System and method for recommending electric vehicle charging stations

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for recommending an electric vehicle charging station. A recommendation system including a transceiver and a processor is disclosed. The transceiver may be configured to receive charging station information. The charging station information may include information associated with real-time latency and presence of fast chargers located at a plurality of charging stations in a geographic area. The processor may be configured to obtain a trigger signal and, in response to obtaining the trigger signal, estimate a vehicle charging time associated with each charging station based on the charging station information. The processor may also determine a recommended charging station from the plurality of charging stations based on the vehicle charging time. The processor may additionally output recommended charging station information in response to determining the recommended charging station.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for recommending electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for charging the EVs. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles (EVs) require regular charging at EV charging stations to ensure optimal vehicle operation. Sometimes, users may feel uncomfortable visiting certain EV charging stations, as they may be located in secluded areas or lack proper lighting. Visiting such charging stations and parking there to charge their vehicles can be inconvenient for users. Furthermore, adverse events are known to occur in secluded locations, and as a result, many users prefer not to charge their vehicles at such charging stations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure describes a system and method for identifying and recommending optimal charging stations to vehicle users for charging their vehicles. The system may also perform one or more predefined actions to enhance the user's experience charging their vehicle at the recommended charging station, particularly when the charging station is located in a secluded area, has inadequate lighting, inoperable cameras, or lacks authority / security.

[0004] In a first exemplary aspect, the system may identify a charging station (e.g., a first charging station) among a plurality of charging stations in a geographic area and recommend it to the vehicle user such that the first charging station is associated with the shortest or lowest vehicle charging time. For example, the system may recommend the first charging station such that the first charging station has the shortest wait time and / or has a fast charger.

[0005] In a second exemplary aspect, the system may identify and recommend the first charging station such that a vehicle travel time from a current vehicle geographic location to the first charging station may be lowest among vehicle travel times to other charging stations in the geographic area.

[0006] In a third exemplary aspect, the system can identify and recommend a first charging station such that the first charging station can have an acceptability rating that is greater than a user's desired acceptability rating. In some aspects, the acceptability rating of a charging station can be associated with the presence of a camera, the presence of authorities, the presence of an escort to and from the charging station, the historical incidence of adverse events at the charging station, the presence of one or more places of interest (e.g., restaurants, cafes, etc.) near the charging station, the presence of an attendant waiting facility at the charging station, etc.

[0007] In a fourth exemplary aspect, the system may identify and recommend a first charging station such that a wireless charger may be present at the first charging station (if the vehicle has wireless charging capabilities).

[0008] In another aspect, the system can be configured to recommend a second charging station from a plurality of charging stations to the vehicle user when the vehicle arrives at the first charging station and the vehicle user dislikes the first charging station (e.g., when the first charging station may be in suboptimal conditions). The second charging station can, for example, be the closest to the first charging station, or can be the closest charging station with an acceptability rating greater than the user's desired acceptability rating. The system can also be configured to determine and recommend a minimum vehicle charge that the vehicle user can transfer to the vehicle at the first charging station, which can enable the vehicle to conveniently travel from the first charging station to the second charging station.

[0009] The system can also be configured to enable the vehicle to adjust / adapt the vehicle's charging strategy (e.g., charging for an optimal duration) based on real-time charging station information associated with the first charging station when the vehicle arrives at the first charging station or is likely to charge at the first charging station. The real-time charging station information may include, for example, information associated with a count of users or vehicles located at the first charging station, the presence of authorities at the first charging station, etc.

[0010] The system may further enable the vehicle to activate its perimeter lights, activate and begin recording an external vehicle camera, illuminate lights associated with one or more additional vehicles and / or infrastructure lights in the vicinity of the vehicle, etc., to further enhance the user's charging experience at the first charging station. The system may also enable / facilitate a group of vehicles to charge together at the first charging station, and / or request one or more vehicles or users to monitor the vehicle at the first charging station while the vehicle may be charging at the first charging station.

[0011] The present disclosure discloses a system and method for recommending optimal charging stations to vehicle users and / or enhancing the user's vehicle charging experience at a charging station, particularly when the charging station is located in a hidden area or in suboptimal conditions. The system enables vehicle users to quickly charge their vehicles at recommended charging stations, thereby ensuring that the vehicle user does not spend a significant amount of time at the charging station. The system also facilitates illuminating the area where the vehicle may be located at the charging station, thereby increasing the user's comfort while the vehicle may be charging.

[0012] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Detailed description of the invention is described 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 illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and / or components may not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, singular and plural terms may be used interchangeably, depending on the context.

[0014] Figure 1 An example environment is depicted in which techniques and structures for providing the systems and methods disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0015] Figure 2 A block diagram of an electric vehicle charging recommendation system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0016] Figure 3 Depicted are example snapshots of a vehicle at a charging station with illuminated perimeter lights in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 Depicted are example snapshots of a vehicle displaying notifications via a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 Depicted are example snapshots of two vehicles at a charging station with illuminated perimeter lights in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 Depicted are example snapshots of a user at a charging station and a vehicle monitoring another vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 A flow chart depicts an exemplary electric vehicle charging recommendation method according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the disclosure are shown and which are not intended to be limiting.

[0022] Figure 1 An 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 geographic area 102 that includes a plurality of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations 104a, 104b, 104c, 104n (collectively, charging stations 104). Environment 100 may also include a vehicle 106 that may be charged at charging stations 104.

[0023] The vehicle 106 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 taxi, a bus, etc. Additionally, the vehicle 106 may be a manually driven vehicle and / or may be configured to operate in a fully autonomous (e.g., driverless) mode or a partially autonomous mode, and may include one or more electric actuation motors or a hybrid powertrain.

[0024] The vehicle 106 can be communicatively coupled to an electric vehicle charging recommendation system 108 (or system 108), which can be configured to identify and recommend one or more charging stations from the charging stations 104 at which a vehicle user (not shown) associated with the vehicle 106 can charge the vehicle 106. In some aspects, the system 108 can be part of the vehicle 106. In other aspects, the system 108 can be hosted on a server, and the vehicle 106 can be communicatively coupled to the server.

[0025] The system 108 can be configured to recommend one or more charging stations to the vehicle user so that the vehicle user can quickly charge the vehicle 106 at the recommended charging station and / or the vehicle user can feel comfortable charging the vehicle 106 at the recommended charging station (particularly if the charging station is located in a secluded area). For example, the system 108 can identify charging stations for the vehicle user where the vehicle user may not need to wait a considerable duration for the vehicle 106 to charge, thereby enabling the vehicle user to quickly charge the vehicle 106 and exit the charging station. This can enhance the user's convenience in charging the vehicle 106 at the charging station, particularly if the charging station is located in a secluded area (or may not have adequate lighting or security, etc.).

[0026] The system 108 may identify the optimal charging station for a vehicle user based on a number of parameters / criteria described below. The exemplary parameters described below should not be construed as limiting, and the system 108 may also identify the optimal charging station based on additional parameters without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0027] In a first exemplary aspect, system 108 may identify and recommend a charging station (e.g., a first recommended charging station) from charging stations 104 that may require vehicle 106 to spend the least or the least amount of time to charge at the recommended charging station. In other words, the first recommended charging station may be the charging station among charging stations 104 that is likely to be associated with the shortest or lowest vehicle charging time. In this case, system 108 may obtain real-time wait times at each charging station 104 and / or information indicating the presence or absence of fast chargers at each charging station 104. In an exemplary aspect, fast chargers may be those that are likely capable of supplying 240-volt power. In some aspects, the information indicating the presence or absence of fast chargers may also indicate the presence or absence of higher-rated power chargers (e.g., chargers capable of charging at 50 kW, 150 kW, 350 kW, etc.). In response to obtaining this information, system 108 may determine a real-time expected vehicle charging time at each charging station 104 based on the real-time wait times and / or the information indicating the presence or absence of fast chargers at each charging station 104. In response to determining the real-time expected vehicle charging time associated with each charging station 104 , system 108 may identify and recommend to the vehicle user a charging station (eg, charging station 104 a or the first recommended charging station) that may have the lowest or shortest expected vehicle charging time.

[0028] In some aspects, in addition to identifying and recommending charging stations based on the vehicle charging times, the system 108 may also identify and recommend charging stations (e.g., a first recommended charging station) based on the vehicle travel time required for the vehicle 106 to travel from the current vehicle geographic location to the location of the first recommended charging station. Specifically, in some aspects, when the vehicle travel time to the first recommended charging station is also the lowest (among the vehicle travel times associated with the charging stations 104), the system 108 may recommend the first recommended charging station (i.e., the charging station associated with the lowest / shortest vehicle charging time) to the vehicle user. In other aspects, when the vehicle travel time to the first recommended charging station may be slightly higher (e.g., less than 20% higher) than the vehicle travel time associated with the other charging stations 104, the system 108 may recommend the first recommended charging station to the vehicle user; however, the vehicle charging time at the first recommended charging station may be significantly lower (e.g., more than 40% lower) than the charging times at the other charging stations 104.

[0029] In another aspect, the system 108 can identify and recommend charging stations based on user preferences and / or vehicle capabilities. For example, if the vehicle 106 is equipped with wireless charging capabilities, the system 108 can identify and recommend charging stations (from the charging stations 104) to the vehicle user who may have a wireless charger. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the vehicle user may feel comfortable charging at a charging station that offers wireless charging facilities because the vehicle user may not need to leave the vehicle 106 to charge the vehicle 106 at such a charging station. The vehicle user may prefer charging at such a charging station (rather than other conventional charging stations where the vehicle user may need to leave the vehicle 106 to plug / unplug the charging cable), especially if the charging station is located in a secluded area.

[0030] As another example, the system 108 may identify and recommend charging stations (from the charging stations 104) to the vehicle user based on an acceptability rating or score associated with each charging station 104 (which may range from 1 to 5, with a rating of 5 being the best) and the user's desired or preferred acceptability rating. In some aspects, the system 108 may identify and recommend charging stations that may have associated acceptability ratings greater than the user's desired acceptability rating. For example, if the user's desired acceptability rating is 4, the system 108 may identify and recommend charging stations that may have associated acceptability ratings greater than 4. In exemplary aspects, the acceptability rating of a charging station may be associated with at least one of the following: the presence of a camera at the charging station, the presence of authorities, the presence of an escort to and from the charging station, a historical rate of adverse events at the charging station, the presence of one or more places of interest (e.g., restaurants, cafes, etc.) near the charging station, the presence of an attendant waiting facility at the charging station, etc.

[0031] In response to identifying a recommended charging station based on the one or more parameters / criteria described above, the system 108 may transmit information associated with the recommended charging station (or "recommended charging station information") to the vehicle 106 and / or a user device associated with the vehicle user. The recommended charging station information may include, for example, the geographic location of the recommended charging station, its acceptability rating, the expected vehicle charging time at the charging station, an indication of the presence or absence of a fast charger, wireless charger, etc. at the charging station, and the like.

[0032] In response to vehicle 106 and / or the user device receiving the recommended charging station information, the vehicle user can drive vehicle 106 to the recommended charging station (e.g., the first recommended charging station) or, if vehicle 106 is an autonomous vehicle, vehicle 106 can drive itself to the first recommended charging station. In some aspects, in addition to identifying the first recommended charging station (as described above), system 108 can also be configured to enhance the user's experience of charging vehicle 106 when vehicle 106 arrives at the first recommended charging station, as described below.

[0033] In the event that the vehicle 106 arrives at the first recommended charging station and the vehicle user finds that the first recommended charging station does not meet the vehicle user's preferences (e.g., if the first recommended charging station is not lit, has a non-functional camera, etc.), the vehicle user may transmit (via the vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) and / or the user device) a request to the system 108 to identify and recommend another charging station (e.g., a second recommended charging station) at which the vehicle user may charge the vehicle 106. In response to receiving the request, the system 108 may identify the second recommended charging station (from the charging station 104) such that the second recommended charging station may be closest to the vehicle's current location (i.e., the first recommended charging station location) and / or the closest charging station with an acceptability rating greater than the user's desired acceptability rating, a vehicle charging time less than a predefined threshold, etc.

[0034] The system 108 may also determine the minimum vehicle charge level that may be required for the vehicle 106 to travel from the first recommended charging station to the second recommended charging station, and output the second recommended charging station location and a notification to the vehicle user (via the vehicle HMI and / or the user device) indicating the minimum vehicle charge level that may be required for the vehicle to travel from the first recommended charging station location to the second recommended charging station location. In response to viewing / hearing the notification, the vehicle user may fast charge the vehicle 106 to the minimum vehicle charge level at the first recommended charging station (if the vehicle battery's state of charge (SoC) is low) and then travel to the second recommended charging station. In this manner, if the vehicle user finds the first recommended charging station to be in an unacceptable condition (or in a condition that is not to the vehicle user's liking), the system 108 may prompt the vehicle user to identify and travel to another charging station (e.g., the second recommended charging station).

[0035] In additional aspects, the system 108 can enable the vehicle 106 to adjust or adapt the charging time at the first recommended charging station and / or the amount of charge to be transferred to the vehicle 106 based on the real-time charging station information associated with the first recommended charging station. In some aspects, the real-time charging station information can include information associated with a count of users or vehicles located at the first recommended charging station, the presence of authorities, the presence of infrastructure lighting, cameras, etc. As an example, if the real-time charging station information indicates that the count of users or vehicles located at the first recommended charging station is likely to be less than a predefined count (e.g., two or three) and / or there is no presence of authorities (e.g., guards) at the first recommended charging station, the system 108 can (e.g., by transmitting a command signal) cause the vehicle 106 to charge for a short charging time (e.g., less than a predefined charging time threshold) or only until the vehicle SoC level reaches 30%.

[0036] In additional aspects, when the vehicle 106 may be located at the first recommended charging station (and may be charging), the system 108 may cause the vehicle 106 to illuminate one or more exterior vehicle lights (e.g., perimeter vehicle lights) and / or activate an exterior vehicle camera and begin recording. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a vehicle user may feel more comfortable at a charging station knowing that the vehicle's surroundings are being recorded by the vehicle's camera and / or when the vehicle's surroundings are illuminated, particularly when the first recommended charging station may be located in a secluded area.

[0037] The system 108 may also enable one or more additional vehicles located at the first recommended charging station (and adjacent to the vehicle 106) to illuminate their exterior lights (e.g., perimeter vehicle lights) to help the vehicle users feel comfortable at the charging station. The system 108 may also enable multiple vehicle users associated with multiple vehicles to form a group (similar to a user's social network group) and facilitate the group charging their respective vehicles together at the charging station. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, vehicle users may feel more comfortable and at ease at a charging station when a large number of known individuals / users are charging their vehicles together, particularly if the charging station is located in a secluded area.

[0038] When the vehicle user is likely to charge the vehicle 106 at a charging station, the system 108 may perform a number of additional actions to make the vehicle user feel comfortable at the recommended charging station. Figure 2 Details of such additional actions and further system details are described.

[0039] The vehicle 106 and system 108 implement and / or perform operations as described herein in the present disclosure in accordance with the vehicle owner's manual and safety guidelines. Furthermore, any actions taken by a user / occupant associated with the vehicle 106 based on notifications / recommendations provided by the system 108 should comply with all regulations specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, country, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 106. Notifications / recommendations as provided by the system 108 should be considered suggestions and should only be followed in accordance with any regulations specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 106.

[0040] Figure 2 A block diagram of an electric vehicle charging recommendation system 108 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 2 When referring to Figures 3 to 6 As described above, in some aspects, the system 108 can be part of the vehicle 106 . In other aspects, the system 108 can be part of a server that can be communicatively coupled to the vehicle 106 .

[0041] When the system 108 may be part of a server, the system 108 may be communicatively coupled with the vehicle 106 via one or more networks 202 (or networks 202). The system 108 may also be communicatively coupled with a user device 204 and one or more servers 206 (or servers 206) via the network 202. The user device 204 may be associated with a vehicle user / operator of the vehicle 106 and may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, or any other device with communication capabilities.

[0042] The server 206 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 digital data services to the vehicle 106 and / or the system 108. In another aspect, the server 206 may be configured to store charging station information associated with the charging stations 104. The charging station information may include, but is not limited to, information associated with real-time wait times and the presence of fast chargers at the charging stations 104, information associated with the presence of wireless chargers at the charging stations 104, acceptability ratings associated with the charging stations 104, information associated with historical adverse events at the charging stations 104, charging station geographic locations associated with each charging station 104, and the like. The server 206 may transmit the above-described charging station information to the system 108 at a predefined frequency or when the system 108 transmits a request to the server 206 to obtain the charging station information.

[0043] The network 202 illustrates an exemplary communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure may communicate. The network 202 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), Low energy (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.

[0044] The vehicle 106 may include a plurality of units including, but not limited to, a vehicle transceiver 208, a vehicle processor 210, a vehicle memory 212, one or more vehicle lights 214, one or more vehicle cameras 216, and a vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) 218. The vehicle transceiver 208 may be configured to transmit information / data to / from external systems and devices via the network 202. For example, the vehicle transceiver 208 may be configured to receive input / information / data from / to the system 108, the user device 204, the server 206, and the like.

[0045] The vehicle processor 210 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., vehicle memory 212 and / or Figure 2 The vehicle processor 210 may utilize the vehicle memory 212 to store programs and / or store data in code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The vehicle memory 212 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that enables the vehicle processor 210 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The vehicle memory 212 may include any one or a 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, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0046] Vehicle lights 214 may be, for example, one or more interior or exterior vehicle lights, vehicle perimeter lights, etc. Vehicle cameras 216 may be, for example, one or more interior or exterior vehicle cameras configured to capture images / video of the vehicle's surroundings and / or interior portions of the vehicle. HMI 218 may include a touchscreen interface configured to receive input from a vehicle user and / or output / display notifications, navigation maps, etc.

[0047] The system 108 may include a plurality of units, including but not limited to a system transceiver 220, a system processor 222, and a system memory 224. The system transceiver 220 may be configured to transmit information / data to / from external systems and devices via the network 202. For example, the system transceiver 220 may be configured to receive input / information / data from / to the vehicle 106, the user device 204, the server 206, etc.

[0048] The system processor 222 and the system memory 224 may be similar to the vehicle processor 210 and the vehicle memory 212, respectively. Specifically, the system processor 222 may be configured to communicate with one or more memory devices (e.g., the system memory 224 and / or Figure 2 The system processor 222 may utilize the system memory 224 to store programs and / or store data in code to perform various aspects of the present disclosure. The system memory 224 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code that enables the system processor 222 to perform operations according to the present disclosure. The system memory 224 may include any one or a 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, electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0049] In some aspects, the system memory 224 may include a charging station information database 226 that may store charging station information that the system 108 may receive from the server 206. The system memory 224 may also include one or more additional databases (not shown) that may store input / data / information that the system 108 may receive from the user device 204 and / or the vehicle 106.

[0050] In operation, a vehicle user may transmit a request to the system 108 via the HMI 218 and / or the user device 204 to recommend one or more charging stations in the geographic area 102 where the vehicle user may charge the vehicle 106. The system transceiver 220 may receive the request from the HMI 218 and / or the user device 204 via the network 202. The system transceiver 220 may also receive charging station information associated with the charging station 104 from the server 206 via the network 202. Examples of charging station information are described above. The system transceiver 220 may transmit the request and the charging station information to the system memory 224 for storage purposes and / or to the system processor 222.

[0051] The system processor 222 may obtain the request and the charging station information from the system memory 224 or directly from the system transceiver 220. In some aspects, when the system processor 222 obtains the request from the system memory 224 or the system transceiver 220, the system processor 222 may obtain a "trigger signal." In response to obtaining the trigger signal, the system processor 222 may estimate the vehicle charging time associated with each charging station 104 based on the charging station information. In some aspects, the system processor 222 may estimate the vehicle charging time associated with each charging station 104 based on information associated with the real-time wait time and the presence of a fast charger at the charging station 104 (which may be part of the charging station information obtained by the system processor 222).

[0052] In response to the estimated vehicle charging time, system processor 222 may determine a first recommended charging station from charging stations 104 at which the vehicle user may charge vehicle 106. In a first exemplary aspect, system processor 222 may determine the first recommended charging station based on the estimated vehicle charging time associated with each charging station 104, such that the first recommended charging station is associated with the lowest or shortest vehicle charging time. In response to determining the first recommended charging station, system processor 222 may transmit / output information associated with the first recommended charging station (or "first recommended charging station information") to vehicle 106 / HMI 218 and / or user device 204 via system transceiver 220. In some aspects, the first recommended charging station information may include the geographic location of the first recommended charging station and / or navigation instructions for traveling to the location of the first recommended charging station. The vehicle user may view / hear the first recommended charging station information and drive vehicle 106 to the first recommended charging station to charge vehicle 106. If vehicle 106 is an autonomous vehicle, vehicle 106 may autonomously move toward the first recommended charging station in response to receiving the first recommended charging station information. In this manner, the system 108 can encourage the vehicle user to charge the vehicle 106 at a charging station that may have the lowest or shortest vehicle charging time, so that the vehicle user can quickly leave the first recommended charging station after charging the vehicle 106. This can enhance the convenience of charging the vehicle 106 for the vehicle user, especially when the first recommended charging station is located in a secluded area.

[0053] In a second exemplary aspect, in addition to or instead of determining the first recommended charging station based on an estimated vehicle charging time, the system processor 222 may determine the first recommended charging station based on a vehicle travel time required for the vehicle 106 to travel from the current vehicle location to the charging station 104. In this case, the system transceiver 220 may receive a real-time vehicle geographic location associated with the vehicle 106 from the vehicle 106, and the system transceiver 220 may transmit the real-time vehicle geographic location to the system processor 222. In response to obtaining the real-time vehicle geographic location from the system transceiver 220, the system processor 222 may determine a vehicle travel time from the real-time vehicle geographic location to each of the charging stations 104. The system processor 222 may then determine the first recommended charging station based on the vehicle travel time.

[0054] In some aspects, the system processor 222 may determine the first recommended charging station (i.e., the charging station associated with the lowest / shortest vehicle charging time) when the vehicle travel time to the first recommended charging station may also be the lowest (among the vehicle travel times associated with the charging stations 104). In other aspects, the system 108 may determine the first recommended charging station when the vehicle travel time to the first recommended charging station may be slightly higher (e.g., less than 20% higher) than the vehicle travel times associated with the other charging stations 104; however, the vehicle charging time at the first recommended charging station may be significantly lower (e.g., more than 40% lower) than the charging times at the other charging stations 104. In some aspects, a vehicle charging time and vehicle travel time trade-off threshold / factor (e.g., only accepting a faster charger if it reduces the charging time by a certain multiple of the additional vehicle travel time) may be calibrated / provided to the system 108 by the vehicle user. This trade-off may also be adaptive based on the charging station location (e.g., the trade-off threshold may be lower if charging in an unknown area). Furthermore, if a small charging time benefit is achieved at a charging station (eg, 1 minute), but the vehicle user must travel 10 minutes to depart, the system processor 222 may not recommend such a charging station to the vehicle user.

[0055] In another aspect, system processor 222 may determine a first recommended charging station from charging station 104 based on information associated with the presence of a wireless charger at charging station 104 (which may be part of the charging station information). In this case, system processor 222 may first determine whether vehicle 106 is capable of wireless charging based on input received from vehicle 106. In response to determining that vehicle 106 may be capable of wireless charging, system processor 222 may determine a first recommended charging station such that the charging station includes wireless charging capabilities or a wireless charger. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, at such charging stations, a vehicle user can simply drive up, pay electronically, charge vehicle 106, and drive away without having to exit / leave vehicle 106. This can significantly enhance user convenience, particularly if the first recommended charging station is located in a secluded area. Furthermore, if a vehicle user feels uncomfortable or threatened at the first recommended charging station while vehicle 106 may be charging, the vehicle user can simply drive away without having to unplug any charging cables, thereby further enhancing user comfort and the charging experience.

[0056] In yet another aspect, the system processor 222 may determine a first recommended charging station from the charging station 104 based on an acceptability rating associated with the charging station 104 (which may be part of the charging station information). Specifically, the system processor 222 may determine the first recommended charging station such that the first recommended charging station may have an associated acceptability rating that is greater than a user-preferred or user-desired acceptability rating (which the system 108 may obtain from the HMI 218 and / or the user device 204), as described above in conjunction with Figure 1 In some aspects, the acceptability rating of a charging station can be associated with one or more of the following: the presence of a camera, the presence of authorities, the presence of an escort to and from the charging station, the historical rate of adverse events at the charging station, the presence of one or more places of interest (e.g., restaurants, cafes, etc.) near the charging station, the presence of an attendant waiting facility at the charging station, etc.

[0057] As described above, in response to determining the first recommended charging station based on the one or more parameters / criteria described above, the system processor 222 may transmit / output the first recommended charging station information / geographic location to the vehicle 106 and / or the user device 204 via the system transceiver 220. In response to receiving the first recommended charging station geographic location, the vehicle user may drive the vehicle 106 to the first recommended charging station (e.g., charging station 104a). In some aspects, in addition to determining the optimal charging station for the vehicle user (e.g., charging station 104a), when the vehicle 106 is likely to arrive at charging station 104a or when the vehicle 106 is likely to charge at charging station 104a (or any other charging station), the system processor 222 may perform one or more additional actions to enhance the user's experience of charging the vehicle 106, as described below.

[0058] In some aspects, if the vehicle user determines that charging station 104a may not be to the vehicle user's liking (e.g., charging station 104a may be in suboptimal conditions) when vehicle 106 arrives at charging station 104a, the vehicle user may transmit a request to system 108 via HMI 218 and / or user device 204 to identify one or more additional / other recommended charging stations in geographic area 102. System processor 222 may obtain the request from HMI 218 and / or user device 204 (via system transceiver 220) and may determine a second recommended charging station (e.g., charging station 104b) in response to obtaining the request. In some aspects, system processor 222 may determine charging station 104b based on the vehicle charging time associated with each charging station 104 and / or the real-time vehicle geographic location / distance between charging station 104a and the remaining charging stations 104. In an exemplary aspect, the system processor 222 may determine the charging station 104b such that the charging station 104b may be closest to the charging station 104a and / or is the closest charging station to the charging station 104a having an acceptability rating greater than a user desired acceptability rating, a vehicle charging time less than a predefined threshold, etc.

[0059] In another aspect, system processor 222 may determine the minimum vehicle charge required for vehicle 106 to travel from charging station 104a to charging station 104b based on the distance between first charging station 104a and second charging station 104b (as well as other parameters including vehicle operating characteristics, real-time traffic between first charging station 104a and second charging station 104b, etc.). In response to determining the minimum vehicle charge, system processor 222 may transmit / output information associated with the minimum vehicle charge and a geographic location associated with charging station 104b to vehicle 106 and / or user device 204. If the vehicle SoC is likely low, the vehicle user may charge vehicle 106 to the minimum vehicle charge level, quickly exit charging station 104a, and then travel to charging station 104b. In this manner, system 108 may facilitate the vehicle user's ability to quickly exit a charging station that the vehicle user dislikes and travel to another (and better) charging station.

[0060] In additional aspects, the system processor 222 can enable the vehicle 106 to adjust or adapt the vehicle charging strategy, the charging time at the charging station 104a, and / or the amount of charge to be transferred to the vehicle 106 at the charging station 104a based on real-time charging station information associated with the charging station 104a when the vehicle 106 arrives at the charging station 104a. The system processor 222 can obtain the real-time charging station information from one or more infrastructure sensors installed at the charging station 104a, one or more vehicle sensors (e.g., the vehicle camera 216), one or more computing systems associated with the charging station 104a, etc. The real-time charging station information can include, for example, information associated with a count of users or vehicles located at the charging station 104a, the presence of authorities, the presence of infrastructure lighting, cameras, historical adverse events, etc.

[0061] In an exemplary aspect, to enable the vehicle 106 to adjust or adapt the vehicle charging strategy, charging time, and / or charge amount, the system processor 222 may first determine (e.g., via real-time vehicle geolocation) that the vehicle 106 has arrived at the charging station 104a. In response to determining that the vehicle 106 has arrived at the charging station 104a, the system processor 222 may obtain real-time charging station information. The system processor 222 may then determine optimal charging parameters associated with the vehicle 106 based on the real-time charging station information. In some aspects, the optimal charging parameters may be associated with a recommended vehicle charging time at the charging station 104a and / or a recommended charge amount to be transferred to the vehicle 106 at the charging station 104a. In response to determining the optimal charging parameters, the system processor 222 may transmit the optimal charging parameters to the vehicle 106 via the system transceiver 220, such that the vehicle 106 charges at the charging station 104a based on the determined optimal charging parameters.

[0062] In some aspects, the system processor 222 can determine optimal charging parameters so that the vehicle 106 may not have to spend a significant duration at a charging station (e.g., charging station 104a) to charge the vehicle 106, while minimizing the number of charging stops that the vehicle 106 may have to make during the vehicle's journey. The system processor 222 can further determine the optimal charging parameters so that the vehicle 106 has sufficient charge to travel to the vehicle's original location (if the vehicle's original location is within a predefined distance threshold from the charging station 104a). In other aspects, the system processor 222 can learn / determine a recommended vehicle charging time and / or a recommended amount of charge to be transferred to the vehicle 106 based on historical charging events associated with the vehicle 106 and / or historical adverse events associated with the charging station 104a. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, if the vehicle 106 spends less time at the charging station 104a (e.g., if the charging station 104a is located in a secluded area), the probability of any adverse events is significantly reduced.

[0063] In an additional aspect, to further enhance user convenience, when the system processor 222 determines that the vehicle 106 may have arrived at the charging station 104a, the system processor 222 may transmit a command signal to the vehicle 106 (via the system transceiver 220) to cause the vehicle 106 to perform a predefined action. In an exemplary aspect, the predefined action may include activating the vehicle lights 214 (or vehicle perimeter lights), such as Figure 3 As shown. One skilled in the art will appreciate that a vehicle user may feel more comfortable at charging station 104a when the area near vehicle 106 is illuminated. Therefore, system processor 222 may cause vehicle 106 to illuminate headlights 214 to enhance the user's convenience in charging vehicle 106 at charging station 104a.

[0064] In another exemplary aspect, the predefined action may include activating a vehicle camera 216 (e.g., an external vehicle camera) to record the vehicle's surroundings, and outputting an alert notification to the HMI 218 indicating that the vehicle camera 216 may be recording the vehicle's surroundings and storing the recording in the system memory 224 and / or the cloud, as shown. Figure 4 As shown. The vehicle 106 can activate the vehicle camera 216 regardless of whether the vehicle user may be in the vehicle 106 or outside the vehicle 106 (e.g., to plug / unplug a charging cable, or visit a nearby restaurant). The HMI 218 can also display the recording to make passers-by aware that the vehicle camera 216 may be recording the vehicle's surroundings. The vehicle 106 can also utilize external vehicle displays, a heads-up display (HUD), laser headlights, projectors from the vehicle 106, side mirrors, etc. to make passers-by aware that camera recording may be occurring (without having to bring the passers-by close to the vehicle 106). In some aspects, the above-mentioned display can be activated when the passer-by may be within a predefined distance (e.g., 10 feet to 15 feet) of the vehicle 106. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the vehicle user may feel comfortable at the charging station 104a when the vehicle's surroundings may be recorded (and the recording may be stored in the system memory 224 / cloud).

[0065] In yet another exemplary aspect, the predefined action may include transmitting, by the vehicle transceiver 208, a light activation request to one or more additional vehicles or infrastructure lights in the vicinity of the vehicle 106 at the charging station 104a via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. In response to receiving the light activation request, the infrastructure lights may illuminate, and if the additional vehicles have sufficient SoC (and determine that the light activation request is a legitimate emergency request), the vehicles may illuminate their corresponding perimeter lights or exterior lights, such as Figure 5 shown. Figure 5An exemplary view of infrastructure lights 502 in charging station 104a are shown illuminated, along with vehicle 504 at charging station 104a with ambient lights activated. Illumination of infrastructure lights 502 and lights associated with vehicle 504 may make a vehicle user feel more comfortable when vehicle 106 may be located at charging station 104a.

[0066] The system 108 may perform one or more additional actions to further enhance the vehicle user's charging experience at the charging station 104a. For example, the system processor 222 may determine a group of vehicles (including the vehicle 106) traveling on a route that includes the charging station 104a, each of which may require vehicle charging. In some aspects, the system processor 222 may determine the group of vehicles based on the remaining range in each vehicle, the driving duration since each vehicle's last stop, the vehicle user's preference for driving without stopping (e.g., driving for 2 hours and then stopping, or driving for 4 hours and then stopping), the expected vehicle charging time for each vehicle, the vehicle's cruising speed on highways, the vehicle user's preference or interest in particular types of restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

[0067] In response to determining the group of vehicles, the system processor 222 may transmit a charging notification to the group of vehicles via the system transceiver 220. The charging notification may include a geographic location associated with the charging station 104a and a recommended time to arrive at the charging station 104a, so that all vehicles stop to charge at the charging station 104a at the same time or overlap the charging periods to prevent isolated individual vehicles from charging (particularly at night). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that if a group of vehicles / users collectively visit the charging station 104a to charge their respective vehicles, the vehicle users may feel comfortable charging their vehicles 106 at the charging station 104a.

[0068] In some aspects, the system processor 222 can perform background checks or verifications on the vehicle users associated with the vehicle group before determining or "forming" a vehicle group to visit the charging station 104a together. In addition, the system processor 222 can divide different vehicle groups into different sections of the charging station 104a so it can become a networking type event (e.g., "social charging"). In addition, the system processor 222 can plan charging based on route guidance (e.g., pre-defined miles in advance) and can plan charging stops based on the estimated remaining range of a specific vehicle in the vehicle group (e.g., the vehicle with the smallest SoC / remaining range). The system processor 222 can also coordinate vehicle departure times for long trips.

[0069] In another aspect, the system processor 222 can ensure that the vehicle group includes at least two vehicles and does not include vehicles exceeding a threshold count (e.g., five or six vehicles) to better coordinate and plan charging events. In an additional aspect, the system processor 222 can enable V2V communication between vehicles in the group to perform similarity weighting between travelers in the same group and find the best match for vehicle grouping.

[0070] In additional aspects, when the system processor 222 determines that the vehicle 106 may have arrived at the charging station 104a, the system processor 222 may send (via the system transceiver 220) a signal to another vehicle (e.g., Figure 6 vehicle 602 shown) or with an authorized user (e.g., Figure 6 6. In some aspects, vehicle 602 and / or user 604 may be associated with a paid security service (e.g., a paid police officer) that may monitor and / or surround vehicle 106 at charging station 104a in response to receiving the request from system processor 222. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that a vehicle user may feel comfortable at charging station 104a while vehicle 602 and / or user 604 may be monitoring vehicle 106.

[0071] In other aspects, vehicle 602 and / or user 604 may be located in the vicinity of charging station 104a and may monitor vehicle 106 at charging station 104a in exchange for free or discounted charging at charging station 104a (including possible route modification to form a loop through the location of charging station 104a). In yet another aspect, vehicle 602 may be associated with a company that provides vehicles for monitoring customer vehicles (e.g., vehicle 106) at charging station 104a when the company receives a request from system 108 / system processor 222. In this case, as part of the monitoring, vehicle 602 may point its headlights toward vehicle 106, such as Figure 6 This monitoring action can illuminate the area where the vehicle 106 may be located at the charging station 104a, thereby making the vehicle user feel more comfortable.

[0072] In some aspects, when vehicle 106 arrives at charging station 104a, vehicle 602 can initiate monitoring of vehicle 106 by identifying a picture, model, BLE signature, password, etc. associated with vehicle 106 (which can be provided to vehicle 602) and a picture of the vehicle user. In addition, vehicle 602 can record a video of vehicle 106 at charging station 104a using a camera associated with vehicle 602 and transmit the recorded video to the cloud for storage.

[0073] In another aspect, user 604 may be an authenticated or authorized user registered with system 108 (e.g., a Good Samaritan) who may have volunteered to monitor a customer's vehicle at charging station 104a. As an example, user 604 may be charging their vehicle at charging station 104a when vehicle 106 arrives at charging station 104a. In this case, user 604 may wait until vehicle 106 is charged and monitor vehicle 106 before leaving charging station 104a. In some aspects, a vehicle user may also broadcast a request to be monitored (e.g., via vehicle 106 and / or user device 204), and user 604 may monitor vehicle 106 in response to seeing / hearing the broadcasted request.

[0074] In some aspects, the system 108 and / or the vehicle user may compensate the user 604 (via a preset fee, predefined services, or discounted charging at the charging station 104a ) in exchange for vehicle monitoring.

[0075] In an additional aspect, the system 108 may enable multiple users to rent out their home chargers for vehicle users to charge the vehicle 106. In this case, the system 108 may perform background checks / verifications on the multiple users before recommending that the vehicle user charge the vehicle 106 at one of the home chargers.

[0076] While the above description describes an aspect in which system 108 recommends an optimal charging station to a vehicle operator for charging vehicle 106 , the present disclosure is not limited to such an aspect. In an additional aspect, a vehicle operator may transmit a request to system 108 to identify an optimal charging station at which the vehicle operator can charge a trailer, portable EV power pack, towed vehicle, etc. (and not necessarily vehicle 106 ). In this case, system 108 may identify a charging station for the vehicle operator in substantially the same manner as described above; however, in this case, system 108 may only identify a charging station with a wireless charger if the trailer, portable EV power pack, towed vehicle, etc. may have wireless charging capabilities. Furthermore, in this case, system 108 may not need to determine the minimum vehicle charge required for vehicle 106 to travel from charging station 104a to charging station 104b based on the distance between first charging station 104a and second charging station 104b, as vehicle 106 may not need to be charged at charging stations 104a / 104b. In this case, as an example, the system 108 may identify the charging station 104b based on an acceptability rating, user input, or the like.

[0077] Furthermore, in this regard, the system 108 may perform the same / similar operations as described above (e.g., activating vehicle lights 214, vehicle cameras, etc.) to make the vehicle operator feel comfortable at the charging station while the vehicle operator may be charging a trailer, portable EV power pack, towed vehicle, etc.

[0078] Figure 7 A flow chart of an exemplary electric vehicle charging recommendation method 700 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 7 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 that described in the example embodiments below.

[0079] Method 700 begins at step 702. At step 704, method 700 may include obtaining a trigger signal by system processor 222. At step 706, method 700 may include, in response to obtaining the trigger signal, estimating, by system processor 222, a vehicle charging time associated with each charging station 104 based on the charging station information.

[0080] At step 708, method 700 may include determining, by system processor 222, a first recommended charging station (e.g., charging station 104a) based on the vehicle charging time. At step 710, method 700 may include outputting, by system processor 222, information associated with the first recommended charging station in response to determining the first recommended charging station.

[0081] At step 712 , the method 700 may stop.

[0082] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the above disclosure, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It will be understood that other implementations may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the embodiment being described may include particular features, structures, or characteristics, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, 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 implemented 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 implement one or more of the systems and procedures 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" used herein indicates one of several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is placed on the particular example being described.

[0085] Computer-readable media (also known as processor-readable media) include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such media can 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, and the like 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 can be practiced by performing the steps described in an order different from that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps can be performed simultaneously, other steps can be added, or certain steps described herein can 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 and not 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 rather with reference to the appended claims and the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and expected that the technology discussed herein will develop in the future, and that 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 variation.

[0088] Unless otherwise expressly indicated to the contrary in this document, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by the skilled person described herein. Specifically, unless a claim states an express limitation to the contrary, the use of singular articles such as "one", "the", "said" should be interpreted as describing one or more of the indicated elements. Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood otherwise within the context when used, conditional language such as, in particular, "can", "might", "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] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine a group of vehicles traveling on a route including the first recommended charging station, wherein each vehicle in the group of vehicles requires vehicle charging; and transmit a charging notification to the group of vehicles, wherein the charging notification includes the geographic location of the first recommended charging station and a recommended time to arrive at the geographic location of the first recommended charging station.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the processor determines the group of vehicles based on at least one of a remaining range in each vehicle, a driving duration since a last stop of each vehicle, vehicle user preferences, or an expected vehicle charging time of each vehicle.

[0091] According to an embodiment, the processor is further configured to: determine that the first vehicle has arrived at the first recommended charging station in response to outputting the first recommended charging station information; and in response to determining that the first vehicle has arrived at the first recommended charging station, transmit a request to a second vehicle or a user device associated with an authorized user to monitor the first vehicle at the first recommended charging station.

[0092] According to the present invention, a recommendation method includes: obtaining a trigger signal by a processor; in response to obtaining the trigger signal, estimating by the processor a vehicle charging time associated with each of the plurality of charging stations located in a geographic area based on charging station information associated with the plurality of charging stations, wherein the charging station information includes information associated with real-time waiting times and the presence of fast chargers at the plurality of charging stations; determining by the processor a recommended charging station from the plurality of charging stations based on the vehicle charging time; and outputting by the processor the recommended charging station information in response to determining the recommended charging station.

[0093] According to the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: obtain a trigger signal; in response to obtaining the trigger signal, estimate a vehicle charging time associated with each of a plurality of charging stations located in a geographic area based on charging station information associated with the plurality of charging stations, wherein the charging station information includes information associated with real-time wait times and the presence of fast chargers at the plurality of charging stations; determine a recommended charging station from the plurality of charging stations based on the vehicle charging time; and output recommended charging station information in response to determining the recommended charging station.

Claims

1. A recommendation system comprising: a transceiver configured to receive charging station information, wherein the charging station information includes information associated with real-time wait times and the presence of fast chargers at a plurality of charging stations located in a geographic area; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to: Get a trigger signal; in response to obtaining the trigger signal, estimating a vehicle charging time associated with each charging station based on the charging station information; determining a first recommended charging station from the plurality of charging stations based on the vehicle charging time; as well as First recommended charging station information is output in response to determining the first recommended charging station. 2 . The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the first recommended charging station is associated with a minimum vehicle charging time.

3. The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a real-time vehicle geographic location associated with the vehicle, and wherein the processor is further configured to: determining a vehicle travel time from the real-time vehicle geographic location to each charging station; and The first recommended charging station is determined based on the vehicle travel time.

4. The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains the trigger signal when the processor obtains a request from a user device or a vehicle to recommend one or more charging stations for charging the vehicle, and wherein the processor outputs the first recommended charging station information to the user device or the vehicle. The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the recommendation system is part of a vehicle. The recommendation system according to claim 1 , wherein the first recommended charging station information includes a geographic location of the first recommended charging station.

7. The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the charging station information further includes information associated with the presence of wireless chargers at the plurality of charging stations, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine the first recommended charging station based on the information associated with the presence of wireless chargers.

8. The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the charging station information further includes acceptability ratings associated with the plurality of charging stations, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the first recommended charging station based on the acceptability ratings, and wherein the first recommended charging station has an associated acceptability rating that is greater than a desired acceptability rating.

9. The recommendation system of claim 8, wherein the acceptability rating of a charging station is associated with at least one of: the presence of a camera, the presence of authorities, the presence of an escort to and from the charging station, a historical rate of adverse events at the charging station, the presence of one or more places of interest near the charging station, or the presence of an attendant waiting facility at the charging station.

10. The recommendation system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to outputting the first recommended charging station information, obtaining a request to identify one or more additional recommended charging stations when the vehicle arrives at the first recommended charging station; determining a second recommended charging station in response to obtaining the request; determining a minimum vehicle charge required for vehicle travel from the first recommended charging station to the second recommended charging station; and Information associated with the minimum vehicle charge is output to the vehicle or a user device. 11 . The recommendation system of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines the second recommended charging station based on at least one of the vehicle charging time and a distance between the first recommended charging station and the plurality of charging stations.

12. The recommendation system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to outputting the first recommended charging station information, determining that the vehicle has arrived at the first recommended charging station; When the vehicle arrives at the first recommended charging station, obtaining real-time first charging station information; determining optimal charging parameters associated with the vehicle based on the real-time first charging station information; as well as The vehicle is caused to charge at the first recommended charging station based on the optimal charging parameters.

13. The recommendation system of claim 12 , wherein the real-time first charging station information includes information associated with a count of users or vehicles located at the first recommended charging station and the presence of authorities at the first recommended charging station, and wherein the optimal charging parameter is associated with at least one of a recommended charging time at the first recommended charging station and a recommended amount of charge to be transferred to the vehicle at the first recommended charging station.

14. The recommendation system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: In response to outputting the first recommended charging station information, determining that the vehicle has arrived at the first recommended charging station; and In response to determining that the vehicle has arrived at the first recommended charging station, the vehicle is caused to perform a predefined action.

15. The recommendation system of claim 14, wherein the predefined action comprises at least one of activating vehicle perimeter lights, activating an external vehicle camera, outputting an alert notification, or transmitting a light activation request to one or more additional vehicle or infrastructure lights in the vicinity of the vehicle.

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