Smart-charging apparatus for use with electric-vehicle-sharing stations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10293699-B2
Application number	US-201715425766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Feb 6, 2017
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A remote smart-power server receives reservation data indicating parameters for a planned vehicle use, such as pick-up time, pick-up location, and drop-off time. Systems of the present technology are in various embodiments used in connection with electric vehicles. The server interacts with a smart-powering station system to determine available vehicles at the location, including vehicles having sufficient charge, or chargeable to sufficient charge by the pick-up time. The server presents available vehicles to a user device and receives selection of a preferred vehicle. The server sends the selection to the smart-powering station, which implements a charging sequence to ensure the preferred vehicle is charged as needed for the planned vehicle use. Charging is in various implementations performed automatically, such as by computing controls and robotic machinery. The technology in various embodiments includes any of the relevant apparatus of the arrangement, code and algorithms thereof, and processes performed thereby.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, for use in connection with custom powering vehicles to be used temporarily by users, comprising:
a hardware-based processing device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising:
a reservation-request unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, receives, reservation-request data comprising intended vehicle usage and user profile information for a desired vehicle use;
a vehicle-power-levels unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, receives vehicle-power-levels data indicating power level of at least one vehicle present or to be present at a vehicle-pickup location; and
a vehicle-options unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device;
determines, based on the reservation-request data and the vehicle-power-levels data, available-vehicle data indicating vehicles to be available at the vehicle pickup location for the desired vehicle use;
receives, from a user communication device, user-selection data indicating selection of a preferred vehicle indicated by the available-vehicle data; and
sends the user-selection data to a smart-charging station for use in configuring and adjusting a powering schedule for powering vehicles at the vehicle pickup location.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle power-levels data indicates electric power levels.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, sends the available-vehicle data to the user communication device for selection of a preferred vehicle, of available vehicles indicated by the available-vehicle data, for the desired vehicle use.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the reservation-request data further includes at least one data item selected from a group consisting of a pick-up time, a pick-up location, a drop-off time, a drop-off location, and a duration of use.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device further:
determines a needed power level based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:
an environmental characteristic in an area corresponding to the desired use;
a traffic condition in an area corresponding to the desired use;
a road condition in the area corresponding to the desired use;
an expected load for one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;
a time of day for the desired vehicle use;
a time of year for the desired vehicle use; and
an expected type of driving for the desired vehicle use; and

determines the available-vehicle data based on the needed power level and the at least one additional factor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device, determines the available-vehicle data based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:
power-efficiency of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;
a type of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and
a type of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device, determines the available-vehicle data based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:
an age of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and
an age of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use.

8. A system, for use in connection with custom powering vehicles to be used temporarily by users, comprising:
a hardware-based processing device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising:
a vehicle-power-levels unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device:
receives, from vehicles present at a vehicle-pickup location, vehicle-power-levels data indicating power levels of respective vehicles present or to be present at the location; and
sends the vehicle-power-levels data to a remote device for selection of a preferred vehicle, of available vehicles at the location, for a desired vehicle use; and

a vehicle-options unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device;
receives, from the remote device, user-selection data indicating the preferred vehicle for the desired vehicle use; and
sends the user-selection data to a smart-charging station for use in configuring and adjusting a powering schedule for powering vehicles at the vehicle pickup location.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle power-levels data indicates electric power levels.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising a powering-scheduling unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, configures or adjusts a powering schedule for powering vehicles at the location for planned uses.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a vehicle-reservation unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, receives at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of a pick-up time, a pick-up location, a drop-off time, a drop-off location, and a duration of use, wherein the powering-scheduling unit, when executed, uses the at least one parameter in determining how to configure or adjust the power schedule.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, determines available-vehicle data, based on reservation-request data and the vehicle-power-levels data; and
the available-vehicle data indicates vehicles available for the desired vehicle use.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device further:
determines a needed power level based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:
an environmental characteristic in an area corresponding to the desired use;
a traffic condition in an area corresponding to the desired use;
a road condition in the area corresponding to the desired use;
an expected load for one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;
a time of day for the desired vehicle use;
a time of year for the desired vehicle use; and
an expected type of driving for the desired vehicle use; and

determines the available-vehicle data based on the needed power level and the at least one additional factor.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the vehicle-options unit, when executed by the processing device, determines available-vehicle data based on at least one additional factor selected from a group consisting of:
power-efficiency of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;
a type of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use;
a type of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and
an age of battery of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use; and
an age of one or more vehicles being considered for the desired vehicle use.

15. A system, for implementation at a vehicle in connection with custom powering the vehicle for a scheduled temporary use, comprising:
a hardware-based processing device; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising:
a power-level-request unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device receives, from a requesting apparatus, a request for vehicle power level;
a power-level-determining unit that, when executed by the hardware-based processing device, determines a presen

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Zhao Xiang
• Du Jiangling
• Smyth Susan M

Classifications

• G06Q10/02 Primary

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• B60L53/60

  Monitoring or controlling charging stations · CPC title

• B60L2240/72

  Charging station selection relying on external data · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• B60L2240/622

  by satellite navigation · CPC title