Display method for vehicle

• US 9,937,794 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Bellin, Jan, Breuel, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinle, Courtney D
• Application Number:
  US14/665,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20150266379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/16 Type of output information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/166 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/169 Remaining operating distance or charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/174 Economic driving
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• 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 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• 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 10/84 Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A display method for a vehicle that includes an electric drive and an electric charge accumulator for storing electric energy for the electric drive. Multiple properties of multiple charging stations are provided, which are suitable for charging the electric charge accumulator of the vehicle, and multiple filter criteria are also provided. One particular filter criterion is assigned to one particular property of the multiple properties of the charging stations. The multiple charging stations are filtered, using the multiple filter criteria, for generating a filtered subset of charging stations in such a way that the filtered subset of charging stations has no more than a predetermined number of charging stations. The filtered subset of charging stations is displayed on a display device of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A display method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing multiple properties of multiple charging stations that are located along a route calculated by a navigation system of the vehicle and which are suitable for charging an electric charge accumulator of the vehicle, the multiple properties having been stored on a database;

providing multiple filter criteria, a filter criterion of the multiple filter criteria being assigned to a property of the multiple properties of the charging stations, wherein a priority is assigned to each particular filter criterion of the multiple filter criteria;

filtering, using a processing device in the vehicle, the multiple charging stations using the multiple filter criteria for generating a filtered subset of charging stations such that the filtered subset of charging stations has a predetermined number of charging stations, said filtering comprising individually and sequentially applying each of the multiple filter criteria in an order according to the priorities assigned to each particular filter criterion; and

displaying the filtered subset of charging stations on a map of the navigation system on a display device of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the filtering of the multiple charging stations, comprises determining a subset of filter criteria from the multiple filter criteria such that the filtered subset of charging stations has no more than the predetermined number of charging stations, wherein the filtered subset of charging stations includes those charging stations of the multiple charging stations whose properties meet the filter criteria of the subset of filter criteria.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the priorities assigned to the filter criteria are automatically determined with the aid of a self-learning process, based on properties of charging stations used in the past.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determination of the subset of filter criteria comprises:

selecting a first filter criterion from the multiple filter criteria;

assigning the selected filter criterion to the subset of filter criteria;

determining a first filtered subset of charging stations, the first filtered subset of charging stations including those charging stations of the multiple charging stations whose properties meet the first filter criterion; and

carrying out the following steps for N=2, 3, 4, etc., until an Nth filtered subset of charging stations has no more than the predetermined number of charging stations;

selecting an Nth filter criterion from the multiple filter criteria;

adding the selected Nth filter criterion to the subset of filter criteria; and

determining the Nth filtered subset of charging stations, the Nth filtered subset of charging stations including those charging stations of the (N−

1)th filtered subset of charging stations whose properties meet the Nth filter criterion.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of charging stations is a value in the range of 2 through 10.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user selection by a user of the vehicle via which the user selects one of the displayed charging stations; and

setting a future operating strategy of the vehicle as a function of the selected charging station, the future operating strategy influencing a consumption of electric energy for a future operation of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a previous drive strategy of the vehicle, which includes a ratio between a use of an electric drive of the vehicle and a use of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle on a previous trip segment; and

filtering the multiple charging stations as a function of the previous drive strategy.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple filter criteria have at least one criterion that includes:

whether the charging station is reachable on an amount of energy currently stored in the electric energy accumulator;

whether an electric connection of the charging station matches an electric connection of the vehicle;

whether the charging station is situated along a travel route planned for the vehicle;

whether the charging station is operated by a provider of a predetermined provider group;

whether the charging station provides a predetermined charging rate;

whether energy costs of the electric energy dispensed at the charging station are within a predetermined price range;

whether the charging station is available when the vehicle is expected to reach the charging station;

whether predetermined facilities are present in the surroundings of the charging station;

whether the charging station was previously used by the vehicle in the past;

or

whether a travel time to the charging station is within a predetermined time range.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of charging stations is a value of 3 or 4.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple filter criteria include:

whether the charging station is reachable on an amount of energy currently stored in the electric energy accumulator;

whether an electric connection of the charging station matches an electric connection of the vehicle;

whether the charging station is situated along a travel route planned for the vehicle;

whether the charging station is operated by a provider of a predetermined provider group;

whether the charging station provides a predetermined charging rate;

whether energy costs of the electric energy dispensed at the charging station are within a predetermined price range;

whether the charging station is available when the vehicle is expected to reach the charging station;

whether predetermined facilities are present in the surroundings of the charging station;

whether the charging station was previously used by the vehicle in the past; and

whether a travel time to the charging station is within a predetermined time range.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said filtering comprises applying a particular filter criterion having a highest priority first.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, upon a user selecting a charging station from the filtered subset of charging stations, setting a future operating strategy of the vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said future operating strategy comprises settings for determining energy consumption of vehicle, the settings including maximum vehicle acceleration, maximum vehicle speed, recuperation behavior, or a ratio between operation of the vehicle with aid of an internal combustion engine and operation of vehicle with the aid of only an electric drive.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said future operating strategy comprising settings for determining energy consumption of vehicle, the settings including maximum vehicle acceleration, maximum vehicle speed, recuperation behavior, and a ratio between operation of the vehicle with aid of an internal combustion engine and operation of vehicle with the aid of only an electric drive.

15. A display system for a vehicle, the vehicle including an electric drive and an electric charge accumulator for storing electric energy for the electric drive, the display system including:

an information device to provide multiple properties of multiple charging stations that are located along a route calculated by a navigation system of the vehicle and that are suitable for charging the electric charge accumulator of the vehicle and to provide multiple filter criteria, a filter criterion of the multiple filter criteria being assigned to a property of the multiple properties of the charging stations, the multiple properties having been stored on a database, wherein a priority is assigned to each particular filter criterion of the multiple filter criteria;

a display device to output information to a user of the vehicle; and

a processor that is coupled with the information device of the display device, the processing device adapted to;

to filter the multiple charging stations, using the multiple filter criteria, for generating a filtered subset of charging stations such that the filtered subset of charging stations has no more than a predetermined number of charging stations, said using the multiple filter criteria comprising individually and sequentially applying each of the multiple filter criteria in an order according to the priorities assigned to each particular filter criterion; and

to display the charging stations of the filtered subset of charging stations on the display device of the vehicle.

16. A display method for a vehicle, the method comprising:

providing multiple properties of multiple charging stations that are located along a route calculated by a navigation system of the vehicle and which are suitable for charging an electric charge accumulator of the vehicle, the multiple properties having been stored on a database;

providing multiple filter criteria, a filter criterion of the multiple filter criteria being assigned to a property of the multiple properties of the charging stations;

filtering, using a processing device in the vehicle, the multiple charging stations using the multiple filter criteria for generating a filtered subset of charging stations such that the filtered subset of charging stations has a predetermined number of charging stations, said filtering comprising individually and sequentially applying each of the multiple filter criteria;

displaying the filtered subset of charging stations on a map of the navigation system on a display device of the vehicle; and

upon a user selecting a charging station from the filtered subset of charging stations, setting a future operating strategy of the vehicle,

wherein said future operating strategy comprising settings for determining energy consumption of vehicle, the settings including maximum vehicle acceleration, maximum vehicle speed, recuperation behavior, and a ratio between operation of the vehicle with aid of an internal combustion engine and operation of vehicle with the aid of only an electric drive.