ELECTRIC VEHICLE HAVING A GPS BASED GAS STATION RESERVATION FUNCTION
First Claim
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1. A method for operating a vehicle, which comprises an electric travel drive and at least one rechargeable and replaceable electric power unit, wherein electric drive energy is fed from the electric power unit to the electric travel drive and wherein the electric power unit is charged or replaced when its charge status is low, comprising the following steps:
- determination of a charge status of the electric power unit;
determination of a current position of the vehicle;
calculation of a range of the vehicle on the basis of the charge status of the electric power unit;
determination of a given stock level of supply stations which are equipped for the recharging and/or the replacement of the electric power unit, wherein the stock level is defined at least by the number and charge status of electric power units held in stock in a supply station; and
determination of at least one of the supply stations as a suitable supply station, if the supply station lies within the range of the vehicle and the stock level of the supply station meets a predetermined condition, in particular a predetermined number of charged electric power units are available for replacement,wherein, in order to calculate the range and/or to determine suitable supply stations, essential data are communicated between the vehicle and at least one of the supply stations and/or between the vehicle and a control centre and/or between the supply stations and the control centre, wherein at least the communication between the vehicle and the supply stations and/or the control centre takes place in a wireless manner.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method for operating a vehicle which comprises an electric travel drive and at least one rechargeable and replaceable electric power unit, the electric travel drive being supplied with electric drive energy by the electric power unit and the electric power unit being recharged or replaced when its charge status is low.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method for operating a vehicle, which comprises an electric travel drive and at least one rechargeable and replaceable electric power unit, wherein electric drive energy is fed from the electric power unit to the electric travel drive and wherein the electric power unit is charged or replaced when its charge status is low, comprising the following steps:
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determination of a charge status of the electric power unit; determination of a current position of the vehicle; calculation of a range of the vehicle on the basis of the charge status of the electric power unit; determination of a given stock level of supply stations which are equipped for the recharging and/or the replacement of the electric power unit, wherein the stock level is defined at least by the number and charge status of electric power units held in stock in a supply station; and determination of at least one of the supply stations as a suitable supply station, if the supply station lies within the range of the vehicle and the stock level of the supply station meets a predetermined condition, in particular a predetermined number of charged electric power units are available for replacement, wherein, in order to calculate the range and/or to determine suitable supply stations, essential data are communicated between the vehicle and at least one of the supply stations and/or between the vehicle and a control centre and/or between the supply stations and the control centre, wherein at least the communication between the vehicle and the supply stations and/or the control centre takes place in a wireless manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 45, 46, 50)
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- 13. The method according to claim 13, characterised in that the reservation takes place regardless of a confirmation by a user, if the supply station is the only reachable, suitable supply station for the vehicle.
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20. The method according to claim 20, further characterised by a step of continuously checking whether a suitable supply station can be reached on the currently adopted travel route and, if this is not the case, taking countermeasures which at least comprise the output of a warning.
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22. The method according to claim 22, characterised in that the travel routes of all the vehicles participating in the method are conducted dynamically on the basis of the routes previously selected and notified by the given user and defined by starting point and destination, in such a way that the travel time and/or the total energy consumption of the vehicles are optimised.
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24. A vehicle energy control system for controlling an energy supply for a vehicle, which comprises an electric travel drive and at least one rechargeable and replaceable electric power unit, wherein electric drive energy is fed from the electric power unit to the electric travel drive and wherein the electric power unit is recharged or replaced when its charge status is low, comprising
a position locating device for locating a position of the vehicle; -
a charge status determination device for determining a charge status of the electric power unit; a range calculation device for calculating a range of the vehicle on the basis of the charge status of the electric power unit determined by the charge status determination device; a reception device for the wireless reception of information from a wireless remote communication network concerning supply stations which are equipped for the charging and/or the replacement of the energy storage unit and concerning their given stock level, wherein the stock level is defined at least by the number and charge status of electric power units held in stock in a supply station; and a suitability determination device for determining a supply station as a suitable supply station when the supply station lies within the range of the vehicle and its stock level meets a predetermined condition, in particular such that a predetermined number of charged electric power units is available for replacement.
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25. The vehicle energy control system according to claim 25, further characterised by a transmission device for the wireless transmission of information containing the position and the range to a remote communication network,
wherein the received information contains information concerning supply stations which are within the range of the vehicle, either exclusively or in a specially characterised form.
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26. The vehicle energy control system according to claim 26, further characterised by a memory device, in which identification data of the electric power unit and preferably of the vehicle, and/or charging/discharging parameters of the electric power unit and preferably energy consumption parameters of the vehicle are previously stored;
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wherein the transmitted information additionally contains identification data of the electric power unit and optionally of the vehicle, the charging/discharging parameters of the electric power unit and the energy consumption parameters of the vehicle, and wherein the received information concerning stock levels only contains information concerning stock levels of electric power units of a type which corresponds to the type of the electric power unit carried on board the vehicle.
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27. A vehicle energy control system for controlling an energy supply for a vehicle, which comprises an electric travel drive and at least one rechargeable and replaceable electric power unit, wherein electric drive energy is fed from the electric power unit to the electric travel drive and wherein the electric power unit is recharged or replaced when its charge status is low, comprising:
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a memory device, in which identification data of the electric power unit and preferably of the vehicle, and/or charging/discharging parameters of the electric power unit and preferably energy consumption parameters of the vehicle are previously stored; a position locating device for locating a position of the vehicle; a charge status determination device for determining a charge status of the electric power unit; a transmission device for the wireless transmission of information, which contains the position, the charge status of the electric power unit, the identification data of the electric power unit and optionally of the vehicle, the charging/discharging parameters of the electric power unit and the energy consumption parameters of the vehicle, to a remote communication network; and a reception device for the wireless reception of information from the remote communication network concerning the present range of the vehicle and concerning supply stations which are within the range of the vehicle and which are equipped and suitable for the charging and/or the replacement of the electric power unit, wherein only the supply stations are determined as suitable whose stock level meets a predetermined condition, in particular such that a predetermined number of charged electric power units are available for replacement.
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33. The vehicle energy control system according to claim 33, further characterised by a driving state memory device for storing the characteristic driving states over the course of time.
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34. The vehicle energy control system according to claim 34, further characterised by a driver behaviour evaluation device for determining parameters for describing typical driving behaviour of the present driver on the basis of the characteristic driving states in the course of time.
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36. A supply station for supplying with the electric energy vehicles which comprise an electric travel drive and at least one rechargeable and preferably replaceable electric power unit, comprising:
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a storage facility for storing a plurality of electric power units; at least one replacement device for replacing electric power units located on board a vehicle with electric power units from the storage facility; at least one charging device for charging electric power units located on board a vehicle; a stock level determination device for determining a stock level of the supply station, defined by the number and charge status of the electric power units stored in the storage facility; and a communication device for exchanging data with vehicles in the surrounding area of the supply station and/or, via vehicles in the surrounding area of the supply station, with an administrative control centre.
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- 37. The supply station according to claim 37, characterised in that the supply station is equipped for handling a number of types of electric power unit.
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39. The supply station according to claim 39, characterised in that the communication device is equipped to transmit data indicating the stock level only when it receives a stock-level request from a vehicle or the administrative control centre.
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47. A rechargeable and replaceable electric power unit for supplying a vehicle with electric drive energy, comprising a control unit for detecting and controlling operational states, including at least a charge status of the electric power unit, and a radio communication device for communicating with an entity outside the vehicle.
- 48. The electric power unit according to claim 48, characterised in that the control unit is equipped for storing information, which enables the identification at least of the type of electric power unit, preferably also an assignment to the vehicle carrying the electric power unit on board.
Specification