IP Library › Granted Patent US 12703262
Granted Patent B2
US 12703262 · App. 17/505,573 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Dynamic allocation of power modules for charging electric vehicles

Inventors: Richard J. Quattrini, Jr. (San Jose, CA); Peter Vaughan (Los Gatos, CA); David Baxter (Monte Sereno, CA); Carl F. Hagenmaier, Jr. (Los Altos, CA); Patrick Kien Tran (Tracy, CA); Craig T. Matsuno (San Jose, CA); Gary A. Eldridge (San Jose, CA); Pasquale Romano (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: CHARGEPOINT, INC.
B60L53/63B60L53/62H02J7/0013B60L53/11B60L53/67Y02T10/7072Y02T90/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703262
App. No.
17/505,573
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first dispenser receives a request to initiate charging service for charging an electric vehicle. The first dispenser determines an amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the electric vehicle including determining an availability status of multiple power modules that are located in the first dispenser and a second dispenser. The first dispenser determines whether the available amount of power is enough to meet a requested or determined amount of power draw of the electric vehicle. If the available amount of power is not enough to meet the requested or determined amount of power draw of the electric vehicle, and if there is at least one of the power modules that is available, the first dispenser requests allocation of the available power module and charging service commences.

Claims (39)

1 . A method in a first dispenser, comprising:

receiving a first request to initiate charging service for charging a first electric vehicle through the first dispenser;

determining a first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle, wherein determining the first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle includes determining an availability status of each of a plurality of power modules, wherein a first portion of the plurality of power modules is located in the first dispenser and a second portion of the plurality of power modules is located in a second dispenser;

determining whether the determined first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle is enough to meet a requested or determined amount of power draw of the first electric vehicle;

responsive to determining that the determined first amount of power is not enough to meet the requested or determined amount of power draw of the first electric vehicle, and responsive to determining that there is at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available, requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available, wherein each of the plurality of power modules is configured to be allocated to only one of the first dispenser or the second dispenser at a time; and

commencing charging service for charging the first electric vehicle after the at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available is allocated to the first dispenser.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to charging service for charging the first electric vehicle ending, requesting the at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available to be deallocated.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of power modules is performed locally at the first dispenser.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of power modules includes requesting the availability status of the second portion of the plurality of power modules from the second dispenser.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available includes selecting that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available that has a lowest operating time.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein that at least one of the plurality of power modules is located on the second dispenser, and wherein requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available causes the second dispenser to cause that at least one of the plurality of power modules to connect to a power bus that connects to an output terminal for charging the first electric vehicle.

7 . A first dispenser for charging an electric vehicle, comprising:

a first set of one or more power modules, wherein each of the first set of one or more power modules is capable of supplying an amount of power for charging the electric vehicle;

a processor; and

a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request to initiate charging service for charging a first electric vehicle through the first dispenser,

determining a first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle, wherein determining the first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle includes determining an availability status of each of a plurality of power modules including the first set of one or more power modules and a second set of one or more power modules located in a second dispenser that is remote to the first dispenser,

determining whether the determined first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle is enough to meet a requested or determined amount of power draw of the first electric vehicle,

responsive to determining that the determined first amount of power is not enough to meet the requested or determined amount of power draw of the first electric vehicle, and responsive to determining that there is at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available, requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available, wherein each of the plurality of power modules is configured to be allocated to only one of the first dispenser or the second dispenser at a time, and

commencing charging service for charging the first electric vehicle after the at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available is allocated to the first dispenser.

8 . The first dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to charging service for charging the first electric vehicle ending, requesting the at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available to be deallocated.

9 . The first dispenser of claim 7 , wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of power modules is performed locally at the first dispenser.

10 . The first dispenser of claim 7 , wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of power modules includes requesting the availability status of the second set of one or more power modules from the second dispenser.

11 . The first dispenser of claim 7 , wherein requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available includes selecting that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available that has a lowest operating time.

12 . The first dispenser of claim 7 , wherein that at least one of the plurality of power modules is located on the second dispenser, and wherein requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available causes the second dispenser to cause that at least one of the plurality of power modules to connect to a power bus that connects to an output terminal for charging the first electric vehicle.

13 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor on a first dispenser, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request to initiate charging service for charging a first electric vehicle through the first dispenser;

determining a first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle, wherein determining the first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle includes determining an availability status of each of a plurality of power modules, wherein a first portion of the plurality of power modules is located in the first dispenser and a second portion of the plurality of power modules is located in a second dispenser;

determining whether the determined first amount of power that is available for the charging service for charging the first electric vehicle is enough to meet a requested or determined amount of power draw of the first electric vehicle;

responsive to determining that the determined first amount of power is not enough to meet the requested or determined amount of power draw of the first electric vehicle, and responsive to determining that there is at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available, requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available, wherein each of the plurality of power modules is configured to be allocated to only one of the first dispenser or the second dispenser at a time; and

commencing charging service for charging the first electric vehicle after the at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available is allocated to the first dispenser.

14 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to charging service for charging the first electric vehicle ending, requesting the at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available to be deallocated.

15 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of power modules is performed locally at the first dispenser.

16 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the availability status of each of the plurality of power modules includes requesting the availability status of the second portion of the plurality of power modules from the second dispenser.

17 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available includes selecting that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available that has a lowest operating time.

18 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein that at least one of the plurality of power modules is located on the second dispenser, and wherein requesting allocation of that at least one of the plurality of power modules that is available causes the second dispenser to cause that at least one of the plurality of power modules to connect to a power bus that connects to an output terminal for charging the first electric vehicle.