage unit contains the first data. As mentioned above, the server can periodically receive the corresponding charging data from the first charging station, and generate and record the first data based on the received charging data. Specifically, during the first charging operation, the first charging station can regularly transmit the corresponding charging data to the server autonomously or passively upon request by the server, and the server can regularly receive the corresponding charging data from the first charging station, and generate the first data based on the charging data when the reception is successful, and then store the first data in the storage unit. When the storage unit contains the first data (yes in step S710), as in step S720, the server obtains the first data from the storage unit. When the storage unit does not contain the first data (No in step S710), as in step S730, the server sets the first data as a specific target power parameter value of the corresponding first charging station. In some embodiments, the first charging station may have an output power upper limit value and an output power lower limit value, and the server may record the output power upper limit value and the output power lower limit value of the corresponding first charging station in the storage unit in advance. When the storage unit does not contain the first data of the first charging station, it means that the first charging station has no previous successful charging data record. The server may set the specific target power parameter value according to the corresponding output power upper limit value or output power lower limit value and a buffer value, and set the first data as the specific target power parameter value. It is worth noting that the purpose of the buffer value is to prevent electric vehicles from suddenly requesting more power from the charging station, causing the overall power consumption of the charging site to exceed the power limit.

FIG. 8 shows a method for obtaining first data according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the server can predefine one or more predetermined conditions for verifying the reliability of the first data and can mark the first data recorded in the storage unit according to these predetermined conditions to ensure the correctness of the first data, and reset the first data when the first data is untrustworthy.

First, as in step S810, the server marks the first data according to at least one predetermined condition in the corresponding first charging operation. As mentioned above, the predetermined condition is one or more conditions that can be used to verify the reliability of the first data. In some embodiments, the predetermined condition may at least include a connection failure rate between the corresponding first charging station and the server, a response time for the corresponding first charging station to respond to the charging data to the server, an adjustment coordination degree of the corresponding first charging station in response to the server adjusting the first target power parameter value, etc., and the server may mark the first data according to one or more of the aforementioned predetermined conditions, wherein the first data may be marked as a trusted data or an untrusted data. When the first data is marked as trusted data, it means that the first data should not be much different from the real charging data, and the first data does not need to be reset. On the contrary, when the first data is marked as untrusted data, it means that there may be a large difference between the first data and the real charging data, that is, the first data may be incorrect data, so the first data will be reset. In one embodiment, at least one predetermined condition includes a connection failure rate between the corresponding first charging station and the server, and when the connection failure rate between the two is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trusted data. In some embodiments, the server can record the number of connection failures between the first charging station and the server, and mark the first data as trusted data when the number of connection failures is less than a predetermined number, such as 3 times. In another embodiment, at least one predetermined condition includes a response time of the corresponding first charging station responding to the charging data to the server, and when the aforementioned response time is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data. In some embodiments, the server may send a charging status query request to the first charging station and record how long the first charging station will respond to the request and send the charging data back to the server, and when the response time is less than a predetermined number of seconds, such as 10 seconds, the first data is marked as trustworthy data. In another embodiment, at least one predetermined condition may include an adjustment coordination degree of the corresponding first charging station responding to the server adjusting the first target power parameter value, and when the adjustment coordination degree is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data. In some embodiments, the server may record the number of times when the first charging station does not cooperate with the adjustment when the server is requested to adjust the first target power parameter value in the load adjustment operation as the degree of cooperation of the corresponding first charging station in responding to the adjustment of the first target power parameter value by the server, and mark the first data as trustworthy data when the number of times of non-adjustment cooperation is less than a predetermined value, such as 3 times. For example, in one embodiment, the adjustment cooperation is represented by a value with an initial value of 0. Each time the server requests the first charging station to adjust the first target power parameter value in the load adjustment operation and the first charging station does not cooperate with the adjustment, the value is increased by 1, wherein the first data is determined to be trustworthy data when the value is less than a predetermined value, such as 2. It is worth noting that, generally speaking, the server will specify the target power parameter value of each charging station in the load adjustment operation, and the situation of non-cooperation with the adjustment may include that the first charging station does not increase or decrease the output power according to the output power value specified by the server (for example: when the server issues an instruction that the output of the first charging station must not exceed an upper limit value, but the output power of the first charging station still exceeds the upper limit value, the first charging station communicates with the electric vehicle end after receiving the load reduction instruction, but the electric vehicle end is unwilling to reduce the load and the first charging station cannot reduce the load, or the first charging station itself fails and cannot receive the adjustment instruction), etc., but the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the lower the value of the corresponding adjustment coordination degree, the higher the coordination degree of the first charging station in adjusting the first target power parameter according to the instruction when the server requires the first charging station to adjust the first target power parameter value in the load adjustment operation, and therefore the corresponding first data reliability is also higher. In another embodiment, at least one predetermined condition may include multiple of the aforementioned connection failure rate, response time, and adjustment coordination degree, and the server may mark the first data according to all the predetermined conditions. For example, in one embodiment, the predetermined condition may include the aforementioned connection failure rate or response time, and when the aforementioned response time is less than a predetermined threshold value or the connection failure rate is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data. In another embodiment, the predetermined conditions may include the aforementioned connection failure rate and response time. When the aforementioned response time and connection failure rate are both less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as trustworthy data. It is noted that the aforementioned predetermined conditions and predetermined threshold values are merely examples of this case, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In different application scenarios, the number and size of the predetermined conditions and predetermined threshold values may be appropriately adjusted to improve data reliability. For example, in one embodiment, in a general scenario, the threshold value is set to 3 and the first data is marked as trusted data when the number of connection failures is less than 3 times, while in a special scenario, the threshold value is set to 1 and the first data is marked as trusted data only when the number of connection failures is less than 1 time (i.e., no disconnection record). It is noted that the aforementioned method of resetting the first data is only an example of this case, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Next, as in step S820, the server obtains the first data and determines whether the first data is marked as a trusted data. When the first data is marked as trusted data (yes in step S830), as in step S840, the server retrieves the first data and uses it. On the contrary, when the first data is not marked as trusted data (no in step S830), as in step S850, the server resets the first data according to an output power upper limit value of the corresponding first charging station and a historical charging data and retrieves the reset first data for use. In this step, the server can record a plurality of charging data previously successfully received to generate historical charging data, and can reset the first data according to these historical charging data and an output power upper limit value of the corresponding first charging station. For example, in one embodiment, the first data is set to the output power upper limit value of the corresponding first charging station, and in another embodiment, the first data is set to a specific value between the output power upper limit value of the corresponding first charging station and the historical charging data, but not limited to this. It is reminded that the above-mentioned method of resetting the first data is only an example of this case, and the present invention is not limited to this.

In some embodiments, a flag may be provided on the server to mark the first data as trusted data or untrusted data. The flag may have a specific initial value. It is worth noting that in some embodiments, the specific initial value may be implemented with a hardware and/or software protection mechanism, such as encryption, to ensure that the specific initial value is not easily obtained. It must be noted that in some embodiments, the flag may be implemented with a hardware component, such as a register. The server may change the value of the flag when it determines that one or more predetermined conditions are greater than a predetermined threshold value. In some embodiments, the specific initial value of the flag may be deleted. In some embodiments, the value of the flag may be set to a specific value different from the specific initial value. Thereafter, the server may determine whether the first data is trusted data based on the value of the flag. For example, in one embodiment, the specific initial value may be 0, and the specific value may be any value other than 0, such as 1. The server may determine the value of the flag and determine that the first data is trustworthy data when the value of the flag is 0, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other words, when the value of the flag of a specific electric vehicle charging station is changed to a value other than the specific initial value, it indicates that the data reliability of the specific electric vehicle charging station is poor, and therefore, the corresponding first data needs to be fine-tuned before use, thereby ensuring the accuracy and validity of the data.

Therefore, the charging management method and system of the electric vehicle charging station of this case can record the charging data of each electric vehicle charging station and use the recorded charging data to dynamically allocate power in a timely manner, so as to fully utilize the field power while avoiding the situation where the rear vehicles cannot charge smoothly during the loading operation.

The method of the present invention, or a specific form or part thereof, may exist in the form of program code. The program code may be contained in a physical medium, such as a floppy disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, or any other machine-readable (such as computer-readable) storage medium, or a computer program product that is not limited to an external form, wherein when the program code is loaded and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes a device for participating in the present invention. The program code may also be transmitted through some transmission media, such as wires or cables, optical fibers, or any transmission type, wherein when the program code is received, loaded and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes a device for participating in the present invention. When implemented on a general-purpose processing unit, the code combines with the processing unit to provide a unique device that operates like an application-specific logic circuit.

Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone familiar with this technology can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of the patent application attached hereto.

S410, S420, S430, S440, S450, S460: Steps

Claims (9)

A charging management method for an electric vehicle charging station is applicable to a charging field, wherein the charging field includes a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations and a server connected to the electric vehicle charging stations via a network, comprising the following steps: the server causes a first charging station among the electric vehicle charging stations to perform a first charging operation for a first electric vehicle via the network, wherein the server sets a first target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging operation, and The power outputted by the first charging station to the first electric vehicle during the first charging operation does not exceed the first target power parameter value; the server continuously monitors the first charging operation through the network and receives charging data corresponding to the first charging station during the first charging operation to execute an energy management plan, wherein the server generates and records a first data according to the charging data and the energy management plan is used to determine whether to adjust the first target power parameter value; The server determines whether the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within a predetermined time; when the server receives the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the predetermined time, the server generates the first data according to the charging data, updates the recorded first data, and executes the energy management plan according to the charging data; and when the server does not receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the predetermined time, obtains the recorded first data. The first data is stored/recorded in a storage unit and the step of obtaining the recorded first data and executing the energy management scheme according to the first data further includes the following steps: determining whether the storage unit has the first data; and when the storage unit does not have the first data, setting the first data to a specific target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging station. The charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station as described in item 1 of the scope of the patent application further includes the following steps: the server receives a charging demand corresponding to a second electric vehicle from a second charging station or a mobile device among the electric vehicle charging stations through the network; corresponding to the charging demand, the server waits to receive the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within a first time period; when the server receives the charging data of the corresponding first charging station within the first time period, the server generates the first data according to the charging data, updates the recorded first data, and executes the energy management plan according to the charging data; and when the server does not receive the charging data in the first time period, the server generates the first data according to the charging data, updates the recorded first data, and executes the energy management plan according to the charging data. When the charging data corresponding to the first charging station is received within the first time period, the recorded first data is obtained and the energy management scheme is executed according to the first data, wherein the server executes the energy management scheme to determine whether to start a second charging operation corresponding to a second electric vehicle and when deciding to start the second charging operation, the server causes the second charging station to perform the second charging operation for the second electric vehicle through the network, wherein the server sets a second target power parameter value corresponding to the second charging operation, and the power output by the second charging station to the second electric vehicle in the second charging operation does not exceed the second target power parameter value. The charging management method of the electric vehicle charging station as described in item 2 of the patent application scope further includes the following steps: the server receives a first charging data corresponding to the first charging station through the network after the first time period; the server determines whether the first charging data matches the first data; and When the first charging data does not match the first data, re-execute the energy management plan according to the first charging data to determine an adjustment value and reset the first target power parameter value and/or the second target power parameter value according to the adjustment value. As described in item 1 of the patent application scope, the charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station, wherein the first charging station further has an output power upper limit value and an output power lower limit value, and the server sets the specific target power parameter value according to the corresponding output power upper limit value or the output power lower limit value and a buffer value. The charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station as described in Item 1 of the patent application scope further includes the following steps: the server marks the first data according to at least one predetermined condition in the corresponding first charging operation; obtains the first data and determines whether the first data is marked as a trustworthy data; and when the first data is not marked as the trustworthy data, resets the first data according to an output power upper limit value of the corresponding first charging station and a historical charging data. As described in item 5 of the patent application scope, the charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes a connection failure rate between the corresponding first charging station and the server, and when the connection failure rate is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as the trusted data. As described in item 5 of the patent application scope, the charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes a response time of the corresponding first charging station responding to the charging data to the server, and when the response time is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as the trusted data. As described in item 5 of the patent application scope, the charging management method of an electric vehicle charging station, wherein the at least one predetermined condition includes an adjustment coordination degree of the corresponding first charging station in response to the server adjusting the first target power parameter value, and when the adjustment coordination degree is less than a predetermined threshold value, the server marks the first data as the trusted data. A charging management system for an electric vehicle charging station is applicable to a charging field, comprising: a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations, including: a first charging station; and a server connected to the first charging station via a network, causing the first charging station to perform a first charging operation for a first electric vehicle via the network, wherein the server sets a first target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging operation, and the first target power parameter value in the first charging operation is set to the first target power parameter value. The power outputted by the charging station to the first electric vehicle does not exceed the first target power parameter value, the first charging operation is continuously monitored through the network and a charging data corresponding to the first charging station in the first charging operation is received to execute an energy management plan, wherein the server generates and records a first data according to the charging data and the energy management plan is used to determine whether to adjust the first target power parameter value, and the server determines whether to adjust the first target power parameter value at the first charging station. The charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within a predetermined time. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is received within the predetermined time, the first data is generated according to the charging data and the recorded first data is updated and the energy management plan is executed according to the charging data. When the charging data of the corresponding first charging station is not received within the predetermined time, the recorded first data is obtained and the energy management plan is executed according to the first data. The server further includes a storage unit for storing/recording the first data and the server obtains the recorded first data and executes the energy management plan according to the first data, and further determines whether the storage unit has the first data, and when the storage unit does not have the first data, the server sets the first data as a specific target power parameter value corresponding to the first charging station.

Images