Optimizing Vehicle Recharging to Limit Use of Electricity Generated from Non-Renewable Sources
First Claim
1. A method implemented by an information aggregator having one or more processors for reducing the electricity consumption attributable to the charging of one or more members of a fleet of electric vehicles during a period of time, the method comprising:
- receiving, at the information aggregator, a request to activate a demand response program (DRP) for an electricity supplier;
receiving, at the information aggregator, information pertaining to, on an individualized basis, members of a fleet of electrical vehicles enrolled in the DRP;
identifying, based upon individualized information for members of the fleet of electrical vehicles, candidates for participation in the DRP; and
transmitting instructions to the candidates to facilitate a reduction in demand for electricity attributable to charging the candidates while the DRP is activate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Implementations of the present invention contemplate using the communication infrastructure represented by a network of telematics units communicatively coupled to a telematics service provider (TSP) to implement procedures designed to curtail the load placed on electricity suppliers by electric vehicles during periods of critically high demand for electricity. The present invention contemplates monitoring charging related information for multiple electric vehicles through the telematics units in those vehicles. The invention further contemplates a request from an energy utility for a response to a critically high demand for electricity and the execution of a demand response program (DRP). The DRPs involve aggregating information from a fleet of the electrically powered vehicles, processing the aggregated information, and issuing instructions to one or more vehicles in the fleet that cause the one or more vehicles to reduce the load they are placing on electricity suppliers through their charging activities.
46 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method implemented by an information aggregator having one or more processors for reducing the electricity consumption attributable to the charging of one or more members of a fleet of electric vehicles during a period of time, the method comprising:
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receiving, at the information aggregator, a request to activate a demand response program (DRP) for an electricity supplier; receiving, at the information aggregator, information pertaining to, on an individualized basis, members of a fleet of electrical vehicles enrolled in the DRP; identifying, based upon individualized information for members of the fleet of electrical vehicles, candidates for participation in the DRP; and transmitting instructions to the candidates to facilitate a reduction in demand for electricity attributable to charging the candidates while the DRP is activate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for reducing the electricity consumption attributable to the charging of one or more members of a fleet of electric vehicles during a period of time, comprising a non-transient computer readable medium having thereon computer executable instructs, the instructions comprising:
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instructions for receiving, by the information aggregator, a request to activate a demand response program (DRP) for an electricity supplier; instructions for receiving, by the information aggregator, information pertaining, on an individualized basis, to members of a fleet of electric vehicles enrolled in the DRP; instructions for identifying, based upon individualized information for one or more members of the fleet of electric vehicles, candidates for participation in the DRP; and instructions for transmitting, to the candidates, additional instructions to facilitate a reduction in demand for electricity attributable to charging the candidates while the DRP is active. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for reducing the electricity consumption attributable to the charging of one or more members of a fleet of electric vehicles during a period of time, the system comprising:
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a database configured to store data pertaining, on an individualized basis, to members of a fleet of electric vehicles and the charging activities of the members, and one or more processors configured to request, on an individualized basis, information pertaining to members of a fleet of electric vehicles and the charging activities of the members, to determine whether any of the members of the fleet are enrolled in a demand response program (DRP), and to determine whether any of the members of the fleet are candidates for a cessation of charging event or a reduction in charging rate event, and to transmit instructions, on an individualized basis, to facilitate a cessation of charging event or a reduction in charging rate event to the candidates.
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Specification