Method and system for charging vehicles

Abstract

Method comprising the following by means of a computer system (200): Receiving first charging data from a first vehicle (400a), second charging data from a second vehicle (400b) and third charging data from a third vehicle (400c); Receiving first departure time data from the first vehicle (400a), second departure time data from the second vehicle (400b) and third departure time data from the third vehicle (400c); Determine that the first departure time data and the second departure time data are less than a first threshold, and the third departure time data are greater than the first threshold. Determine, based on the first charging data and the second charging data, that a first charging time assigned to the first vehicle (400a) is less than a second charging time assigned to the second vehicle (400b); Sorting the first vehicle (400a) and the second vehicle (400b) into a first stage (402a) and the third vehicle (400c) into a second stage (402b), wherein the first stage (402a) contains vehicles with a departure time less than the first threshold, and wherein the second stage (402b) contains vehicles with a departure time greater than the first threshold; Assigning the first vehicle (400a) and the second vehicle (400b) to a first queue (602a) connected to a first charging station at a charging point; Assigning the third vehicle (400c) to a second queue (602b) connected to a second charging station at the charging point; Assigning a fourth vehicle to the first queue (602a) and a fifth vehicle to the second queue (602b); Determine that the fourth vehicle in a third position in the first queue (602a) has a shorter estimated loading time or an earlier departure time than the fifth vehicle in a second position in the second queue (602b), wherein the second position is closer to a front end of the second queue (602b) than the third position is at a front end of the first queue (602a); and Assigning the fourth vehicle to the second position in the second queue (602b) in front of the fifth vehicle.

Description

GENERAL STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY - AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a method and a system for wireless charging of electric vehicles, in particular autonomous vehicles. GENERAL STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Electric vehicles offer significant advantages in terms of emissions and energy efficiency. Improvements in battery technology have increased their range and overall usability. The disadvantage of electric vehicles is their long charging time, which is many times longer than that of combustion engine vehicles. A convenient charging option for electric vehicles is wireless charging, where an induction coil at a charging station induces current in a corresponding coil on the vehicle, which is then used to charge the vehicle's battery.

[0003] From US patent 2016 / 0380440A1, it is known to establish and update queues for charging electric vehicles, with users of the system being able to request specific time slots. US patent 2012 / 0245750A1 further discloses the ability to evaluate the departure and charging times of electric vehicles to improve queue formation. CN patent 104598988A additionally proposes assigning vehicles to different queues. Further charging systems for electric vehicles are known from US patents 2015 / 0202975A1, US patent 2014 / 0125279A1, and CN patent 106058978A.

[0004] The systems and methods disclosed in this document provide an improved approach to implementing the charging of electric vehicles, particularly autonomous electric vehicles. The present invention proposes a method according to claim 1 and a system according to claim 7, with preferred embodiments of the invention being the subject of the dependent claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] To readily understand the advantages of the invention, a more detailed description of the invention briefly described above is provided by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Understood that these drawings represent only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered as limiting its scope, the invention is described and explained with additional accuracy and detail by the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1A is a schematic block diagram of components that implement an autonomous vehicle for use according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1B is a schematic block diagram showing a wireless charging station; Fig. 2 a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computing device suitable for implementing methods according to embodiments of the invention; Fig. 3 a process flow diagram of a method for arranging vehicles in a queue at a charging station according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a process flow diagram representing a tiered arrangement of vehicles in a queue according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 5 a process flow diagram of a method for managing the allocation of vehicles to multiple queues for multiple charging stations according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating the management of multiple queues for multiple charging stations according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0006] With reference to Fig. 1A A vehicle used in accordance with the methods disclosed in this document may be a small-capacity vehicle, such as a sedan or other small vehicle, or a large-capacity vehicle, such as a truck, bus, van, large sport utility vehicle (SUV) or the like.

[0007] The vehicle can include any vehicle known in the field. The vehicle can have all the structures and features of any vehicle known in the field, including wheels, a drivetrain coupled to the wheels, an engine coupled to the drivetrain, a steering system, a braking system, and other systems that are known in the field to be included in a vehicle.

[0008] As discussed in more detail in this document, a vehicle controller 102 can perform autonomous navigation and collision avoidance. The controller 102 can receive one or more outputs from one or more external sensors 104. For example, one or more cameras 106a can be mounted on the vehicle and output received image streams to the controller 102.

[0009] The external sensors 104 can include sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor 106b, a RADAR sensor (Radio Detection and Ranging) 106c, a LIDAR sensor (Light Detection and Ranging) 106d, a SONAR sensor (Sound Navigation and Ranging) 106e and the like.

[0010] The controller 102 can execute a module 108 for autonomous operation, which receives the outputs from the external sensors 104. The autonomous operation module 108 can include an obstacle identification module 110a, a collision prediction module 110b, and a decision module 110c. The obstacle identification module 110a analyzes the outputs from the external sensors and identifies potential obstacles, including people, animals, vehicles, buildings, curbs, and other objects and structures. In particular, the obstacle identification module 110a can identify vehicle images in the sensor outputs.

[0011] The collision prediction module 110b predicts, based on its current course or intended path, which obstacle images are likely to collide with the vehicle. The collision prediction module 110b can assess the probability of a collision with objects identified by the obstacle identification module 110a. The decision module 110c can make a decision to stop, accelerate, turn, etc., to avoid obstacles. The way in which the collision prediction module 110b predicts potential collisions and the way in which the decision module 110c takes action to prevent potential collisions can be according to any method or system known in the field of autonomous vehicles.

[0012] The decision module 110c can control the vehicle's course by actuating one or more actuators 112, which control the vehicle's direction and speed. For example, the actuators 112 can include a steering actuator 114a, an acceleration actuator 114b, and a braking actuator 114c. The design of the actuators 114a-114c can be based on any implementation of such actuators known in the field of autonomous vehicles.

[0013] In embodiments disclosed in this document, the module 108 can perform autonomous navigation to a specific location, autonomous parking, and other automated driving activities known in the art.

[0014] The controller 102 can store and transmit various charging parameters 116 that describe the electric vehicle's battery. For example, a state of charge (SOC) 118a can indicate the amount of energy remaining in the vehicle's battery, such as a percentage of the total charge, kilowatt-hour value (kWh value), ampere-hour value (Ah value), kilojoule value (kJ value), or another measure of the remaining energy.

[0015] The charging parameters 116 may also include a capacity 118b of the battery, which may also be expressed in kWh, Ah, kJ or another measure of energy or electrical charge.

[0016] The charging parameters 116 may also include a charging current 118c. The charging current 118c may specify a rate at which the battery can be charged, such as in the form of a C-rate (Coulomb rate), kilowatts (kW), amperes, joules, or any other rate at which energy or current can be absorbed by the battery, as is known in the field of battery design.

[0017] With reference to Fig. 1B a vehicle 120 may some or all of the above relating to Fig. The components described in section 1A are included. Additionally, the vehicle 120 can contain an induction coil 122 coupled to a rectifier 124, which converts the alternating current in the coil 122 into a direct current that is supplied to a battery 126 for charging. The implementation of components 122, 124, and 126 can be carried out according to any known approach for performing wireless charging.

[0018] A charging station can include one or more induction coils 128, which are powered by a power supply 130, such as a municipal power grid, photovoltaic modules, or other power sources. As is known in the field, alternating current through the induction coils 128 generates a magnetic field that induces current in the coil 122, which is arranged above the coil 128.

[0019] The illustrated structures from 1B can be implemented using charge controllers coupled to one or both of the coils 128 and the battery 126 to control a charging rate for safety reasons and to extend the battery's lifespan. The charge controllers can provide the controller 102 with a signal when the charging process is complete.

[0020] Wireless charging stations are particularly useful for autonomous vehicles, as no human operation is required to connect the vehicle for charging.

[0021] Fig. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example computing device 200. The computing device 200 can be used to perform various operations, such as those discussed in this document, for managing the assignment of vehicles to a queue at a loading facility. The control unit 102 of a vehicle may have some or all of the attributes of the computing device 200.

[0022] The computing device 200 includes one or more processors 202, one or more storage devices 204, one or more interfaces 206, one or more mass storage devices 208, one or more input / output (I / O) devices 210, and a display device 230, all of which are connected to a bus 212. The processor(s) 202 includes one or more processors or controllers that execute instructions stored in the storage device(s) 204 and / or the mass storage device(s) 208. The processor(s) 202 may also include various types of computer-readable media, such as cache memory.

[0023] The storage device(s) 204 includes or include various computer-readable media, such as volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) 214) and / or non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) 216). The storage device(s) 204 may also include rewritable ROM, such as flash memory.

[0024] The mass storage device(s) 208 includes various computer-readable media, such as magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, optical disks, solid-state storage (e.g., flash memory), and so on. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, a specific mass storage device is a hard disk drive 224. Various drives may also be contained within the mass storage device(s) 208 to enable reading from and / or writing to the various computer-readable media. The mass storage device(s) 208 includes removable media 226 and / or non-removable media.

[0025] The I / O device(s) 210 includes various devices that enable data and / or other information to be entered into or retrieved from the computing device 200. An example of an I / O device 210 includes cursor control devices, keyboards, keypads, microphones, monitors or other display devices, loudspeakers, printers, network interface cards, modems, lenses, CCDs or other image acquisition devices, and the like.

[0026] The display device 230 includes any type of device that can display information to one or more users of the computing device 200. Examples of the display device 230 include a monitor, a display terminal, a video projection device, and the like.

[0027] The interface(s) 206 includes or include various interfaces that enable the computing device 200 to interact with other systems, devices, or computing environments. An example of an interface 206 is or includes any number of different network interfaces 220, such as interfaces to local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), wireless networks, and the Internet. Another interface includes or includes a user interface 218 and a peripheral device interface 222. The interface 206 may also include one or more peripheral interfaces, such as interfaces for printers, pointing devices (mice, trackpads, etc.), keyboards, and the like.

[0028] Bus 212 enables the processor(s) 202, the storage device(s) 204, the interface(s) 206, the mass storage device(s) 208, the I / O device(s) 210, and the display device 230 to communicate with each other and with other devices or components connected to bus 212. Bus 212 represents one or more different types of bus structures, such as a system bus, PCI bus, IEEE 1394 bus, USB bus, and so on.

[0029] For illustrative purposes, programs and other executable program components are represented in this document as discrete blocks, although it is understood that such programs and components may reside in different memory components of the computing device 200 at different times and be executed by the processor(s) 202. Alternatively, the systems and processes described in this document may be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to execute one or more of the systems and processes described in this document.

[0030] With reference to Fig. 3. The illustrated method 300 can be executed by a computer system 200 with respect to data received from a multitude of vehicles arriving at a charging station that includes one or more queues, each with a corresponding charging coil 128. The method 300 assumes that several vehicles can arrive at a charging station at the same time or approximately the same time. Accordingly, the method 300 can be executed with respect to multiple vehicles. The vehicles may be in a receiving queue or at the entrance to a charging station at the time the method 300 is executed, or they may be en route to the charging station, and a place in a queue according to the method 300 can be assigned to them so that they can use one or more charging stations.

[0031] When vehicles arrive at a charging station or are within communication range of the charging station, they can transmit charging data to the computer system 200, for example, using a wireless communication protocol such as DSRC (Digital Short Range Communication), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular data communication, or another wireless communication approach. The charging data can include some or all of the charging parameters 116. The vehicles can be part of a fleet that travels planned routes and / or arrives at specified pick-up and drop-off points. Accordingly, each vehicle can have a scheduled departure time by which it must depart to arrive at a planned location.The vehicles can therefore transmit this departure time along with the charging data using a protocol for wireless communication between vehicles (Vehicle-to-Vehicle - V2V) or between vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure (Vehicle-to-Everything - V2X). Instructions from the computer system 200 to vehicles can also be executed using a V2X protocol.

[0032] Computer system 200 receives the loading data and the departure time for the vehicles (302). Computer system 200 can then sort the vehicles according to their departure time (304), e.g., arrange the vehicles from earliest to latest or from latest to earliest.

[0033] The computer system 200 can then assign the vehicles to levels 306. The levels can have a fixed size or be based on a fixed threshold. For example, the N vehicles with the N earliest departure times can be assigned to a first level and excluded from further consideration; the M (M equal to or not equal to N) vehicles of the remaining vehicles with the earliest departure times can be assigned to a second level and excluded from further consideration, and so on for any number of levels until no vehicles remain that can be assigned to a level.

[0034] An alternative approach involves filling the first stage with vehicles whose departure time is below a first threshold, filling the second stage with vehicles whose departure time lies between the first threshold and a second threshold that is higher than the first, and so on until no vehicles remain that can be assigned to a stage. The thresholds can be predetermined static values ​​or based on a function of the vehicles' departure times.

[0035] In a simple embodiment, only two stages are used. In other embodiments, three or more stages can be used.

[0036] Within each stage, the vehicles assigned to that stage can be sorted by charging time. The charging time for a vehicle can be calculated based on the charging data. In particular, for a given state of charge (SOC), battery capacity, charging current, and charging station power output, the time to charge a battery can be estimated using any approach known in the field of rechargeable batteries. For example, the charging time T can be calculated as T = [(100% - SOC) * battery capacity] / (wireless charging device output rate), where the battery capacity is given in ampere-hours and the wireless charging device output rate is given in amperes.

[0037] The charging time can be the charging time until full capacity is reached, or the charging time until a sufficient charge level is reached to complete a desired distance, plus an excess charge for safety.

[0038] Vehicles can then be assigned positions in queues according to the level assignments 306 and the sorting 308 310. For example, as in Fig. Figure 4 shows vehicles 400a and 400b, which are assigned to a first stage 402a, placed first in the queue. Vehicle 400a, with the shortest loading time, is placed first in the queue, followed by vehicle 400b, which has a longer loading time.

[0039] Vehicles 400c and 400d in the second stage 402b are placed after vehicles in the first stage 402a. The first vehicle, 400c, for the second stage 402b has a shorter charging time than vehicle 400d.

[0040] The illustrated example includes only two stages and only two vehicles per stage. However, using the approach described above, any number of vehicles per stage and any number of stages can be implemented.

[0041] Once the order is assigned to 310, the computer system can instruct the vehicles to line up in the queue according to the order. This can be achieved by sending instructions to the vehicles to queue one after the other according to the order. Alternatively, the order can be transmitted to all vehicles, which can then use V2V (vehicle-to-vehicle) communication to autonomously position themselves in the queue according to the order.

[0042] The procedure 300 can be executed repeatedly when vehicles arrive at a charging station, such as every N minutes or as soon as a minimum number of vehicles inform the computer system 200 of their intention to charge at the charging station, whichever occurs first.

[0043] It should be noted that if there is only one vehicle to add to the queue, or if the number of vehicles is less than or equal to the number of currently unused charging stations, a vehicle can simply be assigned to a charging station randomly or on a first-come, first-served basis, and prioritization according to Procedure 300 can be omitted. Alternatively, vehicles can be informed that the number of charging stations is greater than or equal to the number of vehicles that have indicated an intention to use the charging stations. The vehicles can then autonomously select an unoccupied charging station.

[0044] However, if charging stations have different capacities (e.g., some charging stations can charge faster than others), the allocation can be based on charging data and departure times, even if the number of charging stations is less than or equal to the number of vehicles that have indicated an intention to charge but have not yet been allocated to a charging station.

[0045] In such a case, a vehicle with an earlier departure time will be assigned to a faster charging station than a vehicle with a later departure time. In the event of a tie, the vehicle with the faster charging time will be assigned to a faster charging station than a vehicle with a slower charging time.

[0046] Fig. Figure 5 illustrates a procedure 500 for assigning vehicles to multiple queues with multiple corresponding charging stations. The procedure 500 can be executed by the computer system 200 with respect to multiple vehicles that have indicated an intention to charge at the charging station but have not yet been assigned to any queues.

[0047] Procedure 500 can include receiving 302 loading data and departure times for the vehicles, sorting 304 the vehicles by departure time, assigning 306 vehicles to stages, and sorting 308 vehicles within stages by loading time. Steps 302-308 can be performed in the same way as for procedure 300.

[0048] Procedure 500 can further involve selecting 502 a queue for each vehicle and assigning 504 each vehicle to a position within each queue. Various approaches can be used to implement the assignments 502 and 504.

[0049] In one approach, one or more queues are reserved for vehicles with fast loading times (e.g., an "express lane"). Accordingly, vehicles with loading times below a threshold can be assigned to this queue, such as in a tiered arrangement. For example, vehicles of the first tier that meet the loading time threshold are placed in the queue first, followed by vehicles of the second tier that meet the loading time threshold, and so on for any number of tiers.

[0050] If there are multiple charging stations, they can, as mentioned above, have multiple charging currents. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the reserved queue can be provided for the charging device with the fastest charging current. Therefore, if there are multiple charging stations with multiple charging currents, there will be multiple charging times for a vehicle, depending on the charging device used. In some embodiments, the charging times for vehicles are calculated based on the charging current of the fastest charging device. In this way, vehicles that can use the faster charging current receive a higher priority and a higher probability of being assigned to the faster charging device.

[0051] In another approach, vehicles are assigned to queues in a circular approach; for example, vehicles of level one are added to the queues in a circular assignment, vehicles of level two are then added in the same way, and so on for any number of levels.

[0052] In another approach, each queue corresponds to a stage. Accordingly, vehicles in stage one are assigned to the first queue, vehicles in stage two to the second queue, and so on for any number of stages. If there are multiple charging stations, they can, as mentioned above, have multiple charging streams. Therefore, the first stage can be assigned to the fastest charging station, the second stage to the second fastest, and so on for any number of charging stations.

[0053] Vehicles can be instructed to drive to assigned queues according to their designated positions. As mentioned above, this can involve transmitting the instructions sequentially for each queue, or transmitting the queue assignments and order to the vehicles and enabling them to communicate with each other to autonomously position themselves within the assigned queues according to the assigned order.

[0054] The procedure 500 can then involve charging vehicles 506 at the charging stations in the arrangement of the queues for each charging station. The vehicles then move forward in the queue and drive away after charging. In some cases, a vehicle may stop charging before it is charged to capacity, such as when the state of charge is sufficient to complete a scheduled trip, and departure is necessary to arrive at a destination at a scheduled time for the planned trip.

[0055] During the charging process 506, the procedure 500 may involve evaluating 508 whether a lower-priority vehicle in a first queue is in the same or a closer position relative to the front end of a queue than a higher-priority vehicle in an adjacent queue. In this case, the priority may be based solely on the charging time or the departure time, or on a combination of these factors. Charging time is a particularly suitable basis for priority.

[0056] This is in Fig. Figure 6 illustrates a situation where vehicles are arranged in queues 600a-600c, each corresponding to a charging coil 602a-602c. In this example, vehicle A is the first vehicle in queue 600a, and charging station 602a is currently unoccupied. Vehicle B has a higher priority in this example.

[0057] If the condition of step 508 is met, the higher-priority vehicle is instructed to move in front of the lower-priority vehicle (510). In the example from Fig. 6. Therefore, vehicle B drives in front of vehicle A in queue 600a and uses charging station 602a first.

[0058] To reduce the number of queue changes, queue changes can be restricted to being carried out only under the circumstances shown in Fig. 600: the position above a charging coil in a first queue is currently unoccupied, and a vehicle in an adjacent queue (no intermediate queues) has a higher priority than the vehicle in the first queue that is closest to the charging coil but not yet positioned above it.

[0059] In other embodiments, each time a space becomes available in front of a first vehicle because the queue in front of the first vehicle moves forward, a second vehicle with higher priority from an adjacent queue can be instructed and authorized to drive into that space.

[0060] If the assessment of step 508 is negative, no change is made to the queue order. Step 508 can be repeated at regular intervals, such as after one or more vehicles have finished charging at a charging station, after a certain period of time, or within a specific threshold time before the expected completion of charging for a currently charging vehicle.

[0061] If it is determined that more vehicles than 512 have indicated an intention to use the charging station and have not yet been assigned to queues, these vehicles can be assigned to queues starting with step 302.

[0062] Several modifications of the approach described above can be implemented. For example, legal entities associated with vehicles can pay a fee to obtain higher priority, such as being placed in a higher-priority stage (lower-numbered stage in the preceding embodiments) or being placed closer to the front of a queue for a stage. In another example, legal entities associated with vehicles can pay a fee to be assigned to a faster charging station.

[0063] In some embodiments, the procedures can be performed or facilitated by a drone flying above the charging station and observing the positions of vehicles in and around the charging station. Such information can then be used to assign vehicles to queues according to the procedures described in this document and to inform vehicles of routes to reach queues while avoiding collisions with other vehicles.

[0064] In some cases, vehicles may include solar panels that charge the vehicle's battery. Consequently, the charging time of such vehicles may change (decrease) while waiting in a queue. As a result, the priority of such vehicles may increase, leading to a reordering according to steps 508 and 510. In such cases, these vehicles may periodically retransmit their charging data, particularly their state of charge, to computer system 200 so that their priority can be adjusted accordingly and used during repetitions of step 508.

[0065] It is evident from the foregoing disclosure that vehicles with earlier departure times and faster charging times are given higher priority. This increases the availability of autonomous vehicles in a fleet and supports the timely arrival of vehicles at their destinations. The prioritization approach described above reduces the likelihood that a vehicle with a low state of charge and high capacity will cause delays for vehicles with urgent departure times and shorter charging times.

[0066] The procedures described above are particularly useful for autonomous vehicles, but can also be implemented using human-operated vehicles or a mix of human-operated and autonomous vehicles. For example, human drivers can be instructed to drive to positions in queues specified according to the procedures described above.

[0067] The procedures described above are particularly suitable for vehicles operated by the same legal entity, insofar as fairness considerations for each individual vehicle can be disregarded in order to promote the overall availability of the fleet. However, the increased throughput can also be beneficial for vehicles owned and controlled by different legal entities. For example, arrangements made according to the procedures described in this document can be used unless this would result in a change exceeding the threshold (e.g., an increase in waiting time or an increase in queue space) in the arrangement for a vehicle, compared to a first-come, first-served arrangement where the change threshold is a predetermined value.

[0068] The preceding disclosure refers to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this document and illustrate specific implementations in which the disclosure can be realized. It is understood that other implementations may be used and structural modifications made without deviating from the scope of this disclosure. References in the description to "an embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a certain feature, structure, or property, but not every embodiment necessarily has to include that certain feature, structure, or property. Furthermore, such formulations do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.Furthermore, it should be noted that if a particular property, structure or feature is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the scope of the skilled person's knowledge to implement such a property, structure or feature in connection with other embodiments, whether this is expressly described or not.

[0069] Implementations of the systems, devices, and methods disclosed in this document may include or utilize a specialized or general-purpose computer that incorporates computer hardware, such as one or more processors and system memory, as discussed in this document. Implementations within the scope of this disclosure may also include physical and other computer-readable media for transporting or storing computer-executable instructions and / or data structures. Such computer-readable media may be any available media accessible by a general-purpose or specialized computer system. Computer-readable media on which computer-executable instructions are stored are computer storage media (devices). Computer-readable media that transport computer-executable instructions are transmission media.Thus, implementations of the present disclosure may, for example, and without limitation, include at least two distinctly different types of computer-readable media: computer storage media (devices) and transmission media.

[0070] Computer storage media (devices) include: RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, solid state drives (“SSDs”) (e.g., based on RAM), flash memory, phase-change memory (“PCM”), other types of storage, other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code resources in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or specialized computer.

[0071] An implementation of the devices, systems, and methods disclosed in this document can communicate via a computer network. A "network" is defined as one or more data connections that enable the transport of electronic data between computer systems and / or modules and / or other electronic devices. When information is transmitted to or provided to a computer via a network or other communication link (either wired, wireless, or any combination thereof), the computer correctly views the link as a transmission medium. Transmission media can include a network and / or data links that can be used to transport desired program code resources in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or specialized computer.Combinations of the above should also be included in the scope of computer-readable media.

[0072] Computer-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that, when executed on a processor, cause a general-purpose computer, a specialized computer, or a specialized processing device to perform a specific function or group of functions. Computer-executable instructions may be, for example, binary files, instructions in an intermediate format such as assembly language, or source code. Although the subject matter has been described in a language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it is understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the features or actions described above. Rather, the described features and actions are disclosed as exemplary implementations of the claims.

[0073] The person skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure can be implemented in network computing environments with many types of computer system configurations, including dashboard vehicle computers, PCs, desktop computers, laptop computers, message processors, handheld devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile phones, PDAs, tablets, pagers, routers, switches, various storage devices, and the like. The disclosure can also be implemented in distributed systems environments, in which both local computer systems and remote computer systems, which are connected by the network (either by wired data links, wireless data links, or any combination of wired and wireless data links) perform tasks. In a distributed systems environment, program modules can reside in both local and remote storage devices.

[0074] Furthermore, the functions described in this document may optionally be performed in one or more of the following: hardware, software, firmware, digital components, or analog components. One or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), for example, may be programmed to execute one or more of the systems and procedures described in this document. Certain terms are used throughout the description and the claims to refer to specific system components. The person skilled in the art will understand that components may be referred to by different designations. This document does not distinguish between components that differ in name but not in function.

[0075] It should be noted that the sensor embodiments discussed above may include computer hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof to perform at least some of their functions. For example, a sensor may include computer code configured to run on one or more processors and may include a hardware logic / electrical circuit controlled by the computer code. These exemplary devices are provided in this document for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limiting. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in other types of devices, as would be known to the person skilled in the art.

[0076] At least some embodiments of the disclosure are directed to computer program products comprising such logic (e.g., in the form of software) stored on any computer-usable medium. Such software causes a device, when executed in one or more data processing devices, to function as described in this document.

Claims

[1] Method comprising the following by means of a computer system (200): Receiving first charging data from a first vehicle (400a), second charging data from a second vehicle (400b) and third charging data from a third vehicle (400c); Receiving first departure time data from the first vehicle (400a), second departure time data from the second vehicle (400b) and third departure time data from the third vehicle (400c); Determine that the first departure time data and the second departure time data are less than a first threshold, and the third departure time data are greater than the first threshold. Determine, based on the first charging data and the second charging data, that a first charging time assigned to the first vehicle (400a) is less than a second charging time assigned to the second vehicle (400b); Sorting the first vehicle (400a) and the second vehicle (400b) into a first stage (402a) and the third vehicle (400c) into a second stage (402b), wherein the first stage (402a) contains vehicles with a departure time less than the first threshold, and wherein the second stage (402b) contains vehicles with a departure time greater than the first threshold; Assigning the first vehicle (400a) and the second vehicle (400b) to a first queue (602a) connected to a first charging station at a charging point; Assigning the third vehicle (400c) to a second queue (602b) connected to a second charging station at the charging point; Assigning a fourth vehicle to the first queue (602a) and a fifth vehicle to the second queue (602b); Determine that the fourth vehicle in a third position in the first queue (602a) has a shorter estimated loading time or an earlier departure time than the fifth vehicle in a second position in the second queue (602b), wherein the second position is closer to a front end of the second queue (602b) than the third position is at a front end of the first queue (602a); and Assigning the fourth vehicle to the second position in the second queue (602b) in front of the fifth vehicle. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the first charging data, second charging data and third charging data include a state of charge and a battery capacity. [3] Method according to claim 2, wherein the first charging data, second charging data and third charging data further include a charging speed of the first vehicle (400a), the second vehicle (400b) and the third vehicle (400c); and wherein calculating an estimated charging time for the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the third vehicle comprises calculating the estimated charging time according to the state of charge, the battery capacity and the charging speed of the first vehicle (400a), the second vehicle (400b) and the third vehicle (400c). [4] Method according to claim 1, wherein the first charging station for the first queue (602a) has a faster charging speed than the second charging station for the second queue (602b). [5] Method according to claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. [6] Method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the first charging data and the first departure time data from the first vehicle (400a) comprises receiving the first charging data and the first departure time data via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication protocol. [7] System comprising one or more processing devices (202) and one or more storage devices (204) operatively coupled to the one or more processing devices (202), wherein the one or more storage devices (204) store executable code effective in inducing the one or more processing devices (202) to: Receiving first charging data from a first vehicle (400a), second charging data from a second vehicle (400b), and third charging data from a third vehicle (400c); Receiving first departure time data from the first vehicle (400a), second departure time data from the second vehicle (400b) and third departure time data from the third vehicle (400c); Determine that the first departure time data and the second departure time data are less than a first threshold and the third departure time data are greater than the first threshold; Determine, based on the first charging data and the second charging data, that a first charging time assigned to the first vehicle (400a) is shorter than a second charging time assigned to the second vehicle (400b); Sorting the first vehicle (400a) and the second vehicle (400b) into a first stage (402a) and the third vehicle (400c) into a second stage (402b), wherein the first stage (402a) contains vehicles with a loading time less than the first threshold and wherein the second stage (402b) contains vehicles with a loading time greater than the first threshold; Assigning the first vehicle (400a) and the second vehicle (400b) to a first queue (602a) connected to a first charging column at a charging station; Assigning the third vehicle (400c) to a second queue (602b) connected to a second charging point at the charging station; Assigning a fourth vehicle to the first queue (602a) and a fifth vehicle to the second queue (602b); Determine that the fourth vehicle in a third position in the first queue (602a) has a shorter estimated loading time or an earlier departure time than the fifth vehicle in a second position in the second queue (602b), wherein the second position is closer to a front end of the second queue (602b) than the third position is at a front end of the first queue (602a); and Assigning the fourth vehicle to the second position in the second queue (602b) in front of the fifth vehicle. [8] System according to claim 7, wherein the first charging data, second charging data and third charging data include a state of charge and a battery capacity. [9] System according to claim 8, wherein the first charging data, second charging data and third charging data further include a charging rate of the first vehicle (400a), the second vehicle (400b) and the third vehicle (400c); and wherein the executable code further enables the one or more processing devices (202) to calculate an estimated charging time for the first vehicle, the second vehicle and the third vehicle, the calculation of the estimated charging time according to the state of charge, the battery capacity and the charging rate of the first vehicle (400a), the second vehicle (400b) and the third vehicle (400c). [10] System according to claim 7, wherein the first charging station for the first queue (602a) has a faster charging speed than the second charging station for the second queue (602b). [11] System according to claim 7, wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. [12] System according to claim 7, wherein the executable code further enables the one or more processing devices (202) to receive the first charging data and the first departure time data from the first vehicle (400a) via a vehicle-to-vehicle communication protocol.

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