KR102768471B1 - Method and system for electric vehicle user authorization - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for authorizing EV users for electric vehicle (EV) charging is disclosed, which is performed by a device that mediates EV user authorization by linking with a mobility operator (MO) that enters into a contract with an EV (Electric Vehicle) user and provides a charging service to the EV, and a charging point operator (CPO) that supplies electricity to an EV requesting charging. The EV user authorization method may include a step of receiving association information between the EV and a charging service account from the mobility operator; a step of storing the association information between the EV and the charging service account; a step of receiving a request for confirmation of association information for an EV to be charged from the charging point operator; and a step of providing the association information between the EV and the charging service account for the EV to be charged to the charging point operator.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE USER AUTHORIZATION

The present invention relates to an EV user authorization method and system, and more particularly, to an EV user authorization method for EV charging, an EV user authorization system, and a device mediating EV user authorization.

Electric vehicles (EVs) currently under development use batteries to drive the motor, and have the advantages of producing less air pollutants such as exhaust gases and noise, being less prone to breakdowns, having a longer lifespan, and being easier to drive than conventional gasoline engine vehicles.

Electric vehicles are classified into hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicles (EVs) based on their powertrains. HEVs have engines as their main power source and motors as their auxiliary power source. PHEVs have motors as their main power source and engines that are used when the battery is discharged. EVs have motors, but no engines.

The electric vehicle charging system can be basically defined as a system that charges the battery mounted on the electric vehicle using the power of the commercial power grid or the power of the energy storage device. This electric vehicle charging system can take various forms depending on the type of electric vehicle. For example, the electric vehicle charging system can include a conductive charging system using a cable or a non-contact wireless power transmission system.

In this regard, eMobility services are business segments that supply electricity to EV users who own or drive EVs, organizations that own and operate EV groups for their own businesses, such as transportation services, logistics, or rental services. A typical eMobility service contracts with EV users (including organizations) and charges fees based on the amount of electricity charged or other billing criteria. From a business perspective, it is important to verify EV users when charging, because without proper means for user authentication, the revenue of the eMobility business is at risk. In addition, the entire charging infrastructure and the power grid behind it are vulnerable to malicious attempts by unauthorized parties that exploit security vulnerabilities for political, financial, or pride purposes.

The purpose of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide an EV user authorization method for electric vehicle charging.

Another object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide an EV user authorization system for electric vehicle charging.

Another object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide a device that mediates EV user authorization.

According to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, an EV user authorization method for electric vehicle charging performed by a device that mediates EV user authorization, which interworks with a mobility operator (MO) that enters into a contract with an EV (Electric Vehicle) user and provides a charging service to the EV, and a charging point operator (CPO) that supplies electricity to an EV requesting charging, may include a step of receiving association information between the EV and a charging service account from the mobility operator; a step of storing the association information between the EV and the charging service account; a step of receiving a request for confirmation of association information on an EV to be charged from the charging station operator; and a step of providing association information between the EV and the charging service account for the EV to be charged to the charging station operator.

The above EV user authorization method may further include a step of receiving a notification of a change to a charging service account from the MO and a step of performing an update on the charging service account in which a change has occurred.

The device mediating the above EV user authorization may be a Clearing House Service (CHS) device certified by a V2G root CA (Certificate Authority).

The above EV can request authentication from the charging station operator using the EV certificate and corresponding private key.

The above EV certificate is issued by the EV manufacturer (Original Equipment Manufacturer; OEM) and may include a unique identifier of the EV and a corresponding private key.

Here, the association information between the EV and the charging service account may include at least one of an EV identifier, a charging service account identifier (eMAID; eMobility Account Identity), and a validity period.

According to one embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above other objects, a device for mediating EV user authorization for electric vehicle charging may include a processor; and a memory for storing at least one command executed by the processor, and may be interlocked with a mobility operator (MO) that enters into a contract with an EV (Electric Vehicle) user and provides a charging service to the EV, and a charge point operator (CPO) that supplies electricity to the EV requesting charging.

The at least one command may include a command to receive association information between the EV and the charging service account from the mobility business operator; a command to store the association information between the EV and the charging service account; a command to receive a request for confirmation of association information for the target EV from the charging station business operator; and a command to provide association information between the EV and the charging service account for the EV to the charging station business operator.

The at least one command may further include a command to receive a notification of a change occurrence for a charging service account from the MO; and a command to perform an update for a charging service account in which a change has occurred.

The device mediating the above EV user authorization can be authenticated by a V2G (Vehicle to Grid) root CA (Certificate Authority).

The above EV can request authentication from the charging station operator using the EV certificate and corresponding private key.

The above EV certificate is issued by the EV manufacturer (Original Equipment Manufacturer; OEM) and may include a unique identifier of the EV and a corresponding private key.

Here, the association information between the EV and the charging service account may include at least one of an EV identifier, a charging service account identifier (eMAID; eMobility Account Identity), and a validity period.

According to another embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described further object, an EV user authorization system for electric vehicle charging may include: a Mobility Operator (MO) public key infrastructure (PKI) server which associates an EV with a charging service account upon a request from an EV user, generates association information between the EV and the charging service account, and notifies the association information to a clearing house service device; a Clearing House Service (CHS) device which receives and stores the association information between the EV and the charging service account from the Mobility Operator, and provides the association information between the EV and the charging service account upon a request; and a Charge Point Operator (CPO) server which authenticates an EV requesting charging by querying the Clearing House Service device for the EV requesting charging and confirming charging service account information bound to an identifier of the EV requesting charging.

The above EV user authorization system may further include an EV manufacturer (OEM) PKI server that assigns a unique identifier to each EV and issues an EV certificate including the unique identifier and a corresponding private key.

The above CHS device can be authenticated by a V2G (Vehicle to Grid) root CA (Certificate Authority).

The above EV can request authentication from the charging station operator using the above EV certificate and corresponding private key.

The above CHS device can receive a notification of a change to a charging service account from the MO and perform an update on the charging service account in which a change has occurred.

Here, the association information between the EV and the charging service account may include at least one of an EV identifier, a charging service account identifier (eMAID; eMobility Account Identity), and a validity period.

According to the present invention, EV user authentication is performed using an EV identifier, thereby preventing privacy infringement and violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The present invention also does not require PKI in the MO system.

Moreover, the present invention does not require a credit delegation system such as CPS, CCP, and Directory Service.

Additionally, it can support car sharing services that contribute to user convenience, user privacy protection, contract flexibility, and various business opportunities.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an electric vehicle wired charging method to which one embodiment of the present invention can be applied.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining wireless power transmission for an electric vehicle to which one embodiment of the present invention is applied.
Figure 3 illustrates a general trust relationship formation procedure used in electric vehicle power transmission services.
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an EV-user authorization system using a clearing house service according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a flow chart of operations according to a general EV user authorization method using PnC.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation according to one embodiment of an EV-user authorization method using EVPnC according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an EV user authorization method for electric vehicle charging according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a clearing house service device that mediates EV user authorization according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention can have various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components.

Although the terms first, second, A, B, etc. may be used to describe various components, the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component could be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component could also be referred to as the first component. The term "and/or" includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any item among a plurality of related listed items.

When it is said that a component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components in between. On the other hand, when it is said that a component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

The terminology used in this application is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" or "has" and the like are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries, such as those defined in common dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this application.

Some terms used in this specification are defined as follows.

Electric Vehicle (EV) may refer to an automobile as defined in 49 CFR (code of federal regulations) 523.3, etc. An EV may be powered by electricity supplied by an onboard energy storage device, such as a battery, that is highway-capable and rechargeable from an external power source. Power sources may include residential or public electric service, or a generator that uses fuel onboard the vehicle.

An electric vehicle (EV) can be referred to as an electric car, electric automobile, ERV (electric road vehicle), PV (plug-in vehicle), or xEV (plug-in vehicle), and an xEV can be referred to as or distinguished from a BEV (plug-in all-electric vehicle or battery electric vehicle), PEV (plug-in electric vehicle), HEV (hybrid electric vehicle), HPEV (hybrid plug-in electric vehicle), or PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).

A plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) can be referred to as an electric vehicle that can be connected to the power grid to recharge the vehicle's onboard primary battery.

A plug-in vehicle (PV) may be referred to herein as a vehicle that can be recharged wirelessly from an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) without using a physical plug and socket.

Heavy duty vehicles (H.D. vehicles) may refer to any vehicle with four or more wheels as defined in 49 CFR 523.6 or CFR 37.3 (bus).

Light duty plug-in electric vehicle (LTE) may refer to a vehicle with three or four wheels that is propelled by an electric motor supplied by a rechargeable battery or other energy source, primarily for use on public streets, roads and highways. A LTE may be defined as having a gross weight of less than 4.545 kg.

A wireless power charging system (WCS) may refer to a system for wireless power transfer and control between GA and VA, including alignment and communication.

Wireless power transfer (WPT) can refer to the transfer of electrical power from an alternating current (AC) power supply network, such as a utility or grid, to an electric vehicle through contactless means.

A utility provides electrical energy and can be referred to as a set of systems, typically including a Customer Information System (CIS), Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), and Rates and Revenue systems. The utility can make energy available to plug-in electric vehicles through price lists or discrete events. The utility can also provide information on tariffs, intervals for metered electricity consumption, and qualification of electric vehicle programs for plug-in electric vehicles.

Smart charging can be described as a system where EVSE and/or plug-in electric vehicles communicate with the power grid to optimize the vehicle charge or discharge rate to grid capacity or time of day for cost-to-use ratios.

Automatic charging can be defined as the act of positioning a vehicle in an appropriate location relative to a primary charger assembly capable of transferring power and inductively charging it. Automatic charging can be performed after obtaining the necessary authentication and authorization.

Interoperability can refer to the state in which the components of a system relative to each other can work together to perform the intended operation of the entire system. Information interoperability can refer to the ability of two or more networks, systems, devices, applications, or components to share information safely and effectively and easily with little or no inconvenience to users.

An inductive charging system may refer to a system that electromagnetically transfers energy in the forward direction from a power supply network to an electric vehicle through a transformer in which two parts are loosely coupled. In this embodiment, the inductive charging system may correspond to an electric vehicle charging system.

An inductive coupler can refer to a transformer formed by a GA coil and a VA coil and transmitting power through electrical insulation.

Inductive coupling can refer to the magnetic coupling between two coils. The two coils can refer to the ground assembly coil and the vehicle assembly coil.

A ground assembly (GA) may refer to an assembly that is disposed on the ground or infrastructure side, including a GA coil and other suitable components. The other suitable components may include at least one component for controlling impedance and resonant frequency, a ferrite for reinforcing a magnetic path, and an electromagnetic shielding material. For example, the GA may include a power/frequency conversion device necessary to function as a power source of a wireless charging system, a GA controller, and wiring from a grid, and wiring between each unit and filtering circuits, a housing, etc.

A vehicle assembly (VA) may refer to an assembly disposed in a vehicle, including a VA coil and other suitable components. The other suitable components may include at least one component for controlling impedance and resonant frequency, a ferrite for reinforcing a magnetic path, and an electromagnetic shielding material. For example, the VA may include a rectifier/power converter necessary to function as a vehicle component of a wireless charging system, a VA controller, and wiring for a vehicle battery, as well as wiring between each unit and filtering circuits, a housing, etc.

The aforementioned GA may be referred to as a supply device, a power supply-side device, etc., and similarly, the VA may be referred to as an electric vehicle device (EV device), an electric vehicle-side device, etc.

The power supply device may be a device that provides a contactless connection to the vehicle side device, i.e., a device external to the vehicle. The power supply device may be referred to as a primary side device. When the vehicle receives power, the power supply device may act as a power source that transmits power. The power supply device may include a housing and all covers.

The EV device may be a device mounted on an electric vehicle that provides a contactless connection to a power supply device. The EV device may be referred to as a secondary device. When the electric vehicle receives power, the EV device may transfer power from the power supply device to the electric vehicle. The EV device may include a housing and all covers.

A Ground Assembly Controller may be a part of the GA that adjusts the output power level to the GA coil based on information from the vehicle.

A Vehicle Assembly Controller may be a part of the VA that monitors certain vehicle parameters during charging and initiates communication with the GA to control the output power level.

The aforementioned GA controller may be referred to as a supply power circuit (SPC) of a power supply-side device, and the VA controller may be referred to as an electric vehicle power circuit (EV power circuit, EVPC).

The magnetic gap may refer to the vertical distance between the highest plane of the upper part of the Litz wire or the upper part of the magnetic material of the GA coil and the lowest plane of the lower part of the Litz wire or the magnetic material of the VA coil when they are aligned with each other.

Ambient temperature may refer to the ground level temperature measured in the atmosphere of a target subsystem that is not directly exposed to sunlight.

Vehicle ground clearance can refer to the vertical distance between the road or pavement and the lowest part of the vehicle's floor pan.

Vehicle magnetic ground clearance can refer to the vertical distance between the lowest plane of the floor of the Litz line or the insulating material of the VA coil mounted on the vehicle and the road pavement.

Vehicle assembly (VA) coil surface distance can refer to the vertical distance between the bottommost plane of the Litz wire or the magnetic material of the VA coil and the bottommost outer surface of the VA coil. This distance can include additional items packaged with protective covering material and coil packaging material.

The above-mentioned VA coil may be referred to as a secondary coil, a vehicle coil, a receiver coil, etc., and similarly, the ground assembly coil (GA coil) may be referred to as a primary coil, a transmit coil, etc.

An exposed conductive component may refer to a conductive component of an electrical device (e.g., an electric vehicle) that can be touched by a person and is not normally conductive but may become conductive in the event of a fault.

Hazardous live component may refer to a live component that may, under certain conditions, provide a hazardous electric shock.

Live component may refer to any conductor or conductive part that is electrically active in its basic application.

Direct contact can refer to contact between living beings, such as humans.

Indirect contact may refer to contact with exposed, conductive, live components due to an insulation failure (see IEC 61140).

Alignment may refer to a process of finding a relative position of an electric vehicle-side device to a power supply-side device for a prescribed efficient power transfer and/or a process of finding a relative position of a electric vehicle-side device to a power supply-side device. In this specification, alignment may refer to, but is not limited to, positional alignment of a wireless power transfer system.

Pairing may refer to a procedure in which a single dedicated ground assembly (power supply side device) arranged to transfer power is associated with a vehicle (electric vehicle). In this specification, pairing may include a procedure for associating a charging spot or a specific ground assembly with a vehicle assembly controller. Association may include a procedure for establishing a relationship between two peer communication entities.

High-level communication can handle all information beyond the information handled by command and control communication. The data link of high-level communication can use PLC (Power line communication), but is not limited to this.

Low power excitation may refer to, but is not limited to, activating the electric vehicle to detect the power supply side device for precise positioning and pairing, and vice versa.

SSID(Service set identifier) is a unique identifier consisting of 32 characters attached to the header of packets transmitted on a wireless LAN. SSID distinguishes the BSS(basic service set) that a wireless device is trying to connect to. SSID basically distinguishes multiple wireless LANs from each other. Therefore, all AP(access point) and all terminal/station devices that want to use a specific wireless LAN can use the same SSID. A device that does not use a unique SSID cannot join the BSS. Since SSID is displayed as plain text, it may not provide any security features to the network.

ESSID (Extended service set identifier) is the name of the network you want to connect to. It is similar to SSID, but can be a more extended concept.

BSSID(Basic service set identifier) is usually 48 bits and is used to distinguish a specific BSS(basic service set). For infrastructure BSS networks, BSSID can be the MAC(medium access control) of the AP equipment. For independent BSS or ad hoc networks, BSSID can be generated as a random value.

A charging station may include at least one ground assembly and at least one ground assembly controller that manages at least one ground assembly. The ground assembly may include at least one wireless communication device. The charging station may refer to a location having at least one ground assembly, such as a home, an office, a public place, a road, a parking lot, etc.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an electric vehicle wired charging method to which one embodiment of the present invention can be applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electric vehicle wired charging method can be performed by the mutual operation of an electric vehicle charging cable (30), at least one component of an electric vehicle (10), and a power socket (40) installed in an existing building or charging stand.

Here, an electric vehicle (10) can be generally defined as a vehicle (automobile) that supplies current induced from a rechargeable energy storage device, such as a battery, as an energy source for an electric motor, which is a power unit.

Additionally, electric vehicles (10) may include hybrid vehicles having both an electric motor and a conventional internal combustion engine, and may include not only automobiles but also motorcycles, carts, scooters, and electric bicycles.

In addition, the electric vehicle (10) according to the present invention may include a plug connection port so that the battery can be charged by wire. In this case, the electric vehicle (10) capable of charging the battery by wire may be referred to as a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV).

In addition, the plug connector provided in the electric vehicle (10) according to the present invention may support slow charging or rapid charging. In this case, the electric vehicle (10) may support both slow charging and rapid charging through one plug connector, or may include separate plug connectors supporting slow charging and rapid charging.

In addition, the electric vehicle (10) according to the present invention may include an onboard charger to support slow charging or charging via AC power supplied from a general power grid. The onboard charger may boost AC power supplied externally via a wire during slow charging, convert it into DC power, and supply it to a battery built into the electric vehicle (10). Accordingly, when AC power for slow charging is supplied to the plug connector of the electric vehicle (10), charging may be performed via the onboard charger, and when DC power for rapid charging is supplied to the plug connector, charging may be performed without going through the onboard charger.

Meanwhile, the electric vehicle charging cable (30) may be configured to include at least one of a charging connector (31), an outlet socket connection (33), and an in-cable control box (ICCB) (32).

Here, the charging connector (31) may be a connection part that can be electrically connected to the electric vehicle (10), and the in-cable control box (ICCB) (32) may communicate with the electric vehicle (10) to receive status information of the electric vehicle or control power charging to the electric vehicle (10).

Here, the in-cable control box (32) is illustrated as being included in the electric vehicle charging cable (10), but may be mounted in a location other than the electric vehicle charging cable (10), coupled to the SECC, or replaced with the SECC.

Here, the outlet socket connection part (33) can be connected to an outlet that supplies electricity as an electrical connection device such as a general plug or cord set.

For example, a power socket (40) may refer to an outlet installed in various places, such as a parking lot attached to the home of an existing electric vehicle (10) owner, a parking area for charging electric vehicles at a gas station, a parking area at a shopping center or workplace, etc.

In addition, a device that controls the charging procedure by performing communication with an in-cable control box (32) or one of the components of an electric vehicle (10) (e.g., EVCC) may be installed in a building or place (e.g., a stand) where a power socket (40) is installed. Such a device may be referred to as a SECC (Supply Equipment Communication Controller).

Here, the SECC can communicate with a power grid or an infrastructure management system that manages the power grid, a management server of a building where a power socket (40) is installed (a complex server described below), or an infrastructure server through wired or wireless communication.

The power socket (40) can supply AC power from the power system as is, and for example, can supply AC power corresponding to at least one of the methods of 1P2W (single phase, two wire system) and 3P4W (three phase, four wire system).

The electric vehicle charging cable (30) supports slow charging and can supply power for slow charging to the electric vehicle (10). At this time, the electric vehicle (10) can be supplied with power of between 3.3 and 7.7 (kWh) as slow charging power.

In addition, the electric vehicle charging cable (30) can support rapid charging and supply power for rapid charging to the electric vehicle (10). In this case, the rapid charging power amount of 50 to 100 (kWh) can be supplied to the electric vehicle (10).

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining wireless power transmission for an electric vehicle to which one embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 2, wireless power transfer can be performed by at least one component of an electric vehicle (10) and a charging station (20), and can be used to wirelessly transfer power to the electric vehicle (10).

Here, an electric vehicle (10) can be generally defined as a vehicle (automobile) that supplies current induced from a rechargeable energy storage device, such as a battery (12), as an energy source for an electric motor, which is a power unit.

However, the electric vehicle (10) according to the present invention may include a hybrid vehicle having both an electric motor and a general internal combustion engine, and may include not only an automobile but also a motorcycle, a cart, a scooter, and an electric bicycle.

In addition, the electric vehicle (10) may include a receiving pad (11) including a receiving coil so as to wirelessly charge the battery (12), and may also include a plug connection port so as to wire-charge the battery (12). In this case, an electric vehicle (10) capable of wire-charging the battery (12) may be referred to as a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV).

Here, the charging station (20) can be connected to a power grid (50) or a power backbone and can provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to a transmitting pad (21) including a transmitting coil via a power link.

In addition, the charging station (20) can communicate with a power grid (50) or an infrastructure management system or infrastructure server that manages the power grid through wired or wireless communication, and can perform wireless communication with an electric vehicle (10).

Here, wireless communications can include Bluetooth, zigbee, cellular, and wireless local area networks.

Additionally, for example, the charging station (20) may be located in various locations, such as a parking lot attached to the home of an electric vehicle owner (10), a parking area for charging electric vehicles at a gas station, a parking area at a shopping center or workplace, etc.

Here, the process of wirelessly charging the battery (12) of the electric vehicle (10) can be performed by first positioning the receiving pad (11) of the electric vehicle (10) in an energy field by the transmitting pad (21), and then allowing the transmitting coil of the transmitting pad (21) and the receiving coil of the receiving pad (11) to interact or couple with each other. As a result of the interaction or coupling, an electromotive force is induced in the receiving pad (11), and the battery (12) can be charged by the induced electromotive force.

Additionally, the charging station (20) and the transmitting pad (21) may be referred to as a ground assembly (GA), in whole or in part, and the ground assembly may refer to the meaning defined above.

Additionally, the receiving pad (11) of the electric vehicle (10) and all or part of other internal components of the electric vehicle may be referred to as a vehicle assembly (VA), where the vehicle assembly may refer to the meaning defined above.

Here, the transmitting pad or receiving pad may be configured as non-polarized or polarized.

At this time, if the pad is nonpolar, it can have one pole in the center of the pad and the opposite pole around the outer periphery. Here, the flux can be formed to exit at the center of the pad and return at all outer boundaries of the pad.

Additionally, if the pads are polar, they can have each pole at either end of the pad. Here, the magnetic flux can be formed based on the orientation of the pad.

Figure 3 illustrates a general trust relationship formation procedure used in electric vehicle power transmission services.

The trust relationship establishment procedure illustrated in Fig. 3 is based on the ISO 15118 standard. ISO 15118 is an international standard for communication between EVs and EV chargers. This standard defines communication technologies and application protocols that enable many of the functions required for eMobility services. These functions include scheduled charging, safety checks, pricing, progress control, discharge, wireless charging, and other auxiliary services. The latest version of ISO 15118 also defines security requirements for communication protection and end-to-end security, including user authentication.

Plug-and-Charge (PnC) is the primary mechanism of ISO 15118 for user authentication, and is a contract-based authentication mechanism. With PnC, an EV user can ‘plug’ the charging cable into a charger and leave, and the system can automatically authorize the EV user and start ‘charging’. In the case of wireless charging, the user can simply park the vehicle and drive away, and the rest of the process can be handled between the EV and the charger.

PnC relies on security technologies such as public key cryptography, digital certificates, and public key infrastructure (PKI).

Looking at the trust relationship according to ISO 15118 through Fig. 3, the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), which is the EV manufacturer, issues an OEM certificate (OEM cert.) to the EV (S31). The V2G PKI issues a CPS certificate and a CPO certificate (S32, S33). In addition, the MO (Mobility Operator) PKI issues contract data (S34), and the CPS (Certificate Provisioning Service) signs the contract data (S35). Additionally, a relationship is established in which the EV trusts the V2G (Vehicle to Grid) Root CA (Certificate Authority) (S36), and the CPO (Charge Point Operator) trusts the MO Root CA (S37).

The typical PnC procedure is explained below with reference to Figure 3.

First, an EV user contracts with an eMobility service provider for charging services for a specific EV that the user has the right to use. This contract can be called an eMobility Account Identity (eMAID). The eMobility operator (MO) issues a contract certificate bound to the eMAID and its private key as the account credential.

The second step of PnC is to install the contract certificate and private key in the EV. This certificate installation process requires the interaction of many entities and is complex and expensive. Specifically, the EV manufacturer (OEM) issues and installs the OEM provisioning certificate in the EV, and the V2G operator performs trust delegation. The CPO, which manages and operates the charging infrastructure, helps the MO securely deliver the contract certificate and key to the EV, which is likely to have no means of communication other than the charger.

End-to-end security between EV and MO requires complex hard-core cryptography techniques such as unilaterally ephemeral Diffie-Hellman key exchange protocol for secure and economical transfer of sensitive information, certificate provisioning service for trust delegation between EV and MO, and real-time certificate validation service called Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP).

The contract certificate and private key are installed in the EV and are used for authentication and authorization of EV users before each charging service. During the authorization phase, the EV uses the private key to sign a message to prove ownership of the contract certificate and uses the certificate to indicate the eMAID that the specific session should be charged for. In addition, during the authentication process, the backend system of the CPO checks the revocation status of the contract certificate and the corresponding MO and account validity.

As we have seen, the various limitations of the current PnC mechanism defined in ISO 15118 are summarized below.

First, the setup of contract certificates and private keys is very complex and involves many actors, making implementation and testing difficult and adding architectural complexity due to delegation of trust by related services such as the Certificate Provisioning Service (CPS), Contract Certificate Pool (CCP) and Directory Service.

Second, the configuration that requires personal and sensitive information to be installed inside the EV may result in security risks and privacy violations. Depending on the region, such architecture may violate local regulations on handling personal data, such as GDPR.

Third, PnC can incur significant financial and operational costs because each MO must set up and operate its own PKI to issue contract certificates.

Finally, the inheritance nature of the PnC architecture prevents people from using the same contract for multiple EVs, and from supporting car-sharing services where a single EV can support multiple contracts. That is, use cases such as EV rental services, EVs shared by multiple drivers, changes in ownership, EV termination, etc. all require the contract to be separated from the EV.

In a typical PnC using contract certificates, there are three issues related to authentication: first, how does the EV trust the CPO/SECC, second, how does the EV trust the contract data, and second, how does the CPO trust the contract?

In a typical PnC, the first trust issue is resolved by EV trusting V2G, and V2G issues a certificate to CPO. In addition, the second trust issue is resolved by EV trusting V2G, V2G issues a certificate to CPS, and CPS signs the contract package. Finally, CPO trusts MO, and MO issues a contract certificate, so CPO can trust the contract.

The present invention proposes EVPnC as a solution to overcome these limitations of existing PnC. The present invention proposes a flexible and cost-effective EV-user authorization mechanism by completely removing contract certificates from the system and simplifying the architecture.

The EVPnC proposed in the present invention uses the same technology as PnC, but simplifies the architecture to overcome the limitations of PnC and has the following features.

First, no contract certificate is issued to the user.

Second, authentication of EV users is performed using EV’s own certificates.

Third, associating an EV with a specific contract is done in the backend system.

Fourth, there are several approaches that can be used for the backend mechanisms that map EVs to contracts for scalability, efficiency, and flexibility.

More specifically, the EVPnC according to the present invention can operate as follows.

EVPnC according to the present invention starts with the same prerequisites as conventional PnC.

The OEM PKI (public key infrastructure) issues certificates for each vehicle during the manufacturing process and securely stores the certificates and private keys in each EV. EVPnC can call EV certificates instead of OEM provisioning certificates that are used for other purposes. Also, like PnC, the CPO PKI can issue its own certificates for chargers.

The biggest difference between EVPnC and traditional PnC is that it requires a backend mechanism to maintain information about which contract account (identified by eMobility Account ID (eMAID)) is linked to which EV.

Backend mechanisms that perform these functions may include a directory service, a clearing house service, etc. The present invention proposes a clearing house service (CHS) as a preferred embodiment of such a backend mechanism.

CHS is required to be a trusted service certified by a V2G (Vehicle to Grid) root CA (Certificate Authority) like PnC's CPS. However, the actual implementation technology used for CHS is not limited. One possible implementation example of CHS is a cloud service that all MOs and CPOs can access. Alternatively, there may be multiple CHS services, multiple different MOs/CPOs for business reasons.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it is assumed that a V2G operator operates a CHS cloud service.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an EV user authorization system using a clearing house service according to one embodiment of the present invention.

An EV user authorization system according to one embodiment of the present invention may be referred to as EVPnC, and FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an EV user authorization system using a clearing house.

Referring to FIG. 4, an EV user authorization system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a CPO (200), a CHS (300), an OEM PKI (400), a V2G PKI (500), and a MO PKI (600).

MO (600) verifies the EV user's request, associates the EV with the account, and monitors changes to the account and EV. MO (600) also notifies CHS of information about the relationship between the user and the contract, the validity period, or changes thereto.

CHS (300) safely receives and safely stores relationship information of (EVID, eMAID) from MO (600). CHS (300) can, upon request, transmit information on relationship and validity period of (EVID, eMAID) that it has stored to an approved CPO.

CPO (200) authenticates the EV by verifying the EV's ownership of the EV certificate bound to the EVID. CPO also authenticates the EV for charging by querying CHS to verify the eMAID and validity period bound to the EVID.

The OEM PKI (400) assigns a unique EVID to each EV and issues an EV certificate containing the EVID and the corresponding private key. The EV securely stores the EV certificate issued by the OEM.

Additionally, V2G PKI (500) issues CPS certificates and CPO certificates.

Referring to FIG. 4, more specifically, an EV user can associate his/her eMAID with a specific EV (100) when registering with the MO, which is represented by an EVID, which is a unique identifier for the EV. The EVID can be included in the EV certificate. The MO (600) submits information about the relationship between the eMobility Account and the EV, for example, (EVID, eMAID, expiration), to the CHS. The CHS, upon receiving this, can store this relationship information and the validity period. When the EV arrives at a charging station and initiates a charging session, the EV can authenticate itself to the charger using the EV certificate and the private key.

After authenticating the EV (100), the CPO (or SECC) (200) can contact the CHS (300) to verify the eMAID and validity period associated with the EV. A positive response from the CHS for the EV confirms that the charging service provided to the EV should be billed under the contract of the eMAID responded by the CHS. Here, the eMAID represents a valid account authorized to receive the charging service until the relationship expires. Once the authentication of the EV user is completed, the charging session can then continue.

Whenever a contract account related to a charging service changes, MO (600) may notify CHS (300) by updating the EVID associated with the account, changing the expiration date, or removing the relationship record of the eMAID that has been terminated or suspended. Before linking an EVID to an eMAID, MO (600) must verify that the request is made by a person authorized to create the link by verifying that the user owns both the account and the EV or that the actual owner of the EV has authorized it. MO (600) may also set an appropriate expiration time for the relationship.

Figure 5 is a flow chart of operations according to a general EV user authorization method using PnC.

Referring to Fig. 5, in the case of an existing PnC based on a contract certificate, a process of installing a contract certificate in an EV (S510) and a process of checking the validity of the contract certificate and approving the contract (S520) are included.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation according to one embodiment of an EV-user authorization method using EVPnC according to the present invention.

The EV user authorization method according to the embodiment of Fig. 6, compared to the conventional method examined through Fig. 5, does not include a process of installing a contract certificate in the EV.

Additionally, in order to implement the EV-user authorization method according to the embodiment of Fig. 6, CHS (300) is involved as an operating entity. Accordingly, the EV-user authorization method according to the embodiment of Fig. 6 may include a step (S610) of checking the validity of an OEM certificate (i.e., a user certificate) and a step (S620) of the CPO (200) obtaining relationship information between the EV and the contract from the CHS (300), instead of the process of checking the validity of the contract certificate and authorizing the contract (S520).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an EV user authorization method for electric vehicle charging according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The EV user authorization method illustrated in FIG. 7 can be performed by a device that mediates EV user authorization, for example, a clearing house service device described in the preceding embodiment.

A device mediating EV user authorization can be linked with a mobility operator (MO) and a charge point operator (CPO) to perform an EV user authorization method according to the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 7, a device mediating EV user authorization receives association information between an EV and a charging service account from a mobility operator (MO) that has entered into a contract with an EV (Electric Vehicle) user and provides charging services to the EV (S710). The device mediating EV user authorization that has received the association information safely stores the information in a storage device owned by the device or a separate storage connected to the device (S720).

Thereafter, the device mediating the EV user authorization can receive a request for confirmation of related information about the EV to be charged from the charging station operator of the charging station where the specific EV that wants to be charged is located (S730). The device mediating the EV user authorization that has received the request can provide the charging station operator with the related information about the charging service account for the EV to be charged that it has stored (S740).

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a clearing house service device that mediates EV user authorization according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The clearing house service device (300) is a device that mediates EV user authorization for electric vehicle charging, and can be linked with a mobility business operator (MO) that enters into a contract with an EV user and provides charging services to the EV, and a charging station business operator (CPO) that supplies electricity to an EV requesting charging.

To this end, the clearing house service device (300) may include at least one processor (310), a memory (320) storing at least one command for executing the above-described operation via the processor, and a communication module (330).

The processor can execute program commands stored in the memory, and may mean a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor on which the methods according to the present invention are performed. The memory may be composed of a volatile storage medium and/or a nonvolatile storage medium, and may be composed of a read only memory (ROM) and/or a random access memory (RAM).

Here, the at least one command may include a command to receive association information between the EV and the charging service account from the mobility business operator; a command to store the association information between the EV and the charging service account; a command to receive a request for confirmation of association information for the target EV from the charging station business operator; and a command to provide association information between the EV and the charging service account for the EV to the charging station business operator.

The clearing house service device (300) can also be linked with a mobility operator (MO), a charging station operator (CPO), and a V2G root CA (Certificate Authority) through a communication module (330).

The at least one command may further include a command to receive a notification of a change occurrence for a charging service account from the MO; and a command to perform an update for a charging service account in which a change has occurred.

The device mediating the above EV user authorization can be authenticated by a V2G (Vehicle to Grid) root CA.

The above EV can request authentication from the charging station operator using the EV certificate and corresponding private key.

The above EV certificate is issued by the EV manufacturer (OEM) and may include a unique identifier of the EV and a corresponding private key.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, EV can support both general contract-based PnC and EV-based PnC. In this case, a contract certificate, an EV certificate, and an OEM provisioning certificate can be used as identification certificates. The identification certificate is a certificate that the EVCC uses to authenticate itself to the SECC according to the contract-based PnC or EV-based PnC authentication method. Here, the EV certificate is a certificate issued to the EVCC for identification in the EV-based PnC (Plug-and-Charge) method.

To realize EVPnC with contract-based PnC implemented, EVPnC can be selected as the identity service and OEM provisioning certificate or EV certificate can be used for authentication request/response. Also, the same certificate can be used to sign metering receipt and V2G root can be used to authorize charges.

The EV-user authorization mechanism proposed in the present invention has the following advantages.

·No privacy issues or violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

·No PKI required in MO system

·No need for credit delegation systems such as CPS, CCP, and Directory Service

·Supports car-sharing use cases that contribute to user convenience, user privacy protection, contract flexibility, and various business opportunities.

The operation according to the embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording devices that store data that can be read by a computer system. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed over network-connected computer systems so that the computer-readable program or code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

Additionally, the computer-readable recording medium may include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The program instructions may include not only machine language codes produced by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by the computer using an interpreter, etc.

While some aspects of the invention have been described in the context of an apparatus, they may also represent a description of a corresponding method, wherein a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may also be represented as a feature of a corresponding block or item or a corresponding device. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware device, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a programmable computer or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, one or more of the most significant method steps may be performed by such a device.

In embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described herein. In embodiments, the field programmable gate array may operate in conjunction with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. In general, the methods are preferably performed by some hardware device.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

Claims (18)

An EV user authorization method for electric vehicle charging performed by a device that mediates EV user authorization by linking with a mobility operator (MO) that enters into a contract with an EV (Electric Vehicle) user and provides charging services to the EV and a charging point operator (CPO) that supplies electricity to an EV requesting charging.
A step of receiving association information between the EV and charging service account from the mobility business operator;
A step of storing association information between the above EV and charging service account;
A step of receiving a request for confirmation of related information on an EV to be charged from the charging station operator; and
An EV user authorization method comprising a step of providing association information between an EV and a charging service account for the EV to be charged to the charging station operator. In claim 1,
A step of receiving a notification of a change in the charging service account from the above MO; and
A method for authorizing an EV user, further comprising the step of performing an update on a charging service account where a change has occurred. In claim 1,
The device mediating the above EV user authorization is:
An EV user authorization method, where the Clearing House Service (CHS) device is certified by a V2G root CA (Certificate Authority). In claim 1,
An EV user authorization method in which the above EV requests authentication from the charging station operator using an EV certificate and corresponding private key. In claim 4,
An EV user authorization method, wherein the EV certificate is issued by an EV manufacturer (Original Equipment Manufacturer; OEM) and includes a unique identifier of the EV and a corresponding private key. In claim 1,
The association information between the above EV and charging service accounts is:
An EV user authorization method comprising at least one of an EV identifier, an eMobility Account Identity (eMAID), and an expiration date. It is a device that interworks with a mobility operator (MO) that enters into a contract with an EV (Electric Vehicle) user and provides charging services to the EV, and a charging point operator (CPO) that supplies electricity to an EV requesting charging, and mediates EV user authorization for electric vehicle charging.
processor; and
A memory comprising at least one instruction to be executed by the processor,
At least one of the above commands,
A command to receive association information between the EV and charging service account from the mobility operator;
A command to store association information between the above EV and charging service accounts;
An instruction to receive a request for confirmation of related information on the target EV from the charging station operator; and
A device mediating EV user authorization, comprising a command to provide association information between an EV and a charging service account for said EV to said charging station operator. In claim 7,
At least one of the above commands,
A command to receive notification of changes to the charging service account from the above MO; and
A device that mediates EV user authorization, further comprising a command to perform an update on a charging service account where a change has occurred. In claim 7,
The device that mediates the above EV user authorization is a device that mediates EV user authorization, authenticated by a V2G (Vehicle to Grid) root CA (Certificate Authority). In claim 7,
The above EV is a device that mediates EV user authorization by requesting authentication from the charging station operator using the EV certificate and corresponding private key. In claim 10,
The above EV certificate is a device that mediates EV user authorization, and includes a unique identifier and corresponding private key of the EV, issued by the EV manufacturer (Original Equipment Manufacturer; OEM). In claim 7,
The association information between the above EV and charging service accounts is:
A device that mediates EV user authorization, comprising at least one of an EV identifier, an eMobility Account Identity (eMAID), and an expiration date. As an EV (Electric Vehicle) user authorization system for electric vehicle charging,
A Mobility Operator (MO) PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) server that associates the EV with a charging service account upon request from an EV user, creates association information between the EV and the charging service account, and notifies the association information to a clearing house service device;
A clearing house service (CHS) device that receives and stores association information between the EV and charging service account from the mobility business operator and provides association information between the EV and charging service account upon request; and
An EV user authorization system including a Charge Point Operator (CPO) server that authenticates an EV requesting charging by querying the clearing house service device to verify charging service account information bound to the identifier of the EV requesting charging. In claim 13,
An EV user authorization system further comprising an EV manufacturer (OEM) PKI server that assigns a unique identifier to each EV and issues an EV certificate containing the unique identifier and a corresponding private key. In claim 13,
The above CHS device is an EV user authorization system authenticated by the V2G (Vehicle to Grid) root CA (Certificate Authority). In claim 14,
An EV user authorization system that requests authentication from the charging station operator using the EV certificate and corresponding private key. In claim 13,
An EV user authorization system, wherein the CHS device receives a notification of a change in a charging service account or association information between the EV and the charging service account from the MO, and performs an update on the charging service account in which a change has occurred. In claim 13,
The association information between the above EV and charging service accounts is:
An EV user authorization system comprising at least one of an EV identifier, an eMobility Account Identity (eMAID), and an expiration date.

Images