System and method for detecting vehicle charging behavior

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for detecting vehicle charging behavior. A fleet management system including a transceiver and a processor is disclosed. The transceiver may be configured to receive a first charger location associated with a first charger, a second charger location associated with a second charger, and a current battery state of charge (SoC) level associated with the vehicle. The processor may obtain a first charger position, a second charger position, and a current battery SoC level from the transceiver in response to obtaining the trigger signal. The processor may also determine a geographic distance between the first charger location and the second charger location, and estimate an expected battery SoC level required for the vehicle to travel from the first charger location to the second charger location based on the geographic distance. The processor may compare the expected battery SoC level and the current battery SoC level, and output a notification when the current battery SoC level may be greater than the expected battery SoC level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for detecting vehicle charging behavior based on charger location and overcharging patterns. Background Art

[0002] Fleet operators spend a great deal of time and resources to ensure that their fleet of vehicles is operated in an efficient manner with minimal downtime and using an optimal amount of energy. For example, a fleet operator operating a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) may train vehicle drivers to regularly charge their EVs at depots, drive at optimal speeds, minimize rest times, etc., to ensure that the fleet is operated in an efficient manner.

[0003] While driver training may be effective to some extent, not all fleet drivers operate their vehicles in the same manner even after training. If one or more drivers do not follow the fleet operator's instructions, fleet operating efficiency may suffer.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need for a system that can facilitate fleet operators to efficiently operate vehicle fleets. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure describes a fleet management system that can facilitate fleet operators and / or multiple vehicle fleet drivers to enhance fleet operational efficiency and vehicle charging behavior. The system can be configured to obtain charging information associated with each fleet vehicle (which can be an electric vehicle (EV)) and generate vehicle-level and fleet-level summaries of charging behavior. Examples of charging information include, but are not limited to, the location of the charger to which the fleet vehicle is connected for charging (e.g., at a fleet depot or when traveling on a corresponding delivery route), the amount of resources (e.g., fees) charged by each charger for each unit of energy delivered to the vehicle, the amount of energy delivered to each vehicle when charging, the real-time or current battery state of charge (SoC) level of each vehicle, the typical time of each vehicle charging at a depot charger per day, the average historical SoC usage of each vehicle on a corresponding delivery route, etc. The vehicle-level summary may include indicators or scores associated with the tendency of the vehicle driver associated with each vehicle to overcharge the corresponding vehicle, charge the vehicle when it is not necessary, charge at a charging station / charger that may not be preferred by the fleet operator, etc.

[0006] Fleet operators may use vehicle-level and fleet-level summaries to identify one or more vehicle drivers who may need training and / or intervention to enhance their vehicle charging behavior. Fleet operators may additionally use vehicle-level and fleet-level summaries to identify one or more fleet vehicles that may be overutilized, or vehicles that may need a battery upgrade or replacement, and / or vehicles that may need a mobile power source.

[0007] In addition to generating vehicle-level and fleet-level summaries, the system may also be configured to provide real-time alert notifications to the vehicle driver and / or fleet operator when the vehicle driver may exhibit suboptimal vehicle charging behavior. For example, when the vehicle driver may be charging at a charger that may not be a preferred charger for the vehicle fleet (i.e., a non-preferred charger), the system may output a first notification to a fleet operator computing device, a user device associated with the vehicle driver, and / or a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI). In this case, the system may receive a trigger signal from the vehicle when the vehicle driver connects the vehicle to a non-preferred charger. In response to receiving the trigger signal, the system may determine whether the current vehicle battery SoC level will enable the vehicle to travel to the nearest "preferred charger" without charging at a non-preferred charger. When the system determines that the current vehicle battery SoC level will enable the vehicle to travel to the nearest preferred charger, the system may output a first notification.

[0008] The system may also be configured to output a second notification when the system determines that the vehicle driver may have overcharged the vehicle. In this case, the system may determine the amount of energy that may be delivered to the vehicle during charging when the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle, and determine the initial vehicle battery SoC level when the vehicle may have left the depot and traveled on the delivery route. The system may then compare the sum of the amount of energy delivered and the initial vehicle battery SoC level to the average historical SoC usage associated with the vehicles on the delivery route. The system may output a second notification when the difference between the sum and the average historical SoC usage may be greater than a predefined threshold.

[0009] The system may also output a third notification when the system determines that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle during non-working hours (e.g., weekends) or when the vehicle may not be typically charged. The system may additionally output a fourth notification when the system determines that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle when vehicle charging may not be desired / necessary. For example, when the initial vehicle battery SoC level may be greater than the historical SoC usage on the delivery route (exceeding a predefined SoC threshold) and the vehicle driver still charges the vehicle, the system may output a fourth notification indicating that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle when vehicle charging may not be desired / necessary.

[0010] The present disclosure discloses a fleet management system that prevents vehicle drivers from overcharging vehicles and / or charging vehicles when charging may not be necessary, thereby saving energy and enhancing fleet operating efficiency. In addition, the system provides real-time notifications to vehicle drivers and / or fleet operators so that remedial measures can be taken in a timely manner. In addition, the system generates vehicle-level and fleet-level summaries that enable fleet operators to identify one or more vehicle drivers who may have training needs and / or one or more fleet vehicles that may need to be upgraded, replaced, and / or have a mobile power source.

[0011] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Detailed description is set forth with reference 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.

[0013] Figure 1 An example environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example fleet management system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0015] Figure 3 Depicted are example notifications displayed on a vehicle infotainment system in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 An example summary table of vehicle charging behavior according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0017] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Depicted are example snapshots of comparisons between vehicle charging parameters and fleet averages in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 A flow chart of an example fleet management method according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0020] Figure 1An example environment 100 is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented. Environment 100 may include a vehicle 102 and a fleet management system 104 (system 104) that may be communicatively coupled to each other. Vehicle 102 may take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as, for example, a car, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, etc. In an exemplary aspect, vehicle 102 may be a commercial delivery vehicle that may be part of a fleet of delivery vehicles. Vehicle 102 may be a manually driven vehicle, and / or may be configured to operate in a partially autonomous or fully autonomous mode.

[0021] In some aspects, the vehicle 102 can be an electric vehicle (EV) and can travel on the road 106. In other aspects, the vehicle 102 can be associated with a fleet depot 108 (depot 108) that can include one or more first EV chargers 110 (or first chargers 110). The depot 108 can be a location where the vehicle 102 can start traveling on the vehicle's daily delivery route (e.g., at the start of the vehicle's shift schedule) and return at the end of the delivery route (e.g., at the end of the vehicle's shift schedule). In some aspects, a vehicle operator (not shown) or a fleet operator (not shown) can charge the vehicle 102 at the depot 108 by using the first charger 110.

[0022] The system 104 may be hosted on a server (e.g., a fleet management server) and may be configured to obtain charging information associated with a plurality of fleet vehicles (including the vehicle 102) that may be part of a fleet of vehicles from a depot / fleet computing device (not shown) associated with the depot 108, one or more servers, one or more chargers, and / or directly from the vehicle. Examples of charging information include, but are not limited to, the location of the chargers to which the vehicle is connected for charging (e.g., at the depot 108 or when on a corresponding delivery route), the amount of resources (e.g., fees) charged by each charger for each unit of energy delivered to the vehicle, the amount of energy delivered to each vehicle when charging, the real-time or current battery state of charge (SoC) level of each vehicle, the scheduled or typical time each vehicle charges at the first charger 110 each day, the average historical SoC usage of each vehicle on a corresponding delivery route, etc. In response to obtaining the charging information associated with each fleet vehicle, the system 104 may be configured to determine a plurality of charging indicators / scores associated with each vehicle based on the obtained charging information. The charging indicators / scores may indicate charging behavior associated with each vehicle.

[0023] The system 104 may transmit the charging indicator / score and the collated charging information (including both per-vehicle information and aggregate information at the fleet level) to a fleet computing device or fleet server (on a Figure 2 204). A fleet operator may view the charging indicators / scores and collated charging information to determine charging statistics associated with each vehicle, and to determine one or more drivers associated with the vehicle fleet who may be overcharging the vehicle, connecting the vehicle to a charger when charging may not be needed, charging at a location associated with a charger that may not be a “preferred charger” for the vehicle fleet, etc. The fleet operator may provide customized training to such drivers to enhance the operational efficiency of the fleet. The fleet operator may also use the charging indicators / scores and collated charging information to determine whether one or more fleet vehicles may require a mobile power source and its corresponding size / capacity, or whether one or more vehicles may require a battery upgrade based on its SoC usage and charging information, or whether one or more vehicles may need to be replaced with a new vehicle.

[0024] In some aspects, the system 104 may also be configured to: send a notification to a fleet server associated with the vehicle driver, a vehicle human machine interface (HMI) (in the example of FIG. 1 ), or a vehicle driver's computer when the system 104 determines that the vehicle driver may be overcharging, connecting the vehicle to a charger when charging may not be necessary, and / or charging at a charger location / station that may not be a preferred charger location / station for the vehicle fleet. Figure 2 214) and / or a user device (shown as HMI 214 in Figure 2 202) transmits an alert notification.

[0025] As an example, when the vehicle 102 may be traveling on a delivery route on the road 106, the system 104 may obtain a real-time battery SoC level associated with the vehicle 102. The system 104 may also determine the real-time vehicle geographic location and the remaining distance to the depot 108 on the delivery route (i.e., the remaining driving distance of the vehicle 102 to reach the depot 108). When the vehicle 102 stops and the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to the second charger 112 that may be located on the delivery route, the system 104 may determine the connection between the second charger 112 and the vehicle 102 (e.g., by obtaining a signal from a vehicle control unit associated with the vehicle 102). In response to determining that the vehicle 102 may be connected to the second charger 112, the system 104 may obtain the second charger location (via the above-mentioned server or by obtaining the real-time vehicle geographic location from the vehicle 102). The system 104 may also determine whether the second charger 112 may be a preferred charger associated with the vehicle fleet based on the second charger location. In this case, the system 104 may pre-store the locations of multiple preferred chargers associated with the vehicle fleet. In some aspects, the preferred charger may be any charger on the vehicle delivery route that may be authorized by the fleet operator to charge the vehicle 102, or may be the first charger 110. For example, the preferred charger may be a charger that may have a cooperation / partnership with a fleet management company that operates the vehicle fleet described in this disclosure. For simplicity, the preferred charger on the vehicle delivery route is also referred to as the first charger 110 in this disclosure.

[0026] In response to determining that the second charger 112 is not the preferred charger, the system 104 may determine the geographic distance between the respective locations of the first charger 110 and the second charger 112. The system may also obtain, via the server, weather condition information associated with the geographic area including the first charger 110 and the second charger 112, and road condition information associated with one or more roads (e.g., road 106) connecting the first charger 110 and the second charger 112. The system may then estimate the expected battery SoC level that may be required for the vehicle 102 to travel from the location associated with the second charger 112 to the location associated with the first charger 110 based on the determined geographic location, road condition information, and weather condition information.

[0027] When the vehicle 102 arrives at the location associated with the second charger 112 or when the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to the second charger 112, the system 104 may also determine a real-time vehicle battery SoC level (which may be part of the charging information associated with the vehicle 102). In response to determining the real-time vehicle battery SoC level, the system 104 may compare the expected battery SoC level with the real-time vehicle battery SoC level to determine whether the vehicle 102 can travel to the location associated with the first charger 110 without charging at the second charger 112. In some aspects, when the real-time vehicle battery SoC level may be greater than the expected battery SoC, the system 104 may determine that the vehicle 102 can travel to the location associated with the first charger 110 without charging at the second charger 112. In response to such a determination, when the vehicle 102 can conveniently travel to the first charger 110 (i.e., the preferred charger) and be charged, the system 104 may output an alert notification to the fleet server, the vehicle HMI, and / or the user device to indicate to the fleet operator and / or the vehicle driver that the vehicle 102 may be charged at a "non-preferred" charger.

[0028] In some aspects, the system 104 may also obtain respective amounts of per-unit resources (e.g., per-unit fees or charges) associated with the first charger 110 and the second charger 112 that may be required to charge the vehicle 102. In response to obtaining the per-unit amounts of resources, the system 104 may compare the respective amounts of per-unit resources and, when the amount of resources associated with the second charger 112 may be greater than the amount of resources associated with the first charger 110, may output an alert notification to a fleet server, a vehicle HMI, and / or a user device.

[0029] On the other hand, in response to determining that the second charger 112 may be the preferred charger or the same as the first charger 110 (i.e., the vehicle 102 may be charged at the depot 108), the system 104 may determine the current date and time (e.g., from a system timer, not shown). The system 104 may also determine a typical date and corresponding time when the vehicle 102 may be charged at the first charger 110 (which may be part of the charging information associated with the vehicle 102). The system 104 may then compare the determined typical date / time with the current date / time and output an alert notification to the fleet server, the vehicle HMI, and / or the user device when the current date / time may be different from the typical date / time. For example, if the information associated with the typical date / time indicates that the vehicle 102 is not charged at the first charger 110 on Sundays (i.e., weekends), and the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to the first charger 110 on Sundays, the system 104 may output an alert notification.

[0030] The above-mentioned different alarm notifications can facilitate fleet operators (and vehicle drivers) to promptly identify abnormal or inefficient charging behaviors and take remedial measures accordingly. Fleet operators can also use alarm notifications to effectively train vehicle drivers.

[0031] In some aspects, the system 104 may additionally output an alert notification when the system 104 determines that the vehicle driver may overcharge the vehicle 102 (e.g., at the second charger 112 or at any preferred charger on the delivery route) or connect the vehicle 102 to the second charger 112 or any preferred charger when charging may not be desired / necessary. In this case, the system 104 may determine the initial battery SoC level when the vehicle 102 begins travel on the delivery route from the depot 108 and the average historical (or expected) SoC usage on the delivery route of the vehicle 102 based on the charging information associated with the vehicle 102. The system 104 may then compare the average historical SoC usage with the initial battery SoC level.

[0032] In response to determining that the initial battery SoC level may be greater than the average historical SoC usage, and the difference between the initial battery SoC level and the average historical SoC usage may be greater than a first predefined threshold (which may be, for example, 15-20% of the average historical SoC usage), the system 104 may output an alert notification to the fleet server, the vehicle HMI, and / or the user device when the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to any charger on the delivery route. In this case, the alert notification may indicate to the fleet operator and / or the vehicle driver that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle 102 when charging may not be desired / necessary. In this way, the system 104 may save energy and prevent unnecessary vehicle charging, and may also minimize the loss of production time that the vehicle 102 may spend on unnecessary charging.

[0033] On the other hand, in response to determining that the initial battery SoC level may be less than the average historical SoC usage, the system 104 may determine that the vehicle 102 may need to be charged on the delivery route. In this case, when the vehicle 102 can be connected to the second charger 112 or the preferred charger on the delivery route, the system 104 can determine the amount of energy transferred from the charger to the vehicle 102 via the charger or the vehicle 102. The system 104 can also compare the average historical SoC usage with the sum of the initial battery SoC level and the amount of energy transferred to the vehicle 102. If the difference between the sum and the average historical SoC usage is greater than a second predefined threshold (which may be a predefined value preset by the fleet operator or 15% to 20% of the average historical SoC usage), the system 104 may output an alarm notification to the fleet server, the vehicle HMI, and / or the user device. In this case, the alarm notification may indicate to the fleet operator and / or the vehicle driver that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle 102. The fleet operator can use the alarm notification to train the vehicle driver and / or instruct the vehicle driver to stop charging the vehicle 102.

[0034] Combined with the following Figure 2 Further details of the system 104 and the vehicle 102 are described.

[0035] The vehicle 102, system 104, vehicle driver, and fleet operator implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. In addition, any actions taken by the vehicle driver or fleet operator should comply with all rules specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 102. Notifications or recommendations such as those provided by the vehicle 102 and / or server 104 should be considered suggestions and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0036] Figure 2 A block diagram of a fleet management system 104 (or system 104) according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B .

[0037] System 104 may be communicatively coupled via one or more networks 206 (or networks 206) to a plurality of external systems / units, including, but not limited to, a plurality of fleet vehicles (including vehicle 102), a plurality of user devices associated with vehicle drivers of the plurality of fleet vehicles (including user device 202), and one or more servers 204 (or servers 204). User device 202 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a computer, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or any other device having communication capabilities.

[0038] The server 204 may be part of a cloud-based computing infrastructure and may be associated with and / or include a telematics service delivery network (SDN) that provides services to the vehicle 102 and other vehicles that may be part of a fleet of vehicles. Figure 2 In other aspects, the server 204 may be associated with a fleet operator and may be communicatively connected to a plurality of fleet vehicles. In this case, the server 204 may be configured to obtain a portion or all of the charging information associated with each fleet vehicle from the vehicle and / or a plurality of preferred chargers associated with the vehicle fleet (including the first charger 110 located at the depot 108). Figure 1 An example of charging information is described. Server 204 can be configured to transmit a portion or all of the obtained charging information associated with each fleet vehicle to system 104 at a predefined frequency. In some aspects, system 104 can additionally obtain charging information directly from each fleet vehicle and / or directly from the charger.

[0039] The server 204 may also be configured to obtain weather condition information and road condition information associated with a geographic area where the plurality of fleet vehicles may be traveling, and transmit the weather condition information and road condition information to the system 104 at a predefined frequency. In an additional aspect, the server 204 may store information associated with a plurality of preferred chargers associated with the fleet of vehicles (including the first charger 110), and transmit the “charger information” to the system 104 at a predefined frequency. The charger information may include, for example, the geographic location of the charger, the amount of resources per unit (e.g., fees or charges) required to charge the vehicle at each charger, and the like.

[0040] The network 206 illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 206 may be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as, for example, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), BLE, Wi-Fi based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 802.11, ultra-wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), high-speed packet access (HSPDA), long-term evolution (LTE), global system for mobile communications (GSM), and fifth generation (5G), to name a few examples.

[0041] although Figure 2 The system 104 is depicted as being communicatively coupled to a single vehicle 102, but the system 104 may be configured to be communicatively coupled to multiple fleet vehicles simultaneously. The vehicle 102 (and each fleet vehicle) may include multiple units, including but not limited to a vehicle transceiver 208, a telematics unit 210, a vehicle control unit (VCU) 212, a vehicle infotainment system or human-machine interface (HMI) 214, etc., which may be communicatively coupled to each other. The vehicle transceiver 208 may be configured to receive / transmit data / information / signals from / to external systems and devices via the network 206. For example, the vehicle transceiver 208 may transmit / receive information / signals to / from the system 104, the user device 202, and / or the server 204. The vehicle transceiver 208 may also be configured to transmit / receive signals / information to / from the above-mentioned vehicle units.

[0042] The telematics unit 210 may be configured to determine real-time vehicle geographic location, for example, via a global positioning system (GPS) signal. The VCU 212 may include a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs, not shown) and / or a plurality of vehicle sensors (not shown) that may enable the VCU 212 to control aspects of vehicle operation and implement one or more instruction sets received from the system 104, the server 204, and / or a vehicle processor (not shown). In other aspects, the VCU 212 may be configured to generate a signal / notification when the vehicle 102 is connected to a charger to charge the vehicle 102, and to determine the amount of energy / power delivered to the vehicle 102 while charging. The VCU 212 may also be configured to determine a real-time vehicle battery SoC level.

[0043] The HMI 214 may include a touch screen interface portion, and may include voice recognition features, biometric recognition capabilities that may identify a user based on facial recognition, voice recognition, fingerprint recognition, or other biometric means. In other aspects, the HMI 214 may also be configured to receive user instructions via the touch screen interface portion, and / or output or display notifications (including visual and / or audible alarm notifications), navigation maps, recommendations, messages, etc. on the touch screen interface portion.

[0044] The system 104 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a system transceiver 216, a system processor 218, and a system memory 220 that are communicatively coupled to one another. The system transceiver 216 may be configured to receive / transmit information / signals from / to external systems or devices via the network 206. For example, the system transceiver 216 may receive / transmit information / signals from / to the vehicle 102 (and other fleet vehicles), the user device 202, and / or the server 204.

[0045] The system processor 218 may utilize the system memory 220 to store programs and / or store data in the form of code to perform operations in accordance with the present disclosure. The system memory 220 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that may enable the system processor 218 to perform operations in accordance with the present disclosure. The system memory 220 may include any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.), and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0046] In some aspects, the system memory 220 may include a plurality of databases, including, but not limited to, a charging information database 222, a weather and road condition information database 224, a charger information database 226, and a vehicle information database 228. The charging information database 222 may be configured to store charging information that the system 104 may receive from the server 204, a plurality of fleet vehicles, and / or chargers. The weather and road condition information database 224 may be configured to store information associated with weather and road conditions in a geographic area where each fleet vehicle may be traveling from the server 204. The charger information database 226 may be configured to store charger information that the system 104 may receive from the server 204 and / or directly from the charger. As described above, the charger information may include the charger geographic location, the amount of resources per unit (e.g., fees or charges) required to charge the vehicle at each charger, and the like. The vehicle information database 228 may be configured to store vehicle information (e.g., real-time vehicle battery SoC level, real-time vehicle geographic location, the amount of energy / charge delivered to the vehicle 102 when charging, and the like) that the system 104 may receive directly from the vehicle 102 or via the server 204.

[0047] In operation, the system transceiver 216 may receive charging information, charger information, vehicle information, and weather and road condition information before or before the vehicle 102 begins traveling on the delivery route from the depot 108, and / or while the vehicle 102 may be traveling on the delivery route. In response to receiving the above information, the system transceiver 216 may transmit the received information to a corresponding memory database for storage purposes.

[0048] Specifically, when or before the vehicle 102 begins traveling on the delivery route from the depot 108, and / or when the vehicle 102 may be traveling on the delivery route, the system transceiver 216 may receive a first charger location associated with a first charger 110 (e.g., a charger located at the depot 108 or a preferred charger on the planned delivery route of the vehicle 102) and a second charger location associated with a second charger 112 (which may be a non-preferred charger) on the planned delivery route. The system transceiver 216 may receive the charger location information directly from the corresponding charger and / or from the server 204. The system transceiver 216 may transmit the charger location information to the charger information database 226 for storage purposes and / or to the system processor 218.

[0049] When the vehicle 102 begins traveling on the delivery route and when the vehicle 102 may travel on the delivery route, the system transceiver 216 may also receive a real-time vehicle battery SoC level associated with the vehicle 102 (e.g., via the VCU 212 and the vehicle transceiver 208) and a real-time vehicle geographic location associated with the vehicle 102 (e.g., via the telematics unit 210 and the vehicle transceiver 208). The system transceiver 216 may transmit the received real-time vehicle battery SoC level and vehicle geographic location information to the vehicle information database 228 for storage purposes and / or to the system processor 218.

[0050] The system transceiver 216 may also receive weather condition information associated with a geographic area including the first charger location and the second charger location (i.e., a geographic area associated with the delivery route of the vehicle 102) and road condition information associated with a road (e.g., road 106) between the first charger location and the second charger location from the server 204. In response to receiving the weather condition information and the road condition information, the system transceiver 216 may transmit the information to the weather and road condition information database 224 for storage purposes and / or to the system processor 218.

[0051] When the vehicle 102 stops on the delivery route and the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to a charger (e.g., the second charger 112) to charge the vehicle 102, the VCU 212 may generate a notification or a "first trigger signal" and transmit the generated first trigger signal to the system transceiver 216 (via the vehicle transceiver 208). The system transceiver 216 may receive the first trigger signal from the VCU 212 and transmit the first trigger signal to the system processor 218. In this way, the system processor 218 may obtain the first trigger signal from the VCU 212 when the vehicle 102 may be connected to the second charger 112 to charge the vehicle 102.

[0052] In response to obtaining the first trigger signal, the system processor 218 may determine that the second charger 112 may be a preferred charger associated with the vehicle fleet or may be a non-preferred charger based on the charger information and the second charger location stored in the charger information database 226. In some aspects, the charger information database 226 may store the locations of multiple preferred chargers on the delivery route associated with the vehicle 102. The system processor 218 determines whether the second charger 112 may be a preferred charger or a non-preferred charger by comparing the second charger location with the locations of the multiple preferred chargers stored in the charger information database 226. In some aspects, the system processor 218 may obtain the second charger location directly from the second charger 112, from the server 204, or by determining the real-time vehicle geographic location (such as obtained via the telematics unit 210). In response to determining that the second charger location is not included in the locations associated with the multiple preferred chargers based on the comparison, the system processor 218 may determine that the second charger 112 may be a non-preferred charger.

[0053] In response to determining that the second charger 112 may be a non-preferred charger, the system processor 218 may obtain the first charger location (i.e., the location associated with the first charger 110) from the charger information database 226 and obtain the real-time vehicle battery SoC level (e.g., from the VCU 212). In response to obtaining the first charger location, the system processor 218 may determine the geographic distance between the first charger location and the second charger location. The system processor 218 may also obtain weather condition information and road condition information from the weather and road condition information database 224.

[0054] In response to determining the geographic distance and obtaining weather and road condition information, the system processor 218 may estimate an expected battery SoC level that may be required for the vehicle 102 to travel from the second charger location to the first charger location based on the geographic distance, weather condition information, and / or road condition information. In other words, the system processor 218 may determine the amount of battery power / energy that may be required for the vehicle 102 to travel from the location associated with the second charger 112 to the first charger 110 (which may be a depot charger or any preferred charger on the delivery route).

[0055] In response to estimating the expected battery SoC level, the system processor 218 may compare the expected battery SoC level to the real-time vehicle battery SoC level (when the vehicle 102 is likely to be at the second charger location). When the real-time vehicle battery SoC level is likely to be greater than the expected battery SoC level, the system processor 218 may output / transmit a first notification to the HMI 214, the user device 202, and / or the fleet computing device / server 204 via the system transceiver 216. The first notification may indicate to the vehicle driver and / or the fleet operator that the vehicle driver may not need to charge at the second charger 112 (which may be a non-preferred charger) and may conveniently travel to the first charger location / first charger 110 (which may be a preferred charger) to charge the vehicle 102. In other words, the first notification may indicate to the vehicle driver and / or the fleet operator that the real-time / current vehicle battery SoC level may be sufficient for the vehicle 102 to conveniently reach the first charger 110 without any charging at the second charger 112 (or any other charger on the route to the first charger 110). Figure 3 An example view 302 of a first notification (stating “To charge your vehicle, drive to the first charger”) displayed on the HMI 214 is depicted in FIG.

[0056] In some aspects, in response to estimating the expected battery SoC level, the system processor 218 may additionally obtain a first per-unit resource amount (e.g., cost) required to charge the vehicle 102 at the first charger 110 and a second per-unit resource amount (e.g., cost) required to charge the vehicle 102 at the second charger 112. The first per-unit resource and the second per-unit resource may be part of the charging information that the system transceiver 216 (and therefore the system processor 218) may receive / obtain from the server 204 or directly from the first charger 110 and the second charger 112. In response to obtaining the first per-unit resource and the second per-unit resource, the system processor 218 may compare the first per-unit resource and the second per-unit resource. In some aspects, when the second per-unit resource may be greater than the first per-unit resource, the system processor 218 may output / transmit a first notification via the system transceiver 216. In other words, when the system processor 218 determines that charging the vehicle 102 at the second charger 112 may require more resources (e.g., expenses) than the first charger 110, the system processor 218 can output / transmit a first notification to the HMI 214, the user device 202, and / or the fleet computing device / server 204.

[0057] In some aspects, in response to determining that the real-time vehicle battery SoC level may be less than the expected battery SoC level, the system processor 218 may not output the first notification. In this case, when the vehicle 102 may be connected to the second charger 112, the system processor 218 may determine whether the vehicle driver may be overcharging the vehicle 102. In order to determine that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle 102, the system processor 218 may obtain an initial battery SoC level associated with the vehicle 102 when the vehicle 102 starts driving on the delivery route from the depot 108 and an average historical (or expected) SoC usage on the delivery route of the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the system processor 218 may obtain the initial battery SoC level based on the real-time battery SoC level that the system processor 218 may have obtained when the vehicle 102 starts driving from the depot 108. In addition, the system processor 218 may obtain the expected SoC usage on the delivery route of the vehicle 102 from the charging information database 222 that stores charging information associated with each fleet vehicle.

[0058] The system processor 218 may also obtain the amount of energy delivered to the vehicle 102 from the second charger 112 when the vehicle 102 is connected to the second charger 112 to charge the vehicle 102. In some aspects, the system processor 218 may obtain the amount of energy delivered to the vehicle 102 from the second charger 112, the VCU 212, or via the server 204.

[0059] In response to obtaining the initial battery SoC level, the expected SoC usage, and the amount of energy delivered, the system processor 218 may calculate the sum of the initial battery SoC level and the amount of energy delivered. The system processor 218 may then determine the difference between the sum and the expected SoC usage. When the system processor 218 determines that the sum may be greater than the expected SoC usage, and the determined difference may be greater than a predefined first threshold (which may be, for example, 15% to 20% of the expected SoC usage), the system processor 218 may output / transmit a second notification to the HMI 214, the user device 202, and / or the fleet computing device / server 204 via the system transceiver 216. The second notification may indicate to the vehicle driver and / or the fleet operator that the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle 102. Figure 3 304 of an example of a second notification (stating “You are overcharging”) displayed on the HMI 214. As shown in view 304, the second notification may include other details, such as “Shift distance remaining”, “SoC target” (which may be a minimum target SoC level associated with the vehicle 102 when the vehicle 102 returns to the depot 108), etc., which may facilitate the vehicle driver to easily view statistics associated with the delivery route and, therefore, enable the vehicle driver to stop overcharging. In this way, the system processor 218 helps prevent the vehicle from overcharging.

[0060] In an additional aspect, the system processor 218 may be configured to determine that charging of the vehicle 102 may even be desired / necessary when the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to the second charger 112. In this case, when the vehicle driver connects the vehicle 102 to the second charger 112, the system processor 218 may obtain the initial battery SoC level and the expected SoC usage, as described above. In response to obtaining the initial battery SoC level and the expected SoC usage, the system processor 218 may determine the difference between the initial battery SoC level and the expected SoC usage. When the system processor 218 determines that the initial battery SoC level is greater than the expected SoC usage, and the difference between the initial battery SoC level and the expected SoC usage is greater than a predefined second threshold (which may, for example, be equal to the “SoC target” described above), the system processor 218 may output / transmit a third notification to the HMI 214, the user device 202, and / or the fleet computing device / server 204 via the system transceiver 216. The third notification may indicate to the vehicle driver and / or fleet operator that vehicle charging may not be required and that the vehicle 102 may conveniently complete its shift and travel back to the depot 108 without any charging. Figure 3An example view 306 of a third notification (stating “You do not need to charge the vehicle at this time”) displayed on the HMI 214 is depicted in FIG. In this way, the system processor 218 can help the vehicle driver understand when not to charge, thereby minimizing loss of productive time and saving energy.

[0061] The system processor 218 may also be configured to warn the fleet operator and / or the vehicle driver when the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle 102 during off-hours or when the vehicle 102 may not be typically charged. In this case, the VCU 212 may generate a second trigger signal when the vehicle 102 may be connected to, for example, the first charger 110. The VCU 212 may transmit the second trigger signal to the system transceiver 216 (and thus to the system processor 218) via the vehicle transceiver 208. In this way, the system processor 218 may obtain the second trigger signal from the VCU 212 when the vehicle 102 is connected to the first charger 110 to charge the vehicle 102.

[0062] In response to obtaining the second trigger signal, the system processor 218 may determine the current date and time based on a system timer (not shown). The system processor 218 may also obtain / determine a typical time and date (or a predetermined time and date) when the vehicle 102 is charged at the first charger 110 based on charging information associated with the vehicle 102. In response to determining the typical time and date, the system processor 218 may compare the current time and date with the typical time and date. When the system processor 218 determines that the current time / date may be different from the typical time / date, the system processor 218 may output / transmit a fourth notification to the HMI 214, the user device 202, and / or the fleet computing device / server 204 via the system transceiver 216. For example, when the vehicle driver may charge the vehicle 102 at 9 am on Sunday (when the vehicle 102 is not typically charged on Sundays), the system processor 218 may output a fourth notification. The fourth notification may indicate to the fleet operator that the vehicle driver may be operating (or charging the vehicle 102) during non-working hours. The fleet operator may use such notifications to train vehicle drivers.

[0063] Although the above description describes the following aspects: the system processor 218 outputs / transmits the first notification, the second notification, the third notification, and the fourth notification in real time when the vehicle driver may be charging the vehicle 102 using a non-preferred charger or overcharging the vehicle 102, charging the vehicle 102 when it is not needed / necessary, or charging the vehicle 102 during non-working hours, the present disclosure is not limited to the aspect of providing real-time notifications. In some aspects, the system processor 218 can additionally generate and provide a daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc. summary of charging behavior associated with each driver and / or fleet vehicle to the fleet computing device / server 204. The system processor 218 can generate the summary of charging behavior based on data / information obtained from the fleet vehicles, corresponding chargers, servers 204, etc. Fleet operators can view the summary and identify drivers who may need training to effectively charge their vehicles, and / or identify vehicles that may be overbooked / overutilized or vehicles that may need to upgrade, replace, or move power sources.

[0064] Figure 4 4 illustrates an example charging behavior summary table 400 (or table 400) associated with a driver / vehicle (e.g., vehicle 102) generated by the system processor 218 and provided to the server 204. The table 400 may include a first column 402 that may represent the day of the week. As an example, a "0" in the first column 402 may represent Monday, a "1" may represent Tuesday, and so on (days "5" and "6" may be weekends). The table 400 may also include a second column 404 that may represent the average initial SoC level for each day when the vehicle 102 leaves the depot 108. As depicted in column 404, the vehicle 102 may not be fully charged to 100% on Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4. The fleet operator may use such information to better plan the vehicle charging of each fleet vehicle at the depot 108 so that when the corresponding vehicle leaves the depot 108, the vehicle may have 100% SoC.

[0065] Table 400 may also include a third column 406 and a fourth column 408, which may represent an average historical SoC usage associated with the vehicle 102 per day and a sigma value (or standard deviation) associated with the SoC usage associated with the vehicle 102 per day, respectively. The system processor 218 or a fleet operator may estimate the expected SoC usage of the vehicle 102 per day by adding 50%, 84%, 85%, 97%, or 98% (or any other percentage) of the value included in the third column 406 to the value included in the fourth column 408. The system processor 218 or a fleet operator may use the expected SoC usage to determine the percentage of overutilization of the vehicle 102 that exceeds the initial SoC level of 100% per day. Examples of overutilization that exceeds the SoC level of 100% are included in column 410. When the value included in column 410 is consistently (e.g., daily) greater than a predefined threshold (e.g., 50 or 60%), the fleet operator may determine that the vehicle 102 may need a battery upgrade or replacement, or may need a mobile power source.

[0066] Table 400 may also include additional statistics / columns that may assist a fleet operator in determining charging behavior associated with a vehicle driver / vehicle 102. For example, table 400 may include: column 412, which may represent an average starting SoC level when vehicle 102 may be charged at a second charger 112 (i.e., a non-preferred or non-depot (ND) charger); column 414, which may represent an average SoC or amount of energy delivered to vehicle 102 from second charger 112; column 416, which may represent an amount of SoC or energy that may be overcharged into vehicle 102 (an overcharged SoC may account for a 15-20% buffer over daily expected SoC usage / demand); and column 418, which may represent an actual or normalized loss of production hours (or extended shift duration) due to overcharging.

[0067] The fleet operator may review the details included in columns 412-418 to determine whether the vehicle driver may be unnecessarily charging and / or overcharging the vehicle 102 (which may result in production losses). In additional aspects, the system processor 218 may use the information included in columns 404-418 to calculate one or more scores associated with the vehicle driver / vehicle 102. The system processor 218 may calculate the scores by using known statistical models.

[0068] As an example, the system processor 218 may calculate an overcharge indicator score (as shown in column 420), which may indicate the vehicle driver's tendency to overcharge the vehicle 102. In an exemplary aspect, the overcharge indicator score may be calculated using the mathematical expression {(total SoC charged / total SoC used)–1}. The system processor 218 may also calculate an overcharge amount score (as shown in column 422), which may be based on a normalized value of (total SoC charged-total SoC used). The system processor 218 may additionally calculate a range anxiety score for the vehicle driver (as shown in column 424), which may indicate the range anxiety level experienced by the vehicle driver. In some aspects, the range anxiety score may be based on the amount of SoC charged by the vehicle driver and the SoC remaining when the vehicle 102 returns to the depot 108 at the end of a shift. If the vehicle 102 typically returns to the depot 108 at a relatively high SoC level (e.g., above a predefined threshold), the range anxiety score may be higher. If range anxiety scores are likely to be high, fleet operators can identify training needs for vehicle drivers.

[0069] The system processor 218 may also include in the table 400 the number of times when the vehicle 102 can be charged above the 100% SoC level (not shown) and the number of times the vehicle 102 can be charged by using the second charger 112 (not shown). The system processor 218 may also calculate one or more additional scores, such as a score associated with inefficient charging by the vehicle driver (which may be the same as or different from the overcharge indicator score), a score associated with an overcharge likelihood associated with the vehicle driver (which may be based on the number of times the vehicle 102 can be charged by using the second charger 112, the overcharge indicator score, the overcharge amount score, etc.), etc.

[0070] In addition to providing the table 400 associated with the vehicle 102 / vehicle driver (including the above-described columns / scores), the system processor 218 may also provide similar tables, columns, scores, etc. associated with each fleet vehicle (i.e., vehicle-level scores / data) and fleet-level tables / scores to the server 204. The fleet operator may review the vehicle-level scores / data and compare them to the fleet-level scores / data to identify one or more vehicles / vehicle drivers that may require training and / or periodic notification to prevent overcharging or charging at non-preferred chargers.

[0071] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An example snapshot of a comparison between two vehicles (e.g., vehicle 1 and vehicle 2) and fleet-level scores / data is depicted in FIG. Specifically, Figure 5Adepicts a comparison of one or more data / scores associated with vehicle 1 with corresponding fleet-level data / scores, and Figure 5B A comparison of one or more data / scores associated with vehicle 2 and corresponding fleet-level data / scores is depicted. Figure 5A and Figure 5B Five types of data / scores are depicted in the comparison graphs included in FIG. 1 , but the present disclosure is not limited to the depicted data / scores.

[0072] In an exemplary aspect, Figure 5A Figure 1 depicts the average SoC usage data / scores for vehicle 1 and fleet (in Figure 5A ” in the figure), the overcharging possibility scores of vehicle 1 and the fleet (in Figure 5A The overcharge scores of vehicle 1 and the fleet (shown as "2" in Figure 5A ), the average loss of production hours for vehicle 1 and the fleet (in Figure 5A ), and the inefficient charging scores of vehicle 1 and the fleet (in Figure 5A In some aspects, the distance from the center "O" of the pentagon depicts the corresponding data / score.

[0073] In a similar manner, Figure 5B Figure 2 depicts the average SoC usage data / scores for vehicles 2 and fleets (in Figure 5B ” in the figure), the overcharging possibility scores of vehicle 2 and the fleet (in Figure 5B ” in the figure), the overcharge scores of vehicle 2 and the fleet (in Figure 5B ), the average loss of production hours for vehicle 2 and the fleet (in Figure 5B 4) and the inefficient charging scores of vehicle 2 and the fleet (in Figure 5B denoted as “5”).

[0074] In an exemplary aspect, if a pentagon associated with a vehicle can be located within a pentagon associated with a fleet, then the vehicle can have a “better” charging behavior than the fleet, e.g. Figure 5B On the other hand, if the pentagon associated with the vehicle may be located outside the pentagon associated with the fleet, the vehicle or the corresponding vehicle driver may need training, such as Figure 5A In other words, if a vehicle's score or data associated with overcharging, inefficient charging, lost production time, etc. may be greater than the corresponding fleet score / data, the vehicle driver may need training, for example, regarding best practices for vehicle charging.

[0075] exist Figure 5A and Figure 5BIn the example comparison snapshot depicted in , the vehicle driver associated with vehicle 1 (e.g., vehicle 102) may need training. In response to determining that the vehicle driver associated with vehicle 102 may need training, the fleet operator may cause the system 104 to perform one or more actions to prevent the vehicle driver from overcharging and / or charging from a non-preferred charger. For example, in this case, when the vehicle driver associated with vehicle 102 may be traveling on a delivery route, the system processor 218 may output / transmit one or more regular notifications to the HMI 214 via the system transceiver 216 to remind the vehicle driver to prevent overcharging or charging the vehicle 102 when charging may not be required / necessary. The system processor 218 may also cause the HMI 214 to display the remaining rotation distance, SoC target, SoC remaining, etc., so that the vehicle driver may not overcharge the vehicle 102 and / or charge the vehicle 102 only when necessary. The system processor 218 may additionally provide the above-mentioned real-time notifications (e.g., first notification, second notification, third notification, fourth notification) to enhance the vehicle charging behavior associated with the vehicle driver.

[0076] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand from the above description that enhancing the charging behavior associated with the vehicle driver can bring potential savings to the fleet, improve the efficiency of fleet operation, and also help save energy. In addition, by analyzing the fleet-level data / score and the vehicle-level data / score, the fleet operator can identify one or more vehicles that may need battery upgrades or replacements (e.g., vehicles that may continue to need charging while traveling on a delivery route) and / or mobile power supplies. The fleet operator can also appropriately set the size of the mobile power supply based on the fleet-level data / score and the vehicle-level data / score. For example, the fleet operator can be based on the mean or sigma value of daily SoC usage, the normal distribution of SoC usage, the amount of resources associated with vehicle charging (e.g., expenses), the loss of production hours, etc. The fleet operator can also make multiple decisions based on the fleet-level data / score and the vehicle-level data / score, such as whether to purchase new vehicles for the fleet or replace batteries in existing vehicles, whether to perform load balancing to reduce the load on overused vehicles, whether to purchase new mobile power supplies (and their corresponding sizes), whether to include more chargers (e.g., the second charger 112) to the fleet's preferred charger list, etc.

[0077] Figure 6 A flow chart of an example fleet management method 600 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 6 The following process is exemplary and is not limited to the steps described below. Furthermore, alternative embodiments may include more or fewer steps than shown or described herein, and may include the steps in an order different from the order described in the following exemplary embodiments.

[0078] The method 600 starts at step 602. At step 604, the method 600 may include obtaining, by the system processor 218, a first trigger signal from the VCU 212. At step 606, the method 600 may include obtaining, by the system processor 218, a first charger position associated with the first charger 110, a second charger position associated with the second charger 112, and a real-time or current vehicle battery SoC level associated with the vehicle 102 in response to obtaining the first trigger signal.

[0079] At step 608, the method 600 may include determining, by the system processor 218, a geographic distance between the first charger location and the second charger location. At step 610, the method 600 may include estimating, by the system processor 218, an expected battery SoC level required for the vehicle 102 to travel from the second charger location to the first charger location based on the determined geographic distance (as well as weather and road condition information, as described above).

[0080] At step 612, method 600 may include comparing, by system processor 218, the expected battery SoC level and the current battery SoC level. At step 614, method 600 may include outputting a first notification when the current battery SoC level may be greater than the expected battery SoC level, as described above.

[0081] Method 600 ends at step 616 .

[0082] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure can be practiced. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. in this specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include the specific features, structures, or characteristics. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when features, structures, or characteristics are described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, those skilled in the art will recognize such features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0083] In addition, where appropriate, the functions described herein may be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and programs described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific system components. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, components may be referred to by different names. This document is not intended to distinguish between components that have different names but the same function.

[0084] It should also be understood that the word "example" as used herein is intended to be non-exclusive and non-limiting in nature. More specifically, the word "example" as used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the specific example described.

[0085] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) media that participate in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device may include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may be executable by one or more computing devices (such as those listed above) and stored on a computer-readable medium.

[0086] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes may be practiced by performing the described steps in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed simultaneously, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of the processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed as limiting the claims.

[0087] Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Upon reading the above description, many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be apparent. The scope should not be determined with reference to the above description, but should be determined with reference to the entire scope of the appended claims and equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In short, it should be understood that the present application is capable of modification and change.

[0088] Unless explicitly indicated to the contrary in this article, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless the claim states an explicit limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" and the like should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood in other ways within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "may", "can" or "may" is generally intended to express that certain embodiments may include certain features, elements and / or steps, while other embodiments may not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Therefore, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that one or more embodiments require each feature, element and / or step in any way.

[0089] In one aspect of the present invention, estimating the expected battery SoC level includes estimating the expected battery SoC level based on weather condition information and road condition information.

[0090] In one aspect of the present invention, the method includes: obtaining a second trigger signal; determining a current time in response to obtaining the second trigger signal; comparing the current time with a predetermined time; and outputting a notification when the current time is different from the predetermined time.

[0091] In one aspect of the present invention, obtaining the second trigger signal includes obtaining the second trigger signal when the vehicle is connected to a second charger to charge the vehicle.

[0092] In one aspect of the invention, outputting the notification includes outputting the notification to a user device, a vehicle human machine interface (HMI), or a server.

[0093] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain a trigger signal; obtain a first charger location associated with a first charger, a second charger location associated with a second charger, and a current battery SoC level associated with a vehicle in response to obtaining the trigger signal; determine a geographic distance between the first charger location and the second charger location; estimate an expected battery SoC level required for the vehicle to travel from the first charger location to the second charger location based on the geographic distance; compare the expected battery SoC level with the current battery SoC level; and output a notification when the current battery SoC level is greater than the expected battery SoC level.

Claims

1. A system comprising: A transceiver, the transceiver being configured to receive: a first charger position associated with the first charger and a second charger position associated with the second charger; as well as a current battery state of charge (SoC) level associated with the vehicle; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: obtaining a first trigger signal; obtaining the first charger position, the second charging position, and the current battery SoC level from the transceiver in response to obtaining the first trigger signal; determining a geographic distance between the first charger location and the second charger location; estimating an expected battery SoC level required for the vehicle to travel from the first charger location to the second charger location based on the geographic distance; comparing the expected battery SoC level to the current battery SoC level; and A notification is output when the current battery SoC level is greater than the expected battery SoC level. 2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first trigger signal is obtained when the vehicle is connected to the first charger to charge the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive weather condition information associated with a geographic area including the first charger location and the second charger location, and road condition information associated with a road between the first charger location and the second charger location. 4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor estimates the expected battery SoC level based on the weather condition information and the road condition information. 5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a first amount of resources required to charge the vehicle using the first charger and a second amount of resources required to charge the vehicle using the second charger. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor outputs the notification when the first resource amount is greater than the second resource amount.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor outputs the notification to a user device, a vehicle human machine interface (HMI), or a server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: obtaining a second trigger signal; determining a current time in response to obtaining the second trigger signal; comparing the current time to a predetermined time; and When the current time is different from the predetermined time, the notification is output. 9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the second trigger signal is obtained when the vehicle is connected to the second charger to charge the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive: an initial battery SoC level associated with the vehicle when the vehicle begins a delivery route; The average expected SoC usage on the delivery route; and An amount of energy delivered to the vehicle using the first charger when the vehicle is connected to the first charger to charge the vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: calculating a sum of the amount of energy and the initial battery SoC level; determining a first difference between the sum and the average expected SoC usage; and The notification is output when the first difference is greater than a first predefined threshold.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: determining a second difference between the initial battery SoC level and the average expected SoC usage; and The notification is output when the second difference is greater than a second predefined threshold.

13. A method comprising: Obtaining a first trigger signal by a processor; obtaining, by the processor in response to obtaining the first trigger signal, a first charger position associated with the first charger, a second charger position associated with the second charger, and a current vehicle battery SoC level associated with the vehicle; determining, by the processor, a geographic distance between the first charger location and the second charger location; estimating, by the processor, an expected battery SoC level required for the vehicle to travel from the first charger location to the second charger location based on the geographic distance; comparing, by the processor, the expected battery SoC level with the current battery SoC level; as well as When the current battery SoC level is greater than the expected battery SoC level, a notification is output by the sensor. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein obtaining the first trigger signal comprises obtaining the first trigger signal when the vehicle is connected to the first charger to charge the vehicle. 15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising obtaining weather condition information associated with a geographic area including the first charger location and the second charger location, and road condition information associated with a road between the first charger location and the second charger location.

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