Smart-charging apparatus for use with electric-vehicle-sharing stations

• US 10,293,699 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Zhao, Xiang, Du, Jiangling, Smyth, Susan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US15/425,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A remote smart-power server receives reservation data indicating parameters for a planned vehicle use, such as pick-up time, pick-up location, and drop-off time. Systems of the present technology are in various embodiments used in connection with electric vehicles. The server interacts with a smart-powering station system to determine available vehicles at the location, including vehicles having sufficient charge, or chargeable to sufficient charge by the pick-up time. The server presents available vehicles to a user device and receives selection of a preferred vehicle. The server sends the selection to the smart-powering station, which implements a charging sequence to ensure the preferred vehicle is charged as needed for the planned vehicle use. Charging is in various implementations performed automatically, such as by computing controls and robotic machinery. The technology in various embodiments includes any of the relevant apparatus of the arrangement, code and algorithms thereof, and processes performed thereby.

Claims

1. A system, for use in connection with custom powering vehicles to be used temporarily by users, comprising:

a hardware-based processing device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising;

a reservation-request unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, receives, reservation-request data comprising intended vehicle usage and user profile information for a desired vehicle use;

a vehicle-power-levels unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, receives vehicle-power-levels data indicating power level of at least one vehicle present or to be present at a vehicle-pickup location; and

a vehicle-options unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device;

determines, based on the reservation-request data and the vehicle-power-levels data, available-vehicle data indicating vehicles to be available at the vehicle pickup location for the desired vehicle use;

receives, from a user communication device, user-selection data indicating selection of a preferred vehicle indicated by the available-vehicle data; and

sends the user-selection data to a smart-charging station for use in configuring and adjusting a powering schedule for powering vehicles at the vehicle pickup location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle power-levels data indicates electric power levels.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, sends the available-vehicle data to the user communication device for selection of a preferred vehicle, of available vehicles indicated by the available-vehicle data, for the desired vehicle use.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the reservation-request data further includes at least one data item selected from a group consisting of a pick-up time, a pick-up location, a drop-off time, a drop-off location, and a duration of use.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device further:

determines a needed power level based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of;

an environmental characteristic in an area corresponding to the desired use;

a traffic condition in an area corresponding to the desired use;

a road condition in the area corresponding to the desired use;

an expected load for one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;

a time of day for the desired vehicle use;

a time of year for the desired vehicle use; and

an expected type of driving for the desired vehicle use; and

determines the available-vehicle data based on the needed power level and the at least one additional factor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device, determines the available-vehicle data based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:

power-efficiency of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;

a type of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and

a type of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device, determines the available-vehicle data based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:

an age of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and

an age of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use.

8. A system, for use in connection with custom powering vehicles to be used temporarily by users, comprising:

a hardware-based processing device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising;

a vehicle-power-levels unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device;

receives, from vehicles present at a vehicle-pickup location, vehicle-power-levels data indicating power levels of respective vehicles present or to be present at the location; and

sends the vehicle-power-levels data to a remote device for selection of a preferred vehicle, of available vehicles at the location, for a desired vehicle use; and

a vehicle-options unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device;

receives, from the remote device, user-selection data indicating the preferred vehicle for the desired vehicle use; and

sends the user-selection data to a smart-charging station for use in configuring and adjusting a powering schedule for powering vehicles at the vehicle pickup location.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle power-levels data indicates electric power levels.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a powering-scheduling unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, configures or adjusts a powering schedule for powering vehicles at the location for planned uses.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a vehicle-reservation unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, receives at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of a pick-up time, a pick-up location, a drop-off time, a drop-off location, and a duration of use, wherein the powering-scheduling unit, when executed, uses the at least one parameter in determining how to configure or adjust the power schedule.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, determines available-vehicle data, based on reservation-request data and the vehicle-power-levels data; and

the available-vehicle data indicates vehicles available for the desired vehicle use.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device further:

determines a needed power level based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of;

an environmental characteristic in an area corresponding to the desired use;

a traffic condition in an area corresponding to the desired use;

a road condition in the area corresponding to the desired use;

an expected load for one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;

a time of day for the desired vehicle use;

a time of year for the desired vehicle use; and

an expected type of driving for the desired vehicle use; and

determines the available-vehicle data based on the needed power level and the at least one additional factor.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device, determines available-vehicle data based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:

power-efficiency of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;

a type of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;

a type of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and

an age of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and

an age of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use.

15. A system, for implementation at a vehicle in connection with custom powering the vehicle for a scheduled temporary use, comprising:

a hardware-based processing device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising;

a power-level-request unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device receives, from a requesting apparatus, a request for vehicle power level;

a power-level-determining unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, determines a present-power-level data indicating a present power level of the vehicle; and

a power-level-reply unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, sends the present-power-level data to the requesting apparatus for use in determining and adjusting a powering schedule for powering vehicles at a vehicle lot for scheduled temporary uses.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the present-power-level data indicates an electric power level.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the requesting apparatus includes a powering-station device.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the requesting apparatus includes a remote server.