METHOD, PROCESSOR CIRCUIT AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AN EXPANSION PROCESS OF SUPPLY STATIONS IN A PREDEFINED GEOGRAPHIC REGION

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for controlling an expansion process by which supply stations are to be installed in existing basic facilities in a predetermined geographical region. The overall goal of the expansion process is to achieve a predetermined level of development or supply in the region. This process starts with basic facilities that can be expanded into supply stations or that are already equipped as such. To carry out the method, the invention provides a processor circuit, a system, a supply infrastructure, and a supply procedure.

[0002] If supply stations of a certain type, such as hydrogen refueling stations or dispensing points for a specific product or service, are to be installed in a geographical region, for example a city or state or in an entire country, then there is an interest in managing such an expansion process of supply stations in the geographical region so efficiently that the resulting expansion level, i.e. the degree of supply, is distributed according to demand throughout the entire region, so that the achieved expansion level is uniformly ensured in the region.

[0003] Generally, when expanding hydrogen refueling stations in a region, existing infrastructure can be utilized, which can be upgraded to a refueling station with minimal technical effort. For example, hydrogen refueling stations can utilize existing gas stations that already have pumps for gasoline and diesel. It can therefore be assumed that such infrastructure already exists in the geographical region and can be expanded to function as a refueling station. In the context of the invention, a "basic facility" also includes an existing refueling station, in whose vicinity the need for a refueling station is naturally already met.In other words, it is assumed that basic facilities exist in the geographic region, some of which are to be used as the basis for expansion into new supply stations and / or at least one of which has already been expanded into a supply station. Based on this, the expansion process of supply stations in the geographic region is to be advanced in such a way that a predetermined level of supply or a predetermined stage of development is achieved or fulfilled.

[0004] The identification of basic infrastructure described above is a crucial component in the introduction of new propulsion systems for motor vehicles when these systems rely on energy carriers other than gasoline and / or diesel. These include hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Each of these requires a suitable refueling station to supply vehicles with these energy carriers. A refueling station may also be needed for operating fluids, such as aqueous urea solution (AdBlue) or water. Existing or operational filling stations suitable for conversion into appropriate refueling stations can serve as the basic infrastructure for these applications.

[0005] Currently, the planning of such infrastructure consisting of service stations is based either on empirical data or on methods that incorporate factors such as traffic and population densities as well as predicted new vehicle sales. However, such planning is very complex, as it requires the corresponding data acquisition and analysis.

[0006] However, a quick solution for controlling the expansion process of supply stations to achieve a required expansion stage is often not available today due to a lack of experience and / or lack of data, so that the high expenditure of time and / or computing power and / or personnel and / or data generation is necessary.

[0007] The planning of refueling infrastructure focuses particularly on the expansion of gaseous fuels. Xu et al. (Xu, X. / Xu, B. / Dong, J. / Liu, X. (2017): Near-term analysis of a roll-out strategy to introduce fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen stations in Shenzhen, China, Applied Energy, 196, pp. 229-237) determine potential locations for hydrogen refueling stations based on the distribution of population, industry, and income. The regions are divided into districts of the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, and demand in these districts is projected. Based on this, refueling station sizes are recommended for the different districts. Xu also explicitly addresses the calculation of the supply price.

[0008] Brey et al. (Brey, JJ / Brey, R. / Carazo, AF / Ruiz-Montero, MJ / Tejada, M. (2016): Incorporating refuelling behaviour and drivers' preferences in the design of alternative fuels infrastructure in a city, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 65, pp. 144-155) developed a methodology for expanding existing filling stations to accommodate new fuels. For this purpose, existing filling stations are considered as expansion candidates and evaluated based on the population and traffic volume in their vicinity. The factors are weighted differently in the evaluation; population and traffic volumes further away are weighted lower than those closer.

[0009] From DE 10 2018 210 766 A1, it is known to generate a fuel demand map using a vehicle's remaining range, which requires tracking the routes of motor vehicles. To then determine suitable locations for refueling stations on a road map, the map is divided into tiles.

[0010] The website "Wikipedia, Geographic Information System" describes a computer system for collecting, storing, processing, managing and displaying spatial or geographical data.

[0011] The invention is based on the objective of carrying out the expansion process of supply stations in a geographical region in an efficient and resource-saving manner.

[0012] The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described by the dependent claims, the following description, and the figures.

[0013] The invention assumes that the use of a supply station requires that a user be present at the supply station, for example with his motor vehicle, in order to refuel it.

[0014] The invention provides a method for controlling the expansion process of supply stations in a predetermined geographical region. The expansion process aims to install or expand supply stations, such as dispensing systems for a predetermined energy carrier, within the region—that is, a supply infrastructure—to achieve a predetermined level of supply or a predetermined stage of development, which will be further defined by a termination criterion for the expansion process. The method assumes that basic facilities exist in the region, some of which can or should be used as the basis for expansion into such a new supply station, and / or at least one of which has already been developed as a supply station.If a base facility is already developed as a supply station, i.e., if a supply station already exists, then of course no further supply station needs to be installed or developed in its vicinity.

[0015] The process is carried out by a processor circuit that, in a first step, divides a digital map of the region into grid cells using a predetermined grid. This grid has an initial grid spacing, meaning the dimensions of the individual grid cells have initial dimensions. For example, a rectangular grid can be used, meaning the individual grid cells are adjacent rectangles. The grid spacing can then be defined by the side lengths of the grid cells, which can range, for example, from 100 meters to 10 kilometers.

[0016] Managing the expansion process requires determining where each supply station should be installed or provided in order to efficiently achieve the desired or predetermined expansion level in the region, that is, without wasting resources by expanding a supply station in a location where it is not needed or is less urgently needed than in another location.

[0017] To efficiently position the supply stations, the processor circuit iteratively determines where the supply stations should be located. In each iteration, the processor determines which basic units are present in each grid cell. Specifically, it checks for each grid cell whether it contains a basic unit that can be upgraded to a supply station, and / or whether it contains a basic unit that has already been upgraded to a supply station. If at least one basic unit is present in the grid cell, a predetermined selection criterion is used to select it. Any remaining basic units in the grid cell are ignored for the remainder of the process. Thus, at least one selected basic unit remains in the grid cell.

[0018] Once the remaining basic features selected in the grid cells have been identified in this way, the processor circuit checks a termination criterion. If the termination criterion is not yet met due to the grid spacing of the current grid and / or the selected remaining basic features, the region is re-divided into larger grid cells using another grid with an increased grid spacing (larger than the previously used grid spacing). The described iteration (determining the remaining basic features per grid cell and then re-selecting remaining basic features using the selection criterion) is then repeated for the enlarged grid cells of the new grid.

[0019] Otherwise, if the termination criterion is met with the current grid and / or the selected remaining base facilities, the remaining base facilities selected in the grid cells will be marked as being to be used as bases for a supply station each. This may mean that such a selected remaining base facility has already been developed and identified as a supply station, or that such a selected remaining base facility is to be used as the basis for the actual development into a new supply station.

[0020] The invention offers the advantage that, within a geographical region, a grid with a spacing corresponding to the desired expansion stage or level of service can be specifically detected for each grid cell to determine whether a supply station is needed there. The need is identified by whether a basic facility already exists in the respective grid cell. If not, this can be interpreted as a signal or indication that no supply station is required. Conversely, if a grid cell already contains a basic facility that can be expanded into a supply station, or which is already expanded into a supply station, this is used as a signal or indication that there is a need for a supply station in that particular grid cell.Nevertheless, the expansion does not take place for each of these grid cells, but only to the extent that the specified expansion level or the specified supply level is achieved, i.e. a specified area distribution or density of supply stations.

[0021] This system allows for decisions and control, based solely on geolocation data from infrastructure facilities, regarding where supply stations need to be located within a geographic region to achieve a predetermined supply level or expansion stage. The geographic distribution and / or geographic density of infrastructure facilities serves as a measure of demand. For example, if the goal is to provide supply stations for a specific energy source or fuel for motor vehicles, the process can be based on considering or analyzing existing gasoline and / or diesel filling stations as infrastructure facilities to identify the need for supply stations for the new energy source and / or fuel.

[0022] The method also includes embodiments that offer additional advantages.

[0023] The termination criterion allows the person skilled in the art to specify the conditions that determine when the expansion process at supply stations has resulted in a sufficiently high level of supply or a sufficiently advanced expansion stage. In one embodiment, the termination criterion includes the requirement that the grid spacing of the current grid corresponds to a predetermined target grid spacing, which describes a predetermined expansion stage or corresponding level of supply to be achieved through the expansion process. In other words, it is ensured that at least one supply station is provided in grid cells with the described, correspondingly large grid spacing (if a basic facility is already present there).Additionally or alternatively, the termination criterion stipulates that the average or maximum distance between the selected remaining base facilities must lie within a predetermined interval. This applies, of course, only to grid cells containing a base facility. Thus, all cells requiring a supply station are densely populated with such stations that the average or maximum distance falls within the specified interval. This ensures that, from all grid cells to be equipped with a supply station, the average travel distance and / or the average travel time, or the maximum travel distance / time, remains within the predetermined interval and is therefore limited.For example, it can be specified that the average distance value and / or the maximum distance value lies within a range of 500 meters to ten kilometers.

[0024] In one embodiment, the selection criterion for choosing the respective base unit within the grid cell stipulates that a geometric optimization condition is examined for all base units present in the respective grid cell, and the base unit that fulfills the optimization condition is selected. Thus, a base unit is chosen that fulfills a geometric optimum within the grid cell, i.e., that has an optimal position there according to the optimization condition. In one embodiment, the geometric optimization condition includes selecting the base unit closest to a geometric center of gravity of the existing base units. Therefore, the base unit used is the one that is centered with respect to the geometric center of gravity or at least closest to it.Alternatively, it may be provided that the basic unit is selected whose square distance value to all other basic units of the grid cell is the smallest.

[0025] In addition to or as an alternative to a selection criterion based on the described geometric optimization condition, one embodiment provides that in a base cell, one or more, or every base unit that is already configured as a supply station is selected. In other words, for such a grid cell, it is not indicated that a new supply station is needed; instead, an existing supply station is considered or used as the selected remaining base unit in the process. This eliminates the need to install a new supply station for such a grid cell.

[0026] In one embodiment, the selection criterion for choosing the respective base unit involves determining a property rating for a predetermined supply property for each base unit present in the respective grid cell. This property rating describes or expresses how well-suited the base unit is for its use as a supply station. For this purpose, at least one supply property describing the suitability as a supply station is determined for each base unit. The base unit with the highest overall rating is then selected. In other words, the property rating determines values ​​or a ranking based on at least one supply property for the different base units in a grid cell. The base unit with the highest overall rating is then selected.

[0027] One embodiment provides that at least one of the following supply characteristics is taken into account in this selection: available infrastructure (for example, water or gas connections; an electricity supply), available building space (on which components for a supply station could be built or arranged), existing transport connections (for example, the number of lanes of a road passing the base facility). This avoids the need for additional construction work.

[0028] One embodiment takes into account that a base facility can be used as a service station for different types of traffic, such as highway traffic, rural traffic, and urban traffic. If a service station is provided on a highway, this does not necessarily mean that rural traffic would also have easy access to such a service station in the same grid cell, because they would first have to drive onto the highway. To remedy this, one embodiment provides for the determination of a total set or data set of base facilities (i.e., all base facilities available in the region) and the assignment of each base facility to one of several predetermined service categories by means of a respective tag or category identifier.For example, a base facility can be categorized by a tag indicating whether it is located on a highway, in an urban area, or in a rural area (outside a city and not on a highway). This would then be a tag for the supply category "Operating Location." The complete dataset of base facilities is then divided into subsets, with each subset being assigned or containing the same tag or category. Thus, for example, all base facilities on highways could form one subset, and all base facilities in urban areas another. For each subset, the locations for supply stations are then determined separately using the described iterative processes.The procedure described so far can therefore apply to all basic facilities that are assigned to a common tag for a care category. Thus, the expansion levels can be set or defined separately for different sub-datasets.

[0029] One embodiment specifies that the tagging information describes at least one of the following service categories: a local population density in the area of ​​the respective base facility, a postal code of the base facility, a local traffic density in the area of ​​the respective base facility, a local vehicle density in the area of ​​the respective base facility, or the described operating location. These service categories have proven to be a meaningful indicator for defining different expansion levels. A service category can, for example, describe the operating location (with exemplary possible tagging information: on the highway; in the urban area; in a rural area, i.e., outside the city and not on the highway).For example, the supply category for local population density can provide different value intervals, and the tagging information then determines in which value interval the current basic facility is assigned.

[0030] In one embodiment, each base unit is assigned geopositional data of a specific geoposition or geocoordinates. Each base unit can thus be described by its geopositional data in relation to its location. This results in a complete dataset of geopositional data for all base units to be considered. In one embodiment, the geopositional data is transformed onto a layer of the described map of the region using a cartographic projection (coordinate transformation). An example of such a cartographic projection is the Mollweide projection.This offers the advantage that distortions between the spherical coordinates of the geoposition, as determined by a receiver of a position signal from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), such as GPS (Global Positioning System), at a base station, and the Cartesian coordinates of a map, do not lead to the expansion stage being incorrectly set due to distortion in a grid cell. As an alternative to projecting the geoposition data, one embodiment defines the respective grid in spherical coordinates. In other words, the geoposition data from the base station is not projected onto the map; instead, the map with its grid is expressed in spherical coordinates and thus adapted to the geoposition of the base station. This allows the distortion to be kept particularly low.The geopositional data of a given base station can be measured, generated, or determined using the aforementioned receiver of a GNSS position signal, and this geopositional data can be combined into the data set.

[0031] In one embodiment, the aforementioned expansion process is carried out for supply stations that provide a predetermined operating resource (for example, an energy carrier such as hydrogen or gas of the type already described) for motor vehicles. Another form of operating resource, instead of an energy carrier, could be, for example, the urea solution described. In this embodiment, it is provided that filling stations are used as the operating facilities. In other words, the so-called filling station network or filling station infrastructure is used as the basis for implementing a supply infrastructure for the described operating resource. However, the invention can also be used, additionally or alternatively, outside the field of motor vehicles, for example, to provide supply stations in pharmacies or supermarkets, to name just a few examples.For example, it may be planned to install appropriate supply stations (such as certain dispensing machines) in a geographical region to ensure the widespread distribution of a medication needed in pharmacies, provided that such stations are available.

[0032] Previously, it was described that the grid is enlarged stepwise or iteratively until the achieved grid spacing corresponds to the grid size or resolution specified by the given expansion stage. This iterative grid enlargement can be computationally intensive, especially when, for example, spherical coordinates are used. To save computational resources, one embodiment provides that the grid with the larger grid spacing is created by combining grid cells of a previously used grid spacing, such as the immediately preceding or even the penultimate grid spacing. In other words, the data from several grid cells are simply combined to obtain the data of a single current grid cell. This data management method is particularly computationally efficient.

[0033] In one embodiment, controlling the expansion process also controls the actual implementation of the supply stations. This is achieved by triggering an installation process at each of the selected remaining base facilities, based on the signal indicating which facilities are to be used to provide supply stations. This applies only to those base facilities that still lack a supply station. Thus, the actual expansion of the supply stations in the region is controlled. For this purpose, corresponding construction units can be targeted, which are differentiated according to the type of supply station. A construction unit could be a construction yard or a construction company.For example, construction machinery can be controlled there.

[0034] For example, the coordinates and / or addresses of the selected remaining base stations can be signaled to at least one building unit so that their conversion or modification into a supply station can be carried out by that building unit, provided the respective base station is not already equipped as a supply station. For example, corresponding order data for the expansion can be generated by the processor circuit. In other words, the signal generated by the method, which describes or indicates the selected remaining base stations, is used to trigger the expansion of these base stations as bases for the supply stations.The expansion will create a supply infrastructure in the region consisting of supply stations, which will provide the region with goods, particularly operating resources for motor vehicles, according to the supply level or level defined by the termination criterion. In other words, the signaling effect of the procedure influences the design of the supply infrastructure, especially the locations of the supply stations. Supply stations will therefore be built at locations determined according to one implementation of the procedure.

[0035] To carry out the method, the invention also provides a processor circuit. Such a processor circuit can, for example, be configured as a computer or computer network for executing a program. The processor circuit is configured to receive a data set describing a total set or a complete data set of base facilities located in a predetermined geographical region. This data set can, for example, describe geopositional data of base facilities as described. Additionally or alternatively, the data set can, for example, describe the described tagging information and / or the described supply characteristics. Based on this data set, the processor circuit carries out an embodiment of the method according to the invention. The processor circuit can, for this purpose, comprise one or more microprocessors.The process steps can be described by program code or software which contains program instructions designed to carry out the embodiment of the method according to the invention when executed by the processor circuit.

[0036] The invention also provides a system for carrying out the expansion process of supply stations in the geographical region. The system comprises an embodiment of the described processor circuit, and this processor circuit is coupled within the system to at least one component for installing a supply station. Such a component could, for example, be a construction yard with construction machinery. The coupling can include a communication link, e.g., an internet connection.

[0037] This coupling allows, for example, the signaling of the coordinates and / or addresses of the selected remaining base facilities, so that their conversion or modification into a supply station is triggered by at least one module, provided the respective base facility is not already equipped as a supply station. For example, corresponding order data can be generated by the processor circuit.

[0038] The invention provides the resulting supply infrastructure, which is configured to supply a predetermined geographical region with predetermined goods according to a predetermined level of supply. The supply infrastructure comprises supply stations whose locations in the region are determined by an embodiment of the described method and / or by the described processor circuit and / or by the described system. The supply infrastructure provides the region, in particular, with goods that require a personal presence, e.g., by a user arriving at a supply station with a motor vehicle to refuel it with a resource, e.g., an energy carrier.The identified locations or selected base stations are then converted into supply stations for these goods, particularly for motor vehicle equipment (if they are not already), based on the established procedure, and subsequently operated as supply stations in the region. This constitutes the supply infrastructure.

[0039] The underlying selection criterion determines which traffic flows, such as vehicle traffic, result in the region due to the resulting supply infrastructure when its supply stations are used. This is because the described variations of the selection criterion allow, for example, the minimization of the total distance and / or duration of all detours that users of the supply stations in the region take to reach them, or at least setting it below a predetermined threshold. The selection criterion can, for example, take into account the existing traffic density and / or another of the described supply categories and / or one of the described optimization conditions.

[0040] By signaling to the selected remaining base facilities that they are to be used as bases for the supply stations, and then converting the bases into supply stations within the region, a supply infrastructure is established that increases the level of supply or the stage of development throughout the region with regard to the distribution or provision of the respective intended goods or resources, for example, an energy carrier or fuel for motor vehicles (i.e., generally a resource for motor vehicles).

[0041] The operation of the supply infrastructure according to the invention results in a supply process by which goods, in particular operating equipment for motor vehicles, are dispensed or made available within the region at locations determined by an embodiment of the method according to the invention. Thus, the region is supplied with the goods, in particular the operating equipment for motor vehicles, at a level of supply or development stage that is ensured for the entire region.

[0042] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0043] An embodiment of the invention is described below. The following is shown: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the system according to the invention; Fig. 2 a flowchart to illustrate an embodiment of the method according to the invention, as implemented by the system ofFig. 1 can be carried out; and Fig. 3 a sketch to illustrate an iteration pass as part of the procedure of Fig. 2 may be.

[0044] The embodiment described below is a preferred embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the described components each represent individual features of the invention that can be considered independently of one another. Each of these features further develops the invention independently and can therefore be considered part of the invention individually or in a combination other than that shown. Furthermore, the described embodiment can also be supplemented by other features of the invention already described.

[0045] In the figures, functionally identical elements are each provided with the same reference symbols.

[0046] Fig. 1 Figure 10 shows a system designed to support or control an expansion process intended to ensure that a specific expansion stage or level of supply is guaranteed for a geographic region 11 with respect to supply stations of a predetermined type. The region could be a district, a city, a state, or an entire nation, to name just a few examples. The region's dimensions can range from one square kilometer to the size of a nation or continent. For instance, the system might be designed to ensure the expansion process for a transportation network 12 with respect to supply stations 13 that provide a specific energy carrier and / or operating fluid, such as hydrogen, a gas of the type described, or a urea solution.The expansion stage can be defined uniformly for the entire region 11 or, for example, separately for highways 14, urban areas 15, and rural regions 16, to name just a few examples. The expansion can be carried out using construction units 17, which can be controlled by a processor circuit 18 of the system 10 in such a way that the construction units 17 can carry out the expansion.

[0047] The processor circuit 18 can first receive map data 19 of a map 19' concerning region 11, as well as a data record 20. The data record 20 can indicate where basic facilities, i.e., existing supply infrastructure, are located in region 11. A basic facility 21 can, for example, be an institution or a business location where an energy carrier or, more generally, a resource is offered that serves as a reference to the new resource to be provided. For example, for an energy carrier such as hydrogen or gas, a reference resource in the form of gasoline and / or diesel can be considered, and accordingly, a filling station in region 11 can be considered the basic facility 21. For the sake of clarity, in Fig. 1 In region 11, only some of the basic facilities 21 are marked with a reference symbol. A supply station 13 already existing for the desired operating resource, such as hydrogen or gas, also constitutes a basic facility that can be described by data set 20. Data set 20 can, for example, describe the respective geoposition of each basic facility 21 using geocoordinates.

[0048] Starting from the map 19', as it can be described by the map data 19, and the received data set 20, the processor circuit can perform a procedure as described in Fig. 2 This is illustrated. Subsequently, one or more building units 17 can be controlled by the processor circuit 18 to carry out the expansion process.

[0049] This allows further basic facilities 21 to be expanded or extended in such a way that they represent additional supply stations and thus the desired expansion level of supply stations 13 is provided or realized.

[0050] Fig. 2 illustrates how the process can have an optional outer process stage 22 and an inner process stage 23.

[0051] In the outer processing stage 22, the full, original data set 20 can be received in step S10. In step S11, the data set 20 can be divided into sub-data sets 24, one of which, for example, can describe the basic facilities 21 along the motorway 14, another sub-data set 24 the basic facilities 21 in urban areas 15, and a third sub-data set 24 the basic facilities 21 in the rural region 16. Such a division can be achieved, for example, by tagging information that may be included in the data set 20 for the different basic facilities 21.

[0052] In step S12, process stage 23 can be executed for each sub-dataset 24. In step S13, the signaling information 25 determined for the individual sub-datasets 24 can then be summarized. The signaling information 25 can be signal data indicating which base facility 21 in region 11 is to be used as a supply station 13 and / or is to be expanded as a supply station 13 by installing or setting up appropriate components there to provide the operating resources that the supply station 13 is to provide.

[0053] In process stage 23, a partial data set 24 can be used as a basis, or, if the optional process stage 22 is not executed, the entire or original data set 20. In the latter case, step S10 can then be carried out directly as an introduction to process stage 23.

[0054] In step S14, a coordinate transformation can be carried out to transform or project geoposition data 26 of the base facilities 21 onto the map data 19.

[0055] If the optional procedure step 22 is not used, the tagging information of the individual data points in the dataset can alternatively be evaluated in steps S15, S16, and S17, and the dataset can be split in step S16. Optionally, the reduced sub-datasets can then be used in step S17. In each iteration 27, a grid spacing can be defined in step S18, the grid 30 with this grid spacing 29 can be stretched over region 11 in map 19' in step S19, and in step S20, the location of the basic facilities 21 in each grid cell of the grid 30 can be determined. A suitable basic facility can then be determined for each grid cell in step 21.If a supply station 13 is already located in a grid cell, then alternatively, in step S22, this existing supply station 13 can be selected in that grid cell in step S23. This results in the remaining selected basic facilities 31 for each grid cell in step S24, provided that a basic facility was previously present in that grid cell.

[0056] In step S25, it can be checked what development status would result if the selected remaining basic facilities 31 were expanded into supply stations at the given grid spacing. This will be checked in step S26 using a termination criterion A. In the event that termination criterion A is not met (in Fig. 2 (symbolized by a minus sign), iteration 27 can be repeated with an increased grid spacing 29. If a new value is specified for the desired supply status or expansion stage 32, step S14 can be continued based on the original data set 20 or the sub-data set 24.

[0057] Is the termination criterion A fulfilled (in Fig. 2 (symbolized by a plus sign), the desired expansion stage 32 has been reached and the expansion process can be completed in one step S27.

[0058] Fig. 3 Figure 27 illustrates, for example, an iteration. The map 19' is shown, as it can be described by the map data 19. The map 19' represents region 11. A section of the transport network 12 is shown. Basic facilities 21 may be present in region 11, of which, for clarity, only some are labeled with the reference symbol 21. The currently used grid 30 allows region 11 to be divided into grid cells 30', of which, for clarity, only some are labeled with a reference symbol. The following steps can be performed for each grid cell 30', which is shown in Fig. 3 This is illustrated using a grid cell 34 as an example. The basic units 31 arranged or located in grid cell 34 can be determined, and a selected remaining basic unit 35 can be chosen from the basic units 21. The selected basic unit 35 could, for example, be the one that is closest to a geometric center of gravity 36 of the basic units 21 located in grid cell 34. Such a condition results in a possible selection criterion 37. If there is only a single basic unit 38 in a grid cell 30', then of course this unit is selected. If there is no basic unit in a grid cell 30', then no selected basic unit 35 results.If several basic facilities 21 are contained in a grid cell and one of them is already a supply station 13, then of course this basic facility 21 can be used as the selected basic facility 35 according to the selection criterion.

[0059] In a next step, if the termination criterion A is not yet met, a grid enlargement 40 can be performed in a next iteration 27. This means that the grid spacing 41 of grid cell 34 can be increased to a larger grid spacing 42, for example by combining grid cells 30' to create a larger grid cell 34', as shown in Fig. 3 This illustrates the point.

[0060] For the enlarged grid cell 34', the iteration pass 27 can now be carried out in the manner described, taking into account only the selected remaining basic facilities 35 of each grid cell 30'.

[0061] A particularly preferred embodiment is described below, using "gas stations" as an example of the basic facilities.

[0062] This procedure ensures that the filling stations built for the new infrastructure to be constructed ("new" filling stations) are not chosen arbitrarily, even if they were placed in a pointless manner, but rather that a balanced choice is made.

[0063] The proposed method utilizes existing infrastructure to identify new infrastructure. Particularly with regard to filling station infrastructure for supplying customers with liquid or gaseous fuels and / or operating fluids, it can be assumed that, once fully developed, this infrastructure will aim for a similar level of service to the current gasoline and / or diesel fuel network. This existing network is geared towards both demand and economic efficiency. A particular challenge in identifying the infrastructure lies in determining its phased development. Therefore, the existing infrastructure of gasoline and diesel filling stations can serve as the basis for the method to identify new filling station infrastructure. These filling stations are assigned geocoordinates. This constitutes the initial dataset.To determine the individual expansion stages, the following steps are repeated until the desired number of expansion stages is reached.

[0064] It's possible that there are already filling stations connected to the new supply infrastructure ("new" filling stations). These would then also be included in the dataset. The selection methodology should then prioritize these filling stations, resulting in two possibilities: a) The new gas station is always preferred over the "old" gas stations, b) The new gas station is also included in an evaluation; an additional gas station is then selected from the old gas stations if, for example, the mean square distance of the newly selected gas station to the other gas stations is relatively better than that of the existing new gas station; otherwise, the existing new gas station is selected.

[0065] The in Fig. 2 The illustrated process steps are then as follows: S10) Provide a full, original dataset. S14) Coordinate transformation to reduce distortion effects. S15) Determine tagging information for each dataset, e.g., according to geographic affiliation such as urban area, rural area, highway / main roads. Other examples include population density, postal codes, traffic density, vehicle density. Omitted if tagging has already been performed in previous steps. S16) Split the dataset based on the existing tagging or use only specific data, preferably belonging to only one tag. Omitted if a split has already been performed. S17) Option: Create reduced datasets, each belonging to one or more tags. S18) Determine the grid spacing, choosing the smallest possible grid spacing in the first step (0.1 to 2 km, preferably 0.5 to 1 km).The grid spacing preferably describes a square and, if possible, refers to the center of the overall grid to be drawn in S19) in order to minimize relative distortion effects, especially in the north-south direction. When repeating step f), the grid spacing is to be chosen larger than in the previous step. Preferably, it is increased by a factor of 1.5 to 5, and even more preferably by a factor of 2 to 3. S19) Drawing up the grid based on the extreme points of the coordinates in the west-east and north-south directions and the grid spacing defined in S18. Full grids are always chosen, so that the superimposed grid will extend beyond the extreme points at the ends of the east-west and north-south directions. (Overall grid with individual grid cells). S20) Determining the gas stations located in the respective grid cells. S21) Selecting the suitable gas stations in the individual grid cells. This can be done, for example, by...The gas station with the smallest square distances to all other gas stations, or the one closest to the center of gravity of the gas stations in the grid. (S24) Creation of a new dataset from the selected gas stations of each grid, either in the form of a new, separate dataset that is used further, or by labeling the individual data within the full dataset (after / before transformation). (S25) Evaluation of the development status, e.g., by determining the average driving distances between the gas stations identified in S18 to S21. (S26) If the development status is sufficient: Termination (S27); if the development status is insufficient: repeating steps S18 to S25, optionally also S10) to S17).

[0066] S13) When using tags on the data records, an overall development plan can be assembled in stages after processing all sub-data records with changed grid spacings.

[0067] The advantage lies in the fact that only one data set needs to be processed with minimal additional effort and with fast processing using a robust algorithm.

[0068] Possible embodiments are as follows: a) Tagging the data and splitting the dataset are not required; the process otherwise remains the same. b) Application to infrastructures that have a geographical distribution basis as the data source (dataset 20) is possible. Examples include supermarkets, pharmacies, and hardware stores.

[0069] For the first time, a method for the simple, fast, and robust determination of development stages and the precise localization of novel infrastructures is now available. The development of any infrastructure for new goods that require a personal presence and for which there are location problems (supermarkets, pharmacies, post offices, mobile phone shops, DIY stores) can now be managed.

[0070] Overall, this example shows how a methodology for strategy development and / or assessment of the expansion of a filling station infrastructure can be provided. Reference symbol list

[0071] 10 System 11 Region 12 Transport network 13 Supply station 14 Motorway 15 Urban areas 16 Region 17 Construction units 18 Processor circuit 19 Map data 19' Map 20 Data record 21 Basic setup 22 Processing stage 23 Processing stage 24 Sub-data record 25 Signaling 26 Geoposition data 27 Iteration pass 29 Grid spacing 30 Grid 30' Grid cell 31 Basic setups 32 Expansion stage 34 Grid cell 35 Basic setup 36 Focus 37 Selection criterion 38 Basic setup 40 Grid magnification 41 Grid spacing 42 Grid spacing Termination criterion

Claims

1. Supply method, by which an operating resource for motor vehicles is dispensed within a predetermined geographical region (11) via supply stations (13) of a supply infrastructure, at locations determined by a method for controlling a development process for developing the supply stations (13) in the geographical region (11) in which base facilities (21) are located, some of which are to be used as respective bases for developing into new supply stations (13) and / or at least one of which has already been developed as a supply station (13), a processor circuit (18) dividing the region (11) into grid cells (30') in a digital map (19') of the region (11) by means of a predetermined grid (30) with an initial grid spacing (41), characterized in that in respective iteration passes (27), the processor circuit (18) carries out the following for each grid cell (30'): - determining which of the base facilities (21) is located in this grid cell (30'), and - if at least one base facility (21) is present in the grid cell (30'), at least one present base facility (21) is selected as the selected remaining base facility (35) by means of a predetermined selection criterion, and all other base facilities (21) in the grid cell (30') are ignored for the remainder of the method, and in the case that the grid spacing (41) of the current grid (30) and / or the selected remaining base facilities (35) do not yet meet a predetermined termination criterion (A), the region (11) is again divided into enlarged grid cells (34') by means of a further grid (30) with an enlarged grid spacing (42) that is larger than the previously used grid spacing (41), and the iteration pass (27) is repeated for the enlarged grid cells (34') of the new grid (30), and otherwise, for the remaining base facilities (35) selected in the grid cells (30'), it is indicated that they are to be used as bases for the supply stations (13), an installation procedure for installing a supply station (13) respectively then being triggered or controlled according to the indication, if the termination criterion (A) is met, at each selected remaining base facility (35) still without a supply station (13), and thus the bases being converted into supply stations within the region and the supply infrastructure being constructed as a result, said supply infrastructure resulting in a predefined level of supply or a predefined level of development throughout the entire region with respect to the distribution of the operating resources provided in each case, and the operating resource being dispensed or made available at the locations within the region as a result of the supply infrastructure being operated, thus supplying the region with the operating resource for motor vehicles at the level of supply or level of development, and this being ensured for the entire region.

2. Supply method according to claim 1, wherein the termination criterion (A) comprises the grid spacing (42) of the current grid corresponding to a predetermined target grid spacing that corresponds to a predefined level of development to be achieved by the development process, and / or an average and / or a maximum distance value of a distance between the selected remaining base facilities (35) lying in a respectively predetermined value interval in each case.

3. Supply method according to either of the preceding claims, wherein the selection criterion for selecting the relevant base facility (21) provides for a geometric optimization condition (37) to be checked for all base facilities (21) present in the relevant grid cell (30'), and for the base facility (21) that fulfills the optimization condition to be selected.

4. Supply method according to claim 3, wherein the geometric optimization condition (37) comprises selecting the base facility (21) closest to a geometric centroid (36) or selecting the base facility (21) with the smallest square distance value to all other base facilities (21) in the grid cell (30').

5. Supply method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the selection criterion for selecting the relevant base facility (21) provides for one or some or each base facility (21) that has already been developed as a supply station (13) to be selected.

6. Supply method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the selection criterion for selecting the relevant base facility (21) provides for a relevant characteristic rating for a predetermined supply characteristic to be determined for all base facilities (21) present in the relevant grid cell (30'), and for the base facility (21) with the highest overall rating to be selected.

7. Supply method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the following supply characteristics is taken into account: an available infrastructure, an available building area, an existing transport connection.

8. Supply method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein an overall data set of base facilities (21) is determined and each of the base facilities (21) is described by a relevant tagging specification of a predetermined supply category and the overall data set of the base facilities (21) is divided into sub-data sets (24), wherein each sub-data set (24) contains the base facilities (21) of the same tagging specification, and for each sub-data set (24) bases for supply stations (13) are determined separately by means of the iteration passes (27).

9. Supply method according to claim 8, wherein the tagging specifications describe at least one of the following supply categories: a local population density at the relevant base facility (21), a postal code of the base facility (21), a local traffic density at the relevant base facility (21), a local vehicle density at the relevant base facility (21), an operating location of the base facility (21).

10. Supply method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the development process relates to supply stations (13) for a predetermined operating resource for motor vehicles, and filling stations are used as the basis for base facilities (21).

11. Supply infrastructure designed to supply a predetermined geographical region (11) with predetermined goods, wherein the supply infrastructure has supply stations (13) for this purpose, of which the locations in the region (11) are established by a supply method according to any of claims 1 to 10.