JP2012503468A - Electric vehicle operating system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for managing energy use in an electric vehicle. A charge level of at least one battery of the electric vehicle is received. A current position of the electric vehicle is received. The theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle is determined based on the current position of the electric vehicle and the charge level of at least one battery of the electric vehicle. An energy plan for electric vehicles is created.
[Selection]
FIG.

Description

[0001] The disclosed embodiments generally relate to electric vehicles. In particular, the disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for operating an electric vehicle.

[0002] Electric vehicles offer the potential to reduce the dependence of fossil fuels on foreign resources and to reduce the pollution associated with the combustion of these fossil fuels. Unfortunately, using current battery technology, electric vehicles have a much shorter mileage than cars using fossil fuels, and the batteries need to be recharged for hours. Therefore, for an electric vehicle driver, planning a mileage longer than the mileage provided by a single charge of the electric vehicle battery does not take a significant amount of time to recharge the electric vehicle battery. It is difficult. Furthermore, the travel distance of an electric vehicle can be affected by environmental factors (eg, topography, temperature, etc.), driving style, traffic conditions, and the like. Thus, since there is no way to know whether the electric vehicle can reach the destination based on the current charge amount of the battery of the electric vehicle, it is difficult for the driver of the electric vehicle to plan traveling. These drawbacks make electric vehicles inconvenient and impractical. It would therefore be highly desirable to provide an electric vehicle that addresses the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0003] Some embodiments provide a system, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method for managing energy usage in an at least partially electric vehicle. A charge level of at least one battery of an at least partially electric vehicle is received. A current position of an at least partially electric vehicle is received. Based on the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle and the charge level of at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle, the theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle is determined. A map including the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle is displayed on the display device of the at least partially electric vehicle. A first boundary line indicating the maximum theoretical mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle is displayed on the map.

[0004] In some embodiments, one or more visual representations are displayed on the map, and are at least partially based at least in part on the current position and theoretical maximum mileage of the electrically powered vehicle. Indicates that the car is not reachable outside the first boundary.

[0005] In some embodiments, a second boundary is determined that is a predetermined distance from the reference point, the predetermined distance being determined by the at least partially electric vehicle starting from the reference point and the reference point. Is the farthest destination possible to come back to. The second boundary line is then displayed on the map.

[0006] In some embodiments, the reference point is the point at which the at least partially electric vehicle spends the most time charging at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle.

[0007] In some embodiments, the reference point is selected from the group consisting of the home of an at least partially electric vehicle user and the workplace of an at least partially electric vehicle user.

[0008] In some embodiments, an energy plan is created for an at least partially electric vehicle.

[0009] In some embodiments, the energy plan includes one or more routes, a destination, and one or more battery service stations where at least one battery can be maintained.

[0010] In some embodiments, an energy plan for a vehicle, at least in part, is created as follows. That is, it is determined on the basis of the theoretical maximum mileage whether at least a partly electric vehicle can reach a predetermined location. In response to determining that the at least partly electric vehicle cannot reach the predetermined location, at least one battery of the at least partly electric vehicle can be serviced. A battery service station that is within the theoretical maximum mileage is determined. This battery service station will be added to the energy plan.

[0011] In some embodiments, after adding the battery service station to the energy plan, a time is scheduled for servicing at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle at the battery station.

[0012] In some embodiments, the time for servicing at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle at the battery station is scheduled based on an estimated time that the at least partially electric vehicle will arrive at the battery maintenance station. Is done.

[0013] In some embodiments, the predetermined location is selected from the group consisting of a user's home, a user's workplace, and a location where at least a partially powered vehicle is charged.

[0014] In some embodiments, in response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle can reach the predetermined location, the charge level of at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle is received. And at least partially based on a current position of the at least partially electric vehicle, and at least partially based on a current position of the at least partially electric vehicle and a charge level of at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle. Determining the theoretical maximum mileage of the electrically powered vehicle, displaying a map including the current position of the electrically powered vehicle at least partially on the display device, and determining the maximum theoretical mileage of the electrically powered vehicle at least partially. The process of displaying the first boundary line shown on the map is repeated.

[0015] In some embodiments, a route from the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle to the battery service station is created and added to the energy plan.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery service station includes a charging station that recharges one or more battery packs of the vehicle, a battery exchange station that replaces a consumed battery of the vehicle with a charged battery, and the battery described above. Selected from the group consisting of a combination of service stations.

[0017] In some embodiments, the predetermined location is a user-specified destination, a battery service station, a destination determined based on the user's profile, and a destination determined based on the integrated user profile data. Selected from the group consisting of

[0018] In some embodiments, the theoretical maximum mileage of an at least partially electric vehicle is determined after at least one battery is serviced at a battery service station. Based on the theoretical maximum mileage, it is determined whether the at least partially electric vehicle can reach the predetermined location. In response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle cannot reach the predetermined location, the next within the theoretical maximum mileage of the previous battery service station in the energy plan and on the path of the predetermined location A battery service station is determined. The above steps of these embodiments are repeated until a predetermined location is reachable.

[0019] In some embodiments, a route is created from the current location of the at least partially powered vehicle to the destination, the route including a drop-in to the battery service station in the energy plan. This path is added to the energy plan.

[0020] In some embodiments, a route from the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle to the destination is created in response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle can reach the predetermined location. Is done. This path is added to the energy plan.

[0021] In some embodiments, the theoretical maximum mileage is a charge level of at least one battery of an at least partly electric vehicle, a current position of the at least partly electric vehicle, a user profile, at least partly. Based at least in part on the characteristics of the at least one electric motor of the electric vehicle, the terrain on which the road is located, the speed of the at least partially electric vehicle, and a combination of the above-mentioned elements.

[0022] In some embodiments, the theoretical maximum mileage is adjusted to provide a marginal safety factor.

[0023] In some embodiments, it is determined whether silent navigation mode is enabled. In response to determining that the silent navigation mode is not enabled, guidance based on the energy plan is provided.

[0024] In some embodiments, in response to determining that the silent navigation mode is enabled, guidance based on the energy plan is disabled.

[0025] In some embodiments, the guidance includes turn-by-turn guidance.

[0026] In some embodiments, the guidance is selected from the group consisting of visual guidance, audio guidance, and combinations of the guidance described above.

[0027] In some embodiments, the current position of the at least partially powered vehicle is received from a global satellite navigation system.

[0028] In some embodiments, an energy plan for an at least partially electric vehicle is received. Guidance based on energy plans is provided. It is periodically determined whether the energy plan is still valid.

[0029] In some embodiments, a request to service at least one battery of an at least partially electric vehicle is received at a remote computer system from the at least partially electric vehicle. In response to the request, a maintenance plan is created to service at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle.

[0030] In some embodiments, a request to service at least one battery of an at least partially electric vehicle is communicated to a server. In response to the request, a maintenance plan is received from the server. The maintenance plan is then operated.

[0031] In some embodiments, the maintenance plan indicates that at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle is replaced with at least one charged battery. In these embodiments, the exchange of at least one battery and at least one charged battery is facilitated.

[0032] Some embodiments provide a system, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method for providing energy-aware navigation services to an electric vehicle. An energy plan for electric auto is received. Guidance based on this energy plan is received. Periodically, it is determined whether the energy plan is still valid.

[0033] In some embodiments, in response to determining that the energy plan is no longer valid, a new energy plan is created and guidance based on the new energy plan is provided.

[0034] In some embodiments, in response to determining that the energy plan is still valid, guidance based on the energy plan is continued. Periodically, it is determined whether the energy plan is still valid.

[0035] In some embodiments, it is determined whether the energy plan is still valid as follows. That is, the charge level of at least one battery of the electric vehicle and the current position of the electric vehicle are received. A determination is made as to whether a waypoint in the energy plan is reachable based at least in part on the current location of the electric vehicle and the charge level of the at least one battery.

[0036] In some embodiments, the energy plan includes one or more waypoints.

[0037] In some embodiments, the waypoint is determined based on the user's home, the user's workplace, the location where the electric vehicle is charged, the destination specified by the user, the battery service station, the user's profile. And a group of destinations determined based on the location and the integrated user profile data.

[0038] In some embodiments, it is determined whether a waypoint in the energy plan has been reached. It is then determined whether the waypoint is a battery service station. It is then determined whether at least one battery of the electric vehicle has been serviced at this battery service station. Information about maintenance performed on at least one battery of the electric vehicle is recorded.

[0039] In some embodiments, information about maintenance performed on the at least one battery is communicated to the server.

[0040] In some embodiments, the guidance includes guidance at each corner.

[0041] In some embodiments, selected from the group consisting of visual guidance, audio guidance, and combinations of the above guidance.

[0042] Some embodiments provide a system for servicing an electric vehicle battery at a battery service station, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method. A request to service at least one battery of an electric vehicle is received. In response to this request, a maintenance plan is created to service at least one battery of the electric vehicle.

[0043] In some embodiments, the maintenance plan is communicated to the electric vehicle.

[0044] In some embodiments, the maintenance plan is communicated to a battery service station.

[0045] In some embodiments, the request is received from a battery service station.

[0046] In some embodiments, the request is received from an electric vehicle.

[0047] In some embodiments, the request includes a battery identifier for the battery pack, a battery pack type, a user identifier, a vehicle identifier, and a charge level of the battery pack.

[0048] In some embodiments, the maintenance plan is selected from the group consisting of a charging plan for recharging an electric vehicle battery pack, a battery replacement plan for replacing an electric vehicle battery pack, and a combination of the above plans. Is done.

[0049] Some embodiments provide a system for servicing an electric vehicle battery at a battery servicing station, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method. In some embodiments, a request to service at least one battery of an electric vehicle is communicated to the server. In response to this request, a maintenance plan is received from the server. The maintenance plan is then operated.

[0050] In some embodiments, the request includes a battery identifier for the battery pack, a battery pack type, a user identifier, a vehicle identifier, and a charge level of the battery pack.

[0051] In some embodiments, the battery service station is a battery exchange station, and the maintenance plan is operated as follows. That is, it is determined whether at least one battery of the electric vehicle is supported by the platform of the battery exchange station. A battery lock is released that prevents at least one battery from being separated from the battery bay of the electric vehicle. At least one battery is isolated from the battery bay of the electric vehicle. It is determined whether at least one new battery is ready to be coupled to the battery bay of the electric vehicle. At least one new battery is connected to the battery bay of the electric vehicle. The battery lock is then engaged.

[0052] In some embodiments, the battery service station is a charging station and a maintenance plan is operated as follows. A charge level of at least one battery of the electric vehicle is periodically determined. The charge level of at least one battery of the electric vehicle is periodically transmitted to the charging station. Energy is received from the charging station based at least in part on the maintenance plan and the charge level of the at least one battery.

[0053] In some embodiments, a report of used energy is received from the charging station.

[0054] In some embodiments, the report is communicated to the server.

[0055] In some embodiments, the charge level is communicated to a portable device of an electric vehicle user.

[0056] In some embodiments, the charge level is communicated to the server.

[0057] Some embodiments provide a system for providing value-added services to an electric vehicle, a computer-readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method. The selected search result is received from a user of the electric vehicle. A proposal for the selected specific distance is determined. The proposal is then presented to the user at the user interface of the electric vehicle.

[0058] In some embodiments, the search query is selected from the group consisting of a point of interest (POI), an address, a product, a service, and a combination of the search queries described above.

[0059] In some embodiments, the proposal is selected from the group consisting of coupons, selling prices, promotional discounts, and combinations of the above proposals.

[0060] In some embodiments, prior to receiving the selected search results from the user, the following steps are performed. A search query from an electric vehicle user is received. A search result based on the search query is obtained. The search results are presented to the user at the user interface of the electric vehicle.

[0061] In some embodiments, after presenting the proposal, tracking information is sent to the server.

[0062] In some embodiments, the selected proposal is received from a user of an electric vehicle. An energy plan for electric vehicles is created. Guidance based on this energy plan is provided.

[0063] In some embodiments, the guidance includes guidance at each corner.

[0064] In some embodiments, the guidance is selected from the group consisting of visual guidance, audio guidance, and combinations of the guidance described above.

[0065] In some embodiments, after receiving the selected proposal from the user, tracking information is transmitted to the server.

[0066] In some embodiments, it is determined whether the electric vehicle has reached a destination associated with the selected proposal. The tracking information is then sent to the server.

[0067] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electric vehicle network, according to some embodiments. [0068] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0069] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electric vehicle control system, according to some embodiments. [0070] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for providing an energy aware navigation system for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0071] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for managing energy usage for an electric vehicle when a destination is identified, according to some embodiments. [0072] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method for creating an energy plan from a current location of an electric vehicle to a destination, according to some embodiments. [0073] FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary electric vehicle user interface displaying a map and route for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0074] FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating another exemplary electric vehicle user interface displaying a map and a first route for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0075] FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating the interface of FIG. 7B displaying a map and a second route for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0076] FIG. 7D is a diagram illustrating another example electric vehicle user interface displaying a map and destination for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0077] FIG. 7E is a diagram illustrating the user interface of FIG. 7D displaying a map and a first route for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0078] FIG. 7F is a diagram illustrating the user interface of FIG. 7D displaying a map and a second route for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0079] FIG. 7G is a diagram illustrating the user interface of FIG. 7D displaying a map and a third route for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0080] FIG. 7H is a diagram illustrating the user interface of FIG. 7D displaying a map for an electric vehicle and a route to the destination, according to some embodiments. [0081] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method for managing energy usage for an electric vehicle when a destination is not selected, according to some embodiments. [0082] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary electric vehicle user interface displaying a map and reachable destinations for an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0083] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method for performing an energy plan, according to some embodiments. [0084] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a method for providing “silent navigation”, according to some embodiments. [0085] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a method for determining whether an electric vehicle is out of range of a battery service station, according to some embodiments. [0086] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring a route traveled by an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. [0087] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a method for monitoring a charge level of an electric vehicle battery pack, according to some embodiments. [0088] FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of a method for servicing an electric vehicle battery, according to some embodiments. [0089] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of a method for servicing an electric vehicle battery at a battery exchange station, according to some embodiments. [0090] FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a method of servicing an electric vehicle battery at a charging station, according to some embodiments. [0091] FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating data and energy flow of an electric vehicle being charged at a public charging station, according to some embodiments. [0092] FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating data and energy flow for an electric vehicle being charged at a public charging station, according to some embodiments. [0093] FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating data and energy flow of an electric vehicle being charged at a home charging station, according to some embodiments. [0094] FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating data and energy flow for an electric vehicle being charged at a home charging station, according to some embodiments. [0095] FIG. 22 is a flow diagram of a method for providing value-added services to an electric vehicle according to some embodiments. In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts.

Electric car
[0096] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electric vehicle network 100 according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric vehicle network 100 includes one or more electric motors 103, one or more battery packs 104 each including one or more batteries, a positioning system 105, a communication module 106, and an electric vehicle control system 107. It includes at least one electric vehicle 102 having one or more chargers 108, one or more sensors 109, and combinations of the components described above.

[0097] In some embodiments, one or more electric motors 103 drive one or more wheels of electric vehicle 102. In these embodiments, the one or more electric motors 103 receive energy from one or more battery packs 104 that are electrically and mechanically connected to the electric vehicle 102. One or more battery packs 104 of the electric vehicle 102 can be charged at the home of the user 110. Alternatively, one or more battery packs 104 are serviced (eg, replaced and / or charged) at a battery service station 134 (eg, battery service stations 134-1 through 134-N) within battery service network 132. May be. The battery service station 134 may include a charging station for charging one or more battery packs 104, a battery exchange station for replacing one or more battery packs 104, etc. (eg, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). (See US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 428,932, incorporated herein). For example, one or more battery packs 104 of electric vehicle 102 may be located at one or more charging stations that may be located on private land (eg, the home of user 110) or public land (eg, parking, street parking, etc.). Can be charged. Further, in some embodiments, one or more battery packs 104 of electric vehicle 102 may be exchanged for charged battery packs at one or more battery exchange stations within battery service network 132. As described above, when the user travels a distance exceeding the travel distance by one charge of one or more battery packs 104 of the electric vehicle 102, the consumed (or partially consumed) battery pack is charged. Therefore, the user can continue traveling without waiting for the battery pack to be recharged. The term “battery service station” (eg, battery service station 134) is used herein to replace a consumed (or partially consumed) battery pack of an electric vehicle with a charged battery pack. It means a charging station that supplies energy to the exchange station and / or the battery pack of the electric vehicle. Furthermore, the term “charging spot” may also be used herein to mean “charging station”.

[0098] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 communicates with the battery service station 134 via the communication module 106, the communication network 120, and the control center 130. In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 communicates with the battery service station 134-1 via the communication network 120 while one or more battery packs 104 of the electric vehicle 102 are being serviced by the battery service station. . In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 communicates directly with the battery service station 134 while one or more battery packs 104 of the electric vehicle 102 are being serviced (eg, replaced or charged) at the battery service station. . For example, the electric vehicle 102 may communicate with the battery service station 134-1 via a local network 122 (eg, wired or wireless).

[0099] The communication network 120 may include any type of wired or wireless communication network that can connect computing nodes together. This includes, but is not limited to, a local area network, a wide area network, or a combination of networks. In some embodiments, the communication network 120 is a cellular network, Wi-Fi network, WiMAX network, EDGE network, GPRS network, EV-DO network, RTT network, HSPA network, UTMS network, Flash-OFDM network, iBurst network. And a wireless data network including a combination of the networks described above. In some embodiments, the communication network 120 includes the Internet.

[00100] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 includes a positioning system 105. The positioning system 105 can include a satellite positioning system, a radio tower positioning system, a Wi-Fi positioning system, and a combination of the positioning systems described above. The positioning system 105 is used to determine the geographical position of the electric vehicle 102 based on information received from the positioning network 150. The positioning network 150 includes a satellite network in a global satellite navigation system (eg, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, etc.), a beacon network in a local positioning system (eg, using ultrasonic positioning, laser positioning, etc.), a wireless tower network, It may include a network of Wi-Fi base stations and a combination of the positioning networks described above. In addition, the positioning system 105 provides a route and / or guidance between the current geographical location of the electric vehicle and the destination (eg, turn-by-point guide, point-by-point guide, etc.). It can include a navigation system to create.

[00101] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 is used to communicate with a control center 130 (eg, service provider) and / or other communication devices via a communication network (eg, communication network 120). A communication module 106 including hardware and software.

[00102] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 includes an electric vehicle control system 107. The electric vehicle control system 107 can provide services including energy awareness navigation, energy management, value added services, account management, battery maintenance management and combinations of the above services. These services are described in detail below.

[00103] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle control system 107 provides information about the current status of the electric vehicle 102 to the mobile device 112 of the user 110 (eg, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, etc.). ) To provide. For example, the status information may include the current charge level of one or more battery packs 104, such as whether charging is complete. This status information is also provided via the in-vehicle display screen.

[00104] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 includes one or more chargers 108 configured to charge one or more battery packs 104. In some embodiments, the one or more chargers 108 are conductive chargers that receive energy from an energy source via conductive coupling (eg, direct electrical connection, etc.). In some embodiments, the one or more chargers 108 are inductive chargers that receive energy from an energy source via inductive coupling. In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 does not include one or more chargers. In these embodiments, the charging station includes one or more chargers.

[00105] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 102 includes one or more sensors 109. One or more sensors 109 may be mechanical sensors (eg, accelerometers, pressure sensors, etc.), electromagnetic sensors (eg, magnetometers, voltage sensors, current sensors, etc.), optical sensors (eg, light, infrared, ultraviolet, etc.), An acoustic sensor, a temperature sensor, etc. may be included. In some embodiments, one or more sensors 109 are used to detect whether one or more battery packs 104 are mechanically and / or electrically coupled to electric vehicle 102. In some embodiments, one or more sensors 109 are used to detect whether a charging mechanism (eg, a charging cord, etc.) is mechanically and / or electrically coupled to the electric vehicle 102. .

[00106] In some embodiments, the control center 130 provides an appropriate type of battery pack suitable for the electric vehicle 102 (eg, within the maximum theoretical mileage of the electric vehicle) via the communication network 120. Provide a list of service stations and individual status information on a regular basis. The status of the battery service station includes the number of charging stations in use of the individual battery service station, the number of preferred charging stations available for the individual battery service station, and the individual charging at the individual charging station. Estimated time to complete vehicle charging, the number of suitable battery replacement bays that are in use for individual battery service stations, the number of suitable battery replacement bays available for individual battery service stations, and individual The number of suitable charged battery packs at the battery service station, the number of consumed battery packs at the individual battery service station, and the batteries available at the individual battery service station The type of pack, the estimated time until an individual consumed battery pack will be recharged, the estimated time until an individual replacement bay will be available, the location of the battery service station, the number of battery replacements, A combination of the above situations.

[00107] In some embodiments, the control center 130 also provides the electric vehicle 102 with access to a battery service station. For example, the control center 130 provides energy to recharge one or more battery packs 104 after determining whether the user 110 account allows the user 110 to receive energy from a charging station. The charging station can be instructed to do so. Similarly, the control center 130 determined whether the user 110 account allows the user 110 to receive a new battery pack from the battery exchange station (eg, the user 110 account has already been paid dues). Later, the battery exchange station may be instructed to begin the battery exchange process. Furthermore, the control center 130 can reserve time at the battery exchange station and / or the charging station. The control center 130 sends the query via the communication network 120 to the electric vehicle 102 and the battery service station 134 (eg, charging station, battery exchange station, etc.) within the battery service network 132, thereby allowing the electric vehicle and / or Get information about the battery service station. For example, the control center 130 can query the electric vehicle 102 to determine the geographical location of the electric vehicle and the status of one or more battery packs 104 of the electric vehicle 102. Similarly, the control center 130 can query the battery service station 134 to determine the status of the battery service station 134. The control center 130 may also send information and / or instructions to the electric vehicle 102 and the battery service station 134 via the communication network 120. For example, the control center 130 may send information about the account status of the user 110, the location of the battery service station, and / or the status of the battery service station.

[00108] In some embodiments, the battery service station 134 provides status information directly to the control center 130 via the communication network 120 (eg, via a wired or wireless connection using the communication network 120). To do. In some embodiments, the battery service network 132 is a separate communication network (eg, a wired or wireless connection to the battery service network 132) that couples each of the battery service stations 134 to one or more servers of the battery service network 132. Via). In these embodiments, the battery service station 134 provides status information to one or more servers of the battery service network, and the one or more servers of the battery service network are then connected via the communication network 120 to the control center. This status information is transmitted to 130.

[00109] In some embodiments, information communicated between the battery service station 134 and the control center 130 is communicated in real time. In some embodiments, information communicated between the battery service station 134 and the control center 130 is communicated periodically.

[00110] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an electric vehicle 102 according to some embodiments. The electric vehicle 102 includes a battery management system (BMS) 206, a positioning system 105, an electric vehicle control system 107, a communication module 106, a sensor module 212, one or more electric motors 103, a controller or an engine control unit (ECU) 214, One or more chargers 108, one or more battery packs 104, a battery pack lock module 202, a user interface 210, one or more battery pack locks 204, one or more sensors 109, and combinations of the components described above. Including. It should be noted that although individual blocks are shown, these blocks may be separated or combined.

[00111] In some embodiments, BMS 206, positioning system 105, electric vehicle control system 107, communication module 106, sensor module 212, one or more electric motors 103, controller / ECU 214, one or more chargers 108. The battery pack lock module 202 and the user interface 210 all communicate with each other via the bus 230. In some embodiments, bus 230 is a control area network bus (CAN bus). In some embodiments, these subsets of components communicate with each other via separate connections (eg, another bus, direct connection, wireless connection, etc.). In some embodiments, one or more battery packs 104 communicate with BMS 206 via a separate connection (eg, another bus, direct connection, wireless connection, etc.). In some embodiments, the battery pack lock module 202 communicates with one or more battery pack locks 204 via a separate connection (eg, another bus, direct connection, wireless connection, etc.). In some embodiments, the sensor module 212 communicates with one or more sensors 109 via a separate connection (eg, another bus, direct connection, wireless connection, etc.).

[00112] In some embodiments, the BMS 206 includes circuitry configured to manage and / or monitor the operation of one or more batteries of one or more battery packs 104. The circuit may include a status monitoring circuit (eg, a voltmeter, ammeter, temperature sensor, etc.) configured to monitor the status of one or more battery packs 104. For example, the condition monitoring circuit may measure the current voltage output, current draw and / or temperature of one or more battery packs 104. The circuit may also include one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230. The memory of the BMS 206 may include programs, modules, data structures or a subset thereof that manage the operation of one or more battery packs and monitor this condition. This program and / or module can be stored in the memory of the BMS 206 and corresponds to a sequence of instructions for performing the steps described herein when executed by one or more processors of the BMS 206. . One or more processors of the BMS 206 may be configured to receive status data from the status monitoring circuit, perform certain operations on the status data, and determine the status of the one or more battery packs 104. For example, one or more processors of the BMS 206 can execute instructions stored in the memory of the BMS 206 and determine the current charge level of the one or more battery packs 104 based on status data received from the status monitoring circuit. . The one or more processors of the BMS 206 also receive instructions from other components on the bus 230 and, based on the received instructions and data received from the one or more battery packs 104, one or more batteries. It may also be configured to perform certain operations on the pack 104. For example, one or more processors of BMS 206 may receive instructions from controller / ECU 214 via bus 230 to determine whether one or more battery packs 104 are operating in a normal operating state. One or more processors of the BMS 206 may then execute instructions stored in the memory of the BMS 206 to make this measurement and to perform a specific operation if the operation is not in a normal operating state (eg, Reducing current draw from one or more battery packs 104).

[00113] In some embodiments, the positioning system 105 is configured to receive a signal from a positioning network (eg, the positioning network 150 in FIG. 1) and determine the current position of the electric vehicle 102 based on the received signal. Circuit included. The circuit may include an antenna (eg, separate or integrated), a signal amplifier circuit, a signal processing circuit, and the like. The circuit may also include one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230. The memory of the positioning system 105 may include programs, modules and data structures and a subset thereof that determine the current position of the electric vehicle 102 based on signals received from the positioning network. The programs and / or modules can be stored in the memory of the positioning system 105 and when executed by one or more processors of the positioning system 105, a series of steps for performing the steps described herein. Corresponds to the instruction. For example, the positioning system 105 can receive global positioning signals from a plurality of global navigation satellites. The processor of the positioning system 105 can then execute a program stored in the memory of the positioning system 105 and calculate the position of the electric vehicle 102 based on the received signal. The processor of the positioning system 105 can then communicate the calculated position to other components of the electric vehicle 102 via the bus 230 using the communication interface of the positioning system 105.

[00114] The electric vehicle control system 107 is described in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 3-22.

[00115] In some embodiments, the communication module 106 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive data and / or instructions to other external devices of the electric vehicle 102. The circuit may include an antenna (eg, separate or integrated), a signal amplifier circuit, a signal processing circuit, and the like. The circuit may also include one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230. The memory of the communication module 106 may include programs, modules and data structures that transmit and / or receive data and / or instructions to and from external devices of the electric vehicle 102, and subsets thereof. The programs and / or modules can be stored in the memory of the communication module 106 and, when executed by one or more processors of the communication module 106, a series of steps for performing the steps described herein. Corresponds to the instruction. For example, the communication module 106 may receive data indicating battery status from the BMS 206 via the bus 230. The communication module 106 can then execute a program stored in the memory of the communication module 106 to packetize data indicating the battery status and transmit it to an external device of the electric vehicle 102 (for example, the control center 130 of FIG. 1). . In some embodiments, the battery status of the battery pack is a unique identifier for the battery pack, battery pack manufacturer, battery pack model number, battery pack charge level, battery pack age, battery pack charge. / Includes the number of discharge cycles and combinations of the above states.

[00116] In some embodiments, the sensor module 212 receives sensor signals from one or more sensors 109 and preprocesses the received signals (eg, converts the signals from analog to digital form, amplifies them). Circuit configured to filter, etc.). In some embodiments, the one or more sensors 109 are mechanical sensors (eg, accelerometers, pressure sensors, gear position sensors, handbrake position sensors, door lock sensors, air conditioning sensors, or other vehicle sensors), electromagnetic sensors, etc. (For example, a magnetometer, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, etc.), an optical sensor (for example, light, infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, etc.), an acoustic sensor, a temperature sensor, and the like. The circuit can include a signal amplifier circuit, a signal processing circuit, and the like. The circuit also includes one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230 or to one or more sensors 109. The memory of sensor module 212 may include programs, modules and data structures, and subsets thereof, that preprocess signals received from one or more sensors 109. The programs and / or modules can be stored in the memory of the sensor module 212 and, when executed by one or more processors of the sensor module 212, a series of steps for performing the steps described herein. Corresponds to the instruction. For example, the sensor module 212 may receive a temperature signal from a temperature sensor of the electric vehicle 102. The circuitry of the sensor module 212 can then amplify and / or filter the signal. The processor of the sensor module 212 also executes instructions stored in the memory of the sensor module 212 and performs specific operations (eg, calculating a moving average, storing temperature data, etc.). The sensor module 212 processor may then use the sensor module communication interface to communicate the results of a particular operation to other components on the bus 230.

[00117] In some embodiments, the controller / ECU 214 includes circuitry configured to manage the operation of one or more electric motors 103 and monitor their status. The circuit includes one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230. The memory of the controller / ECU 214 may include programs, modules and data structures and a subset thereof that manage the operation of one or more electric motors 103 and monitor their status. The programs and / or modules can be stored in the memory of the controller / ECU 214 and, when executed by one or more processors of the controller / ECU 214, for performing the steps described herein. Corresponds to a series of instructions. For example, one or more processors of the controller / ECU 214 may receive various sensor measurements from one or more sensors 109 (eg, throttle position sensors) via the bus 230. The one or more processors of the controller / ECU 214 then execute instructions stored in the memory of the controller / ECU 214 and based on the received sensor measurements (eg, throttle position), one or more electric motors 103 speeds can be monitored and adjusted.

[00118] In some embodiments, one or more chargers 108 are configured to receive energy from an energy source and regulate and / or convert energy to transfer energy to one or more battery packs 104. Circuit included. The circuit may also include one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230. The memory of one or more chargers 108 may include programs, modules and data structures and subsets thereof that manage and / or monitor the charging process. The programs and / or modules can be stored in the memory of one or more chargers 108 and are described herein when executed by one or more processors of one or more chargers 108. Corresponds to a series of instructions to execute the process. For example, one or more processors of one or more chargers 108 may receive data from BMS 206 via bus 230 indicating that one or more battery packs 104 are almost fully charged. In response to the received data, the processor of the one or more chargers 108 executes a program stored in the memory of the one or more chargers 108 to regulate energy transfer and one or more battery packs 104. The charging process may be terminated to prevent one or more battery packs 104 from being overcharged when fully charged.

[00119] In some embodiments, the battery pack lock module 202 engages one or more battery pack locks 204 so that the one or more battery packs 104 are coupled / disconnected to the frame or chassis of the electric vehicle 102. Including circuitry configured to couple and / or release. The circuit may also include one or more processors, a memory, and a communication interface. The communication interface may be configured to send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on the bus 230. The memory of the one or more battery pack lock modules 202 may include programs, modules and data structures and a subset thereof that manage the engagement / release of the one or more battery packs 104 to the chassis of the electric vehicle 102. The programs and / or modules can be stored in the memory of the battery pack lock module 202 and perform the steps described herein when executed by one or more processors of the battery pack lock module 202. Corresponds to a series of instructions. For example, the electric vehicle control system 107 sends a command to the battery pack lock module 202 via the bus 230 to instruct the battery pack lock module 202 to release one or more battery pack locks 204 of the one or more battery packs 104. Can be transmitted. The one or more processors of the battery pack lock module 202 then execute instructions stored in the memory of the battery pack lock module 202 to release one or more battery pack locks 204 (eg, one or more batteries The motor coupled to the pack lock 204 transmits a signal that causes the motor to release the lock).

[00120] In some embodiments, the user interface 210 includes input and output devices. For example, the input device includes a mouse, keyboard, touch pad, rotary joystick or knob, touch screen display, microphone, voice recognition and / or command system, and the output device includes a display screen, touch screen display, head-up display, Dashboard indicators, voice speakers, voice synthesis systems, etc. and input devices may be included. User interface 210 may send and receive data and / or instructions to other components on bus 230.

[00121] In some embodiments, a subset of the above-described components of the electric vehicle 102 may be combined with the electric vehicle control system 107. For example, the positioning system 105, the communication module 106, the sensor module 212, the battery pack lock module 202, and the user interface 210 may be included in the electric vehicle control system 107.

[00122] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electric vehicle control system 107, according to some embodiments. The electric vehicle control system 107 typically includes one or more processing units (CPUs) 302, one or more networks or other communication interfaces 304 (eg, antennas, I / O interfaces, etc.), memory 310, and One or more communication buses 309 (eg, bus 230 of FIG. 2) for interconnecting these components are included. The communication bus 309 may include circuits (also referred to as a chipset) for interconnecting system components and controlling communication between them. The electric vehicle control system 107 can optionally include a user interface 305 comprising a display device 306, an input device 308 (eg, a mouse, keyboard, touchpad, touch screen, microphone, etc.) and a speaker. The memory 310 includes high-speed random access memory such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solid state storage devices, and includes one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices. Such non-volatile memory or other non-volatile solid state storage devices may be included. The memory 310 may optionally include one or more storage devices located remotely from the CPU 302. The memory 310 includes a computer readable storage medium. In some embodiments, the memory 310 stores the following programs, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof:
An operating system 312 (eg, Windows®, Linux, etc.) that includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks
Via one or more communication network interfaces 304 (wired or wireless) to connect the electric vehicle control system 107 to an electric vehicle bus (eg, bus 230 of the electric vehicle 102), other computers or devices, and / or Or a communication module 314 used to connect to one or more communication networks such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, metropolitan area networks, etc.
A user interface module 316 that receives instructions from the user via the input device 308 and creates a user interface object that is displayed on the display device 306.
A vehicle identifier 318 that uniquely identifies the electric vehicle 102
As described herein, receiving battery status data from a BMS (eg, BMS 206 in FIG. 2) on an electric vehicle bus (eg, bus 230 in FIG. 2), and operating the battery pack of the electric vehicle BMS module 320 that sends instructions to BMS to manage
As described herein, a positioning module 322 that receives positioning data including a current position 324 from a positioning system on an electric vehicle bus (eg, positioning system 105 in FIG. 1) and performs a specific operation.
A sensor module 326 that receives sensor signals from a sensor module on the bus of the electric vehicle (eg, sensor module 212 in FIG. 2).
A sensor signal received from the sensor module 326 and a battery received from the BMS module 320 to the controller / ECU that coordinates the operation of the electric motor of the electric vehicle on the electric vehicle bus as described herein. Controller / ECU module 328 for transmitting status data, instructions received from energy management module 340 or instructions based at least in part on a subset thereof
A battery maintenance process performed on the battery pack of an electric vehicle as described herein (eg, a battery pack that sends a request to receive energy to charge one or more battery packs 104 to a charging station; Such as instructing the lock module 202 to open one or more battery packs 104), and optionally during communication between the electric vehicle and the battery service station, control center, and / or other devices. Battery maintenance module 330 including handshaking and encryption functions used
-As described herein, battery status data received from BMS 320, positioning data received from positioning module 322, user selected or determined based at least in part on user profile 352 of the electric vehicle Location 334, local conditions (eg, traffic conditions, weather, road conditions, etc.), data included in battery service station database 364 (eg, geographic location of battery service stations, battery service station conditions, etc.) and / or Provide navigation services based at least in part on these subsets, and determine a route 336 based on the destination 334 and current location 324 and provide a graphical representation of the destination, route, battery service station, etc. Energy recognition navigation module 332 to display the display device of the car 102 (e.g., display device 306) on the map 338 displayed on the
As described herein, battery status data received from BMS 320, positioning data received from positioning module 322, destination 334, data contained in battery service station database 364, electric vehicle user profile 352, energy An energy management module 340 that provides instructions to the controller / ECU of the electric vehicle via the controller / ECU module 328 based at least in part on the plan 342 and / or a subset thereof.
As described herein, battery status data received from BMS 320, positioning data received from positioning module 322, destination 360 selected by user of electric vehicle, data included in battery service station database 364, electric vehicle Value-added service module 344 that provides value-added services based at least in part on the user's profile 352 and / or a subset thereof
Account data that manages information about the user of the electric vehicle 102 and uniquely identifies the user of the electric vehicle 102, and user account status (eg, valid, expired, canceled, lack of funds, etc.) 350, profile 352 (e.g., user identifier, driving history, driving style (e.g., user suddenly accelerates from stop, accelerates slowly from stop, drives fast, drives slowly, etc.), historical information about the destination. And / or user account module 346 including a POI visited by the user, a route traveled by the user, one or more reference points associated with the user, and / or a subset thereof.
A database module 354 connected to the database of the electric vehicle control system 107 through an interface
A battery status database 356 that includes an identifier for the battery pack and / or historical information about the status of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 102
-Electric vehicle geographic location database 358 including destination 360 (e.g., address, etc.) and / or POI 362 (e.g., landmark, company, etc.), and-battery service station location 366 and / or status information 368 Battery service station database 364

[00123] In some embodiments, the geographic location database 358 is included in the energy aware navigation module 332. In some embodiments, the battery service station database 364 is included in the energy aware navigation module 332. In some embodiments, the battery service station database 364 is included in the geographic location database 358. In some embodiments, the battery status database 356 is included in the energy aware navigation module 332.

[00124] Each of the above-identified elements can be stored in one or more of the storage devices described above and corresponds to a sequence of instructions for performing the functions described above. The sequence of instructions can be executed by one or more processors (eg, CPU 302). The modules or programs identified above (ie, a sequence of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules can be combined in various embodiments. Or other reconfiguration. In some embodiments, each of the modules or programs identified above is implemented using a discrete circuit. In some embodiments, a subset of the modules or programs identified above are implemented using corresponding discrete circuits. In some embodiments, the memory 310 may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, the memory 310 may store additional modules and data structures not described above.

[00125] FIG. 3 illustrates an “electric vehicle control system”, but FIG. 3 illustrates a variety of different types that may exist in an electric vehicle control system than the structural scheme of the embodiments described herein. It is intended to be a functional description of the feature. The items shown individually can be combined in practice and, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, several items can be separate. For example, the energy awareness navigation module 332 may be combined with the energy management module 340.

Energy management
[00126] As described above, the theoretical maximum mileage of an electric vehicle may depend on a number of factors. For example, it may not be sufficient to simply calculate based on the charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack and the average energy consumption of the electric motor of the electric vehicle. Environmental conditions (eg, weather, terrain, etc.) and external conditions such as traffic can significantly affect the theoretical maximum mileage of an electric vehicle. For example, extreme temperatures can reduce the performance of an electric vehicle battery pack. Similarly, traffic jams or slow traffic conditions can prolong the total time an electric vehicle is operating. Furthermore, the speed of the electric vehicle can affect the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle. For example, the energy required to overcome wind resistance increases as the speed of the electric vehicle increases, thus reducing the amount of charge available to drive the electric motor. Furthermore, each battery pack behaves differently. For example, an old battery pack (eg, that has undergone multiple charge / discharge cycles) may not provide the same distance as a new battery pack.

[00127] The embodiments described below provide an energy management system for managing energy for use in an electric vehicle that addresses at least some of the above-described factors. For example, the energy management module 340 and / or the energy awareness navigation module 332 may perform the energy management process described below.

[00128] In some embodiments, the energy management system supplements the functionality of a conventional navigation system. In some embodiments, in addition to providing route guidance, the energy management system provides information regarding the charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack and / or the location and availability of the battery service station. For example, the energy management module 340 provides this information to a conventional navigation system.

[00129] In some embodiments, the energy management system may be a stand-alone component within an electric vehicle. In these embodiments, the energy management system may include a navigation system with energy management capabilities (e.g., energy aware navigation module 332).

[00130] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method 400 for providing an energy-aware navigation service to an electric vehicle according to some embodiments. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines whether an energy plan exists (402).

[00131] If an energy plan exists (404; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 executes the energy plan (406). In some embodiments, the energy plan includes a turn-by-turn and / or point-by-point navigation plan (eg, a route plan) from the current location of the electric vehicle to one or more destinations / waypoints. In some embodiments, the destination / waypoint includes a battery service station (eg, charging station, battery exchange station, etc.). In some embodiments, the energy plan is created by the energy aware navigation module 332. The energy plan is used by the energy aware navigation module 332 to provide route guidance to the user. Note that step 406 is described in more detail in connection with FIG.

[00132] It should be noted that the user of an electric vehicle can be changed during the execution of an energy plan. For example, in a long run, a part of the itinerary may be a first user being a driver of an electric vehicle, and a remaining user may be a second user being a driver of an electric vehicle. In some embodiments, if there is a user change during execution of the energy plan, the energy aware navigation module 332 resets and recalculates the energy plan (eg, based on the profile of the user driving the car). Such). In that case, the energy-aware navigation module 332 keeps track of user preferences and / or driving style differences.

[00133] In some embodiments, if there is a user change during the execution of an energy plan, the energy awareness navigation module 332 determines whether the new user wants to continue using the existing energy plan. , Query new users. If the new user wishes to use an existing energy plan, the energy awareness navigation module 332 continues to execute the existing energy plan. Otherwise, the energy aware navigation module 332 resets and recalculates the energy plan.

[00134] In some embodiments, if there is a user change during execution of an energy plan, the energy awareness navigation module 332 continues to execute the existing energy plan. In these embodiments, if a new user wishes to create a new energy plan, the new user must instruct the energy aware navigation module 332 to do so.

[00135] In some embodiments, if there is no energy plan (404; No), the energy aware navigation module 332 determines (408) whether one or more destinations have been identified by the user of the electric vehicle. . If the user has identified one or more destinations (410; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 uses this destination to create an energy plan (412). Note that step 412 is described in more detail in connection with FIG.

[00136] In some embodiments, if the user has not identified one or more destinations (410; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 displays the predicted destination to the user (414). . In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 displays the predicted destination on a map displayed on the electric vehicle user interface. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 displays the expected destinations as a list in the electric vehicle user interface. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines an expected destination based on past driving history (eg, a nearby destination for the user), a nearby POI, and the like. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 displays the predicted destinations on the map in the ranked order. For example, the expected destinations may be displayed in an order ranked on a list displayed on the user interface of the electric vehicle 102. On the other hand, predicted destinations can be displayed on a map, and visual indications (eg, colors, numbers, icons of various sizes, etc.) are displayed along with predicted destinations, and the ranked order of predicted destinations. Indicates. In some embodiments, the ranked order of expected destinations is the distance from the current location of the electric vehicle, the number of times the user has visited each destination, the time spent by the user at each destination, the destination It is determined based on the rank specified by the local user or a combination thereof. For example, the user's home address and work address are typically ranked higher in the list of expected destinations. In these embodiments, the information is obtained from the user profile 352.

[00137] In some embodiments, in addition to determining an expected destination based on a user's profile, the energy aware navigation module 332 uses integrated data from multiple users. For example, the integrated data may include the number of times a plurality of users have visited each destination, the time spent by the plurality of users at each destination, the rank of users at the destination, or a combination thereof.

[00138] An electric vehicle user may (but need not) select one or more of the expected destinations. The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines whether the user has selected one or more of the expected destinations (416). If the user selects one or more of the predicted destinations (418; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 creates an energy plan using the predicted destinations (412). If the user has not selected one or more of the expected destinations (418; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 monitors energy usage based on the reference point (420). In some embodiments, the reference point is the most likely predicted destination in the ranked list of destinations. Note that step (420) is described in more detail in connection with FIG.

[00139] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram further illustrating step 412 of FIG. 4 according to some embodiments. The energy aware navigation module 332 receives one or more waypoints or destinations (502). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 receives a plurality of destinations from an electric vehicle user. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines multiple destinations based on the user's profile 352. For example, the energy aware navigation module 332 may use historical information, date, day of week, time of day, or a subset thereof, stored in the profile 352 to determine a user's expected destination.

[00140] In some embodiments, prior to driving the electric vehicle 102, the electric vehicle control system 107 identifies the user. For example, the electric vehicle control system 107 includes a user with a unique identifier (eg, personal identification number, username and password, an identifier included in the key of the electric vehicle 102, a radio frequency identification card). Or an identifier included in the smart card).

[00141] The energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the current position of the electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current location based on positioning data received from the positioning module 322. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle (506). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack based on the battery status data received from the BMS module 320.

[00142] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 obtains an electric vehicle user profile 352 (508). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains a user profile 352 from the control center 130. In some embodiments, energy aware navigation module 332 obtains profile 352 from user account module 346 of electric vehicle control system 107. In some embodiments, the user profile 352 has been previously obtained from a control center.

[00143] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains road conditions (510). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains road conditions from the control center. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains road conditions from a third party provider. In some embodiments, road conditions include road speed limits, current and future weather forecasts, terrain information (eg, slope, road type, etc.) and current and past traffic conditions for the road.

[00144] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains battery history for one or more battery packs of the electric vehicle (512). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains battery history from the battery status database 356. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains battery history from the control center.

[00145] Note that steps 504-512 may be performed in any order.

[00146] The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines a theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle (514). In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle from battery status data (eg, charge level) received from the BMS module 320, battery history (eg, battery pack charge / The number of discharge cycles, the age of the battery pack), the positioning data received from the positioning module 322, the profile 352, the characteristics of the electric motor (eg, power consumption), the road conditions (eg, the type of terrain where the road is located) , Weather, traffic conditions, speed limits, etc.), specific speed of the electric vehicle (eg speed not exceeding the speed limit of each road, average speed, etc.), time of day, day of the week or a subset thereof To do. In some embodiments, the theoretical maximum mileage of an electric vehicle includes a marginal safety factor (eg, margin of 10%). This marginal safety factor is used to prepare for unforeseen situations that may occur during operation of the electric vehicle (eg, traffic jams, battery pack failures, etc.). In some embodiments, the marginal safety factor is determined dynamically based on the charge level of the battery pack and the distance to the nearest battery service station.

[00147] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 displays the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle on a map that includes the current position of the electric vehicle at the user interface of the electric vehicle. FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary user interface of the electric vehicle 102 that displays a map 701 that includes the current location of the electric vehicle 102 and a destination 706. Visual indications (eg, shading, color, etc.) are used to indicate that destinations outside the theoretical maximum mileage 704 are unreachable. A destination within the theoretical maximum mileage 704 is reachable at the current charge level of the battery pack.

[00148] Referring again to FIG. 5, the energy-aware navigation module 332 then selects an unprocessed destination from a plurality of destinations (516), and the destination is reachable from the current location based on the theoretical maximum travel distance. It is determined whether or not (518). The energy aware navigation module 332 uses road data (eg, from the geographic location database 358) to determine whether the destination is reachable from the current location (ie, the battery pack's Note that it is determined whether the charge level is sufficient. Thus, the determination is not based on a theoretical maximum travel distance (for example, a circle) having a single fixed radius centered on the current position, but based on an actual route. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 calculates a route from the current location to the destination, calculates a driving distance for the route, and determines whether the destination is reachable from the current location. Therefore, it is determined whether the destination can be reached from the current position by comparing the driving distance and the theoretical maximum traveling distance.

[00149] In some cases, the destination is reachable (eg, destination 706 in FIG. 7A is within theoretical maximum mileage 704). If the destination is reachable (520; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 creates a route (eg, route 708 in FIG. 7A) from the current position to the destination (522). The energy aware navigation module 332 then adds this route to the energy plan (524) and sets the destination as the current location (526). In some embodiments, after setting the destination as the current location, the energy awareness navigation module 332 predicts the amount of energy required for the electric vehicle to reach the destination, and the destination of the battery pack of the electric vehicle. A predicted charge level at (eg, after the electric vehicle reaches the destination) is calculated. By setting the destination as the current location, the energy aware navigation module 332 can calculate whether the electric vehicle can reach the next destination (if any).

[00150] The energy aware navigation module 332 then marks the destination as processed (528).

[00151] In some cases, the destination is unreachable unless the battery pack is first serviced (eg, in FIG. 7B, the destination 711 is outside the theoretical maximum mileage 704). If the destination is unreachable (520; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 creates an energy plan from the current location to the destination, including a drop-in to a suitable battery service station (530). This step is described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 6 and 7B-7H. After creating the energy plan, the energy aware navigation module 332 marks the destination as processed (528).

[00152] After marking the destination as processed, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines whether there are other unprocessed destinations (532). If there are other unprocessed destinations (534; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 returns to step 516. If there is no unprocessed destination (534; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 proceeds to step 406 of FIG.

[00153] In some embodiments, when an electric vehicle user cancels an energy plan, the energy-aware navigation module 332 performs the steps of FIG.

[00154] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram further illustrating step 530 of FIG. 5, according to some embodiments. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines a suitable battery service station that is within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location (602). A suitable battery service station is within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current position and can service the battery pack of an electric vehicle (eg, a battery pack having an available battery bay for battery pack replacement) A battery service station having a usable charging station for charging, having a battery pack of a type compatible with an electric vehicle, a compatible battery pack being charged, etc.). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 queries the battery service station database 364 to determine battery service stations within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 receives updated information about the status of the battery service station from a control center (eg, control center 130 in FIG. 1). The energy aware navigation module 332 may store this information in the battery service station database 364. In these embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 includes only a battery service station that has the space and time to service the battery pack of the electric vehicle. The energy aware navigation module 332 uses road data (eg, from the geographic location database 358) to determine a battery service station that is within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location. For example, the energy aware navigation module 332 may first determine a route from the current location of the electric vehicle to a destination that can be reached via the road. The energy aware navigation module 332 may then determine the battery service station based on the determined route and data stored in the battery service station database 364. Thus, the battery service station is not a battery service station that is within a theoretical maximum travel distance (for example, a circle) having a radius centered on the current position. In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 first determines a route from the current location to the destination. The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines a battery service station that is at a particular distance from the determined route (eg, within 5 miles of the determined route). In some embodiments, the route is determined based on the integrated road segment. In some embodiments, the integrated road segment is a plurality of road segments in which road conditions (eg, traffic conditions, speed limits, terrain types, altitudes, etc.) of each segment among a plurality of sections are averaged. including. At that time, an approximate route can be quickly calculated and updated in real time.

[00155] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 displays a suitable battery service station in the electric vehicle user interface. For example, referring to FIG. 7B, suitable battery service stations include battery service stations that are within the theoretical maximum mileage 704 (eg, an unshaded area on the map 701). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 uses a visual display to indicate a preferred battery service station along the route to the destination. For example, battery service stations along the route to the destination can be highlighted.

[00156] The energy aware navigation module 332 then selects (604) a suitable battery service station (within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location and along the route to the destination). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 may include a profile 352 (eg, including user preferences, user driving history, battery service stations previously used by the user, etc.) and / or user specified batteries. Select a battery service station based on the service station. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 allows the user to select a suitable battery service station.

[00157] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 checks whether the selected battery service station can service the battery of the electric vehicle. For example, if the battery service station is a battery exchange station, the energy awareness navigation module 332 can be used for the battery exchange station to have a battery pack that is compatible with the electric vehicle and to replace the battery pack of the electric vehicle. Make sure you have a battery replacement bay. Similarly, if the battery service station is a charging station, the energy awareness navigation module 332 confirms that the charging station can be used to charge the battery pack of the electric vehicle.

[00158] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 then schedules a time when the electric vehicle is serviced at the selected battery service station (606). In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 schedules a time at the selected battery service station based on the predicted arrival time of the electric vehicle to the selected battery service station. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 also reserves a battery and battery replacement platform for the electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 uses one or more communication interfaces 304 to communicate with the selected battery service station and reserve time at the selected battery service station. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 uses one or more communication interfaces 304 to communicate with the control center and reserve time at the selected battery service station. In these embodiments, the control center then communicates the reservation to the selected battery service station.

[00159] The energy aware navigation module 332 adds the selected battery service station as a waypoint to the waypoint list (608). The waypoint list can then be used by the energy aware navigation module 332 to provide route guidance (eg, turn-by-turn guidance, etc.). Waypoints are also determined based on the user's home, the user's workplace, the location where the electric vehicle is charged, the destination specified by the user, the destination determined based on the user's profile, and the integrated user profile data. Note that the earth can also be included.

[00160] The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle after the battery pack is serviced (610). As described above, the energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle, the battery status after replacing or recharging the battery pack, the battery history, the positioning data received from the positioning module 322, the profile 352, the electric motor. Based on characteristics of the vehicle, road conditions, specific speed of the electric vehicle, time of day, day of the week or a subset thereof. Again, the theoretical maximum mileage of an electric vehicle can include a margin safety factor (eg, margin 20%). This marginal safety factor is used to prepare for unforeseen situations that may occur during operation of the electric vehicle (eg, traffic jams, battery pack failures, etc.). Battery maintenance may include a charging service at the charging station and / or a battery replacement service at the battery exchange station.

[00161] The energy aware navigation module 332 determines whether the destination is reachable after the battery pack is serviced (612). The energy aware navigation module 332 makes this determination by first determining the route from the selected battery service station to the destination and then determining whether the route distance is within the theoretical maximum travel distance.

[00162] If the destination is unreachable after the battery pack is serviced (614: No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the theoretical maximum mileage from the selected battery service station (eg, as described above). A preferred battery service station within is determined (616).

[00163] The energy aware navigation module 332 then selects a new preferred battery service station that is within the theoretical maximum mileage of the previously selected battery service station and that is on the route to the destination (618). As described above, the energy-aware navigation module 332 may include profiles 352 (eg, including user preferences, user driving history, battery service stations previously used by the user, etc.) and / or user specified battery service stations. Based on this, a new suitable battery service station can be selected. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 allows the user to select a suitable battery service station.

[00164] The energy aware navigation module 332 then returns to step 606.

[00165] If the destination is reachable after the battery pack is serviced (614; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the first battery service station in the waypoint list from the current location (620). ).

[00166] The energy aware navigation module 332 then adds the route to the energy plan (622). The energy aware navigation module 332 determines whether there are other battery service stations in the waypoint list (624). If there are other battery service stations in the waypoint list (626; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 determines a route from the previous battery service station to the next battery service station in the waypoint list (628). . The energy aware navigation module 332 then returns to step 622. If there are no other battery service stations in the waypoint list (626; No), the energy aware navigation module 332 determines a route from the last battery service station to the destination (630) and adds this route to the energy plan. (632). The energy aware navigation module 332 then proceeds to step 528 of FIG.

[00167] Some examples of the process described in FIG. 6 are described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 7B to 7C show a case where the user of the electric vehicle 102 designates a destination 711 outside the theoretical maximum mileage 704 of the electric vehicle. In this case, the energy-aware navigation module 332 selects a battery exchange station 712 where the battery pack of the electric vehicle 102 is replaced with a charged battery pack, and schedules time. The energy aware navigation module 332 adds the battery exchange station 712 as a waypoint 713 to the waypoint list. The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle 102 after the battery pack is replaced and determines whether the electric vehicle 102 can reach the destination 711. As shown in FIG. 7C, the destination 711 is within the theoretical maximum travel distance (that is, the theoretical maximum travel distance includes all destinations displayed on the map 701). In this way, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines that the destination 711 is reachable from the battery exchange station 712. The energy aware navigation module 332 then repeats the waypoint list and creates paths 714 and 721.

[00168] In FIGS. 7D-7H, the user of the electric vehicle 102 has designated a destination 732 (eg, Sacramento, Calif.) That must be visited multiple times before reaching the battery exchange station. The map 731 shown in FIGS. 7D-7H includes both the current location of the electric vehicle 702 and the destination 732. As shown in FIG. 7E, the theoretical maximum travel distance of the electric vehicle 102 is indicated by a shaded area on the map 731. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines that the battery exchange stations 741-1 and 744 are reachable from the current location of the electric vehicle 102. The energy aware navigation module 332 selects the battery exchange station 741-1 and schedules a time here (eg, based on a user profile or via user input, etc.). The energy aware navigation module 332 then adds the battery exchange station 741-1 as a waypoint 742-1 to the waypoint list.

[00169] As shown in FIG. 7F, the energy-aware navigation module 332 then determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle 102 after the battery pack is replaced, and the electric vehicle 102 moves from the battery exchange station 741-1 to the destination. It is determined whether 732 is reachable. Since destination 732 is still unreachable, energy aware navigation module 332 selects a battery exchange station 741-2 that is within the theoretical maximum mileage from battery exchange station 741-1 and schedules a time there. . The energy aware navigation module 332 then adds the battery exchange station 741-2 as a waypoint 742-2 to the waypoint list.

[00170] As shown in FIG. 7G, the energy aware navigation module 332 then determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle 102 after the battery pack has been replaced, and the electric vehicle 102 moves from the battery exchange station 741-2 to the destination. It is determined whether 732 is reachable. Since the destination 732 is now reachable, the energy aware navigation module 332 passes the path 743-1 from the current position of the electric vehicle 102 to the battery exchange station 741-1, from the battery exchange station 741-1 to the battery exchange station 741-. 2 and a route 743-3 from the battery exchange station 741-2 to the destination 732 are determined. The energy aware navigation module 332 then adds these paths to the energy plan.

FIG. 7H shows a route from the current position of the electric vehicle to the destination 732. FIG. 7H also shows destinations that are off-route and reachable. If the user decides to travel to a reachable destination off the planned route, the energy aware navigation module 332 monitors the energy plan and determines if the energy plan is still feasible. If the energy plan is no longer feasible, the energy awareness navigation module 332 repeats the process described in FIG.

[00172] Note that in FIGS. 7A-7H, the energy aware navigation module 332 has selected a battery exchange station. However, the energy aware navigation module 332 may select the charging station, battery exchange station, and combinations thereof to create an energy plan. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 asks the user to select a battery service station.

[00173] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 displays a map (eg, map 701, map 731, etc.) displayed on the user interface of the electric vehicle, the current position of the electric vehicle, the battery pack of the electric vehicle. The battery level is updated periodically based on the preferred battery service station (eg, based on the charge level of the battery pack and the updated status of the battery service station, etc.).

[00174] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram further illustrating step 420 of FIG. 4 in accordance with some embodiments. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current position of the electric vehicle (802). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current location based on positioning data received from the positioning module 322. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack (804). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack based on the battery status data received from the BMS module 320.

[00175] In some embodiments, as described above (eg, step 508 of FIG. 5), the energy-aware navigation module 332 obtains an electric vehicle user profile 352 (806).

[00176] In some embodiments, as described above (eg, step 510 of FIG. 5), the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains road conditions (808).

[00177] In some embodiments, as described above (eg, step 512 of FIG. 5), the energy-aware navigation module 332 obtains battery history for one or more battery packs of an electric vehicle (810).

[00178] Note that steps 802-810 may be performed in any order.

[00179] The energy aware navigation module 332 then moves the current location to a specific distance from the reference point (eg, in an area bounded by a point-of-no-return, as described below). (812). In some embodiments, the reference point is the point where the electric vehicle spends the most time to charge (eg, the user's home or work). In some embodiments, the specific distance is a specific percentage (eg, 50%) of the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle based on the determined charge level of one or more battery packs.

[00180] If the electric vehicle is within a specific distance from the reference point (814; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 waits for a specific time (816) and then returns to step 802.

[00181] Attention is now directed to FIG. 9, which illustrates an exemplary user interface 900 of an electric vehicle 102 that displays a map 901 for the electric vehicle 102 and reachable destinations, according to some embodiments. The current position of the electric vehicle 102 and the reference point 904 are displayed on a map 901. In this case, the reference point 904 is within the theoretical maximum travel distance 906. The energy aware navigation module 332 also calculates a non-returnable point 908 that indicates the farthest destination that the electric vehicle can go back to the reference point 904. When the electric vehicle 102 travels beyond the non-returnable point 908, the electric vehicle battery pack must be serviced (eg, replaced or charged).

[00182] Referring again to FIG. 8, if the electric vehicle is not within a certain distance from the reference point (814; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 (eg, as described above in connection with step 514 of FIG. 5). Determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle (818).

[00183] The energy-aware navigation module 332 is suitable for battery service stations (eg, battery exchange station 910 and charging station 912 in FIG. 9) that are within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location of the electric vehicle (eg, as described above). Is determined (820).

[00184] The energy aware navigation module 332 then generates a warning (822). The alert may be an audio alert (eg, sound, voice, etc.) or a visual alert (eg, text, etc.). The alert may be provided by the user interface 305 (eg, by display, speaker, etc.).

[00185] The energy aware navigation module 332 prompts the user via the user interface 305 to select a battery service station (824). The prompt may be an audio prompt or a visual prompt via a user interface (eg, user interface 210 in FIG. 2, user interface 305 in FIG. 3, etc.). The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines whether the user has selected a battery service station (826).

[00186] If the user selects a battery service station (828; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the time at the selected battery service station (eg, as described above in connection with step 606 of FIG. 6). Schedule (836) and create a route from the current position of the electric vehicle to the selected battery service station (838) and add this route to the energy plan (840). The energy aware navigation module 332 then proceeds to step 406 of FIG.

[00187] If the user has not selected a battery service station (828; No), the energy aware navigation module 332 determines whether the user has ignored the prompt to select the battery service station more than a certain number of times (eg, After the third) (830).

[00188] If the user ignores the prompt to select a battery service station more than a specific number of times (832; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 selects a suitable battery service station (834) and proceeds to step 836. The selection of the battery service station may be based on the profile 352 and / or integrated user profile data obtained from a group of users. Thus, if the user ignores the prompt more than a specific number of times, the energy aware navigation module 332 selects a battery service station for the user and provides a navigation service to the selected battery service station. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 uses the energy plan regardless of whether the user has identified a silent navigation mode (eg, as described below in connection with FIG. 11). Provide guidance.

[00189] If the user ignores the prompt to select a battery service station less than a certain number (832; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 proceeds to step 816.

[00190] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram further illustrating step 406 in FIG. 4, according to some embodiments. The energy aware navigation module 332 selects a waypoint in the energy plan (1002). When the energy aware navigation module 332 starts executing the energy plan, the energy aware navigation module 332 selects the first waypoint in the energy plan. During subsequent iterations, the energy awareness navigation module 332 selects the next waypoint in the energy plan.

[00191] The energy aware navigation module 332 provides guidance to the waypoint selected using the route in the energy plan (1004). In some embodiments, if the electric vehicle deviates from the route, the energy aware navigation module 332 creates a new route based on the current position of the electric vehicle and the selected waypoint and provides guidance based on the new route. To do. In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 provides voice guidance (eg, voice, etc.). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 provides visual guidance (eg, maps, text, etc.). In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 provides both voice guidance and visual guidance. The energy aware navigation module 332 then optionally waits for a specified time (1006).

[00192] The energy-aware navigation module 332 then determines whether the selected waypoint has been reached (1008). If the selected waypoint has not been reached (1010; No), the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current position of the electric vehicle as described above (1012). The energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle as described above (1014).

[00193] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 obtains (1016) an electric vehicle user profile 352 as described above (eg, step 508 of FIG. 5).

[00194] In some embodiments, energy aware navigation module 332 obtains road conditions 1018 as described above (eg, step 510 of FIG. 5) (1018).

[00195] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains battery history for one or more battery packs of the electric vehicle (1020) as described above (eg, step 512 of FIG. 5).

[00196] It should be noted that steps 1012-1020 may be performed in any order.

[00197] The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle (1022) as described above (eg, step 514 of FIG. 5).

[00198] The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines whether the selected waypoint is reachable (1024). Note that the selected waypoint may become unreachable due to changing circumstances (eg, traffic conditions, weather, terrain, battery pack failure, car speed, etc.).

[00199] If the selected waypoint is reachable (1026; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 returns to step 1004. If the selected waypoint is unreachable (1026; No), the energy aware navigation module 332 notifies the user that the waypoint is unreachable (1028) and resets the energy plan (1030). Returning to step 402 of FIG. 4, a new energy plan is created.

[00200] Note that the energy aware navigation module 332 may first determine whether the waypoint is reachable before determining whether the waypoint has been reached.

[00201] If the selected waypoint has been reached (1010; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 determines whether the selected waypoint is a battery service station (1032). If the selected waypoint is a battery service station (1034; Yes), the energy awareness navigation module 332 determines whether the battery pack of the electric vehicle has been serviced at the battery service station (1036). If the battery pack of the electric vehicle is serviced at the battery service station (1038: Yes), the energy recognition navigation module 332 records information about the service performed on the battery pack by the battery service station (1040). For example, the energy aware navigation module 332 may store information about maintenance performed on the battery pack in the battery status database 356. After step 1040 or after a determination that the battery pack has not been serviced at the battery service station (1038; No), or after a determination that the selected waypoint is not a battery service station (1034; No), energy recognition The navigation module 332 determines whether there are other waypoints (1042).

[00202] If there are other waypoints in the energy plan (1044; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 returns to step 1002. If there are no other waypoints in the energy plan (eg, when the final destination is reached) (1044; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 performs a specific action (1046). For example, the energy aware navigation module 332 may record the route traveled and stops taken along the route in the profile 352 and / or the geographic one database 358. Similarly, the energy awareness navigation module 332 communicates routes and / or destinations to the value added service module 344, which then provides value added services (eg, coupons, etc.). In some embodiments, if the destination is associated with a proposal provided by the value-added service module 344 and a proposal selected by an electric vehicle user (see, eg, FIG. 22 below), an energy-aware navigation module. Since 332 notifies the value added service module 344 that the destination has been reached, the value added service module 344 can provide tracking information to the control center. In doing so, the service provider may receive advertising revenue for users arriving at the planned destination associated with the selected proposal.

[00203] The user does not always use the navigation service while driving the vehicle. For example, the user may want to go to a plurality of destinations, but may require guidance at each corner only at certain parts of the itinerary. Therefore, when the user is in a familiar area, the user may choose not to use the car navigation system. However, if the user is in an unfamiliar area, he may choose to use the car navigation system. Thus, some embodiments provide at least two modes of energy management. In the first mode, the electric vehicle control system (e.g., the electric vehicle control system 107 of FIG. 3) is visually (e.g., a map, based on the destination received from the electric vehicle user and / or the electric vehicle user profile). Text) and / or audio (eg, voice) turn-by-turn guidance. In the second mode, the electric vehicle control system performs the energy plan but does not provide guidance for every corner. In doing so, the energy-aware navigation module 332 can monitor the progress of the electric vehicle 102 toward the energy planning waypoint without providing audio and / or visual turn-by-turn guidance, and energy if necessary. The plan can be recalculated. In some embodiments, the silent navigation feature is a preference in profile 352. In some embodiments, the user switches the silent navigation function on or off during execution of the energy plan.

[00204] In some embodiments where silent navigation is available, step 1004 includes the process shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the energy-aware navigation module 332 determines whether silent navigation is enabled (1102). If silent navigation is not enabled (1104; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 provides guidance at each corner during the execution of the energy plan. If silent navigation is enabled (1104; Yes), the energy-aware navigation module 332 disables guidance at each corner during the energy plan. After steps 1106 and 1108, energy aware navigation module 332 proceeds to step 1006.

[00205] Although the energy aware navigation module 332 and / or the energy management module 340 may provide energy management services, the electric vehicle may still not reach the destination. For example, the battery service station may be out of service and there may be no other battery service station within range of the electric vehicle. Similarly, battery packs for electric vehicles can fail unexpectedly. Therefore, in some embodiments, the energy awareness navigation module 332 determines whether the electric vehicle is out of range of the battery service station and requests the mobile battery service station to service the battery of the electric vehicle. . These embodiments are described in connection with FIG.

[00296] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a method 1200 for determining whether an electric vehicle is out of range of a battery service station, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 performs the following steps. The energy-aware navigation module 332 determines the current position of the electric vehicle (1202). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current location based on positioning data received from the positioning module 322. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle (1204). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines the charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack based on the battery status data received from the BMS module 320.

[00207] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 obtains a user profile 352 of an electric vehicle (1206) as described above (eg, step 508 of FIG. 5).

[00208] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains road conditions (1208) as described above (eg, step 510 of FIG. 5).

[00209] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 obtains battery history for one or more battery packs of an electric vehicle (1210) as described above (eg, step 512 of FIG. 5).

[00210] Note that steps 1202 through 1210 may be performed in any order.

[00211] The energy aware navigation module 332 determines (1212) the theoretical maximum mileage of the electric vehicle (eg, as described above in connection with step 514 of FIG. 5).

[00212] The energy aware navigation module 332 then determines whether there is at least one battery service station or reference point within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location (1214). In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 queries the battery service station database 364 (eg, as described above) to determine a battery service station within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location.

[00213] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 determines a battery service station that is within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location of the electric vehicle. As described above, the battery service stations may include only battery service stations that are within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location of the vehicle using the road. Further, the battery station of the battery service station may include only a battery service station that can be used to service a battery pack of an electric vehicle.

[00214] If there is at least one battery service station within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current position of the electric vehicle (1216; Yes), the energy aware navigation module 332 waits for a specific time (1218) and proceeds to step 1202 . If at least one battery service station is not within the theoretical maximum mileage of the current location of the electric vehicle (1216; No), the energy aware navigation module 332 creates an alarm (1220). The alert may be an audio alert and / or a visual alert provided by a user interface (eg, user interface 210 of FIG. 2, user interface 305 of FIG. 3, etc.).

[00215] In some embodiments, the energy-aware navigation module 332 makes a request to the mobile battery service station to service the battery pack of the electric vehicle (1222). For example, a mobile battery maintenance station can carry a charged battery pack to an electric vehicle, and can replace the battery pack consumed by the electric vehicle with the charged battery pack.

[00216] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 monitors the route traveled by the electric vehicle. In doing so, the energy-aware navigation module 332 obtains data that can be used to create the profile 352. These embodiments are described with reference to FIG. 13, which is a flow diagram of a method 1300 for monitoring a route traveled by an electric vehicle according to some embodiments. The energy-aware navigation module 332 monitors a route traveled between two point-of-intelests (eg, home, company, landmark, recreation area, government building, etc.) (1302). For example, the energy aware navigation module 332 may monitor the positioning data received from the positioning module 322.

[00217] The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the travel time between two POIs (1302) and records the route and travel time (1306). For example, the energy aware navigation module 332 may record the route and travel time in the profile 352.

[00218] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 communicates the route and travel time to a server (eg, control center 130, etc.). The server can then consolidate data about the user and create a profile for the user. Similarly, the server may consolidate data about users with data from other users and accumulate statistics about electric vehicle users in this integrated data. The route and travel time can also be used to determine current traffic conditions.

[00219] In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 periodically communicates the current location of the electric vehicle and the charge level of the electric vehicle battery pack to a control center (eg, the control center 130 in FIG. 1). . In response, the control center can then monitor the current charge level and location of the electric vehicle to plan overall power grid management. For example, the control center may adjust the battery maintenance plan (eg, by reducing the recharge rate of the battery pack, re-scheduling the electric vehicle to another battery service station, keeping the power grid balanced, etc.) Avoid overburdening maintenance requests. These embodiments are described in connection with FIG.

[00220] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a method 1400 for monitoring the charge level of an electric vehicle battery pack, according to some embodiments. The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle (1402). For example, the energy recognition navigation module 332 determines the charge level of the battery pack based on the battery status data received from the BMS module 320.

[00221] The energy aware navigation module 332 determines the current position of the electric vehicle (1404). For example, the energy-aware navigation module 332 may determine the current position of the electric vehicle from the positioning data received from the positioning module 322. Note that steps 1402-1404 may be performed in any order.

[00222] The energy aware navigation module 332 then communicates (1406) the current charge level and current position of the battery pack to a control center (eg, the control center 130 of FIG. 1). In some embodiments, for protection of user privacy, the current charge level and / or current location of the electric vehicle battery pack may be transmitted to the control center without an identifier (eg, vehicle identifier, user identifier, battery identifier, etc.). Sent. The control center then tracks the current position of the plurality of electric vehicles and the current charge level of the battery packs of the plurality of electric vehicles. The control center then uses this information to adjust the battery maintenance plan so that the power grid is not overburdened by battery maintenance requests.

[00223] The energy aware navigation module 332 then waits for a specific time (1048) and proceeds to step 1402.

Battery pack maintenance
[00224] As described above, the battery pack of an electric vehicle may be serviced by a charging station and / or a battery exchange station. The battery maintenance process is described below in connection with FIGS.

[00225] FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of a method 1500 for servicing an electric vehicle battery pack, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 15, at least an electric vehicle control system battery service module 1502 (eg, battery service module 330 of FIG. 3), control center 1504 (eg, control center 130 of FIG. 1), and battery service for an electric vehicle. A station 1506 (eg, battery service station 134 of FIG. 1) performs the steps while servicing the electric vehicle battery pack.

[00226] When the electric vehicle reaches the battery service station 1506, the battery service module 1502 sends a request to the control center 1504 (eg, the control center 130) to service the battery pack of the electric vehicle (1508). In some embodiments, the request includes identification information including a battery identifier for the battery pack, a user identifier, a vehicle identifier, a charge level of the battery pack, a battery pack type, and the like. The battery service module 1502 may communicate with the control center 1504 via a wired connection (eg, Ethernet communication at the battery service station 1506) or a wireless connection (eg, WiFi, mobile phone, Bluetooth, etc.). The battery service module 1502 transmits the request to a communication module of the electric vehicle (for example, the communication module 106 of FIG. 1, the communication module 106 of FIG. 2, etc.), and the communication module then transmits the request to the control center 1504. In this case, the battery service module 1502 interfaces with the communication module of the electric vehicle using one or more communication modules (eg, one or more communication interfaces 304) of the electric vehicle control system. Alternatively, the battery service module 1502 may communicate the request to the control center 1504 via one or more communication interfaces (eg, one or more communication interfaces 304) of the electric vehicle control system.

[00227] The control center 1504 receives a request to maintain the battery pack (1510), and confirms the account status of the user (1512). For example, the control center 1504 checks whether the user's account is current and functioning (eg, the user is paying a regular subscription fee, the user is paying a temporary fee, etc.). . If the account status is not confirmed (1514; No), the control center 1504 updates the account attributes (eg, payment information, subscription type, etc.) to the user or if the user does not have an existing account, the control center 1504 Prompt to create (1516). The control center 1504 then returns to step 1512.

[00228] If the account status is confirmed (1514; Yes), the control center 1504 determines a maintenance plan for the battery pack (1518). In some embodiments, the control center 1504 may charge the electric vehicle battery pack, the battery pack type, the user account type and / or status, the current status of the power grid, the charging of other electric vehicle battery packs. A maintenance plan is determined based at least in part on the level. The maintenance plan may include a charging plan for recharging the battery pack of the electric vehicle, a battery replacement plan for replacing the battery pack of the electric vehicle, and / or a combination of the charging plan and the battery replacement plan. In some embodiments, the maintenance plan includes a sequence of instructions executed by a battery service station and / or an electric vehicle (eg, electric vehicle control system 107 of FIG. 3). In some embodiments, the maintenance plan includes parameters that provide information about maintenance performed on the battery pack of the electric vehicle. These parameters can then be interpreted by the battery service station and / or the electric vehicle (eg, electric vehicle control system 107 of FIG. 3) during the battery pack maintenance process.

[00229] In some embodiments, the control center 1504 sends the maintenance plan to the battery service station 1506 (1520). The battery service station 1506 receives the maintenance plan (1522). In some embodiments, the battery service station 1506 receives a maintenance plan from the battery service module 1502 of the electric vehicle control system. The battery service station 1506 then monitors and manages battery maintenance (1524).

[00230] In some embodiments, the control center 1504 sends a maintenance plan to the battery service module 1502 (1526). The battery service module 1502 receives the maintenance plan (1528). The battery service module 1502 then monitors and manages battery maintenance (1530). For example, the battery service module 1502 may monitor battery status data received from a BMS module of the electric vehicle control system (eg, the BMS module 320 of FIG. 3). Similarly, the battery service module 1502 may command the battery pack lock module of the electric vehicle (eg, the battery pack lock module 202 of FIG. 2) to engage / release the lock during the battery replacement process. In some embodiments, the battery service module 1502 receives a maintenance plan from the battery service station 1506.

[00231] Steps 1530 and 1524 are described in more detail in connection with FIGS.

[00232] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of a method 1600 for servicing an electric vehicle battery pack at a battery exchange station 1604, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 16, at least the battery service module 1602 of the electric vehicle (eg, the battery service module 330 of FIG. 3) and the battery exchange station 1604 perform the steps during servicing the battery of the electric vehicle.

[00233] When the electric vehicle is substantially aligned with the battery exchange platform of the battery exchange station 1604, the battery exchange station 1604 raises the battery exchange platform to support the battery pack of the electric vehicle (1606). In some embodiments, the battery exchange station 1604 determines whether the electric vehicle battery pack is supported by a battery exchange platform (eg, by using a pressure sensor), and the battery pack is supported by the platform. A signal indicating this is transmitted to the electric vehicle.

[00234] In some embodiments, the battery exchange station 1604 inserts a key into the locking mechanism for the electric vehicle battery pack (1616) and the battery lock of the electric vehicle battery pack (eg, FIG. 2). Release one or more battery pack locks 204). In some embodiments, the electric vehicle includes two sets of battery pack locks. A set of battery pack locks can be locked / unlocked using a battery exchange platform key. Another set of battery pack locks may be (electrically) locked / unlocked by the battery service module 1602. The advantage of having two sets of locks is that if one set of locks is unintentionally unlocked (eg, an error in battery service module 1602), the other set of locks will cause the battery pack to separate from the electric vehicle. It is to prevent being done.

[00235] The battery service module 1602 determines whether the battery pack of the electric vehicle is supported by the battery exchange platform of the battery exchange station 1604 (1608). The battery service module 1602 may make this determination based on sensor signals received from a sensor module of the electric vehicle (eg, sensor module 212) and / or signals transmitted from the battery exchange station 1604. For example, the sensor module may receive a sensor signal from an electric vehicle pressure sensor indicating that the battery pack is supported by the platform of the battery exchange station 1604.

[00236] If the battery pack is not supported by the battery exchange platform (1610; No), the battery service module 330 waits for a specific time (1612) and returns to step 1608. Alternatively, the battery service module 330 informs the personnel at the battery exchange station 1604 that the battery exchange platform does not support the battery pack. The battery service module 330 can notify personnel via a communication interface of the electric vehicle control system (eg, the communication interface 304 of FIG. 3). Alternatively, the battery service module 330 may notify an attendant via an electric vehicle communication module (eg, the communication module 106 of FIG. 2). The notification may be sent via a wired or wireless connection. The attendant then manually raises the battery exchange platform.

[00237] If the battery pack is supported by the battery exchange platform (1610; Yes), the battery service module 1602 releases the battery pack lock (1614). For example, the battery service module 1602 may unlock the battery pack lock (eg, one or more battery pack locks 204 of FIG. 2) on the battery pack lock module of the electric vehicle (eg, the battery pack lock module 202 of FIG. 2). The instruction prevents the hook that connects the battery pack to the chassis of the electric vehicle from being released.

[00238] The battery service module 1602 determines whether the battery pack lock is released (1618). The battery service module 1602 may make this determination based on sensor signals received from a sensor module (eg, sensor module 212) of the electric vehicle. For example, the sensor module may receive a signal indicating that the battery pack lock is released from a pressure sensor of the electric vehicle.

[00239] If the battery pack lock has not been released (1620; No), the battery service module 1602 waits for a specific time (1622) and returns to step 1618. Alternatively, the battery service module 1602 may notify personnel that the battery pack lock has not been released (eg, as described above). The attendant then manually releases the battery pack lock.

[00240] If the battery pack lock is released (1620; Yes), the battery service module 1602 separates the battery pack from the battery bay of the electric vehicle (1624). For example, the battery service module 1602 may release a mechanical hook that couples the battery pack to the battery bay. In some embodiments, the battery service module 1602 notifies the battery exchange station 1604 that the battery pack has been detached. In some embodiments, the battery exchange station 1604 may include a sensor located on the battery exchange platform (eg, a pressure sensor that detects the weight of the battery pack on the battery exchange platform) that the battery pack has been separated. Use to detect. The battery service module 1602 then waits for a specific time (1626) (eg, waits for the battery exchange station 1604 to replace the battery pack).

[00241] After the battery pack is separated from the battery bay, the battery exchange station 1604 removes the battery pack from the battery bay of the electric vehicle (1628). The battery exchange station 1604 then carries (1630) the consumed (or partially consumed) battery pack to a storage facility (eg, at the battery exchange station 1604). The battery exchange station 1604 removes the new battery pack from the storage facility (1632). The battery exchange platform at battery exchange station 1604 then inserts the battery pack into the battery bay of the electric vehicle (1634). In some embodiments, the battery exchange station 1604 sends a signal to the battery service module 1602 indicating that the battery pack is ready to be coupled to the battery bay of the electric vehicle.

[00242] The battery service module 1602 determines (1636) whether the battery pack is ready to be coupled to the battery bay of the electric vehicle. In some embodiments, battery service module 1602 makes this determination based on sensor signals received from sensor module 212. For example, a pressure sensor in a battery bay of an electric vehicle may indicate that a battery pack has been inserted into the battery bay of the electric vehicle. In some embodiments, the battery service module 1602 receives a signal from the battery exchange station 1604 indicating that the battery pack is ready to be coupled to the battery bay of the electric vehicle.

[00243] If the battery pack is not ready to be coupled to the battery bay (1638; No), the battery service module 1602 waits for a specific time (1626) and returns to step 1626. Alternatively, the battery service module 1602 may notify the attendant that the battery pack is not ready to be coupled to the battery bay (eg, after waiting for a specific time). The attendant can then take remedial action (eg, manually remove the battery pack, manually raise the battery exchange platform, etc.).

[00244] If the battery pack is ready to be coupled to the battery bay (1638; Yes), the battery service module 1602 couples the battery pack to the battery bay of the electric vehicle (1640). For example, the battery service module 1602 may engage a mechanical hook that couples the battery pack to the chassis of the battery bay.

[00245] The battery service module 1602 determines whether the battery pack is coupled to the battery bay of the electric vehicle (1642). For example, the battery service module 1602 can make this determination based on a sensor signal received from the sensor module.

[00246] If the battery pack is not coupled to the battery bay (1644; No), the battery service module 1602 waits for a specific time (1646) and returns to step 1642. Alternatively, the battery service module 1602 may notify personnel that the battery pack is not coupled to the battery bay. The attendant then manually couples the battery pack to the battery bay.

[00247] If the battery pack is coupled to the battery bay (1644; Yes), the battery service module 1602 engages (1650) a battery pack lock (eg, one or more battery pack locks 204). For example, the battery service module 1602 may engage the battery pack lock (eg, one or more battery pack locks 204 of FIG. 2) with the battery pack lock module (eg, the battery pack lock module 202 of FIG. 2) of the electric vehicle. Commanding may prevent the hook that connects the battery pack to the chassis of the electric vehicle from being released. In some embodiments, the battery exchange platform of battery exchange station 1604 engages (1648) the battery pack lock and unlocks it.

[00248] The battery service module 1602 determines whether the battery pack lock is engaged (1652). The battery service module 1602 may make this determination based on sensor signals received from a sensor module (eg, sensor module 212) of the electric vehicle. For example, the sensor module may receive a sensor signal indicating that the battery pack lock is engaged from a pressure sensor on the electric vehicle.

[00249] If the battery pack lock is not engaged (1654; No), the battery service module 1602 waits for a specific time (1656) and returns to step 1652. Alternatively, the battery service module 1602 may notify personnel that the battery pack lock is not engaged. The attendant then manually engages the battery pack lock.

[00250] If the battery pack lock is engaged (1654; Yes), the battery service module 1602 performs a specific action (1660) to complete the battery replacement process. For example, the battery service module 1602 may register a new battery pack with the electric vehicle control system 107. Similarly, the battery service module 1602 may register a new battery pack with a control center (eg, the control center 160 of FIG. 1).

[00251] The battery exchange station 1604 may then lower the battery exchange platform (1658).

[00252] FIG. 17 is a flow diagram of a method 1700 of servicing an electric vehicle battery pack at a charging station 1704, according to some embodiments. As shown in FIG. 17, at least an electric vehicle battery service module 1702 (eg, battery service module 330 of FIG. 3) and a charging station 1704 perform steps during maintenance of the electric vehicle battery pack.

[00253] In some embodiments, a user of an electric vehicle manually couples the electric vehicle to a charging station 1704 (mechanically and electrically) using a charging cord. In some embodiments, the charging station 1704 automatically couples the charging cord to the electric vehicle (mechanically and electrically). In some embodiments, the electric vehicle and charging station 1704 are electrically coupled via electromagnetic induction when the electric vehicle is within a certain distance from the charging station 1704.

[00254] The charging station 1704 determines whether the charging station is electrically coupled to the electric vehicle (1722). In some embodiments, the charging station 1704 makes this determination based on a sensor signal received from a sensor on the charging code. In some embodiments, the charging station 1704 makes this determination based on a signal transmitted between the electric vehicle and the charging station 1704 via a charging code. In some embodiments, charging station 1704 makes this determination based on a handshake operation between charging station 1704 and the electric vehicle. For example, if dielectric charging is used, the electric vehicle may send a signal to the charging station 1704 (eg, via a wireless connection) indicating that the electric vehicle has detected the presence of the charging station 1704. The charging station 1704 then confirms this detection.

[00255] If the charging station 1704 is not electrically coupled to the electric vehicle (1724; No), the charging station 1704 waits for a specific time (1726) and returns to step 1720. If the charging station 1704 is electrically coupled to an electric vehicle (1724; Yes), the charging station enables itself (1728). In doing so, the charging station allows current flow between the charging station 1704 and the electric vehicle. The charging station 1704 then supplies energy to charge the battery pack of the electric vehicle based on a maintenance plan (eg, a maintenance plan provided by the control center 130) (1730).

[00256] In the electric vehicle, the battery service module 1702 determines the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle (1706). The battery maintenance module 1702 may make this determination based on battery status data received from a BMS module (eg, the BMS module 320 of FIG. 3). The battery service module 1702 then communicates (1710) the charge level to the charging station 1704 (eg, via a wireless connection).

[00257] In some embodiments, the battery service module 1702 notifies the user of the electric vehicle of the charge level of the battery pack (1710). For example, the battery service module 1702 may transmit the charge level of the battery pack to the user's mobile phone.

[00258] The battery service module 1702 determines whether charging is complete (1712). If charging has not been completed (1714; No), the battery service module 1702 waits for a specific time (1716) and returns to step 1706. In some embodiments, when charging is complete, the battery service module 1702 receives a report about energy used to charge the battery pack (1718). In some embodiments, the battery service module 1702 receives a report from the charging station 1704. In some embodiments, the battery service module 1702 receives a report from the control center. In these embodiments, the battery maintenance module 1702 communicates (1720) the report to the control center.

[00259] After the battery maintenance module 1702 communicates the charge level to the charging station 1704, the charging station 1704 receives the charge level of the battery pack (1732) and determines whether the charging process is complete (1734). For example, the charging station 1704 may make this determination based at least in part on the charge level of the battery pack received from the battery service module 1702 and the maintenance plan.

[00260] If the charging process is not complete (1736; No), the charging station 1704 determines whether the charging station is electrically coupled to the electric vehicle (1738). Note that the charging station may no longer be electrically coupled to the electric vehicle because the user has unplugged it. If the charging station is electrically coupled to the electric vehicle (1740; Yes), the charging station 1704 returns to step 1730.

[00261] If the charging process is complete (1736; Yes) or the charging station 1704 is not electrically coupled to the electric vehicle (1740; No), the charging station 1704 deactivates the charging station (1742). . For example, the charging station 1704 may stop the current flow from the charging station 1704 to the electric vehicle. Charging station 1704 then determines (1744) the amount of energy used during the charging process. In some embodiments, the charging station 1704 transmits (1746) the used energy to the control center (eg, via a wired or wireless connection). In some embodiments, the charging station 1704 communicates a report of the amount of energy used during the charging process to the battery service module 1702.

[00262] FIGS. 18-21 illustrate exemplary charging scenarios.

[00263] FIG. 18 is a block diagram 1800 illustrating data and energy flow for an electric vehicle 1802 being charged at a public charging station 1806, according to some embodiments. In FIG. 18, an electric vehicle 1802 is an electric vehicle that does not include the electric vehicle control system described herein. Therefore, electric vehicle 1802 can be referred to as a “guest vehicle”.

[00264] In some embodiments, the charging station 1806 is coupled to a switchboard 1808. The switchboard 1808 supplies energy to the charging station 1806. The switchboard 1808 also communicates with the charging station 1806 via a data network (eg, a wired network, a wireless network, etc.). For example, the charging station 1806 may provide the distribution board 1808 with status information of the charging station 1806 (eg, the amount of energy used by the charging station, the type of vehicle coupled to the charging station, etc.).

[00265] In some embodiments, switchboard 1808 is coupled to a power network 1840 that supplies energy from generator 1842. In some embodiments, generator 1842 includes a fossil fuel generator, hydroelectric generator, wind power generator, solar power generator, and the like. In some embodiments, switchboard 1808 is coupled to data network 1820. Data network 1820 may be coupled to control center 1850 (eg, control center 130 of FIG. 1) and generator 1842. In some embodiments, the generator 1842 provides data to the control center 1850 via the data network 1820 indicating current generation capacity, current power draw of the power grid, and the like. In some embodiments, the control center 1850 regulates the energy usage of the battery service station (eg, charging station 1806) so that the energy usage does not exceed the power generation capacity. In some embodiments, the control center 1850 modifies the maintenance plan for the electric vehicle according to data received from the generator 1842.

[00266] In some embodiments, when the electric vehicle 1802 arrives at the charging station 1806-1, the user of the electric vehicle 1802 uses the identification card 1804 to request energy from the charging station 1806-1. In some embodiments, the energy request includes an identifier (eg, an account) for the user, a battery pack type for the electric vehicle 1802, and a desired amount of energy. Charging station 1806-1 transmits the energy request to control center 1850 via data network 1820. The control center 1850 then creates a maintenance plan based on the energy requirements and the current status of the power network 1840 and communicates this maintenance plan to the charging station 1806-1. The charging station 1806-1 then manages the charging of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 1802 based on the maintenance plan.

[00267] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 1802 communicates with the charging station 1806-1 via a charging cord. For example, the communication may use the SAE J1772 communication protocol. The electric vehicle 1802 communicates the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 1802 to the charging station 1806-1 so that the charging station 1806-1 can manage the charging process.

[00268] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 1802 communicates with the charging station 1806-1 via a local wireless network (eg, a Bluetooth network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.).

[00269] FIG. 19 is a block diagram 1900 illustrating data and energy flow for an electric vehicle 1902 being charged at a public charging station 1906, according to some embodiments. In FIG. 19, an electric vehicle 1902 is an electric vehicle that includes the electric vehicle control system described herein.

[00270] In some embodiments, the charging station 1906 is coupled to a switchboard 1908. The switchboard 1908 can supply energy to the charging station 1906. In some embodiments, the switchboard 1908 communicates with the charging station 1906 via a data network (eg, a wired network, a wireless network, etc.). For example, the charging station 1906 may provide the distribution board 1908 with status information of the charging station 1906 (eg, the amount of energy used by the charging station, the type of car coupled to the charging station, etc.).

[00271] In some embodiments, the switchboard 1908 is coupled to a power network 1940 that provides power from the generator 1942. In some embodiments, generator 1942 includes a fossil fuel generator, hydroelectric generator, wind power generator, solar power generator, and the like. In some embodiments, switchboard 1908 is coupled to data network 1920. Data network 1920 may be coupled to control center 1950 (eg, control center 130 of FIG. 1) and generator 1942. In some embodiments, the generator 1942 provides data indicating the current generation capacity, the current power draw of the power network, etc. to the control center 1950 via the data network 1920. In some embodiments, the control center 1950 regulates the energy usage of a battery service station (eg, the charging station 1906) so that the energy usage does not exceed the generation capacity. In some embodiments, the control center 1950 modifies the maintenance plan for the electric vehicle according to data received from the generator 1942.

[00272] In some embodiments, when the electric vehicle 1902 arrives at the charging station 1906-1, the user of the electric vehicle 1902 uses the identification card 1904 to request energy from the charging station 1906-1. In some embodiments, the energy request includes an identifier (eg, an account) for the user, a battery pack type for the electric vehicle 1902, and a desired amount of energy. Charging station 1906-1 communicates the energy request to control center 1950 via data network 1920. The control center 1950 then creates a maintenance plan based on the energy request and the current status of the power network 1940 and communicates this maintenance plan to the charging station 1906-1. The charging station 1906-1 then manages the charging of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 1902 based on the maintenance plan.

[00273] Alternatively, an electric vehicle control system (eg, electric vehicle control system 107) may create an energy request. The electric vehicle control system transmits the energy request to the charging station 1906-1, which then transmits the energy request to the control center 1950 via the data network 1920. Alternatively, the electric vehicle control system transmits the energy request to the control center 1950 via the data network 1920. The control center 1950 then creates a maintenance plan based on the energy requirements and the current status of the power network 1940 and communicates the maintenance plan to the electric vehicle control system. The electric vehicle control system then communicates the maintenance plan to the charging station 1906-1. The charging station 1906-1 then manages the charging of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 1902 based on the maintenance plan.

[00274] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 1902 communicates with the charging station 1906-1 via a charging cord. For example, the communication may use the SAE J1772 communication protocol. The electric vehicle 1902 communicates the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 1902 to the charging station 1906-1 so that the charging station 1906-1 can manage the charging process.

[00275] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 1902 communicates with the charging station 1906-1 via a local wireless network (eg, a Bluetooth network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.).

[00276] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle control system monitors the charging process and communicates the current charge level to the user's mobile device 1910 via the data network 1920.

[00277] FIG. 20 is a block diagram 2000 illustrating data and energy flow for an electric vehicle 2002 being charged at a home charging station 2006, according to some embodiments. In FIG. 20, an electric vehicle 2002 is an electric vehicle that includes the electric vehicle control system described herein.

[00278] In some embodiments, the home charging station 2006 is coupled to a home switchboard 2008. Home switchboard 2008 may supply energy to home charging station 2006.

[00279] In some embodiments, home switchboard 2008 is coupled to a power network 2040 that supplies energy from generator 2042. In some embodiments, generator 2042 includes a fossil fuel generator, hydroelectric generator, wind power generator, solar power generator, and the like.

[00280] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 2002 is coupled to a data network 2020 (eg, wired connection, wireless connection, etc.). In some embodiments, the data network 2020 is coupled to a control center 2050 (eg, control center 130 of FIG. 1) and a generator 2042. The generator 2042 can provide data indicating the current power generation capacity, the current power draw of the power network, and the like to the control center 2050 via the data network 2020. In some embodiments, the control center 2050 regulates the energy usage of a battery service station (eg, home charging station 2006) so that the energy usage does not exceed the generation capacity. In some embodiments, the control center 2050 modifies the maintenance plan for the electric vehicle according to data received from the generator 2042.

[00281] In some embodiments, when the electric vehicle 2002 arrives at the home charging station 2006, the electric vehicle control system creates an energy request. The electric vehicle control system (for example, the electric vehicle control system 107 in FIG. 3) transmits the energy request to the control center 2050 via the network 2020. The control center 2050 then creates a maintenance plan based on the energy requirements and the current status of the power network 2040 and transmits this maintenance plan to the electric vehicle control system. The electric vehicle control system then communicates this maintenance plan to the home charging station 2006. The home charging station 2006 then manages charging of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 2002 based on the maintenance plan.

[00282] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 2002 communicates with the home charging station 2006 via a charging cord. For example, the communication may use the SAE J1772 communication protocol. The electric vehicle 2002 communicates the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 2002 to the home charging station 2006 so that the home charging station 2006 can manage the charging process.

[00283] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 2002 communicates with the home charging station 2006 via a local wireless network (eg, a Bluetooth network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.).

[00284] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle control system monitors the charging process and communicates the current charge level to the user's mobile device 2010 via the network 2020.

[00285] After the charging process is complete, the home charging station 2006 communicates a report of used energy to the electric vehicle control system. The electric vehicle control system then communicates the report to the control center 2050.

[00286] FIG. 21 is a block diagram 2100 illustrating data and energy flow for an electric vehicle 2102 being charged at a home charging station 2106, according to some embodiments. In FIG. 21, an electric vehicle 2102 is an electric vehicle that includes the electric vehicle control system described herein.

[00287] In some embodiments, home charging station 2106 is coupled to home meter 2108. Home meter 2108 may supply energy to home charging station 2106. Home meter 2108 also communicates with home charging station 2106 via a local data network (eg, wired network, wireless network, etc.). For example, home charging station 2106 may provide home meter 2108 with status information of home charging station 2106 (eg, the amount of energy used by the charging station, the type of car coupled to the charging station, etc.).

[00288] In some embodiments, home meter 2108 is coupled to a transformer 2112 that receives energy from power network 2140. The power network 2140 receives energy from the generator 2142. In some embodiments, the generator 2142 includes a fossil fuel generator, a hydroelectric generator, a wind power generator, a solar power generator, and the like. Home meter 2108 may communicate with transformer 2112 via a data network.

[00289] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 2102 is coupled to a data network 2120 (eg, wired connection, wireless connection, etc.). In some embodiments, the data network 2120 is coupled to a control center 2150 (eg, the control center 130 of FIG. 1) and a generator 2142. The generator 2142 provides data indicating the current power generation capacity, the current power draw of the power network, and the like to the control center 2150 via the data network 2120. In some embodiments, the control center 2150 regulates the energy usage of a battery service station (eg, home charging station 2106) so that the energy usage does not exceed the generation capacity. In some embodiments, the control center 2150 modifies the maintenance plan for the electric vehicle according to data received from the generator 2142.

[00290] In some embodiments, when the electric vehicle 2102 arrives at the home charging station 2106, the electric vehicle control system creates an energy request. The electric vehicle control system transmits the energy request to the control center 2150 via the network 2120. In some embodiments, the control center 2150 creates a maintenance plan based on the energy requirements and the current status of the power network 2140 and communicates the maintenance plan to the public power grid management system 2130. The utility grid management system 2130 then communicates the maintenance plan to the home meter 2108, which then transmits the maintenance plan to the home charging station 2106. The home charging station 2106 then manages the charging of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 2102 based on the maintenance plan.

[00291] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 2102 communicates with the home charging station 2106 via a charging cord. For example, the communication may use the SAE J1772 communication protocol. The electric vehicle 2102 communicates the charge level of the battery pack of the electric vehicle 2102 to the home charging station 2106 so that the home charging station 2106 can manage the charging process.

[00292] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle 2102 communicates with the home charging station 2106 via a local wireless network (eg, a Bluetooth network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.).

[00293] In some embodiments, the electric vehicle control system monitors the charging process and communicates the current charge level to the user's portable device 2110.

[00294] After the charging process is complete, the home charging station 2106 communicates a report of used energy to the electric vehicle control system. The electric vehicle control system then communicates the report to the control center 2150.

Provision of value-added services
[00295] In addition to providing energy management services, the electric vehicle control system 107 may also provide value-added services via the value-added service module 344. Value-added services are described in more detail with respect to FIG. 22, which is a flow diagram of a method 2200 for providing value-added services to an electric vehicle, according to some embodiments. The value added service module 344 receives the search query (2202). The search query may include a search for a POI (eg, a coffee shop within a certain range from the current location of the electric vehicle), an address search, a product search, and / or a service search.

[00296] The value-added service module 344 retrieves a search result based on the search query (2204) and presents the search result to the user of the electric vehicle (2206). In some embodiments, the value added service module 344 presents search results in the user interface 305 of the electric vehicle control system 107. In some embodiments, the value added service module 344 presents the search results in the user interface of the positioning system (eg, the positioning system 105 of FIG. 2). In some embodiments, the value added service module 344 presents search results in the user interface 210. Value-added service module 344 may present a visual representation of the result (eg, text, map, etc.), an audio representation of the result (eg, voice, etc.), or a combination thereof.

[00297] The user of the electric vehicle may then select one of the search results. The value added service module 344 receives the selected search result (2208). The selected search result can be a destination. Value-added service module 344 then determines proposals within a particular distance from the selected search results (2210). For example, suggestions include coupons, sales, promotional discounts, and the like.

[00298] Value-added service module 344 then presents the proposal to the user (2212). Again, the value-added service module 344 may present a visual representation of the proposal (eg, text, map, etc.), an audio representation of the proposal (eg, voice, etc.) or a combination thereof.

[00299] In some embodiments, the value added service module 344 sends proposal tracking information presented to the user to a control center (eg, the control center 130 of FIG. 1). In doing so, the service provider may receive advertising revenue for displaying the proposal. In some embodiments, the service provider is the same as the entity that operates the control center.

[00300] Value-added service module 344 determines whether the user has selected a proposal (2216). If the user selects a proposal (2218; Yes), the value added service module 344 receives the selected proposal (2220). In some embodiments, the value added service module 344 sends tracking information of the selected proposal to the control center (2222). In doing so, the service provider may receive advertising revenue for creating a “click-through”. The energy recognition navigation module 332 sets the selected search result as the destination (2224), and proceeds to step 402 in FIG. The selected proposal can be associated with the destination. In this case, the destination associated with the selected proposal is used. If the destination is not associated with the suggestion, the destination associated with the selected search result may be used. In some embodiments, the energy aware navigation module 332 creates an energy plan to the charging station that is closest (and available) to the location associated with the selected proposal. For example, if the selected proposal is a coffee discount at a coffee shop, the energy awareness navigation module 332 may create an energy plan to a charging station located in a parking lot near the coffee shop.

[00301] If no suggestion is selected (2218; No), the energy-aware navigation module 332 sets the selected search result as a destination (eg, a destination associated with the selected search result) ( 2224), the process proceeds to step 402 in FIG.

[00302] In some embodiments, when the user reaches the destination associated with the proposal, the energy aware navigation module 332 sends tracking information to the control center indicating that the user has reached the destination. In doing so, the service provider may receive advertising revenue for this user arriving at the destination. In some embodiments, the service provider receives advertising revenue when the user makes a purchase in the business associated with the proposal.

[00303] The methods described herein may be governed by instructions that are stored on a computer-readable storage medium and that are executable by one or more processors of one or more computer systems. Each of the steps shown in FIGS. 4-6, 8 and 10-22 correspond to instructions stored in a computer memory or computer readable storage medium. Computer readable storage media may include magnetic or optical disk storage, solid state storage such as flash memory, or other non-volatile storage. Computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium are source code, assembly language code, object code, or other instruction format that is interpreted by one or more processors.

[00304] The foregoing description has been described for purposes of illustration with reference to specific embodiments. However, the foregoing illustrative description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments have been selected and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby permitting a variety of modifications to those skilled in the art that are suitable for the invention and the particular usage intended. The embodiment can be used most often.

Claims (43)

A computer-implemented method for managing energy usage of an at least partially electric vehicle comprising:
In the at least partially electric vehicle computer system, the computer system comprises one or more processors, a memory for storing one or more programs, and a display device, the one or more processors comprising the one or more processors. Run one or more programs,
Receiving a charge level of at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
Receiving a current position of the at least partially electric vehicle;
Determining a theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle based on the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle and the charge level of the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle; Process,
Displaying a map including the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle on the display device;
Displaying a first boundary indicative of the theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle on the map. Based at least in part on the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle and the theoretical maximum mileage, the at least partially electric vehicle is unreachable to a location outside the first boundary. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the map one or more visual indications indicating. Determining a second boundary that is a predetermined distance from a reference point, wherein the predetermined distance is the most at least partly electric vehicle can go to and return to the reference point To determine that it is a distant destination,
The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the second boundary on the map.   4. The reference point according to claim 3, wherein the reference point is a point at which the at least partially electric vehicle spends the most time charging the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle. Method.   The method of claim 4, wherein the reference point is selected from the group consisting of a home of the at least partially electric vehicle user and a workplace of the at least partially electric vehicle user.   The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an energy plan for the at least partially electric vehicle. The energy plan is
One or more routes,
Destination and
7. The method of claim 6, comprising one or more battery maintenance stations where the at least one battery can be serviced. Creating the energy plan for the at least partially electric vehicle,
Determining whether the at least partially electric vehicle can reach a predetermined location based on the theoretical maximum mileage;
In response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle is unable to reach the predetermined location,
Determining a battery service station within the theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle, wherein the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle can be serviced;
7. The method of claim 6, comprising adding the battery service station to the energy plan.   9. The method of claim 8, further comprising scheduling a time at the battery service station to service the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle after adding a battery service station to the energy plan. The method described.   Scheduling time at the battery service station for servicing the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle is an estimated time for the at least partially electric vehicle to reach the battery service station 10. A method according to claim 9, comprising scheduling a time at the battery service station to service the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle. The predetermined place is
The user's home;
The user's workplace;
Where the at least partially electric vehicle is charged;
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is selected from the group consisting of:   The method of claim 11, wherein the process of claim 1 is repeated in response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle is reachable at the predetermined location. Creating a route from the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle to the battery maintenance station;
Adding the path to the energy plan;
The method of claim 11, further comprising: The battery service station is
A charging station for recharging the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
A battery exchange station to replace the spent battery with a charged battery;
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is selected from the group consisting of any combination of the battery service stations described above. The predetermined place is
The destination specified by the user,
A battery service station;
Destination determined based on user profile,
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method is selected from the group consisting of: a destination determined based on the integrated user profile data. Determining the theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle after the at least one battery is serviced at the battery service station;
Determining whether the at least partially electric vehicle can reach the predetermined location based on the theoretical maximum mileage;
In response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle is unable to reach the predetermined location,
Determining a route to the next battery service station and the predetermined location within a theoretical maximum mileage of a previous battery service station in the energy plan; and adding the next battery service station to the energy plan;
Repeating the process of claim 16 until the predetermined location is reachable;
The method of claim 15, further comprising: Creating a route from the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle to the destination, the route comprising a stop to the battery service station in the energy plan;
The method of claim 16, further comprising adding the path to the energy plan. In response to determining that the at least partially electric vehicle is reachable at the destination,
Creating a route from the current location of the at least partially electric vehicle to the destination;
The method of claim 15, further comprising adding the path to the energy plan. The theoretical maximum mileage is
The charge level of the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
The current position of the at least partially electric vehicle;
The user's profile;
The characteristics of at least one electric motor of the at least partially electric vehicle;
The type of terrain where the road is located,
The speed of the at least partially electric vehicle;
Any combination of the above elements;
The method of claim 1, wherein the method is based at least in part.   The method of claim 1, wherein the theoretical maximum mileage is adjusted to provide a marginal safety factor. Determining whether silent navigation mode is enabled;
The method of claim 1, further comprising providing guidance based on the energy plan in response to determining that the silent navigation mode is not valid.   23. The method of claim 21, further comprising disabling guidance based on the response in response to determining that the silent navigation mode is enabled.   The method of claim 21, wherein the guidance includes corner-by-turn guidance. The guidance is
Visual guidance,
With voice guidance,
The method of claim 21, selected from the group consisting of any combination of the above guidance.   The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle includes receiving the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle from a global satellite navigation system. . Receiving an energy plan for the at least partially electric vehicle;
Providing guidance based on the energy plan;
Periodically determining whether the energy plan is still valid;
The method of claim 1, further comprising: In the computer system remote from the at least partially electric vehicle, the computer system comprises one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more processors are the ones. Run more than one program,
Receiving a request to service the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
In response to the request, creating a maintenance plan to service the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
The method of claim 1, comprising a computer system that performs the following. Communicating a request to the server to service the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
In response to the request, receiving a maintenance plan from the server;
Operating the maintenance plan;
The method of claim 1, further comprising:   The maintenance plan indicates that the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle is replaced with at least one charged battery, and the at least one battery is replaced with the at least one charged battery. 30. The method of claim 28, further comprising facilitating. A system for managing the energy usage of an at least partially electric vehicle,
One or more processors;
Memory,
One or more programs stored in the memory,
Instructions for receiving a charge level of at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
Instructions for receiving a current position of the at least partially electric vehicle;
A theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle is determined based on the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle and the charge level of the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle. And a program including instructions. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by a computer,
The one or more programs are
Instructions for receiving a charge level of at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle;
Instructions for receiving a current position of the at least partially electric vehicle;
A theoretical maximum mileage of the at least partially electric vehicle is determined based on the current position of the at least partially electric vehicle and the charge level of the at least one battery of the at least partially electric vehicle. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions. A computer-implemented method for providing value-added services to an electric vehicle, comprising:
In the computer system of an electric vehicle, the computer system includes one or more processors and a memory storing one or more programs, and the one or more processors execute the one or more programs. ,
Receiving a search result selected from a user of the electric vehicle;
Determining a proposal for a particular distance from the selection;
A method comprising a computer system including one or more processors that perform the step of presenting the proposal at a user interface of the electric vehicle. The search query
Point of interest and
Address and
Products,
Service,
35. The method of claim 32, selected from the group consisting of any combination of the above search queries. Proposal
Coupons and
Sales price,
With promotional discounts,
33. The method of claim 32, selected from the group consisting of any combination of the above suggestions. Before receiving the selected search results from the user,
Receiving a search query from a user of the electric vehicle;
Retrieving search results based on the search query;
The method of claim 32, further comprising presenting the search results at the user interface of the electric vehicle.   The method of claim 32, further comprising sending tracking information to a server after presenting the proposal. Receiving a selected proposal from the user of the electric vehicle;
Creating an energy plan for the electric vehicle;
33. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing guidance based on the energy plan.   38. The method of claim 37, wherein the guidance includes turning-by-turn guidance. The guidance is
Visual guidance,
With voice guidance,
38. The method of claim 37, selected from the group consisting of any combination of the above guidance.   38. The method of claim 37, further comprising sending tracking information to the server after receiving the selected proposal from the user. Determining that the electric vehicle has reached a destination associated with the selected proposal;
33. The method of claim 32, further comprising sending tracking information to the server. A system for providing value-added services to electric vehicles,
One or more processors;
Memory,
One or more programs stored in the memory,
The one or more programs are
Instructions for receiving search results selected from a user of the electric vehicle;
Instructions to determine a proposal for a particular distance from the selection;
And a command for presenting the proposal to the user at a user interface of the electric vehicle. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by a computer,
The one or more programs are
Instructions for receiving search results selected from a user of the electric vehicle;
Instructions to determine a proposal for a particular distance from the selection;
A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for presenting the proposal to the user at a user interface of the electric vehicle.

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