MANAGING INTER-VEHICULAR BATTERY CHARGING TRANSACTIONS

• US 20140188318A1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Langgood, John K., Lewis, Thomas F., Reinberg, Kevin M., Vernon, Kevin S.D.
• Application Number:
  US13/954,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20140188318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• 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 2250/16 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 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• 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

Abstract

A computer implemented method includes receiving, from an inter-vehicular charge recipient having a recipient vehicle, a request to arrange an inter-vehicular charge and a battery charge level for the battery of the recipient vehicle. A battery charge level for a battery of the donor vehicle is received from an inter-vehicular charge donor vehicle, and an anticipated route of the donor vehicle and an anticipated route of the recipient vehicle is obtained. The battery charge level of the battery of the recipient vehicle is compared to the battery charge level of the battery of the donor vehicle to determine a suitability for inter-vehicular charging, and the anticipated route of the donor vehicle is compared to the anticipated route of the recipient vehicle to determine a location to initiate charging. The method then generates and sends a proposal for an inter-vehicular charge transaction to the donor vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from an inter-vehicular charge recipient having a recipient vehicle, a request to arrange an inter-vehicular charge and a battery charge level for the battery of the recipient vehicle;

receiving, from an inter-vehicular charge donor vehicle, a battery charge level for a battery of the donor vehicle;

obtaining an anticipated route of the donor vehicle and an anticipated route of the recipient vehicle;

comparing the battery charge level of the battery of the recipient vehicle to the battery charge level of the battery of the donor vehicle to determine a suitability for inter-vehicular charging;

comparing the anticipated route of the donor vehicle to the anticipated route of the recipient vehicle to determine a location to initiate charging; and

generating and sending a proposal for an inter-vehicular charge transaction to the donor vehicle.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the proposal includes the determined location.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request to arrange an inter-vehicular charge includes a requested amount of charge.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the amount of overlap between the anticipated route of the donor vehicle and the anticipated rout of the recipient vehicle, wherein the proposal for the inter-vehicular charge transition describes the amount of charge that may be transferred during inter-vehicular charging in motion as donor and recipient vehicles move together along the overlapping routes.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an acceptance from the inter-vehicular charge donor vehicle; and

sending an instruction to the recipient vehicle, wherein the instruction includes contact information for the inter-vehicular charge donor vehicle.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one of a changed battery charge level for the recipient vehicle and a changed battery charge level for the donor vehicle; and

at least one of electronically debiting an account for the recipient vehicle in an amount of consideration for receiving the inter-vehicular charging of the battery of the recipient vehicle and electronically crediting an account for the donor vehicle in an amount of consideration for the charging of the battery of the recipient vehicle.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a device in communication with a plurality of global positioning satellites, data identifying the location of at least one of the recipient vehicle and the donor vehicle; and

sending, to a device on board the other of the recipient vehicle and the donor vehicle, data identifying the location for the at least one of the recipient vehicle and the donor vehicle.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the device in communication with a plurality of global positioning satellites comprises one of a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, and a navigational device.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a donor device in communication with a plurality of global positioning satellites, data identifying the location of the donor vehicle; and

receiving, from a recipient device in communication with a plurality of global positioning satellites, data identifying the location of the recipient vehicle.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending data identifying the location of the recipient vehicle to a device on board the donor vehicle; and

sending data identifying the location for the donor vehicle to a device on board the recipient vehicle.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from at least one of the recipient vehicle and donor vehicle, a signal indicating that the battery of the recipient vehicle has been connected to the battery of the donor vehicle to provide an inter-vehicular charge.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a database of inter-vehicular charge donor vehicles that frequently travel a leg of a route to the anticipated destination of the recipient vehicle; and

selecting from among the donor vehicles in the database an inter-vehicular charge donor vehicle satisfying criteria for availability along some portion of the common leg and battery charge level for the proposed inter-vehicular charge.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response from the donor vehicle setting a price for the proposed inter-vehicular charge transaction; and

allowing the recipient vehicle to accept or decline the proposed inter-vehicular charge transaction at the price set by the donor vehicle.