ELECTRIC VEHICLE RETURN MANAGEMENT FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE SHARING SERVICE

• US 20140207498A1
• Filed: 01/21/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: CHO, Young-An
• Granted Patent: US 10,755,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

The disclosure is related to managing an electric vehicle return process based on whether a return condition associated with an electric charging of a returned electric vehicle is satisfied. Furthermore, a benefit or a penalty may be given to a corresponding user according to whether the return condition associated with an electric charging is satisfied.

Claims

1. A method of managing an electric vehicle return process in an electric vehicle sharing service system, the method comprising:

receiving a return request for an electric vehicle from at least one of user equipment and an electric vehicle terminal;

determining whether a first return condition is satisfied, wherein the first return condition includes whether the electric vehicle is at a predetermined return location;

determining whether a second return condition associated with an electric charging of the electric vehicle is satisfied; and

determining that an electric vehicle return procedure is complete when the first and second return conditions are satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first return condition further includes at least one of:

whether an electric motor of the electric vehicle is off; and

whether a user authentication is successful.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the second return condition includes:

checking a charging connection between the electric vehicle and an electric charger.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the second return condition includes:

receiving charging connection information from at least one of the electric vehicle terminal of the electric vehicle and the electric charger connected to the electric vehicle; and

determining whether the charging connection is established, based on the received charging connection information.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the charging connection is established according to at least one of a wired charging scheme and a wireless charging scheme.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the determining the second return condition further includes determining whether a remaining battery power of the electric vehicle exceeds a threshold value, wherein the remaining battery power is obtained from the electric vehicle terminal or the electric charger connected to the electric vehicle; and

the determining the second return condition is performed when the remaining battery power of the electric vehicle exceeds the threshold value.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a benefit for a corresponding user when the second return condition is satisfied; and

transmitting information on the benefit to the user equipment.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a guide message requesting an electric charging connection, to user equipment when the second return condition is not satisfied.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a penalty for a corresponding user when the second return condition is not satisfied; and

transmitting information on the penalty to the user equipment.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting a charging approval message to the connected electric charger such that the connected electric charger performs an electric charging process, when the second return condition is satisfied; and

transmitting information on the electric charging process to the user equipment.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a lock control signal to the electric vehicle terminal such that the electric vehicle terminal perform a locking process for the electric vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an electric charging reservation for the electric vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the performing the electric charging reservation includes:

collecting charging related information from one or more electric chargers;

determining availability of at least one electric charger for an electric vehicle return of each user, based on an electric vehicle reservation content;

providing information on the determined at least one electric charger to a corresponding user equipment;

receiving user selection information from the corresponding user equipment; and

performing the electric charging reservation according to the user selection information.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving the charging connection information includes:

receiving an electric charging authentication request from the user equipment;

obtaining electric charger identification information from the electric charging authentication request;

transmitting a charging connection information request to an electric charger corresponding to the electric charger identification information; and

receiving the charging connection information from the corresponding electric charger.

15. A method of managing an electric vehicle return process in an electric vehicle terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting an electric vehicle return request to an electric vehicle sharing service system;

obtaining charging connection information by monitoring whether a returned electric vehicle is connected to an electric charger; and

transmitting the charging connection information to the electric vehicle sharing service system such that the electric vehicle sharing service system determines whether a return condition associated with an electric charging of the returned electric vehicle is satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

performing a locking process for the returned electric vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the performing the locking process is performed

(i) when a user authentication for the locking process is successful, or

(ii) when a lock control signal is received from the electric vehicle sharing service system.

18. A method of managing an electric vehicle return process in an electric charger, the method comprising:

transmitting information on a charging connection between a returned electric vehicle and the electric charger, to an electric vehicle sharing service system; and

performing an electric charging process associated with the returned electric vehicle when a charging approval message is received from the electric vehicle sharing service system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitting is performed

(i) when a charging connection information request is received from the electric vehicle sharing service system, or

(ii) when an electric charging request is inputted by a user.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting charging related information to the electric vehicle sharing service system; and

performing an electric charging reservation for the returned electric vehicle according to a request of the electric vehicle sharing service system.