System and method for improving transport efficiency

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for improving transport efficiency. Systems and methods for optimizing transport efficiency, for example in the context of energy shortage. Techniques described herein may involve determining that a high price threshold is exceeded, identifying different vehicle types (e.g., high efficiency vehicles, large battery capacity vehicles, etc.), prioritizing vehicles designated for charging and discharging, respectively, setting vehicle calibration accordingly, and tracking / reporting performance relative to a baseline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for improving transportation efficiency. Background Art

[0002] In a context of energy shortages and volatile energy prices, larger electric vehicles with larger batteries could become a valuable source of grid arbitrage, while smaller vehicles and form factors (or ride-sharing vehicles) become more valuable for freeing up battery capacity in larger vehicles and reducing the energy consumed in transportation.

[0003] In these contexts of energy shortages and volatile energy prices, governments may choose to subsidize electricity costs, set price controls to mitigate price changes, or require individuals to be mindful of energy use; however, the demand for energy conservation is not reduced. Grid arbitrage and energy-efficient transportation are therefore more valuable to society than subsidies or controlled prices might imply. Results from considering only subsidized prices could include inefficient consumption and shortages of electricity, including limited availability of scarce resources (including for charging electric vehicles). Connected electric vehicles have a potentially important role in rapidly adjusting energy consumption from transportation and energy storage capacity. Summary of the invention

[0004] In various instances, efficient vehicles are identified and charging of such vehicles is prioritized. Systems and methods disclosed herein can be provided to maximize transportation efficiency in contexts such as shortages by: (1) prioritizing grid arbitrage for inefficient vehicles, and (2) prioritizing vehicle uptime and availability for transportation use of higher efficiency vehicles. Customer engagement and impact data can be recorded and rewarded, such as achieving unsubsidized pricing for inefficient vehicles for grid arbitrage, and prioritized use of electric vehicle (EV) charging for efficient vehicles. For example, inserting temporary additional authentication in plug-and-charge logic to bypass EV charging constraints.

[0005] In an example embodiment, if a high cost threshold is reached, the system sends a command to one or more vehicle controllers and connected vehicle data storage devices to identify an "efficient" ranking of vehicles and form factors among the available vehicles. If the vehicle is designated as being in the efficient option, the system prioritizes "charge now". If this is not generally available, the vehicle's default driving mode can be set to "efficient", with a temporary super-efficiency mode potentially delivered over the air (OTA). The system tracks incremental energy losses from events in which the efficient mode was turned off. The system also identifies an "inefficient" ranking of vehicles and form factors, where these vehicles may be larger and have high battery capacity. The system sets the vehicle to operate in "battery mode" so that only necessary power-consuming modules, lighting, etc. are turned on to support the two-way battery capacity.

[0006] In various embodiments, the system tracks and reports the efficiency of customer transportation and the resulting battery capacity added for bidirectional power transfer to achieve monetary benefits (e.g., grid arbitrage of actual electricity prices and environmental impact credits, rather than a subsidized price background for customers) as well as non-monetary benefits (e.g., priority of electric vehicle charging if constraints exist). The system can utilize on-board messaging channels and computations to log computations, track, and deliver OTA updates, which can further improve efficiency for drive cycles specific to the driver or intended route.

[0007] The system can be integrated between various vehicles and services to track complete trip efficiency where more than one vehicle is used (such as taking a rideshare vehicle to a transfer station closer to the destination and replacing a vehicle-only trip, carpooling, using low-speed electric vehicles or micromobility, etc.). The system can also enable public charging stations with bidirectional capabilities to become outlets for inefficient vehicles, where the charging schedules of these vehicles can be changed to obtain grid arbitrage benefits. The system can be applied to non-electric vehicles, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and natural gas supply or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles, when they are scarce, with propane supply or other fuel sources such as hydrogen (for example, as a substitute for natural gas in buildings). In addition, there may be interchangeability between fuels, such as using hydrogen vehicles in situations where electricity supply is short (and costly), or using battery vehicles in situations where hydrogen supply is short. The system can interact with hydrogen energy storage systems (ESS) (such as fixed fuel cell units and hydrogen ESS). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Detailed description is set forth with respect to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and / or components other than those shown in the accompanying drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0009] Figure 1 A diagram is shown depicting an example of an environment in which systems and methods for improving transportation efficiency in the context of shortages may be implemented in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 2 A diagram is shown depicting an example of a diagram implementing a strategy for improving transportation efficiency in the context of shortages in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 3 An illustrative example of a process for implementing an energy efficiency strategy according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 A block diagram illustrating an example of a machine or system upon which any one or more of the techniques (eg, methodologies) discussed herein may be performed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Figure 1 A diagram is shown depicting an example of an environment 100 in which systems and methods for improving transportation efficiency in the context of shortages may be implemented in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] System 102 may refer to a server, machine, or other electronic circuit system that performs the functionality described below for improving transportation efficiency. In various embodiments, system 102 communicates with connected devices such as databases, connected vehicle platforms, edge computing servers, charging stations, etc. System 102 may be in Figure 4 is implemented in the background.

[0015] In various embodiments, database 104 refers to a data repository or data service for storing and retrieving energy prices. In various embodiments, database 104 can be accessed using a web service application programming interface (API) call to a remote system via a communication network (such as the Internet). In some embodiments, system 102 submits a web service API call to database 104, and in other embodiments, system 102 stores energy prices locally, such as on a hard drive of system 102.

[0016] The system 102 may query the database 104 to determine the price of energy, such as electricity, compressed natural gas (CNG), petroleum gas (LPG), hydrogen, or other energy sources. The database 104 may store price, availability, quantity, or other information about energy sources in the market. Current or predicted prices may be provided to the system 102. If the system 102 queries the market energy price and determines that the price does not exceed the high cost threshold, the system 102 may continue to operate as usual and periodically monitor the market energy price using the database 104. However, if the energy price exceeds the high cost threshold, various steps may be taken to unlock mobility efficiencies.

[0017] In response to a determination that the unsubsidized market energy price exceeds the high cost threshold, the system 102 may query the database 106 for connected vehicle data. The database 106 may be used to store data from connected vehicle platforms such as Figure 1The connected vehicle platform 108 (shown in FIG. 1 ) may measure actual energy efficiency of the vehicle over time and collect it in the database 106. In various embodiments, the connected vehicle platform 108 measures parameters that support estimating the impact from a possible software-enabled "efficient" calibration. For example, the operating characteristics and capabilities of various vehicles may be collected and used to model efficient estimates of how the vehicle may be able to operate in a more energy-efficient manner. The measurement and collection of connected vehicle data in the database 106 may be performed independently of the system 102 performing a determination that the market price of energy has exceeded a threshold.

[0018] The system 102 may transmit messages, over-the-air (OTA) updates, or other instructions to vehicle controllers in the connected network. The connected vehicle platform 108 may receive electronic instructions to prioritize "immediate charging," unlock features related to carpooling, car sharing, and multi-modal integration, and default the vehicle to a temporary high-efficiency operating mode. In various embodiments, the system 102 implements an electric transportation efficiency strategy that may include a first strategy for prioritizing grid arbitrage for inefficient vehicles and / or a second strategy for prioritizing uptime and transportation availability for more efficient vehicles.

[0019] For example, vehicles can be ranked and / or classified as efficient vehicles based on actual and / or estimated efficiency from database 106. In various embodiments, efficient vehicles are determined based on actual or estimated efficiency exceeding a predefined threshold (absolute number), or based on percentile ranking relative to other vehicles. In various embodiments, the capacity and utilization of the vehicle can also be considered. For example, if a first vehicle has a larger capacity than a second vehicle, but has similar efficiency characteristics in other aspects, the first vehicle can be prioritized over the second vehicle. In some embodiments, the classification of vehicles as efficient or inefficient takes into account passenger rates or otherwise apportions energy usage over the actual number of occupants, the expected number of occupants, or the maximum number of occupants in the vehicle. Therefore, examples of efficiency metrics can include energy consumption per passenger mile (PMT) or energy consumption per cargo volume and / or cargo weight. This definition of efficiency is important in ranking. For example, a full-size, all-electric 15-passenger van in which seats are fully utilized in van carpooling applications may have a relatively low efficiency per vehicle mile (VMT), but a relatively high efficiency per PMT. If the truck is ranked as inefficient and the occupants instead use a single occupant vehicle which individually has lower energy consumption per VMT but higher energy consumption per PMT, the result will be higher total energy consumed, thus counterproductive to achieving efficiency benefits at the system level.

[0020] In various embodiments, if the vehicle is designated as an efficient option, the strategy for prioritizing efficient vehicles may involve prioritizing "charge now" behavior. In various embodiments, if this is not generally available, the default driving mode of the vehicle may be set to an "efficient" mode, with a temporary super-efficiency mode potentially delivered over the air (OTA). Such an efficient operating mode may depend on whether the vehicle is classified as inefficient for grid arbitrage or highly efficient for transportation, and may include disabling auxiliary vehicle functionality through vehicle controls (such as lighting or thermal management systems) depending on the use case and the severity of the efficiency benefit required (the severity of the risk of shortage). In various embodiments, the incremental energy loss from events in which the efficient mode is turned off is tracked (e.g., measured, collected and then stored in the database 112). For example, based on whether a particular vehicle is efficient or inefficient, some or all of these techniques may be applied to the connected vehicle platform 108.

[0021] In various embodiments, the system 102 implements a strategy for prioritizing grid arbitrage for inefficient vehicles. The system 102 can transmit a message and set the vehicle to operate in "battery mode" so that auxiliary vehicle functionality (such as power-consuming modules, non-essential lighting, etc.) is turned off to support bidirectional battery capacity. Inefficient vehicles may be more valuable for grid arbitrage using their batteries, while smaller vehicles and ride-sharing vehicles may become more valuable to free up battery capacity for larger vehicles.

[0022] In various embodiments, the charging station 110 may prioritize charging of efficient vehicles (e.g., as determined by the system 102). The charging station 110 may implement charging constraints in energy shortage conditions, and efficient vehicles may receive temporary additional certification in the plug-and-charge logic to bypass the charging constraints. If inefficient vehicles with bidirectional capabilities are used for grid arbitrage, the inefficient vehicles may be rewarded by enabling charging of the inefficient vehicles based on participation. For example, if the inefficient vehicles supply X energy, they may later recycle X energy or a portion thereof at a later point in time.

[0023] Database 112 can be used to track customer participation in efficiency measures to unlock benefits. For example, the efficiency of customer transportation can be tracked and reported, for example, showing metrics relative to a baseline. The increase in battery capacity resulting from bidirectional power transfer can achieve monetary benefits (e.g., grid arbitrage of actual electricity prices and environmental impact credits, rather than subsidized prices to customers) as well as non-monetary benefits (e.g., priority in obtaining energy from charging station 110 if constraints exist).

[0024] The system 102 may be integrated between various vehicles and services to track efficiency at the trip level rather than simply based on movement of a single mode of transportation, as a possible elaboration of the definition of efficiency using metrics such as per passenger miles traveled (PMT), cargo volume, and / or cargo weight. For example, if more than one mode of transportation is used, the combined efficiency may enable the vehicle or service to achieve a relatively high per PMT efficiency. In one example, if as a last mile solution, a traveler takes a train and picks up a car-sharing vehicle rather than driving a single-occupant vehicle, the trip level efficiency may be a weighted average of the per PMT efficiency of the train distance and the per PMT efficiency of the last mile ride. In a second example, where the driver of a car connects with carpool or vanpool passengers, the per PMT efficiency will improve because each passenger is only responsible for a small portion of the vehicle's energy consumption and any deviations for picking them up, relative to a single-occupant vehicle trip where the individual would be responsible for the entire energy consumption of the vehicle. More generally, such multimodal and / or shared ride trips may include any one or more of integrated modes such as public transportation, car sharing, carpooling, vanpooling, ridesharing, use of low-speed electric vehicles, micromobility (including electric bicycles), etc.

[0025] In various embodiments, system 102 enables public charging stations with bidirectional capabilities (e.g., Figure 1 The charging station 110 depicted in FIG. 1 can be used as a receptacle for an inefficient vehicle, whereby the vehicle's charging schedule can be altered to obtain grid arbitrage benefits. Inefficient vehicles can be incentivized to transfer energy to the grid through monetary and / or non-monetary means. For example, participating in grid arbitrage can grant the owner of the vehicle access to unsubsidized energy prices instead of the typically lower subsidized prices to customers, or can unlock additional access to public charging stations that would not otherwise be available. Owners of inefficient vehicles that participate in grid arbitrage can earn points that can be used to provide additional charging for the owner's other efficient vehicles.

[0026] In various embodiments, the system can determine that a high price threshold has been exceeded, identify different vehicle types (e.g., high-efficiency vehicles, large battery capacity vehicles, etc.), prioritize vehicles designated for charging and discharging respectively, set vehicle calibration accordingly, and track / report performance relative to a baseline.

[0027] Figure 2 A diagram is shown depicting an example of a diagram 200 implementing a strategy for improving transportation efficiency in the context of shortages in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Strategies for improving transport efficiency in the context of energy shortages can be found in Figure 2. Market energy prices may be stored in a database 202. A system (e.g., a machine) may query market energy prices 204. Market energy price database 202 may be collected periodically and at regular intervals. In some embodiments, a predicted energy price is determined using time series analysis, a machine learning model, or other predictive model. A determination may be made regarding a comparison of a current or predicted energy price to a threshold energy price 206. In some cases, the capacity or availability of energy may be used to determine whether a shortage exists and whether a strategy should be implemented. Assuming there is no shortage, the diagram may proceed to Figure 2 A box marked "End" is located at the lower right portion of the . However, if a shortage is determined, some or all of the strategies described below may be implemented.

[0029] The system may query connected vehicle data to identify vehicle efficiency characteristics 214. In various embodiments, a database of connected vehicle data is queried 212. A connected vehicle platform may be used to collect, measure, and store vehicle efficiency data 210. The actual energy efficiency of the vehicle may be measured over time and collected in a database 212. In various embodiments, the connected vehicle platform measures parameters that support estimating the impact from a possible software-enabled "efficient" calibration. For example, operating characteristics and capabilities of various vehicles may be collected and used to model efficient estimates of how a vehicle may be able to operate in a more energy-efficient manner. The measurement and collection of connected vehicle data in the database may be performed independently of the system performing a determination that the market price of energy has exceeded a threshold.

[0030] The system that is managing transportation efficiency can query the connected vehicle data to identify vehicle efficiency characteristics. In various embodiments, the vehicle is ranked and / or classified as an efficient vehicle based on actual and / or estimated efficiency from database 212. In various embodiments, the vehicle is classified as highly efficient or inefficient by comparing the vehicle efficiency to threshold 216. In some embodiments, there is Figure 2 Other categories of vehicles not depicted in the diagram may have other efficiency strategies associated with them, such as moderate efficiency, ultra-high efficiency, ultra-low efficiency, etc. Efficient vehicles are determined based on actual or estimated efficiency exceeding a predefined threshold (absolute number), or based on a percentile ranking relative to other vehicles. In various embodiments, the capacity and utilization of the vehicles may also be considered. For example, if a first vehicle has a larger capacity than a second vehicle, but has similar efficiency characteristics in other respects, the first vehicle may be prioritized over the second vehicle. In some embodiments, classifying a vehicle as efficient or inefficient takes into account passenger rates or otherwise apportions energy usage across the actual number of occupants, expected number of occupants, or maximum number of occupants in the vehicle.

[0031] If the actual or predicted efficiency of the vehicle exceeds an upper efficiency threshold, the system may implement a strategy for efficient vehicles 218. The strategy for efficient vehicles may include a strategy for prioritizing efficient vehicles, which may involve prioritizing "charge now" behavior if the vehicle is designated as an efficient option, setting the default driving mode for efficient vehicles to an "efficiency" mode if this is not normally available, with a temporary super-efficiency mode potentially delivered over the air (OTA), etc. In various embodiments, incremental energy loss from an event in which the efficiency mode is turned off is tracked.

[0032] If the actual or predicted efficiency of the vehicle is below a lower threshold of efficiency, the system can implement a strategy for inefficient vehicles 220. In some embodiments, the upper and lower thresholds are the same threshold. In various embodiments, a message or OTA update can be transmitted to a vehicle identified as inefficient to operate in "battery mode" such that auxiliary vehicle functionality (such as power consuming modules, non-essential lighting, etc.) is turned off to support bidirectional battery capacity. Inefficient vehicles may be more valuable for grid arbitrage using their batteries, while smaller vehicles and ride-sharing vehicles may become more valuable to free up battery capacity for larger vehicles.

[0033] In various embodiments, a database is used to track customer participation in efficiency measures to unlock benefits. For example, the efficiency of customer transportation can be tracked and reported. The increase in battery capacity resulting from bidirectional power transfer can achieve monetary benefits (e.g., grid arbitrage of actual electricity prices and environmental impact credits, rather than subsidized prices for customers) as well as non-monetary benefits (e.g., priority for energy from charging stations if constraints exist). Efficiency can be tracked at the trip level rather than simply based on movement in a single mode of transportation. For example, if more than one mode of transportation is used (e.g., travelers take a train to a car-sharing vehicle at a transfer station near their destination, and replace vehicle-only trips, carpooling, use of low-speed electric vehicles or micromobility, electric bicycles, etc.).

[0034] Figure 3An illustrative example of a process 300 for implementing an energy efficiency strategy according to one or more example embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In at least one embodiment, some or all of the process 300 (or any other process described herein, or variations and / or combinations thereof) is executed under the control of one or more computer systems storing computer executable instructions, and may be implemented as code (e.g., computer executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) that is executed collectively on one or more processors, implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the code is stored on a computer-readable storage medium in the form of a computer program that stores a plurality of computer-readable instructions that can be executed by one or more processors. In at least one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In at least one embodiment, at least some of the computer-readable instructions that can be used to perform the process 300 are not stored using only transient signals (e.g., propagated transient electrical or electromagnetic transmissions). The non-transitory computer-readable medium does not necessarily include a non-transitory data storage circuit system (e.g., a buffer, cache, and queue) within a transceiver of a transient signal. The process 300 may be implemented in various systems and methods described elsewhere in the present disclosure (such as in conjunction with Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 In at least one embodiment, process 300 or a portion thereof is co-implemented by a system that manages transportation efficiency of vehicles, such as on behalf of an organization with a fleet of vehicles, a municipality on behalf of its residents, and the like.

[0035] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes step 302 of querying market energy prices. In various embodiments, a first database is used to collect, store and retrieve market energy prices, and the database may include both current energy prices and historical energy prices. Market energy prices may be collected periodically and at regular intervals. In some embodiments, a predicted energy price is determined using time series analysis, machine learning models or other prediction models. A determination may be made with respect to a comparison of the current or predicted energy price with a threshold energy price. In some embodiments, a web service API call is submitted together with a query request to a database, and in other embodiments, energy prices are stored locally, for example, on a hard drive of a system executing process 300.

[0036] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes step 304 of determining whether the market energy price exceeds a threshold. In various embodiments, the threshold is a predetermined value. In some embodiments, the mechanism for triggering the efficiency strategy involves receiving an indication from an external source. For example, an energy regulatory organization may provide a notification indicating an energy shortage, which may be used in lieu of a determination that the market energy price exceeds a threshold. According to at least one embodiment, regardless of the mechanism for determining whether to trigger the efficiency strategy, if the condition is not met, the system will return to step 302.

[0037] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes a step 306 of querying connected vehicle data to identify efficiency characteristics of the vehicle. The connected vehicle data may be queried from a database (e.g., the same or different than the database storing market energy prices). The actual energy efficiency of the vehicle may be measured, collected, and then queried. In various embodiments, connected vehicle platform measurements support parameters that estimate the impact from possible software-enabled "efficient" calibrations. For example, the operating characteristics and capabilities of various vehicles may be collected and used to model efficient estimates of how the vehicle may be able to operate in a more energy-efficient manner.

[0038] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes a step 308 of classifying vehicles based on efficiency. In various embodiments, the classification may include efficient vehicles and inefficient vehicles. In some embodiments, the characteristics of the vehicle may include whether the vehicle can be used for carpooling, car sharing, support efficient operation, etc.

[0039] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes step 310 of implementing a strategy for an efficient vehicle if the vehicle efficiency exceeds a threshold. In various embodiments, if a vehicle is designated as an efficient option, the strategy for prioritizing efficient vehicles may involve prioritizing "charge now" behavior. In various embodiments, if this is not generally available, the default driving mode for efficient vehicles may be set to an "efficient" mode, with a temporary super-efficiency mode potentially delivered over the air (OTA). In various embodiments, incremental energy losses from events in which the efficient mode was turned off are tracked. For example, based on whether a particular vehicle is efficient or inefficient, some or all of these techniques may be applied to a connected vehicle platform.

[0040] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes step 312 of implementing a strategy for inefficient vehicles if vehicle efficiency does not exceed a threshold. In various embodiments, the system implements a strategy for prioritizing grid arbitrage for inefficient vehicles. The system can transmit a message and set the vehicle to operate in "battery mode" so that auxiliary vehicle functionality (such as power consuming modules, non-essential lighting, etc.) is turned off to support bidirectional battery capacity. Inefficient vehicles may be more valuable for grid arbitrage using their batteries, while smaller vehicles and ride-sharing vehicles may become more valuable to free up battery capacity for larger vehicles.

[0041] In at least one embodiment, process 300 includes a step 314 of tracking participation in efficiency measures. In various embodiments, a database is used to track customer participation in efficiency measures to unlock benefits. For example, the efficiency of customer transportation can be tracked and reported. The increase in battery capacity resulting from bidirectional power transfer can achieve monetary benefits (e.g., grid arbitrage of actual electricity prices and environmental impact credits, rather than subsidized prices for customers) as well as non-monetary benefits (e.g., priority for energy from charging stations if constraints exist). Efficiency can be tracked at the trip level rather than simply based on movement in a single mode of transportation. For example, if more than one mode of transportation is used (e.g., travelers take a train to a car-sharing vehicle at a transfer station near the destination, and replace vehicle-only trips, carpooling, use of low-speed electric vehicles or micromobility, electric bicycles, etc.).

[0042] Figure 4A block diagram of an example of a machine 400 or system on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) discussed herein may be performed is shown. The machine (e.g., computer system) 400 may include any combination of the components shown. For example, the machine 400 may include a hardware processor 402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU) including an artificial intelligence application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 404, and a static memory 406, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnect (e.g., a bus) 408. The machine 400 may also include a power management device 432, a graphics display device 410, an alphanumeric input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 414 (e.g., a mouse). In an example, the graphics display device 410, the alphanumeric input device 412, and the UI navigation device 414 may be a touch screen display. The machine 400 may additionally include a storage device (i.e., a drive unit) 416, a signal generating device 418 (e.g., a data signal), a network interface device / transceiver 420 coupled to an antenna 430, and one or more sensors 428, such as a sound detection sensor (e.g., a microphone), an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a position sensor, etc. The machine 400 may include an output controller 434, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, other sensors, etc.).

[0043] The storage device 416 may include a machine-readable medium 422 on which is stored one or more data structures or sets of instructions 424 (e.g., software) embodied or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functionalities described herein. The instructions 424 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 404, within the static memory 406, or within the hardware processor 402 during execution of the instructions by the machine 400. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 402, the main memory 404, the static memory 406, or the storage device 416 may constitute a machine-readable medium. In various embodiments, the controller system of the vehicle is implemented using one or more machines (e.g., the machine 400).

[0044] Although machine-readable medium 422 is illustrated as a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (eg, a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 424 .

[0045] Various embodiments may be implemented in whole or in part in software and / or firmware. This software and / or firmware may take the form of instructions contained in or on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Those instructions may then be read and executed by one or more processors to enable the execution of the operations described herein. The instructions may be in any suitable form, such as, but not limited to, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, and the like. Such computer-readable media may include any tangible, non-transitory medium for storing information in a form readable by one or more computers, such as, but not limited to, read-only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory, and the like.

[0046] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 400; and causing the machine 400 to perform any one or more of the techniques disclosed herein; or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory and optical and magnetic media. In an example, a large-capacity machine-readable medium includes a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles having a rest mass. Specific examples of large-scale machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0047] The instructions 424 may further be transmitted or received over a communication network 426 using a transmission medium via the network interface device / transceiver 420 using any of a number of transmission protocols (e.g., frame relay, Internet Protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc. Exemplary communication networks may include DOCSIS, fiber optics, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., a wireless network called The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 series of standards, known as ), IEEE 802.16 series of standards), IEEE 802.15.4 series of standards, and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, etc. In an example, the network interface device / transceiver 420 may include one or more physical sockets (e.g., Ethernet sockets, coaxial sockets, or telephone sockets) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 426. In an example, the network interface device / transceiver 420 may include multiple antennas to communicate wirelessly using at least one of the following: single-input multiple-output (SIMO) technology, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technology. The term "transmission medium" should be deemed to include any intangible medium that can store, encode, or carry instructions for execution by the machine 400 and includes digital or analog communication signals, or other intangible media for facilitating the communication of such software.

[0048] The operations and processes described and shown above can be implemented or performed in any suitable order when necessary in various embodiments. In addition, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the operations can be performed in parallel. In addition, in some embodiments, less or more operations than the described operations can be performed.

[0049] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The terms "computing device", "user device", "communication station", "station", "handheld device", "mobile device", "wireless device" and "user equipment" (UE) as used herein refer to a wireless communication device such as a cable box, a wearable smart device, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a tablet, a netbook, a wireless terminal, a laptop computer, a femtocell, a high data rate (HDR) subscriber station, an access point, a printer, a point of sale device, an access terminal or other personal communication system (PCS) device. The device may be mobile or fixed.

[0050] As used in this document, the term "communication" is intended to include transmission or reception, or both transmission and reception. This may be particularly useful in claims when describing the organization of data transmitted by one device and received by another device, but requiring only the functionality of one of those devices violates the claims. Similarly, a two-way data exchange between two devices (during which both devices transmit and receive) may be described as "communication" when only the functionality of one of those devices is claimed. The term "communication" as used herein with respect to wireless communication signals includes transmitting wireless communication signals and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, a wireless communication unit capable of transmitting wireless communication signals may include a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless communication signals to at least one other wireless communication unit and / or a wireless communication receiver for receiving wireless communication signals from at least one other wireless communication unit.

[0051] As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the use of ordinal adjectives "first," "second," "third," etc. to describe common objects indicates merely that different instances of similar objects are mentioned and is not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence in time, space, ranking, or in any other manner.

[0052] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with various devices and systems, such as wearable smart devices, personal computers (PCs), desktop computers, mobile computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, server computers, handheld computers, handheld devices, personal digital assistant (PDA) devices, handheld PDA devices, vehicle-mounted devices, off-vehicle devices, hybrid devices, vehicle devices, non-vehicle devices, mobile or portable devices, consumer devices, non-mobile or non-portable devices, wireless communication stations, wireless communication devices, wireless access points (APs), wired or wireless routers, wired or wireless modems, video devices, audio devices, audio-video (A / V) devices, wired or wireless networks, wireless area networks, wireless video area networks (WVANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless LANs (WLANs), personal area networks (PANs), wireless PANs (WPANs), and the like.

[0053] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with: one-way and / or two-way radio communication systems, cellular radio-telephone communication systems, mobile phones, cellular phones, cordless phones, personal communication system (PCS) devices, PDA devices including wireless communication devices, mobile or portable global positioning system (GPS) devices, devices including GPS receivers or transceivers or chips, devices including RFID elements or chips, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transceivers or devices, single-input multiple-output (SIMO) transceivers or devices, multiple-input single-output (MISO) transceivers or devices, devices with one or more internal antennas and / or external antennas, digital video broadcasting (DVB) devices or systems, multi-standard radio devices or systems, wired or wireless handheld devices (e.g., smart phones), wireless application protocol (WAP) devices, etc.

[0054] Some embodiments may be used in conjunction with one or more types of wireless communication signals and / or systems that comply with one or more wireless communication protocols, such as DOCSIS, radio frequency (RF), infrared (IR), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), orthogonal FDM (OFDM), time division multiplexing (TDM), time division multiple access (TDMA), extended TDMA (E-TDMA), general packet radio service (GPRS), extended GPRS, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband CDMA (WCDMA), CDMA 2000, single carrier CDMA, multi-carrier CDMA, multi-carrier modulation (MDM), discrete multi-tone (DMT), Global Positioning System (GPS), Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, ZigBee, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, fifth generation (5G) mobile networks, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), etc. Other embodiments may be used in various other devices, systems and / or networks.

[0055] Embodiments according to the present disclosure are particularly disclosed in the attached claims, which relate to methods, storage media, devices, and computer program products, wherein any feature mentioned in one claim category (e.g., method) may also be claimed in another claim category (e.g., system). The dependencies or references in the attached claims are selected for formal reasons only. However, any subject matter resulting from deliberate reference to any previous claim (especially multiple dependencies) may also be claimed, so that any combination of claims and their features is disclosed and may be claimed, regardless of the dependencies selected in the attached claims. The subject matter that may be claimed includes not only the combination of features set forth in the attached claims, but also any other combination of features in the claims, wherein each feature mentioned in the claims may be combined with any other feature in the claims or with a combination of other features. In addition, any of the embodiments and features described or depicted herein may be claimed in a separate claim and / or in any combination with any embodiment or feature described or depicted herein or with any feature of the attached claims.

[0056] The above description of one or more embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

[0057] Certain aspects of the present disclosure are described above with reference to block diagrams and flow charts of systems, methods, devices and / or computer program products according to various embodiments. It should be understood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flow charts and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow charts may be implemented by computer executable program instructions, respectively. Likewise, according to some embodiments, some blocks of the block diagrams and flow charts may not necessarily need to be executed in the order presented, or may not necessarily need to be executed at all.

[0058] These computer executable program instructions can be loaded onto a special purpose computer or other specific machine, processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a specific machine, so that the instructions executed on the computer, processor, or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing one or more functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or memory, which can guide the computer or other programmable data processing device to act in a specific manner when executed, so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce a product including an instruction device for implementing one or more functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks. As an example, some embodiments may provide a computer program product, which includes a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program code or program instructions implemented therein, and the computer-readable program code is suitable for being executed to implement one or more functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks. Computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device to cause a series of operating elements or steps to be executed on a computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on a computer or other programmable device provide elements or steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowchart blocks.

[0059] Therefore, the blocks of the block diagrams and flow charts support a combination of means for performing the specified functions, a combination of elements or steps for performing the specified functions, and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flow charts and the combination of blocks in the block diagrams and flow charts can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions that performs the specified functions, elements or steps.

[0060] Embodiments of the systems, devices, apparatuses and methods disclosed herein may include or utilize a special or general-purpose computer, which includes computer hardware, such as one or more processors and system memory as discussed herein. Computer executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data, which, when executed at a processor, cause a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or a special-purpose processing device to perform a specific function or function group. Embodiments of the apparatus, systems and methods disclosed herein may communicate via a computer network. A "network" is defined as one or more data links that support the transmission of electronic data between a computer system and / or a module and / or other electronic devices.

[0061] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims may not necessarily be limited to the features or acts described above. Rather, the described features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

[0062] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure are presented only by way of example and not by way of limitation. Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above exemplary embodiments, but should only be limited according to the attached claims and their equivalents. The foregoing description has been presented for illustration and description purposes. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure to the precise form disclosed. In view of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible. In addition, it should be noted that any or all of the aforementioned alternative embodiments may be used in any desired combination to form additional hybrid embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, any of the functionality described with respect to a particular device or component may be performed by another device or component. Unless otherwise specifically stated or otherwise understood within the context when used, conditional language, such as, in particular, "can," "might," "may," or "may" is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments may not. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element, and / or step in any way.

[0063] According to an embodiment: the classification indicates that the vehicle is an efficient vehicle; and the energy efficiency strategy for the efficient vehicle includes one or more of the following: prioritizing charging of the vehicle; defaulting the vehicle operating mode to an efficient mode; and tracking incremental energy loss when the efficient mode is disabled.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the energy efficiency strategy is delivered to the vehicle via an Over-the-Air (OTA) message.

[0065] According to an embodiment: the classification indicates that the vehicle is an inefficient vehicle; and the energy efficiency strategy for the inefficient vehicle includes realizing one or more grid arbitrage benefits for an owner of the inefficient vehicle.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the one or more grid arbitrage benefits include: access to unsubsidized energy prices; and preferential use of a charging station by one or more other higher efficiency vehicles accessible to the owner.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the executable instructions, due to execution by the one or more processors, further cause the computer system to: track customer participation in the energy efficiency policy.

Claims

1. A system comprising: one or more processors; as well as a memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: querying market energy prices from a first database; determining that the market energy price exceeds a threshold value; querying the connected vehicle data from a second database to identify efficiency characteristics of the vehicle; determining a classification of the vehicle based on the identified efficiency characteristic; as well as An energy efficiency strategy for the vehicle is implemented based at least in part on the classification.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: The classification indicates that the vehicle is an efficient vehicle; and The energy efficiency strategies for the efficient vehicle include one or more of the following: giving priority to the charging of said vehicles; Defaulting the vehicle operating mode to high efficiency mode; and Incremental energy loss is tracked with the high efficiency mode disabled.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the energy efficiency strategy is delivered to the vehicle via an over-the-air (OTA) update.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein: The classification indicates that the vehicle is an inefficient vehicle; and The energy efficiency strategy for the inefficient vehicle includes one or more of the following: Prioritize bidirectional charger access for said vehicle; Defaulting the vehicle operating mode to a high-efficiency mode where functionality separate from battery storage for grid arbitrage can be turned off; as well as One or more grid arbitrage benefits are realized for the owner of the inefficient vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more grid arbitrage benefits include: access to unsubsidized energy prices; as well as Prioritized use of the charging station by one or more other higher efficiency vehicles accessible to the owner.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions include further instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, further cause the system to: Track customer participation in stated energy efficiency strategies. 7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the classification is determined based on an actual efficiency of the vehicle in an efficient mode or an estimated efficiency of the vehicle.

8. A method comprising: querying market energy prices from a first database by one or more processors; determining, by the one or more processors, that the market energy price exceeds a threshold; querying, by the one or more processors, the connected vehicle data from a second database to identify efficiency characteristics of the vehicle; determining, by the one or more processors, a classification of the vehicle based on the identified efficiency characteristics; as well as An energy efficiency strategy for the vehicle is implemented, by the one or more processors, based at least in part on the classification.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: The classification indicates that the vehicle is an efficient vehicle; and The energy efficiency strategies for the efficient vehicle include one or more of the following: giving priority to the charging of said vehicles; Defaulting the vehicle operating mode to high efficiency mode; and Incremental energy loss is tracked with the high efficiency mode disabled.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the energy efficiency strategy is delivered to the vehicle via an over-the-air (OTA) update.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein: The classification indicates that the vehicle is an inefficient vehicle; and The energy efficiency strategy for implementing the inefficient vehicle includes one or more of the following: Prioritize bidirectional charger access for said vehicle; Defaulting the vehicle operating mode to a high-efficiency mode where functionality separate from battery storage for grid arbitrage can be turned off; as well as One or more grid arbitrage benefits are realized for the owner of the inefficient vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more grid arbitrage benefits include: access to unsubsidized energy prices; as well as Prioritized use of the charging station by one or more other higher efficiency vehicles accessible to the owner.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: Customer participation in the energy efficiency strategy is tracked by the one or more processors.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the classification is determined based on an actual efficiency of the vehicle in an efficient mode or an estimated efficiency of the vehicle.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least: querying market energy prices from a first database; determining that the market energy price exceeds a threshold value; querying the connected vehicle data from a second database to identify efficiency characteristics of the vehicle; determining a classification of the vehicle based on the identified efficiency characteristic; as well as An energy efficiency strategy for the vehicle is implemented based at least in part on the classification.

Images