Methods and Systems for Monitoring a Vehicle's Energy Source

• US 20140039726A1
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Profitt-Brown, Elizabeth, Petersen, Brian, Pleet, Edward Andrew, Zechel, Kelly Lee, Curry, Susan, Smith, Mary, Skaff, Ryan, Rork, Joseph Paul, Sosonkina, Yevgeniva
• Application Number:
  US14/049,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039726A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/589 Wireless data transfers
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/589 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/85 Arrangements for transferring vehicle- or driver-related data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• 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: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/45 External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• 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 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• 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

One or more embodiments may include a method for remotely obtaining information about an energy source of a vehicle. Information identifying one or more vehicles and one or more drivers of the vehicles may be received at one or more computing devices remote from a vehicle. Instructions from the one or more remote computing devices may be transmitted requesting information from the identified vehicle(s) about a status of an energy source for the identified vehicle(s). The status information may be received at the remote computing device(s). Based on the energy source status information and the driver identifying information, a vehicle energy source status with respect to one or more attributes of the vehicle drivers may be calculated. Additionally, the vehicle energy source status may be displayed at the one or more devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a charge status of a vehicle;

determine if a charging is needed based on the charge status;

determine when the charging is needed;

command vehicle charging based on when charging is needed; and

transmit one or more charging instructions to the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the charge status includes a distance to empty charge status.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to command immediate vehicle charging if the vehicle charge status is empty or near empty.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to compare charge status against a charge status threshold.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the processor is configured to command immediate vehicle charging when the charge status is below the threshold.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein processor is further configured to present a maximum distance range based on the charge status.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a charge status of a vehicle;

determining, at a computer remote from the vehicle, if a charging is needed based on the charge status;

determining when the charging is needed;

commanding vehicle charging based on when charging is needed; and

transmitting one or more charging instructions to the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the charge status includes a distance to empty charge status.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the method further includes commanding immediate vehicle charging if the vehicle charge status is empty or near empty.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein method further includes comparing charge status against a charge status threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the method further includes commanding immediate vehicle charging when the charge status is below the threshold.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein method further includes presenting a maximum distance range based on the charge status.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a charge status of a vehicle;

determining, at a computer remote from the vehicle, if a charging is needed based on the charge status;

determining when the charging is needed;

commanding vehicle charging based on when charging is needed; and

transmitting one or more charging instructions to the vehicle.

14. The storage medium of claim 13 wherein the charge status includes a distance to empty charge status.

15. The storage medium of claim 14 wherein the method further includes commanding immediate vehicle charging if the vehicle charge status is empty or near empty.

16. The storage medium of claim 13 wherein method further includes comparing charge status against a charge status threshold.

17. The storage medium of claim 16 wherein the method further includes commanding immediate vehicle charging when the charge status is below the threshold.

18. The storage medium of claim 13 wherein method further includes presenting a maximum distance range based on the charge status.