Method, apparatus, and system for automatic refueling of driverless vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017316635-A1
Application number	US-201615280870-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2016
Publication date	Nov 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present application discloses at least a method, apparatus, and system for automatic refueling of a driverless vehicle. A specific implementation of the method includes: sending refueling request information when a fuel amount is lower than a preset value and a refueling condition is satisfied; receiving preselected gas station information corresponding to the refueling request information; determining, from the preselected gas station information, destination gas station information and driving route information of a destination gas station; sending refueling request information after arriving at the destination gas station based on the driving route information of the destination gas station; turning off an engine and/or an electric motor after receiving refueling permission information corresponding to the refueling request information, opening a fuel tank cap, and sending refueling confirmation information; and closing the fuel tank cap after receiving refueling completion information. This implementation improves the refueling efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for automatic refueling of a driverless vehicle, comprising:
sending refueling request information when a fuel amount is lower than a preset value and a refueling condition is satisfied, the refueling condition comprising at least one of: the vehicle is in a driverless state, and an instruction permitting automatic refueling is received; and the refueling request information comprising a vehicle identification number, vehicle location information, and information about drivable mileage using remaining fuel in the vehicle; receiving preselected gas station information corresponding to the refueling request information, the preselected gas station information comprising location information of a preselected gas station, driving route information of the preselected gas station, and refuel-queuing information of the preselected gas station corresponding to a refuel-queuing condition, the refuel-queuing condition comprising at least one of waiting time for refueling, a distance to the gas station, and time required to reach the gas station, and the refuel-queuing information comprising at least one of a number of idle automatic refueling terminals and a number of vehicles waiting for refueling; determining, from the preselected gas station information, destination gas station information and driving route information of a destination gas station; sending refueling request information after arriving at the destination gas station based on the driving route information of the destination gas station, the refueling request information comprising the vehicle identification number, refueling account information, and refueling amount information; turning off an engine and/or an electric motor after receiving refueling permission information corresponding to the refueling request information, opening a fuel tank cap, and sending refueling confirmation information; and closing the fuel tank cap after receiving refueling completion information.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
sending fuel amount prompt information when the fuel amount is detected to be lower than the preset value, the fuel amount prompt information comprising voice prompt information, image prompt information, and information about a remaining available mileage corresponding to the current fuel amount.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, after the step of closing the fuel tank cap after receiving a refueling completion information:
returning to a specified location.

4 . A method for automatic refueling of a driverless vehicle, comprising:
receiving refueling request information, the refueling request information comprising a vehicle identification number, vehicle location information, and information about drivable mileage using remaining fuel in the vehicle; searching for preselected gas station information corresponding to the refueling request information; and sending the preselected gas station information.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the searching for the preselected gas station information corresponding to the refueling request information comprises:
searching for information about a gas station within a specified range corresponding to the vehicle location information; and determining the preselected gas station information from the information about the gas station based on the information about the drivable mileage using the remaining fuel in the vehicle and refuel-queuing information, the refuel-queuing information comprising at least one of: a number of idle automatic refueling terminals at a gas station and a number of vehicles waiting for refueling.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the determining, based on the information about the drivable mileage using the remaining fuel in the vehicle and the refuel-queuing information, the preselected gas station information from the information about the gas station comprises:
selecting preliminarily selected gas station information from the information about the gas station based on the information about the drivable mileage using the remaining fuel in the vehicle; acquiring refuel-queuing information corresponding to the preliminarily selected gas station information, and using a first specified number of preliminarily selected gas stations satisfying a refuel-queuing condition as a preselected gas station, the refuel-queuing condition comprising at least one of waiting time for refueling, a distance to the gas station, and time required to reach the gas station; determining driving route information of the preselected gas station based on the vehicle location information and location information of the preselected gas station; and encapsulating the location information of the preselected gas station, the driving route information of the preselected gas station, and the refuel-queuing information of the preselected gas station corresponding to the refuel-queuing condition into the preselected gas station information.

7 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
sending refueling authorization information, the refueling authorization information comprising the vehicle identification number.

8 . A method for automatic refueling of a driverless vehicle, comprising:
receiving refueling request information, the refueling request information comprising a vehicle identification number, refueling account information, and refueling amount information; validating the vehicle identification number in the refueling request information by using a received refueling authorization information, and sending refueling permission information if the validation is passed; otherwise, sending alarm information; and refueling the vehicle based on the refueling account information and the refueling amount information after receiving a refueling confirmation message, and sending refueling completion information.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the refueling the vehicle based on the refueling account information and the refueling amount information comprises:
checking whether the refueling account information is a valid account, and if yes, checking balance information of the refueling account and refueling the vehicle based on the balance information; otherwise, sending alarm information.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the checking balance information of the refueling account and refueling the vehicle based on the balance information comprises:
checking whether an account balance is greater than or equal to an amount corresponding to the refueling amount information, and if yes, refueling the vehicle based on the refueling amount information, and deducting an amount corresponding to the refueling amount information from the account balance; otherwise, sending alert information indicating that the account needs to be recharged.

11 . An apparatus for automatic refueling of a driverless vehicle, comprising:
a refueling request information sending unit for sending refueling request information when a fuel amount is lower than a preset value and a refueling condition is satisfied, the refueling condition comprising at least one of: the vehicle is in a driverless state; and an instruction permitting automatic refueling is received, and the refueling request information comprising a vehicle identification number, vehicle location information, and information about drivable mileage using remaining fuel in the vehicle; a preselected gas station information receiving unit for receiving preselected gas station information corresponding to the refueling request information, the preselected gas station information

Assignees

• Baidu online network technology beijing co ltd

Inventors

• Guo Xiaoyan
• Li Kelei
• Xiao Cuijuan
• Zhang Hang
• Zheng Yuanyuan

Classifications

• G01C21/3679

  Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities (G01C21/3611 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• F02D41/042

  for stopping the engine · CPC title

• G07F15/001 Primary

  for gas · CPC title

• G05D1/0088

  characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours (using knowledge based models G06N5/00) · CPC title