Computer-implemented system and method for managing interchangeable EV charging-capable parking spaces

• US 9,779,365 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Conduent Business Services, LLC (Conduent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smullin, Sylvia, Stefik, Mark J., Schwartz, David Eric, Greene, Daniel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borissov, Igor
• Application Number:
  US13/624,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5, 705 6, 320108, 320109, 320137, 320155, 34087009
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

A centralized server-based system and method for managing and reserving parking spaces capable of charging an EV, that is, a plug-in hybrid or fully electric vehicle, treats sets of parking spaces as interchangeable pooled resources. An EV motorist can book a reservation with charging of the EV by specifying parking in a desired location. Parking spaces serve dual uses for parking alone or parking with charging. The parking spaces are handled as a common parking pool, such as on one side of a city block, and each space has equal access to a charging station. The server determines charging capacity availability within a time window and the motorist can choose a parking time up to or beyond, if permitted, the maximum charging time needed to charge the EV. Non-EV motorists can similarly reserve parking within a parking pool with the server ensuring optimal use of charging capacity and parking spaces.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing interchangeable EV charging-capable parking spaces, comprising:

providing access to at least one vehicle charging station for electrically-chargeable vehicles at parking spaces in a parking pool;

identifying via one or more sensors a number of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are currently-occupied by already-parked vehicles;

further identifying any existing reservations to park in the parking spaces in the parking pool by yet-to-arrive vehicles;

receiving from a user via one of a computing device and a parking kiosk a parking reservation request comprising a parking start time, parking duration, and parking with charging via a personal device; and

monitoring by a server use of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are not among the currently-occupied parking spaces nor among the parking spaces in the parking pool that will be used to fulfill the existing reservations as available parking spaces, comprising;

granting the parking reservation request upon identification of the available parking spaces and notifying the user of the parking availability;

when the parking request specifies parking with charging, determining by the server a duration of charge during the parking duration;

determining by the server whether the parking duration exceeds the charging duration;

subsequent to granting of the parking reservation request, scheduling by the server a span of time between an earliest time and a latest time during which charging will occur during the parking duration when the parking duration exceeds the charging duration;

informing the user of the scheduled time span during which charging will occur; and

controlling by the server, scheduling of the charging, the charging comprising delivery of electricity from the vehicle charging station to the electrically-chargeable vehicle based on the scheduled earliest time and the latest time of the time span during the parking duration, wherein the charging is scheduled as a summation of separate charging sessions during the parking duration.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the server a number of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are available at the start time free of the currently-occupied parking spaces and the parking spaces needed to fulfill the existing reservations when the parking request comprises parking only;

determining by the server time available to park in the parking pool through the parking duration free of the currently-occupied parking spaces and the parking spaces needed to fulfill the existing reservations; and

creating a reservation provided that the number of available parking spaces in the parking pool and the time available are sufficient to satisfy the parking duration of the parking reservation request beginning at the start time.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the parking reservation request comprises a request for on-the-spot parking and the start time comprises the current time.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

when the parking request comprises parking and charging, determining whether any of the charging stations at the parking pool have charging capacity available for the charging duration at some point during the parking duration beginning at the start time, wherein the charging capacity for each charging station comprises an aggregate charging capacity that is less than or equal to a total number of charging ports associated with that charging station; and

granting the charging request provided that the charging capacity is sufficient to satisfy the charging duration of the charging request.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

supplying a capacity to simultaneously charge a number of electrically-chargeable vehicles that is less than or equal to the number of the parking spaces in the parking pool; and

evaluating by the server the simultaneous charging capacity of the parking pool to satisfy the charging duration of the charging request during the requested parking reservation, comprising;

running a scheduling algorithm; and

finding the simultaneous charging capacity to be sufficient for the charging request only if the scheduling algorithm determines that remaining charging capacity is available in the requested parking time period.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

evaluating by the server active charging of any electrically-chargeable vehicles in the currently-occupied parking spaces;

determining by the server reserved charging capacity required by any electrically-chargeable vehicles that have yet to arrive in the parking spaces needed to fulfill the existing reservations;

determining by the server whether sufficient charging time exists within requested parking time for all vehicles currently parked and all existing reservations in addition to a new charging request, subject to the end-times of the reservations and the simultaneous charging capacity; and

determining by the server whether there is charging capacity available for an amount of time needed for the requested charging duration during the requested parking reservation based on the active charging and the reserved charging capacity.

7. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

iteratively re-running the scheduling algorithm for shorter durations than the charging duration first-requested until the scheduling algorithm succeeds in finding the charging capacity sufficient to satisfy the current shorter duration.

8. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

supplying a capacity to simultaneously charge a number of electrically-chargeable vehicles that is less than or equal to the number of the parking spaces in the parking pool; and

allowing an electrically-chargeable vehicle to connect to one of the charging stations at the start time of the parking reservation regardless of whether charging of the electrically-chargeable vehicle actually begins at the start time.

9. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

holding a portion of the parking spaces in the parking pool for parking reservation requests that comprise charging requests;

holding a remaining portion of the parking spaces in the parking pool for parking reservation requests that comprise parking only; and

adjusting the number of available parking spaces in the parking pool, comprising;

limiting by the server the number of available parking spaces in the parking pool for parking with charging parking reservation requests to a number of the parking spaces in the parking with charging portion of the parking pool; and

limiting by the server the number of available parking spaces in the parking pool for parking only parking reservation requests to a number of the parking spaces in the parking only portion of the parking pool.

10. A method according to claim 4, wherein the charging duration comprises one of an expressly-requested amount of time, an estimated maximum amount of time needed to charge the electrically-chargeable vehicle, and a maximum allowable charging time as permitted by applicable regulations.

11. A method according to claim 4, further comprising at least one of:

receiving a speed of charging as part of the charging request; and

notifying a motorist holding a parking reservation with charging that charging of the motorist'"'"'s electrically-chargeable vehicle has started or stopped.

12. A method according to claim 4, further comprising at least one of:

setting a pricing structure for parking in the parking pool based on charging a premium fee for parking beyond time needed to charge an electrically-chargeable vehicle, changing prices based on demand for parking, or imposing extra fees if a vehicle is not moved within a set time window after the reservation ends;

setting a pricing structure for charging an electrically-chargeable vehicle based upon an amount of electricity used, an amount of time that the charging station is in-use, on a per-use flat fee basis, rate of charging, cost of electricity, demand for charging, or scheduling time of charging; and

setting a purchasing structure for drawing electricity from an electrically-chargeable vehicle into the charging station.

13. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

transacting automated parking reservation service buyouts by an interested motorist, comprising;

identifying a type of parking reservation service desired by the interested motorist, the parking reservation service type comprising one of parking with charging, parking only or charging capacity that has been added to an existing parking reservation, which converts the parking reservation into a parking with charging parking reservation;

notifying other motorists holding parking reservations comprising the same type of parking reservation service that the interested motorist would like to buy out the reservation; and

allowing the interested motorist to buy the parking reservation service upon acceptance of the buy out by the other motorist.

14. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining a waitlist comprising at least one motorist whose parking reservation request has been denied; and

managing by the server the waitlist, comprising;

offering a reservation to the waitlisted motorist upon a change or cancellation of another parking reservation overlapping the start time and parking duration of the denied parking reservation request and creating a reservation for the waitlisted motorist upon acceptance by the motorist of the offer;

offering a reservation to the waitlisted motorist upon a change or cancellation of another parking reservation overlapping the start time and parking duration of the denied parking reservation request, and leaving the waitlisted motorist on or removing the waitlisted motorist from the waitlist upon rejection by the motorist of the offer; and

leaving the waitlisted motorist on the waitlist in an absence of a change or cancellation of another parking reservation overlapping the start time and parking duration of the denied parking reservation request until an expiry of the requested start time and parking duration, at which time the waitlisted motorist is removed from the waitlist.

15. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

identifying parking restrictions and prohibitions and local restrictions applicable to the parking spaces in the parking pool; and

reducing the number of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are available at the start time by those of the parking spaces subject to the parking prohibitions.

16. A method according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of:

placing a limit on a total number of reservations or vehicles from any one motorist within a set period of time; and

placing a limit on a total number of reservations for a particular vehicle within a set period of time.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning by the server one or more gaps of time between use of the parking spaces in the parking pool.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling by the server use of the parking spaces in the parking pool by electrically-chargeable vehicles for use of charging capacity of the charging stations and the parking spaces in the parking pool.

19. A method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

providing dual use parking with the parking spaces in the parking pool by interleaving parking with charging by electrically-chargeable vehicles and parking only by electrically-chargeable vehicles and non-electrically-chargeable vehicles; and

adjusting the use of the parking spaces based on parking restrictions and prohibitions, local restrictions and adjustable pricing, fixed rules by time of day, parking demand, charging demand or electricity market price.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code for executing on a computer system to perform a method, comprising:

monitoring a vehicle charging station for electrically-chargeable vehicles at parking spaces in a parking pool;

identifying via one or more sensors a number of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are currently-occupied by already-parked vehicles;

further identifying any existing reservations to park in the parking spaces in the parking pool by yet-to-arrive vehicles;

receiving from a user via one of a computing device and a parking kiosk a parking reservation request comprising a parking start time, parking duration, and parking with charging via a personal device; and

monitoring use of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are not among the currently-occupied parking spaces nor among the parking spaces in the parking pool that will be used to fulfill the existing reservations as available parking spaces, comprising;

granting the parking reservation request when the available parking spaces are available and notifying the user of the parking availability;

when the parking request specifies parking with charging, determining by the server a duration of charge during the parking duration;

determining by the server whether the parking duration exceeds the charging duration;

subsequent to granting of the parking reservation request, scheduling by the server a span of time between an earliest time and a latest time during which charging will occur during the parking duration when the parking duration exceeds the charging duration;

informing the user of the scheduled time span during which charging will occur; and

controlling by the server, scheduling of the charging, the charging comprising delivery of electricity from the vehicle charging station to the electrically-chargeable vehicle based on the scheduled earliest time and the latest time of the time span during the parking duration, wherein the charging is scheduled as a summation of separate charging sessions during the parking duration.

21. A computer-implemented system for managing interchangeable EV charging-capable parking spaces, comprising:

a vehicle charging station for electrically-chargeable vehicles at parking spaces in a parking pool;

one or more sensors to identify a number of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are currently-occupied by already-parked vehicles and any existing reservations to park in the parking spaces in the parking pool by yet-to-arrive vehicles;

one of a computing device and a parking kiosk to receive from a user a parking reservation request comprising a parking start time, parking duration, and parking with charging via a personal device; and

a server configured to;

monitor use of the parking spaces in the parking pool that are not among the currently-occupied parking spaces nor among the parking spaces in the parking pool that will be used to fulfill the existing reservations as available parking spaces by granting the parking reservation request when the available parking spaces are available, when the parking request specifies parking with charging, determining by the server a duration of charge during the parking duration, determining by the server whether the parking duration exceeds the charging duration and subsequent to granting of the parking reservation request, scheduling by the server a span of time between an earliest time and a latest time during which charging will occur during the parking duration when the parking duration exceeds the charging duration, informing the user of the scheduled time span during which charging will occur; and

controlling by the server, scheduling of the charging, the charging comprising delivery of electricity from the vehicle charging station to the electrically-chargeable vehicle based on the scheduled earliest time and the latest time of the time span during the parking duration, wherein the charging is scheduled as a summation of separate charging sessions during the parking duration.