Maintaining Energy Principal Preferences in a Vehicle

• US 20090312903A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Williamson, Paul Stuart, Hafner, James Lee, O'Mara, Melissa Wiltsey, Harrison, Colin George
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• 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 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/008 Rewarding for providing delivery of electricity to the network
• 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 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 computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program product for managing user preferences associated with charging transactions for electric vehicles. In one embodiment, a set of principals associated with a charging transaction for an electric vehicle is identified in response to receiving a request for a set of preferences from an energy transaction planner. The vehicle preference service is located on the electric vehicle. The set of preferences are retrieved from a plurality of preferences. The set of preferences comprises a subset of preferences for each principal in the set of principals. A preference in the set of preferences specifies a parameter of the charging transaction that is to be minimized, maximized, or optimized. The set of preferences are sent to an energy transaction planner.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of managing user preferences associated with charging transactions for electric vehicles, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to a vehicle preference service receiving a request for a set of preferences associated with a charging transaction for an electric vehicle from an energy transaction planner, identifying a set of principals associated with the charging transaction for the electric vehicle, wherein a principal in the set of principals is an entity having an interest in the charging transaction for the electric vehicle, and wherein the charging transaction is a transaction associated with at least one of charging the electric vehicle, storing electric power in an electric storage mechanism associated with the electric vehicle, and de-charging the electric vehicle;

retrieving the set of preferences from a plurality of preferences, by the vehicle preference service, wherein the set of preferences comprises a subset of preferences for each principal in the set of principals, wherein a preference in the set of preferences specifies a parameter of the charging transaction that is to be minimized, maximized, or optimized; and

sending the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner, by the vehicle transaction planner.

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

receiving a selection of preferences from a principal in the set of principals to form selected preferences for the principal in the plurality of preferences, wherein the principal enters the selection of preferences using a user interface coupled to the electric vehicle; and

responsive to receiving an identification of the user, associating the identification of the user with the selected preferences for the user.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein the identification is selected from a group consisting of a user name, a password, a personal identification number, an identifier, a fingerprint, a thumbprint, a retinal scan result, and an iris scan result.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein each preference in the plurality of preferences is associated with a weighting value and wherein retrieving the set of preferences further comprises:

retrieving the weighting value associated with each preference in the set of preferences; and

sending the weighting value associated with the each preference in the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner, wherein the weighting value indicates a priority of each preference relative to other preferences in the set of preferences.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a determination that a user is a new user, creating a preferences template and prompting the user to select preferences;

receiving selected preferences from the user through a user interface; and

storing the selected preferences for the new user in the plurality of preferences.

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

responsive to a determination that a user has previously selected preferences to form current selected preferences, retrieving the current selected preferences for the user and presenting the current selected preferences to the user;

responsive to receiving a selection to enter changes to the current selected preferences by the user, prompting the user to enter the changes to the current selected preferences;

receiving the changes to the current selected preferences; and

storing the changes to the current selected preferences in a data storage device to form updated preferences for the user.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein retrieving the subset of preferences in the set of preferences for each principal further comprises:

responsive to identifying a temporary preference in the subset of preferences for a given principal, determining whether the temporary preference is valid, wherein a temporary preference is a preference that is only valid until a predetermined condition occurs; and

responsive to a determination that the temporary preference is valid, including the temporary preference in the subset of preferences for the given principal within the set of preferences.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein retrieving the set of preferences for each principal further comprises:

responsive to identifying a dynamic preference in the subset of preferences for a given principal, prompting the given principal to select a preference value for the dynamic preference, wherein the dynamic preference is a preference that requires a selection of a preference value by the given principal in real time as the set of preferences is being generated;

receiving a selection of the preference value for the dynamic preference from the given principal; and

including the dynamic preference and the value selected for the dynamic preference in the set of preferences.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein each preference in the set of preferences is associated with an indicator that indicates whether the preference is mandatory or optional, wherein all requirements of a mandatory preference are met during the charging transaction, and wherein the charging transaction is stopped in response to a determination that a mandatory preference is not met.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the principal is selected from a group consisting of an operator of the electric vehicle, an owner of the electric vehicle, an owner of a charging station, an operator of the charging station, an electric power provider of the owner of the electric vehicle, an electric power provider of the operator of the electric vehicle, an electric power provider of the owner of the charging station, a financial institution, and a third party broker.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for managing user preferences associated with charging transactions for electric vehicles, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for identifying a set of principals associated with a charging transaction for an electric vehicle in response to a vehicle preference service receiving a request for preferences associated with the charging transaction for the electric vehicle from an energy transaction planner, wherein a principal in the set of principals is an entity having an interest in the charging transaction for the electric vehicle, and wherein the charging transaction is a transaction associated with at least one of charging the electric vehicle, storing electric power in an electric storage mechanism associated with the electric vehicle, and de-charging the electric vehicle;

computer usable program code for retrieving the set of preferences from a plurality of preferences, by the vehicle preference service, wherein the set of preferences comprises a subset of preferences for each principal in the set of principals, wherein a preference in the set of preferences specifies a parameter of the charging transaction that is to be minimized, maximized, or optimized; and

computer usable program code for sending the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner, by the vehicle transaction planner.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein each preference in the set of preferences is associated with a weighting value and further comprising:

computer usable program code for retrieving the weighting value associated with the each preference in the set of preferences; and

computer usable program code for sending the weighting value associated with the each preference in the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner, wherein the weighting value indicates a priority of each preference relative to other preferences in the set of preferences.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code for creating a preferences template and prompting a user to enter selected preferences in response to a determination that the user is a new user;

computer usable program code for receiving the preferences selected by the user through a user interface; and

computer usable program code for storing the preferences selected by the new user to form selected preferences for the user in the plurality of preferences.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code for retrieving current selected preferences for a user and presenting the current selected preferences to the user in response to a determination that the user has previously selected preferences to form the current selected preferences;

computer usable program code for prompting the user to enter changes to the current preferences in response to receiving a selection to enter the changes to the current selected preferences by the user;

computer usable program code for receiving the changes to the current selected preferences; and

computer usable program code for storing the changes to the current selected preferences in a data storage device to form updated preferences for the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer usable program code for prompting a principal to select a preference value for a dynamic preference in response to identifying the dynamic preference in a subset of preferences for the principal in the set of preferences, wherein the dynamic preference is a preference that requires a selection of a preference value by the principal in real time as the set of preferences is being generated;

computer usable program code for receiving a selection of the preference value for the dynamic preference;

computer usable program code for including the dynamic preference and the value selected for the dynamic preference in the set of preferences.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to identify a principal associated with a charging transaction for an electric vehicle in response to a vehicle preference service receiving a request for a set of preferences associated with the charging transaction for the electric vehicle from an energy transaction planner, wherein the principal is an entity having an interest in the charging transaction for the electric vehicle, and wherein the charging transaction is a transaction associated with at least one of charging the electric vehicle, storing electric power in an electric storage mechanism associated with the electric vehicle, and de-charging the electric vehicle;

retrieve the set of preferences from a plurality of preferences, by the vehicle preference service, wherein the set of preferences comprises a subset of preferences for each principal in the set of principals, wherein a preference in the set of preferences specifies a parameter of the charging transaction that is to be minimized, maximized, or optimized; and

send the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner, by the vehicle transaction planner.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein each preference in the set of preferences is associated with a weighting value, and wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to retrieve the weighting value associated with each preference in the set of preferences;

and send the weighting value associated with the each preference in the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner, wherein the weighting value indicates a priority of each preference relative to other preferences in the set of preferences.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to retrieve current selected preferences for a user and presenting the current selected preferences to the user in response to a determination that the user has previously selected preferences to form the current selected preferences;

prompt the user to enter changes to the current selected preferences in response to receiving a selection to enter the changes to the current selected preferences by the user;

receive the changes to the current selected preferences; and

store the changes to the current selected preferences in a data storage device to form updated preferences for the user.

19. A vehicle preference service on an electric vehicle comprising:

a planner interface, wherein the planner interface receives a request for a set of preferences for an identified principal associated with a charging transaction for the electric vehicle from an energy transaction planner, and wherein the planner interface sends the set of preferences responsive to the request to the energy transaction planner, wherein the identified principal is an entity having an interest in the charging transaction for the electric vehicle, wherein the charging transaction is a transaction associated with at least one of charging the electric vehicle, storing electric power in an electric storage mechanism associated with the electric vehicle, and de-charging the electric vehicle; and

a preference manager, wherein the preference manager retrieves the set of preferences from a plurality of preferences stored on the electric vehicle for the identified principal, wherein a preference in the set of preferences specifies a parameter of the charging transaction that is to be minimized, maximized, or optimized.

20. The vehicle preference service of claim 19 further comprising:

a user input/output interface, wherein a user input and output interface receives an identification of a user and associates the identification of the user with the set of preferences created by the user in response to the user creating the set of preferences.