SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ROUTING BEV TO CHARGING STATION

• US 20120109519A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uyeki, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US12/912,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/439
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• 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 2250/26 by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 : Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• 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 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A battery electric vehicle (BEV) routing apparatus and methods are presented for routing to a charging station, in which a vehicle navigation system obtains current utilization and compatibility information from a live database and uses this to selectively route the vehicle to a charging station having available chargers compatible with the vehicle.

Claims

1. A battery electric vehicle, comprising:

a propulsion system, comprising;

a battery with a DC output,

an inverter with a DC input and an AC output, the inverter operative to convert DC power from the battery to provide AC electrical power to the AC output, and

an electric motor having an output shaft providing mechanical power to drive at least one wheel for propelling the vehicle using AC power generated by the inverter; and

a navigation system operative to obtain charging station data from a data store, to determine at least one selected charging station having charging equipment that is compatible with the vehicle and is currently available or expected to be available for charging the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data and on a present state of charge value indicating a remaining amount of energy stored in the battery, and to determine a route for the vehicle extending from a current vehicle location to a destination location corresponding to the at least one selected charging station based at least in part on the charging station data and on the present state of charge value.

2. The battery electric vehicle of claim 1, where the navigation system is operative to obtain the charging station data from an external data store via wireless communications apparatus of the vehicle.

3. The battery electric vehicle of claim 2, where the navigation system is operative to obtain charging station data from the data store for a set of one or more in-range charging stations within range of the vehicle based at least in part on the present state of charge value, to determine a set of one or more compatible in-range charging stations in the set of in-range charging stations having charging equipment compatible with the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data, to determine a set of one or more available compatible in-range charging stations in the set of compatible in-range charging stations that is currently available or expected to be available for charging the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data, and to determine the at least one selected charging station as one or more of the charging stations in the set of available compatible in-range charging stations.

4. The battery electric vehicle of claim 3, where the navigation system is operative to obtain usage data from the charging station data including a charge start time and a charging vehicle current SOC value for compatible charger equipment for charging stations in the set of compatible in-range charging stations and to determine an availability of each compatible charger as one of available now, available soon, or unavailable based at least in part on the usage data.

5. The battery electric vehicle of claim 4, where the navigation system is operative to determine the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.

6. The battery electric vehicle of claim 3, where the navigation system is operative to determine the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.

7. The battery electric vehicle of claim 2, where the navigation system is operative to obtain usage data from the charging station data including a charge start time and a charging vehicle current SOC value for compatible charger equipment and to determine an availability of each compatible charger as one of available now, available soon, or unavailable based at least in part on the usage data.

8. The battery electric vehicle of claim 7, where the navigation system is operative to determine the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.

9. The battery electric vehicle of claim 1, where the navigation system is operative to obtain charging station data from the data store for a set of one or more in-range charging stations within range of the vehicle based at least in part on the present state of charge value, to determine a set of one or more compatible in-range charging stations in the set of in-range charging stations having charging equipment compatible with the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data, to determine a set of one or more available compatible in-range charging stations in the set of compatible in-range charging stations that is currently available or expected to be available for charging the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data, and to determine the at least one selected charging station as one or more of the charging stations in the set of available compatible in-range charging stations.

10. The battery electric vehicle of claim 9, where the navigation system is operative to obtain usage data from the charging station data including a charge start time and a charging vehicle current SOC value for compatible charger equipment for charging stations in the set of compatible in-range charging stations and to determine an availability of each compatible charger as one of available now, available soon, or unavailable based at least in part on the usage data.

11. The battery electric vehicle of claim 9, where the navigation system is operative to determine the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.

12. The battery electric vehicle of claim 1, where the navigation system is operative to obtain usage data from the charging station data including a charge start time and a charging vehicle current SOC value for compatible charger equipment and to determine an availability of each compatible charger as one of available now, available soon, or unavailable based at least in part on the usage data.

13. The battery electric vehicle of claim 12, where the navigation system is operative to determine the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.

14. The battery electric vehicle of claim 1, where the navigation system is operative to determine the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.

15. A method for determining a route for a battery electric vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a present state of charge value indicating a remaining amount of energy stored in the battery;

obtaining a current vehicle location;

obtaining charging station data from a data store;

determining at least one selected charging station having charging equipment that is compatible with the vehicle and is currently available or expected to be available for charging the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data and on the present state of charge value; and

determining a route for the vehicle extending from the current vehicle location to a destination location corresponding to the at least one selected charging station based at least in part on the charging station data and on the present state of charge value.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising obtaining the charging station data from an external data store via wireless communications apparatus of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising:

obtaining charging station data from the data store for a set of one or more in-range charging stations within range of the vehicle based at least in part on the present state of charge value;

determining a set of one or more compatible in-range charging stations in the set of in-range charging stations having charging equipment compatible with the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data;

determining a set of one or more available compatible in-range charging stations in the set of compatible in-range charging stations that is currently available or expected to be available for charging the vehicle based at least in part on the charging station data; and

determining the at least one selected charging station as one or more of the charging stations in the set of available compatible in-range charging stations.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

obtaining usage data from the charging station data including a charge start time and a charging vehicle current SOC value for compatible charger equipment for charging stations in the set of compatible in-range charging stations; and

determining an availability of each compatible charger as one of available now, available soon, or unavailable based at least in part on the usage data.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising:

obtaining usage data from the charging station data including a charge start time and a charging vehicle current SOC value for compatible charger equipment; and

determining an availability of each compatible charger as one of available now, available soon, or unavailable based at least in part on the usage data.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising determining the route to the destination location using latitude and longitude information from the charging station data for the at least one selected charging station.