Identification of Acceptable Vehicle Charge Stations

• US 20170168493A1
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MILLER, Kenneth James, KAPADIA, Jimmy
• Granted Patent: US 9,709,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 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 vehicle may require an electric recharge. A request may be sent to obtain identification of charge locations along a route. Along with the request, data may be sent identifying vehicle location, route, and desired safety rating. A response may be obtained from a remote server, and the results may be displayed, which include the user rating of the charge station. The desired user rating may be adjusted based on the battery'"'"'s state of charge (SOC). The desired user rating may be decreased as the battery state of charge decreases. The user may further set the desired user rating. The desired user rating may further depend on other ratings of the charging station.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a processor programmed to, in response to a request to identify route-accessible charge locations;

load a third party user rating, and

display, in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations, a charge location rating for identified charge stations accessible from the route exceeding a desired safety rating and a desired user rating based on the third party user rating and the received data from the remote server.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the third party user rating is an overall user rating that includes weighted rating inputs.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the user rating is a trusted third party rating designated at the processor.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to adjust the desired user rating based on battery state of charge.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the processor is further programmed to decrease the desired user rating as the battery state of charge decreases.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to send data off-vehicle identifying a desired activity rating and the desired safety rating, and in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations each having a safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating, a user rating that exceeds the desired user rating, and an activity rating that exceeds the desired activity rating, display indicators for the identified charge stations having the safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating, the user rating exceeding the desired user rating, and the activity rating that exceeds the desired activity rating accessible from the route

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to send data off-vehicle identifying the desired utility rating, and in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations each having a user rating that exceeds the desired user rating, and a utility rating that exceeds the desired utility rating, display indicators for the identified charge stations having the user rating that exceeds the desired user rating, and the utility rating that exceeds the desired utility rating accessible from the route.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display indicators for the identified charge stations identifying at least one of a user rating and a utility rating.

9. An electric vehicle comprising:

a processor programmed to, in response to a request to identify charge locations along a predefined route, send data off-vehicle identifying vehicle location and the route, and defining a desired user rating based on an identified third party rating and a desired safety rating, and in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations each having a user rating that exceeds the desired user rating and a safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating, display indicators for the identified charge stations accessible from the route; and

wherein the processor is further programmed to send data off-vehicle identifying a desired utility rating from the third party and a desired activity rating from the third party, and in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations each having an activity rating that exceeds the desired activity rating and a utility rating that exceeds the desired utility rating, display indicators for the identified charge stations having a utility rating that exceeds the desired utility rating and an activity rating that exceeds the desired activity rating accessible from the route.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor is further programmed to adjust the desired user rating based on battery state of charge.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to decrease the desired user rating as the battery state of charge decreases.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the indicators identify a safety rating or a user rating for at least some of the identified charge stations.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the safety rating includes categorized crime data, a statistical crime value, or an aggregated user safety rating.

12. A vehicle comprising,

a processor programmed to, in response to a request to identify charge locations along a predefined route, send data off-vehicle identifying vehicle location and the route, and defining a desired user rating based on an identified third party rating and a desired safety rating, and in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations each having a user rating that exceeds the desired user rating and a safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating, display indicators for the identified charge stations accessible from the route;

and

wherein the processor is further programmed to send data off-vehicle identifying a desired safety rating and a desired user rating based at least in part on identification of a current user of the vehicle and the third party rating, and in response to receipt of data from a remote server identifying charge stations each having a safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating and a user rating that exceeds the desired user rating, display indicators for the identified charge stations having a safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating and a user rating that exceeds the desired user rating accessible from the route.

13. (canceled)

16. A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle comprising:

sending data off-vehicle identifying vehicle location and route, and a vehicle user, wherein the sent data includes a desired activity rating and a desired safety rating associated with the vehicle user;

receiving rating data from a remote server identifying charge stations accessible from the route and, for each of the charge stations, a weighted user rating including a trusted third party rating associated with the vehicle user;

adjusting the desired user rating based on a battery state of charge and identity of the vehicle user; and

directing the vehicle to one of the charge stations accessible from the route having a user rating exceeding the desired user rating, which was adjusted, a safety rating that exceeds the desired safety rating, and an activity rating that exceeds the desired activity rating.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the adjusting is such that the desired user rating decreases as the battery state of charge decreases;

and wherein the one of the charge stations further has a user rating exceeding the desired user rating.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the vehicle is directed to a target charge station accessible from the route with a current state of charge having a user rating and a safety rating adjusted based on the battery state of charge.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the trusted third party rating is a charge station rating by a third party previously selected by the vehicle user.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving includes updating user ratings for a charge station location using stored third party ratings selected by the vehicle user and vehicle user ratings received after a charging event at the charge location.

21. A vehicle comprising:

a processor programmed to;

send data off-vehicle identifying desired activity and safety ratings;

in response to receipt of data from a remote server, identifying charge-stations having safety and activity ratings exceeding the desired safety and activity ratings, and a user rating that exceeds a desired user rating;

display route-accessible, identified charge-stations indicators having the safety, activity and user ratings that exceed the desired safety and activity ratings and the desired user rating.