VEHICLE POWER MANAGEMENT UTILIZING OPERATOR SCHEDULE DATA

• US 20170176195A1
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Rajagopalan, Sai S., Thompson, Nathan F., Huang, Xiaoyu, Smith, Anthony L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,739,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/66 Ambient conditions
• 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 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3415 Dynamic re-routing, e.g. recalculating the route when the user deviates from calculated route or after detecting real-time traffic data or accidents
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/343 Calculating itineraries, i.e. routes leading from a starting point to a series of categorical destinations using a global route restraint, round trips, touristic trips travelling salesman problem G06Q10/04; optimisation of routes G06Q10/047
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• 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 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

An electric-vehicle power management system including a processing hardware unit and multiple modules executable by the processing hardware unit. The modules include a calendar module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, obtain a user itinerary indicating multiple appointment locations to be visited by a user of an electric vehicle and associated times to visit the appointment locations. The modules also include a routing module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine optional routes connecting the appointment locations indicated by the itinerary, and a vehicle-energy module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict states of charge, or changes in state of charge, for the vehicle in connection with the optional routes, yielding state-of-charge predictions. The routing module determines selected routing based on the state-of-charge predictions from the vehicle-energy module. Analogous methods and computer-readable storage devices are also provided.

Claims

1. An electric-vehicle power management system comprising:

a processing hardware unit;

a calendar module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, obtain a user itinerary indicating multiple appointment locations to be visited by a user of an electric vehicle and associated times to visit the appointment locations;

a routing module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine optional routes connecting the appointment locations indicated by the user itinerary; and

a vehicle-energy module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict states of charge, or changes in state of charge, for the electric vehicle in connection with the optional routes, yielding state-of-charge predictions;

wherein the routing module determines selected routing, of the optional routes, based on the state-of-charge predictions from the vehicle-energy module; and

wherein determining the selected routing comprises consideration of at least one factor selected from a group consisting of;

expected weather conditions when the electric vehicle will be charging between an origin and a destination of the routing and how the weather conditions will affect the charging;

an established user setting controlling whether a faster or more-environmentally friendly route is preferred;

a vehicle setting controlling whether a faster or more-environmentally friendly route is preferred;

whether an optional vehicle function is expected to be used when the electric vehicle will be charging between an origin and a destination of the routing and how the optional vehicle function will affect the charging; and

a charging-function-related characteristic of the power station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the selected routing leads to or includes in a routing path at least one power station at which the electric vehicle can be charged and/or discharged;

the system further comprises a plug-in-charger module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit;

predict, based on an amount of time that the electric vehicle is expected to be at the power station, based on the itinerary, an amount of charging at the electric vehicle from power station; and

determine, based on the amount of time that the electric vehicle is expected to be at the power station, based on the itinerary, whether an opportunity exists to discharge power from the electric vehicle to the power station.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein predicting the amount of charging at the electric vehicle from power station involves considering at a charge fee associated with charging at the power station during a period in which the electric vehicle is expected to be plugged in to the power station.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the selected routing comprises determining a potential travel segment to be traversed using a mode other than the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein determining the selected routing comprises obtaining user approval for using the mode other than the electric vehicle for traversing the potential travel segment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle-energy module is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine whether the electric vehicle will have sufficient state of charge for traversing the routing.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the vehicle-energy module is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict a cumulative change in state of charge for the electric vehicle over a period of time during which the selected routing would be traversed; and

determining whether the electric vehicle will have sufficient state of charge comprises comparing the cumulative change in state of charge to maximum change in state of charge possible for the electric vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the routing module is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine alternative routing in response to the vehicle-energy module determining that the electric vehicle would not have sufficient state of charge while traversing the routes.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein determining the alternative routing comprising determining a potential travel segment to be traversed using a mode of travel other than the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one module of the system is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, initiate, based on a time at which the user is expected to need to use the mode of travel, reservation for the user to use the mode of travel.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein determining the alternative routing comprises obtaining user approval for using the mode other than the electric vehicle for traversing the potential travel segment.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the calendar module is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine whether calendar entries for the user itinerary are parsable and, if any entry is not parsable, perform at least one function selected from a group consisting of:

access context data to identify data that can be used to render the entry parsable;

access context data to obtain data that can be used to render the entry parsable; and

initiate communication with the user to obtain data that can be used to render the entry parsable.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the selected routing is an initially selected routing;

the calendar module is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, after the user has begun traversing the initially selected routing, determine that there is a deviation from the user itinerary or interruption in the selected routing; and

the routing module and the vehicle-energy module are configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, in response to the deviation or interruption, determine satisfactory alternative routing.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the selected routing leads to or includes in a routing path at least one power station at which the electric vehicle can be charged and/or discharged; and

at least one module of the system is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, initiate reservation, based on a time at which the electric vehicle is expected to be at the power station, of a plug-in time slot at the power station.

4. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. An electric-vehicle power management system comprising:

a processing hardware unit;

a calendar module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, obtain a user itinerary indicating multiple appointment locations to be visited by a user of an electric vehicle and associated times to visit the appointment locations;

a routing module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine optional routes connecting the appointment locations indicated by the user itinerary; and

a vehicle-energy module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict states of charge, or changes in state of charge, for the electric vehicle in connection with the optional routes, yielding state-of-charge predictions;

wherein;

the routing module determines selected routing, of the optional routes, based on the state-of-charge predictions from the vehicle-energy module;

the selected routing leads to or includes in a routing path at least one power station at which the electric vehicle can be discharged;

the system further comprises a plug-in-charger module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit determine, based on the amount of time that the electric vehicle is expected to be at the power station, based on the itinerary, whether an opportunity exists to discharge power from the electric vehicle to the power station; and

determining whether the opportunity exists to discharge power from the electric vehicle to the power station involves considering at least one factor selected from a group consisting of;

whether the power station is configured to receive power from plugged-in vehicles; and

a discharge credit associated with discharging at the power station during a period in which the electric vehicle is expected to be plugged in to the power station.

22. An electric-vehicle power management system comprising:

a processing hardware unit;

a calendar module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, obtain a user itinerary indicating multiple appointment locations to be visited by a user of an electric vehicle and associated times to visit the appointment locations;

a routing module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine optional routes connecting the appointment locations indicated by the user itinerary; and

a vehicle-energy module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict states of charge, or changes in state of charge, for the electric vehicle in connection with the optional routes, yielding state-of-charge predictions;

wherein;

the routing module determines selected routing, of the optional routes, based on the state-of-charge predictions from the vehicle-energy module; and

the selected routing leads to or includes in a routing path at least one power station at which the electric vehicle can be charged;

the system further comprises a plug-in-charger module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict, based on an amount of time that the electric vehicle is expected to be at the power station, based on the itinerary, an amount of charging at the electric vehicle from power station; and

predicting the amount of charging at the electric vehicle from power station involves considering a charge fee associated with charging at the power station during a period in which the electric vehicle is expected to be plugged in to the power station.

23. An electric-vehicle power management system comprising:

a processing hardware unit;

a calendar module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, obtain a user itinerary indicating multiple appointment locations to be visited by a user of an electric vehicle and associated times to visit the appointment locations;

a routing module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine optional routes connecting the appointment locations indicated by the user itinerary; and

a vehicle-energy module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict states of charge, or changes in state of charge, for the electric vehicle in connection with the optional routes, yielding state-of-charge predictions;

wherein the routing module determines selected routing, of the optional routes, based on the state-of-charge predictions from the vehicle-energy module; and

wherein determining the selected routing comprises determining a potential travel segment to be traversed using a mode other than the vehicle.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein determining the selected routing comprises obtaining user approval for using the mode other than the electric vehicle for traversing the potential travel segment.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein at least one module of the system is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, initiate, based on a time at which the user is expected to need to use the mode of travel, reservation for the user to use the mode of travel.

26. An electric-vehicle power management system comprising:

a processing hardware unit;

a calendar module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, obtain a user itinerary indicating multiple appointment locations to be visited by a user of an electric vehicle and associated times to visit the appointment locations;

a routing module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine optional routes connecting the appointment locations indicated by the user itinerary; and

a vehicle-energy module configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, predict states of charge, or changes in state of charge, for the electric vehicle in connection with the optional routes, yielding state-of-charge predictions;

wherein;

the routing module determines selected routing, of the optional routes, based on the state-of-charge predictions from the vehicle-energy module; and

the calendar module is configured to, by way of the processing hardware unit, determine whether calendar entries for the user itinerary are parsable and, if any entry is not parsable, perform at least one function selected from a group consisting of;

access context data to identify data that can be used to render the entry parsable;

access context data to obtain data that can be used to render the entry parsable; and

initiate communication with the user to obtain data that can be used to render the entry parsable.