Identifying electric vehicle owners

• US 9,576,245 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: O Power Incorporated
• Inventors: Fischer, Barry, Harack, Benjamin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Starks, Wilbert L
• Application Number:
  US14/574,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20160055419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to methods and systems for identifying and classifying electric-vehicle (EV) owners. Methods of the subject technology can include steps for generating an initial model based on a plurality of load-curve characteristics, and training the initial model using a training data set to produce a configured model. In some implementations, the methods can also include steps for determining a probabilistic classification for each of a second plurality of users by analyzing load-curve data associated with the second plurality of users using the configured model. Systems and computer readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying electric-vehicle owners, comprising:

generating an initial model based on a plurality of power load-curve characteristics;

training the initial model using a training data set to produce a configured model, wherein the training data set comprises load curve data associated with a first plurality of users for whom electric-vehicle ownership status is known; and

determining a probabilistic classification for each of a second plurality of users by analyzing load-curve data associated with the second plurality of users using the configured model.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sorting the second plurality of users into two or more electric-vehicle (EV) ownership status categories based on the probabilistic classification.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the two or more EV ownership status categories comprises:

a first user group representing one or more users from among the second plurality of users for whom a probability of EV ownership is determined to exceed a predetermined threshold; and

a second user group representing one or more users from among the second plurality of users for whom a probability of EV ownership status is determined to be below the predetermined threshold.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating a transmittal of one or more personalized communications for each of one or more of the second plurality of users based on the probabilistic classification for each of the second plurality of users.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the initial model further comprises:

generating the initial model using one or more load-curve independent factors including;

demographic information for one or more of the of users and weather data.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an ownership status indication for one or more of the second plurality of users; and

updating the configured model based on the ownership status indication for each of the one or more of the second plurality of users.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the load-curve data associated with the second plurality of users comprises Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data.

8. A system for classifying electric-vehicle (EV) ownership status, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving usage interval data associated with a first plurality of users for whom an EV ownership status is unknown;

analyzing the usage interval data to identify one or more potential EV charging characteristics;

comparing the one or more potential EV charging characteristics to a set of reference characteristics; and

identifying at least one EV owner from among the first plurality of users based on the comparison of the one or more potential EV charging characteristics to the set of reference characteristics.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

generating a notification to the at least one EV owner from among the first plurality of users, the notification comprising content regarding an EV charging incentive program.

10. The system of claim 8, the comparison of the one or more potential EV charging characteristics to the set of reference characteristics is performed using a machine-learning model.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

associating the at least one EV owner from among the first plurality of users with an EV ownership label.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more potential EV charging characteristics comprises a power-draw increase between 1 kW and 2 kW.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more potential EV charging characteristics comprises an indication of EV charging frequency.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the usage interval data is derived from Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) data.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the usage interval data provides power consumption information on an hourly basis.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving usage interval data associated with a first plurality of users for whom an EV ownership status is unknown;

analyzing the usage interval data to identify one or more potential EV charging characteristics;

comparing the one or more potential EV charging characteristics to a set of reference characteristics; and

identifying at least one EV owner from among the first plurality of users based on the usage interval data and the set of reference characteristics.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

generating a notification to the at least one EV owner from among the first plurality of users, the notification comprising content regarding an EV charging incentive program.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the comparison of the one or more potential EV charging characteristics to the set of reference characteristics is performed using a machine-learning model.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

associating the at least one EV owner from among the first plurality of users with an EV ownership label.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more potential EV charging characteristics comprises a power-draw increase between 1 kW and 2 kW.