SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING CHARGE STATION INFORMATION

• US 20120123670A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Uyeki, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/625 by GSM
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/52 characterised by DC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/62 charged by low-power generators primarily intended to support the batteries, e.g. range extenders
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• 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 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/165 : combined with non-inertial navigation instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3807 : characterised by the type of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3811 : Point data, e.g. Point of Interest [POI]
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3841 : Data obtained from two or more sources, e.g. probe vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3848 : Data obtained from both position sensors and additional sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 : The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A system for updating a charge station database including information about charge station location and/or characteristic by determining and verifying charge station location and characteristics after a vehicle connects to a charging station. The vehicle determines (probes) the charge station location based upon the location of the vehicle while connected to the charging station. This location information is transmitted by the vehicle to a central database.

Claims

1. A system for identifying charge station locations comprising:

a vehicle including;

a connector for coupling said vehicle to a charge station;

a location determination system to determine the charge station location based upon a location of the vehicle when said connector is coupled to said charge station; and

a transmission device for transmitting said charge station location to a remote charge station database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said location determination system comprises:

a location signal receiver capable of receiving location signals; and

a position estimation device using a distance measuring device and an elevation determination device to determine a change in location based upon movement after the location signals are no longer received, and determining a charge station location by determining the location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station based upon said location signals and the change in location determination.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said distance measuring device includes a wheel pulse unit for determining a distance traveled based upon wheel rotation and said elevation determination device includes a gyroscope.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a charge station characteristic device for determining charge station characteristics including at least one of charging rate or connection type;

wherein said transmission device transmits said charge station characteristics to the remote charge station database.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a remote server including;

said remote charge station database; and

an update module for updating said charge station database with information about a new charge station when said received charge station location does not substantially match an existing charge station in said charge station database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said location signals are GPS signals.

7. A method for identifying charge station locations comprising the steps of:

coupling a vehicle to a charge station;

determining the charge station location based upon a location of the vehicle when said connector is coupled to said charge station; and

transmitting, by said vehicle, said charge station location to a remote charge station database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of determining the charge station location further comprises the steps of:

receiving location signals; and

determining a change in location of said vehicle based upon movement occurring after said location signals are no longer received, and determining a charge station location by determining the location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station based upon said location signals and said change in location determination.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining a change in location includes the steps of:

measuring the distance traveled using wheel rotation measurements and

measuring changes in direction and elevation using gyroscope measurements.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

determining charge station characteristics including at least one of charging rate or connection type; and

transmitting said charge station characteristics to the remote charge station database.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said charge station information at a remote server, and

updating said charge station database with information about a new charge station when said received charge station location does not substantially match an existing charge station in said charge station database.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said location signals are GPS signals.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable code which when executed by a computer performs the steps of:

coupling a vehicle to a charge station;

determining a charge station location based upon a location of the vehicle when said connector is coupled to said charge station; and

transmitting, by said vehicle, said charge station location to a remote charge station database.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said step of determining the charge station location further comprises the steps of:

receiving location signals; and

determining a change in location of said vehicle based upon movement occurring after said location signals are no longer received, and determining a charge station location by determining the location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station based upon said location signals and said change in location determination.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the step of determining a change in location includes the steps of:

measuring the distance traveled using wheel rotation measurements and

measuring changes in direction and elevation using gyroscope measurements.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

determining charge station characteristics including at least one of charging rate or connection type; and

transmitting said charge station characteristics to the remote charge station database.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said charge station information at a remote server, and

updating said charge station database with information about a new charge station when said received charge station location does not substantially match an existing charge station in said charge station database.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said location signals are GPS signals.