SCORING CHARGING EVENTS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• US 20150032659A1
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recargo, Inc. (E.ON SE)
• Original Assignee: Recargo, Inc. (E.ON SE)
• Inventors: MANFIELD, Lucas, NORTH, Forrest, PETROSIAN, Armen, WILD, Nick
• Granted Patent: US 10,949,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/347
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/665 Light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 : in response to network capacity
• 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: B60L 53/68 : Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 : Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system and method for ranking or scoring charging stations and/or charging events or sessions, and/or performing actions based on the ranking or scoring is described. In some embodiments, a charging station ranking engine is configured to rank charging stations, or potential charging events, based on feedback received from users of the charging stations, such as drivers of electric vehicles, or other dynamically determined factors.

Claims

1. A computerized method, comprising:

accessing context information associated with a potential charging event at a charging station; and

determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the accessed information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a display element representative of the charging station along with an indicator of the determined score for the charging station via a mapping application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed context information includes information identifying a state of charge for an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event, a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle and a location of the charging station, and information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed context information includes information identifying a state of charge for an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event and a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle and a location of the charging station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed context information includes information identifying a cost to charge the electric vehicle during the potential charging event and information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing an action on behalf of a driver of the electric vehicle that is based on the score determined for the potential charging event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically reserving the charging station when the score determined for the potential charging event is above a threshold score.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that an actual charging event has occurred between the electric vehicle and the charging station;

assigning a score to the actual charging event that is based on the score determined for the potential charging event at the charging station; and

providing a reward to a driver of the electric vehicle that is based on the score assigned to the actual charging event.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the accessed information includes updating a score previously assigned to the charging station based on the accessed context information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the accessed information includes updating a score previously assigned to the charging station based on information identifying a state of charge for an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the accessed information includes updating a score previously assigned to the charging station based on information identifying a predicted route currently traveled by an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event.

12. A system, comprising:

a context module that is configured to access context information associated with a potential charging event at a charging station; and

a ranking module that is configured to determine a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the accessed information.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a display module that is configured to display a display element representative of the charging station along with an indicator of the determined score for the charging station via a mapping application.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the context module is configured to access information identifying a state of charge for an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event, a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle and a location of the charging station, and information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the context module is configured to access information identifying a state of charge for an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event and a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle and a location of the charging station.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the context module is configured to access information identifying a cost to charge the electric vehicle during the potential charging event and information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the ranking module is configured to update a score previously assigned to the charging station based on the accessed context information.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the ranking module is configured to update a score previously assigned to the charging station based on information identifying a state of charge for an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the ranking module is configured to update a score previously assigned to the charging station based on information identifying a predicted route currently traveled by an electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event.

20. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, comprising:

accessing context information associated with a potential charging event at a charging station; and

determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station by updating a score previously assigned to the charging station, the updated score based on the context information.