METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CREATING AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY VEHICLE SUPPLY STATION NETWORK

• US 20130346902A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightening Energy
• Original Assignee: Lightening Energy
• Inventors: Epstein, Michael L., Dyer, Christopher K., McNellis, Ryan, Katz, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 9,753,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/18 Network design, e.g. design based on topological or interconnect aspects of utility systems, piping, heating ventilation air conditioning [HVAC] or cabling circuit design at the physical level G06F30/39; network planning tools for wireless communication networks H04W16/18
• 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 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

Abstract

A computer implemented method for creating an alternative energy vehicle supply station network is provided. The method includes displaying selectable potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to users via a graphical user interface displayed on remote devices, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations being selectable by each of the users of remote devices to submit at least one preference of each user as a user submission; updating a memory of a computer to include the user submissions; processing, by a processor of the computer, the user submissions as a function of preselected criteria; and outputting, by the computer, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for creating an alternative energy vehicle supply station network comprising:

displaying selectable potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to users via a graphical user interface displayed on remote devices, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations being selectable by each of the users of remote devices to submit at least one preference of each user as a user submission;

updating a memory of a computer to include the user submissions;

processing, by a processor of the computer, the user submissions as a function of preselected criteria; and

outputting, by the computer, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising requesting, by the computer, geographical information via the graphical user interface.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the displaying selectable potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations includes modifying the graphical user interface in response to the geographical information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the outputting includes generating a request that the users submit a commitment regarding the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the processing the user submissions includes processing, by the processor of the computer, the user submissions as a function of the preselected criteria when the number of user submissions reaches a predetermine value.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the processing the user submissions includes running a model choosing an optimal number of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to satisfy the users.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the processing the user submissions includes running a model choosing an optimal number of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to minimize costs of the construction at least one the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the processing the user submissions includes running a model choosing an optimal number of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to maximize a driving range of the users.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations are electric vehicle battery charging stations.

10. A method for creating an alternative energy vehicle supply station network comprising:

displaying selectable potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations on to users via graphical user interfaces displayed on remote devices, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations being selectable by each of the users of remote devices to submit at least one preference of each user as a user submission;

updating a memory of a computer to include the user submissions;

processing, by a processor of the computer, the user submissions as a function of preselected criteria;

outputting, by the computer, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria; and

constructing at least one of the outputted potential alternative energy supply stations.

11. A computer system for creating an alternative energy vehicle supply station network comprising:

a computer readable memory storing program instructions; and

a processor to execute the program instructions via the computer readable memory;

the program instructions generating a graphical user interface and, responsive to user selection of representations on the graphical user interface representing potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations on the graphical user interface and user submission of the user selections, recording the user preferences on the computer-readable memory;

the program instructions retrieving the user submissions from the computer-readable memory and processing the user submissions as a function of preselected criteria to determine which of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations are optimal for construction;

the program instructions outputting the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria via the graphical user interface or another graphical user interface.

12. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions generate a geographical information input on the graphical user interface and, responsive to user inputs into the geographical information input generates the representations on the graphical user interface representing potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations.

13. The computer system as recited in claim 12 wherein the geographical information input includes at least one of a location field and a route field.

14. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions generate commitment information for the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria and store user commitments in the computer readable memory.

15. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions process the user submissions as a function of the preselected criteria when the number of user submissions reaches a predetermine value.

16. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions processes the user submissions by running a model choosing an optimal number of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to satisfy the users.

17. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions processes the user submissions by running a model choosing an optimal number of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to minimize costs of the construction at least one the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations.

18. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions processes the user submissions by running a model choosing an optimal number of the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations to maximize a driving range of the users.

19. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations are electric vehicle battery charging stations.

20. The computer system as recited in claim 11 wherein the program instructions automatically obtain geographical information regarding the remote device and, responsive to the automatically obtained geographical information, generates the representations on the graphical user interface representing potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations.

21. A computer program product, disposed on a non-transitory computer readable media, the product including computer executable process steps operable to control a computer to:

display selectable potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations on to users via graphical user interfaces displayed on remote devices, the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations being selectable by each of the users of remote devices to submit at least one preference of each user as a user submission;

update a record to include the user submissions;

process the user submissions as a function of preselected criteria; and

output the potential alternative energy vehicle supply stations satisfying the preselected criteria.