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The term “smart” is the most commonly added word to every application, service, and technology in recent times. The context of “smart” varies based on the definition of the manufacturer, user, and the objectives for which the application, services, and technology are developed. Any product that implies making life simpler and better than its previous counterpart is termed as “smart”. Hence, defining the context of “smart” is utterly dependent on added functionalities in a product. The functionalities may include intelligence in operation, internet connectivity in devices such as IoT, data-driven operation and analysis, learning capabilities from the deployed environment, communication between devices or entities of a system, or a combination of any or all the mentioned functionalities.

The term “smart” originates from an acronym: Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. “Smart” technologies can be broadly categorized in the following ways:

1 a. Smart automation devices are devices automated by programming and learning data to operate based on an intuitive interface included in the smart automation device. A geyser that operates at a particular interval of time to heat water automatically considering the environment’s ambient temperature is an example of a smart automation device.

2 b. Smart software devices are application based and programmed to perform analytics, display data to the user, request data from the connected subsystems in a system, or any other functionalities for which it is programmed. Such devices mostly require internet connectivity or any communication link between the connected subsystems. An example of a smart software device is an application installed in a computing system to control and monitor a factory’s operation. Smart software devices are considered to be easily scalable and upgradeable.

3 c. Smart hardware devices, as the name suggests, include remotely connected, monitored, and operated devices. Such devices mostly require a software-based user interface and connectivity using any communication technology to monitor and operate. Smart appliances at homes, such as smart bulbs, are one of the examples of a smart hardware device.

4 d. Smart computational environment: Computational environment in recent days has upgraded diversely but converges to a common theme of “smart”. The environment here refers to all the connected devices or smart devices in a system that give a platform to the user to develop and execute an operation for which the environment is proficient. The operation’s development and execution is made possible by establishing necessary communication between each internal device and required external entities. The IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud are examples of a smart computational environment. Users have access to a variety of applications and devices that can be configured as required.

The categorization of “smart” devices is broad and not limited to the types mentioned earlier. Enhancement in existing technologies and new developments have shown vast possibilities of making existing devices smart and accessible. The addition of smart functionalities in any system should increase product capabilities, utilization, reliability, and transcend conventional product boundaries.

The context of smart charging is an amalgamation of all the “smart” technologies. The smart charging infrastructure involves the need of automation devices, software run devices, and supporting software, hardware devices, and the computational environment. Each of the mentioned entities is built with intelligence added by various algorithms that help make relevant decisions and implement them.

Any “smart” system requires proper coordination while developing and operating. The next subsection briefly explains approaches taken by the developers to ensure the addition of functionalities, which make the system smart and reliable to the users and renders market value to the developers.