Method and apparatus for electric vehicle trip and recharge planning

• US 9,488,493 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: MacNeille, Perry Robinson, Gusikhin, Oleg Yurievitch, Kowalski, David Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US14/157,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20150198459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/22, 701/30, 701/400, 701/533
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3697 Output of additional, non-guidance related information, e.g. low fuel level G01C21/3679 takes precedence

Abstract

A vehicle includes a traction battery, an interface, and at least one processor configured to present, via the interface, a message including a charge-vehicle recommendation for at least one charge station within the drive range, in response to (i) a selected destination for the vehicle lacking a charge facility for the battery and being within a drive range of the vehicle and (ii) a charge station being within the drive range.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a traction battery;

an interface; and

at least one processor configured to, in response to (i) a selected destination for the vehicle lacking a charge facility for the battery and being within a drive range of the vehicle and (ii) a charge station being within the drive range, present via the interface a message including a charge-vehicle recommendation for at least one charge station within the drive range.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, in response to (i) a selected destination for the vehicle lacking a charge facility for the battery and being within a drive range of the vehicle and (ii) no charge station being within the drive range, present via the interface a message including a notification that a user may be stranded at the destination.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to (i) a selected destination for the vehicle not being within a drive range of the vehicle and (ii) no charge station being within the drive range, present via the interface a message including a notification that the vehicle may be stranded on its way to the destination.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to (i) a selected destination for the vehicle not being within a drive range of the vehicle and (ii) a charge station being within the drive range, present via the interface a message including a charge-vehicle recommendation for at least one charge station within the drive range.

5. A vehicle comprising:

a traction battery;

an interface; and

at least one processor configured to

identify charging stations within a range reachable on a current electric vehicle charge;

query a database to find time-from-route and current wait-times for each charging station;

present identified charging stations, including the time-from-route and wait-times for each station, in a selectable manner on the interface;

receive a charging station selection; and

communicate with the selected charging station to schedule recharging.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the identification is limited to charging stations within a predefined proximity to a current route.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the predefined proximity is geographic.

8. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the predefined proximity is temporal.

9. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to calculate a minimum recommended amount of power required to complete a scheduled trip, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to schedule recharging for an amount of time sufficient to obtain the minimum amount of power.

10. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the scheduled trip includes travel to a destination and return to a point of origin.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the point of origin includes a driver-identified point of origin.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the point of origin includes a geographic point where a current journey began.

13. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the point of origin includes a current vehicle location.

14. A method executed by a vehicle-based processor in communication with a vehicle interface and provided in a vehicle including a traction battery, comprising:

identifying charging stations within a range reachable on a current electric vehicle charge;

querying a database to find time-from-route and current wait-times for each charging station;

presenting identified charging stations, including the time-from-route and wait-times for each station, in a selectable manner on the vehicle interface;

receiving a charging station selection; and

communicating with the charging station to schedule recharging.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the identification is limited to charging stations within a predefined proximity to a current route.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined proximity is geographic.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined proximity is temporal.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising calculating a minimum recommended amount of power required to complete a scheduled trip, and wherein the scheduling includes scheduling recharging for an amount of time sufficient to obtain the minimum amount of power.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the scheduled trip includes travel to a destination and return to a point of origin.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

presenting a charging cost for each presented station.