Adaptive system and method for optimizing a fleet of plug-in vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018086223-A1
Application number	US-201615279571-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method for optimizing a plug-in vehicle fleet having a plurality of battery packs across the vehicle fleet. Each vehicle includes a battery pack. The system includes sensors for measuring battery performance data and includes an open-circuit voltage, charging current, and/or temperature of the battery pack, a GPS receiver, a user interface, and a controller. The controller executes a method to monitor degradation of each battery pack using a variety of current and historical data points. The controller then controls a charging operation of each battery pack in a fleet via a charging control signal sent to a particular vehicle in the fleet. The controller also then determines the new location for each particular vehicle in a fleet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for optimizing life of a plurality of battery packs in a fleet vehicle, the system comprising:
a battery sensor on a fleet vehicle operatively configured to measure performance data of a vehicle battery in the fleet vehicle; a global positioning system (GPS) receiver operable for determining a position of the fleet vehicle; a controller in communication with the battery sensor and the GPS receiver, wherein the controller is further programmed to:
determine a battery charging history for the fleet vehicle using the measured battery performance data and a position signal from the GPS receiver, wherein the driving history and battery charging history identify the days, hours, and locations at which the vehicle was driven;
obtain a state-of-charge for the vehicle battery;
determine a system need for the fleet vehicle via an adaptive learning module;
transmit an output signal to at least one of the fleet vehicle and a charging station associated with the fleet vehicle;
automatically control a charging operation of a battery in the fleet vehicle based on the output signal; and
direct the fleet vehicle to a new location based on the output signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a battery sensor operable to determine the state of charge for the vehicle battery.

3 . The system of claim 2 further comprising a current sensor operable for detecting the charging current and a temperature sensor operable for measuring a temperature of the battery pack.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the output signal determines the level to which the vehicle battery will be recharged.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller uses the position signal from the GPS receiver to determine a location and a driving history for the fleet vehicle.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the output signal is one of a low output signal, a medium output signal, a high output signal or a charge back signal.

7 . The system of claim 6 wherein the new location for the fleet vehicle is a parking lot when the output signal is a chargeback signal.

8 . The system of claim 6 wherein the new location for the fleet vehicle is an open ride retrieval location for long travel distances when the output signal is a high output signal.

9 . The system of claim 6 wherein the new location for the fleet vehicle is an open ride retrieval location for short travel distances when the output signal is a low output signal.

10 . The system of claim 6 wherein the new location for the fleet vehicle is an open ride retrieval location for medium travel distances when the output signal is a medium output signal.

11 . A method for optimizing life of a plurality of battery packs in a plug-in vehicle fleet, the method comprising:
measuring battery performance data battery pack of a fleet vehicle via a plurality of sensors in the fleet vehicle, including measuring an open-circuit voltage of the battery pack; determining a position of the fleet vehicle using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver; monitoring the degradation of the battery pack of the fleet vehicle over time via a controller using the measured battery performance data; determining a driving history and a battery charging history for the fleet vehicle using the measured battery performance data and a position signal from the GPS receiver, wherein the driving history and battery charging history identify the days, hours, and locations for the fleet vehicle; determining a system need for the fleet vehicle based on a regional data input, a driving history and a battery charging history for the fleet vehicle via an adapted learning module; transmitting an output signal responsive to the system need; automatically controlling a charging operation of a battery pack for the plug in the vehicle via the controller based on the output signal; and stationing the fleet vehicle to a new location based on the output signal.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a current sensor operable for detecting the charging current and a temperature sensor operable for measuring a temperature of the battery pack, and wherein measuring the battery performance data includes measuring the charging current and the temperature.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of stationing the fleet vehicle to a new location includes directing the fleet vehicle to a parking lot when the output signal to the fleet vehicle is a chargeback signal.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of stationing the fleet vehicle to a new location includes directing the fleet vehicle to an open ride retrieval location for long travel distances when the output signal to the fleet vehicle is a high output signal.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of stationing the fleet vehicle to a new location includes directing the fleet vehicle to an open ride retrieval location for short travel distances when the output signal to the fleet vehicle is a low output signal.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of stationing the fleet vehicle to a new location includes directing the fleet vehicle to an open ride retrieval location for medium travel distances when the output signal to the fleet vehicle is a medium output signal.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of automatically controlling a charging operation of the battery pack includes adjusting the SOC for the battery pack to a high SOC when the output signal is a high output signal.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of automatically controlling a charging operation of the battery pack includes adjusting the SOC for the battery pack to a low SOC when the output signal is a low output signal.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of automatically controlling a charging operation of the battery pack includes adjusting the SOC for the battery pack to a medium SOC when the output signal is a medium output signal.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Lindemann Todd P
• Cory Danielle A
• White Rachel A
• Denic Vukasin
• Kalweit Nicholas J
• Gorski Eric F

Classifications

• G06Q10/0631

  Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations · CPC title

• B60L53/60

  Monitoring or controlling charging stations · CPC title

• B60L58/10 Primary

  for monitoring or controlling batteries · CPC title

• G01C21/3469

  Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects · CPC title

• B60L2240/72

  Charging station selection relying on external data · CPC title