Electric vehicle charging system with a charging cable that includes an inline cable controller

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging cable includes power charging wire(s) to carry power between an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and an electric vehicle (EV), signal wire(s) to carry signaling data relating to charging the EV, a charging cable connector to connect the power charging wire(s) and the signal wire(s) to an inlet of the EV, and a charging protocol controller. The charging protocol controller includes a first connector to terminate the signal wire(s), a second connector to terminate supply voltage and communication from the EVSE, one or more communication circuit(s), and a processor that performs signal handshake and control and communication between the EVSE and the charging protocol controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric vehicle charging cable, comprising:
 one or more power charging wires to carry power between an electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and an electric vehicle;   one or more signal wires to carry signaling data relating to charging the electric vehicle;   a charging cable connector to connect the one or more power charging wires and the one or more signal wires to an inlet of the electric vehicle; and   a charging protocol controller that includes:
 a first connector to terminate the one or more signal wires, 
 a second connector to terminate supply voltage and communication from the EVSE, 
 one or more charging communication circuits, and 
 a processor to perform:
 signal handshake and control, and 
 communication between the EVSE and the charging protocol controller. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits are specific to an electric vehicle charging protocol supported by the charging protocol controller. 
     
     
         3 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a circuit to source a control pilot signal. 
     
     
         4 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a circuit to monitor detection of presence of the charging cable connector in the inlet of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a power line communication (PLC) circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a circuit for controller area network (CAN) communication. 
     
     
         7 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the charging protocol controller further includes a non-volatile memory to store an identifier that indicates an electric vehicle protocol supported by the charging protocol controller of the electric vehicle charging cable, wherein the processor is further to transmit the identifier to the EVSE. 
     
     
         8 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the second connector further is to terminate one or more logical signals from the EVSE. 
     
     
         9 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more power charging wires are to be terminated at a terminal of the EVSE. 
     
     
         10 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the charging cable connector is an automatic connection device that is under control of an automatic actuation controller. 
     
     
         11 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 1 , wherein the charging protocol controller further includes one or more sensors, and wherein the processor is further to read and process sensor data of the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         12 . The electric vehicle charging cable of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensors include a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and/or a pressure sensor. 
     
     
         13 . An electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), comprising:
 a set of one or more contactors on one or more power lines;   a controller to manage the set of one or more contactors including causing the set of one or more contactors to open and close;   a first connector to connect via a cable to a second connector of a charging protocol controller of a charging cable;   a circuit to provide supply voltage to the charging protocol controller of the charging cable through the cable that connects the first connector to the second connector;   a communication interface circuit to support communication between the EVSE and the charging protocol controller of the charging cable through the cable that connects the first connector to the second connector; and   the charging cable that includes:
 one or more power charging wires that are electrically coupled with the set of contactors to carry power between the EVSE and an electric vehicle; 
 one or more signal wires to carry signaling data relating to charging the electric vehicle; 
 a charging cable connector to connect the one or more power charging wires and the one or more signal wires to an inlet of the electric vehicle; 
 the charging protocol controller that includes:
 a third connector to terminate the one or more signal wires; 
 the second connector to terminate supply voltage and communication from the EVSE received over the cable that connects the first connector to the second connector, 
 one or more charging communication circuits, and 
 a processor to perform:
 signal handshake and control, and 
 communication between the EVSE and the charging protocol controller. 
 
 
   
     
     
         14 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , further comprising a cable connection board that includes the first connector, the circuit to provide supply voltage to the charging protocol controller of the charging cable, and the communication interface circuit. 
     
     
         15 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , further comprising one or more network communication modules to communicate with a network. 
     
     
         16 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits are specific to an electric vehicle charging protocol supported by the charging protocol controller. 
     
     
         17 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a circuit to source a control pilot signal. 
     
     
         18 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a circuit to monitor detection of presence of the charging cable connector in the inlet of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more charging communication circuits includes a power line communication (PLC) circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 wherein the charging protocol controller further includes a non-volatile memory to store an identifier that indicates an electric vehicle protocol supported by the charging protocol controller of the charging cable;   wherein the processor of the charging protocol controller is further to transmit the identifier to the EVSE; and   wherein the controller is to receive the identifier from the processor of the charging protocol controller and configure the EVSE to support the electric vehicle protocol supported by the charging protocol controller.   
     
     
         21 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the second connector is further to terminate one or more logical signals from the EVSE. 
     
     
         22 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a terminal to terminate the one or more power charging wires of the charging cable.   
     
     
         23 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the charging cable connector is an automatic connection device that is under control of an automatic actuation controller. 
     
     
         24 . The EVSE of  claim 13 , wherein the charging protocol controller further includes one or more sensors, and wherein the processor is further to read and process sensor data of the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         25 . The EVSE of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more sensors include a temperature sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and/or a pressure sensor.