Method for increasing safety during charging of a vehicle battery

1 . A computer-implemented method for increasing safety during charging of a vehicle battery of a vehicle by a charging station, the method comprising the steps of:

calculating a forecast value for a maximum safe charging current by a controller of the vehicle based on sensor data generated by sensors of the vehicle, wherein the sensor data includes temperature sensor data by temperature sensors provided at measurement points of the vehicle, and wherein a temperature forecast for each measurement point is calculated by the controller of the vehicle by extrapolation on the basis of the rate of change of the temperature at the respective measurement point, and

adjusting the charging current provided by the charging station in response to the forecast value of a maximum safe charging current.

2 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the measurement points include measurement points at the vehicle battery, connectors of the vehicle battery, the vehicle's charging socket and at power electronic components of the vehicle.

3 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 wherein a currently observed rate of change in the temperature is calculated by the controller of the vehicle on the basis of the temperature sensor data generated by the temperature sensors of the vehicle.

4 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the control unit is adapted to communicate with the controller of the vehicle via a wired or wireless communication link through a communication module of the charging station.

5 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein a forecast maximum safe charging current is determined by the controller of the vehicle iteratively based on the calculated temperature forecasts for the different measurement points and communicated to the control unit of the charging station via the established wired or wireless communication link.

6 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the control unit of the charging station and the controller of the vehicle continuously monitor the communication link established between them.

7 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein a forecast maximum safe charging current value is communicated by the controller of the vehicle to the control unit of the charging station periodically every 10 msec to 100 msecs.

8 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the charging current is provided by a DC/DC converter of the charging station controlled by the control unit of the charging station in response to the communicated forecast value of the maximum safe charging current.

9 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 8 wherein the DC/DC converter of the charging station converts a DC power provided by at least one battery pack of the charging station or a DC power provided by an AC/DC converter of the charging station into a DC power supplied as a charging current to the vehicle battery of the vehicle via a power cable.

10 . The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the amplitude of the charging current provided by the charging station is in a range between 100 Ampere and 1500Ampere to provide a charging power of more than 1 Megawatt.

11 . A charging station comprising a control unit adapted to:

continuously receive forecast values for a maximum safe charging current via a communication link from a controller of a vehicle connected to the charging station via a power cable for charging the vehicle battery in a charging process, wherein a forecast maximum safe charging current is determined by the controller of the vehicle iteratively based on calculated temperature forecasts for different temperature measurement points of the vehicle and communicated to the control unit of the charging station via the established wired or wireless communication link; and

adjust automatically a charging current provided by the charging station via the power cable to the vehicle battery during the charging process in response to the received forecast values.

12 . The charging station according to claim 11 wherein a successful continuous transmission of forecast values is monitored by the control unit of the charging station during the charging process.

13 . The charging station according to claim 11 wherein the charging station further comprises a communication module adapted to establish a communication link with the controller of the vehicle to receive forecast values for a maximum safe charging current periodically every 10 msecs to 100 msecs.

14 . The charging station according to claim 11 wherein the received forecast values for a maximum safe charging current are stored in a data memory and processed by a processor of the control unit to determine an admissible amplitude of the electrical charging current supplied by the charging station via the power cable to the vehicle battery of the vehicle.