AUTOMATICALLY SELECTING A CHARGING STATION FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20150226572A1
• Filed: 02/06/2015
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Recargo, Inc. (E.ON SE)
• Original Assignee: Recargo, Inc. (E.ON SE)
• Inventors: NORTH, Forrest, MANFIELD, Lucas, PETROSIAN, Armen, WILD, Nick
• Granted Patent: US 10,809,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• 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: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3605 Destination input or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/367 Details, e.g. road map scale, orientation, zooming, illumination, level of detail, scrolling of road map or positioning of current position marker
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3691 Retrieval, searching and output of information related to real-time traffic, weather, or environmental conditions arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions G08G1/09
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 : for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• 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

Systems and methods for identifying available charging stations (e.g., charging stations available to be used by an electric vehicle) and/or determining travel routes for electric vehicles are described. In some embodiments, the systems and methods receive a request to find an available charging station, determine a state of charge for an electric vehicle associated with the request, identifies one or more available charging stations located within a suitable distance to the electric vehicle, the suitable distance based on the determined state of the charge for the electric vehicle, and present information to the electric vehicle, or an associated mobile device, that indicates the identified charging stations.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to find an available charging station;

identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request;

automatically selecting a charging station that is a best match for the electric vehicle; and

presenting information to the electric vehicle that indicates the selected charging station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically reserving the selected charging station on behalf of the electric vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically authorizing use of the selected charging station by the electric vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request includes identifying one or more charging stations not currently reserved by another electric vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request includes identifying one or more available charging stations not currently charging another electric vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request includes:

determining a travel time associated with the electric vehicle traveling to one or more prospective charging stations; and

selecting prospective charging stations that are predicted to be available to charge the electric vehicle after the determined travel time has lapsed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting information to the electric vehicle that indicates the selected charging station includes displaying an icon within a displayed map presented by a mapping application, the icon representative of the selected charging station.

8. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents, when executed by a mobile application supported by a mobile device, cause the mobile application to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a request to find an available charging station;

identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request;

automatically selecting a charging station that is a best match for the electric vehicle; and

presenting information to the electric vehicle that indicates the selected charging station.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically reserving the selected charging station on behalf of the electric vehicle.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

automatically authorizing use of the selected charging station by the electric vehicle.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request includes identifying one or more charging stations not currently reserved by another electric vehicle.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request includes identifying one or more available charging stations not currently charging another electric vehicle.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein identifying one or more charging stations that satisfy parameters for a current trip of an electric vehicle that is associated with the request includes:

determining a travel time associated with the electric vehicle traveling to one or more prospective charging stations; and

selecting prospective charging stations that are predicted to be available to charge the electric vehicle after the determined travel time has lapsed.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein presenting information to the electric vehicle that indicates the selected charging station includes displaying an icon within a displayed map presented by a mapping application, the icon representative of the selected charging station.

15. A method of facilitating charging of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a request from an electric vehicle to find an available charging station;

determining a maximum energy usage for the electric vehicle, the maximum energy usage based on a current state of charge of a battery pack of the electric vehicle;

identifying a charging station located on a route having a predicted energy usage that is less than the identified maximum energy usage for the electric vehicle; and

automatically reserving the electric vehicle with the identified charging station.