System for managing vehicle energy, and method and apparatus for same

• US 8,688,305 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T Map Mobility Company Limited (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choi, Yoon Jeong, Lee, Eun Bok, Son, Dae Lim, Jung, Jun Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/910,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20130311404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 702/22, 713/300, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323, 327/143, 327/33, 327/545, 327/205, 365/189.05, 365/226, 365/149, 375/130, 375/139, 375/142, 375/146, 375/150, 714/14, 714/22, 380/34, 455/522, 180/65.265, 180/65.28, 180/65.21, 180/65.31
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• 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 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 53/63 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 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/34 Power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

In a method, system and apparatus for managing vehicle energy, the amount of electric power needed for operating a vehicle is calculated, a surplus amount of electric power that is the current amount of battery power less the calculated amount of electric power is sold, or a number of received location information signals according to the current amount of battery power is adjusted.

Claims

1. A vehicle energy management system comprising:

a vehicle management apparatus configured to calculate electric power required for vehicle operation, to transmit an electric power transaction request to a service apparatus, the electric power transaction request including information about surplus electric power that corresponds to current battery power minus the electric power required for vehicle operation, and if electric power transaction information is received from the service apparatus, to sell the surplus electric power according to the electric power transaction information; and

the service apparatus configured to monitor information about power rates and power demand, if the electric power transaction request is received from the vehicle management apparatus, to create the electric power transaction information for selling the surplus electric power on optimal condition in view of the information about power rates and power demand, and to transmit the electric power transaction information to the vehicle management apparatus,

wherein the electric power required for vehicle operation is calculated on the basis of at least one of vehicle operation pattern and weather information.

2. A vehicle energy management system comprising:

a vehicle management apparatus configured to monitor a state of a vehicle, to create current battery power information by checking current battery power, and to provide the current battery power information to a terminal;

the terminal configured to calculate electric power required for vehicle operation, to transmit an electric power transaction request to a service apparatus, the electric power transaction request including information about surplus electric power that corresponds to current battery power minus the electric power required for vehicle operation, and if electric power transaction information is received from the service apparatus, to transmit a control command to the vehicle management apparatus to sell the surplus electric power according to the electric power transaction information; and

the service apparatus configured to monitor information about power rates and power demand, if the electric power transaction request is received from the terminal, to create the electric power transaction information for selling the surplus electric power on optimal condition in view of the information about power rates and power demand, and to transmit the electric power transaction information to the terminal,

wherein the electric power required for vehicle operation is calculated on the basis of at least one of vehicle operation pattern and weather information, wherein the vehicle operation pattern is obtained using vehicle operation data received from the vehicle management apparatus, and wherein the weather information is received from the service apparatus.

3. A vehicle management apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to transmit an electric power transaction request to a service apparatus, and to receive electric power transaction information from the service apparatus; and

a control unit configured to calculate electric power required for vehicle operation, to transmit the electric power transaction request to the service apparatus, the electric power transaction request including information about surplus electric power that corresponds to current battery power minus the electric power required for vehicle operation, and if the electric power transaction information is received from the service apparatus, to sell the surplus electric power according to the electric power transaction information,

wherein the electric power required for vehicle operation is calculated on the basis of at least one of vehicle operation pattern and weather information.

4. The vehicle management apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit is further configured to, if the current battery power is insufficient for vehicle operation, calculate a shortage of electric power, to transmit an electric power transaction request including information about the shortage of electric power to the service apparatus, and if the electric power transaction information is received from the service apparatus, to purchases the shortage of electric power according to the electric power transaction information.

5. The vehicle management apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit is further configured to, if electric power transaction information that includes a time point of sales for selling the surplus electric power on optimal condition and location information about a place available for sales is received from the service apparatus, to output at least one of a transit path, a departure time and a transit time.

6. A vehicle energy management method comprising steps of:

at a vehicle management apparatus, checking current battery power;

at the vehicle management apparatus, comparing the current battery power with electric power required for vehicle operation;

at the vehicle management apparatus, if the current battery power exceeds the required electric power, calculating surplus electric power and thereby creating surplus electric power information, or if the current battery power is less than the required electric power, calculating a shortage of electric power and thereby creating electric power shortage information; and

at the vehicle management apparatus, if electric power transaction information is received from a service apparatus after transmitting, to the service apparatus, an electric power transaction request including the surplus electric power information or the electric power shortage information, selling the surplus electric power or purchasing the shortage of electric power.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising steps of:

before the step of comparing,

at the vehicle management apparatus, creating operation pattern of a vehicle on the basis of vehicle operation data in given periods; and

at the vehicle management apparatus, calculating electric power required for vehicle operation on the basis of the operation pattern.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising steps of:

before the step of comparing,

at the vehicle management apparatus, receiving weather information from the service apparatus; and

at the vehicle management apparatus, calculating electric power required for vehicle operation on the basis of the weather information.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the electric power transaction information includes a time point of sales for selling the surplus electric power on optimal condition or a time point of purchase for buying the shortage of electric power at the minimum price, and location information about a place available for sales or purchase.

10. A vehicle energy management method comprising steps of:

at a service apparatus, monitoring information about power rates and power demand;

at the service apparatus, receiving an electric power transaction request from a vehicle management apparatus or a terminal; and

at the service apparatus, creating, in view of the information about power rates and power demand, electric power transaction information for selling surplus electric power on optimal condition or for purchasing a shortage of electric power at the lowest price, and then transmitting the electric power transaction information to the vehicle management apparatus or the terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of:

after the step of transmitting,

at the service apparatus, if a notice of electric power transaction completion is received from the vehicle management apparatus or the terminal, determining accounting data by calculating electric power transaction volume of the vehicle management apparatus or the terminal; and

at the service apparatus, based on the accounting data, paying a sale value to a user, requesting a purchase value from the user, or accumulating the sale or purchase value.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising step of:

at the service apparatus, if a power supply request is received from the vehicle management apparatus or the terminal, delivering the received power supply request to other vehicle management apparatus or other terminal.