Autonomous energy management system for autonomous vehicles and method

Abstract

An autonomous energy management system 1 for an autonomous vehicle 2, wherein the autonomous vehicle connects to a central server 5 of a fleet of autonomous vehicles 6 using a communication module. The autonomous energy management system comprising a charging system 3; and a parking system 4. The autonomous energy management system is configured to autonomously locate and connect to a charging station 7 for charging or discharging, and wherein the most efficient route to such a charging station is calculable and selectable through communication with the central server. Depending on at least one initial parameter regarding the battery status and / or control parameter regarding the positioning of the autonomous vehicle relative to the charging station, the charging system is configured to perform a charging or discharging operation at the selected charging station. The system may utilise data including time of day, current energy prices and vehicle usage. The charger may use AC, DC or V2V to charge the vehicle.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automobiles. More specifically, the present invention relates to an autonomous energy management system for autonomous vehicles according to claim 1. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for operating such an autonomous energy management system, a corresponding computer program product, and a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0002] From the US 2020 333151 AA, a system is disclosed that enables on demand charging of electric vehicles using a mobile app and an loT integration. The app utilizes GPS and SMS notification for real-time booking confirmation. Through loT sensors in charging stations and intelligent connectivity, the nearest charging location for vehicles is automatically identified when their battery level is low. This enhances the efficiency and convenience of the charging process for electric vehicles. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The objective of the present invention is to provide an autonomous energy management system in such a way that energy management is particularly effective based on current factors, ensuring the charging and discharging safety and efficiency of the vehicle.

[0004] This objective is accomplished through an autonomous energy management system with the features of claim 1, as well as by a method according to the present invention and by utilizing a corresponding computer program product and a corresponding non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention may be found in the dependent claims.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention relates to an autonomous energy management system designed for autonomous vehicles or fleets of autonomous vehicles, wherein the autonomous vehicle connects to a central server of a fleet of autonomous vehicles using a communication module. It is possible to establish the wireless connection via internet or other wireless communication, wherein each vehicle of the fleet has its own communication module to connect with the central server. The autonomous energy management system of the vehicle includes at least a charging system such as an autonomous charging system and a parking system such as an autonomous parking system. The autonomous energy management system of the vehicle is programmed or configured to autonomously locate a charging station and charge at the charging station when a need for charging arises. Furthermore, it may determine and select the most efficient route to reach the designated charging station through communication with the central server, wherein it is important not to waste any energy by seeking for long distance charging stations. Depending on predetermined initial parameters concerning the battery status and / or control parameters regarding their positioning of the vehicle concerning its proximity to the charging station, the charging system is configured to execute a charging or discharging operation at the chosen charging station as a result of the calculation and selection process. The charging system may include an AC charging system or DC charging system.

[0006] The initial parameters may also include the current time of a day, current energy prices and user input regarding vehicle usage. Additionally, the control parameters may include the charging speed of the charging stations, the number of vehicles in the fleet, their respective charging priorities within the fleet, as well as other vehicles near the charging station and charging availability. The output options further may include functionalities such as remaining stationary and enabling vehicle-to-vehicle charging. Additionally, the output options may enable other forms of bidirectional charging such as vehicle-to-home charging and vehicle-to-load charging.

[0007] In other words, in the context of the vehicle operating autonomously with the autonomous energy management system, parking at a charging station, and charging at the charging station, the vehicle is capable of both charging and discharging energy from / to the grid, wherein no human intervention is needed. Therefore, the vehicle or the fleet of vehicles may park within the charging station utilizing autonomous parking capabilities.

[0008] The autonomous energy management system of the vehicle may identify the optimal conditions for charging, which includes selecting the closest charger, the most cost-effective charger, and leveraging information from the network of chargers and vehicles to autonomously determine the charger to use. The autonomous energy management system may also determine the ideal circumstances for discharging energy, dependent on factors such as the state and amount of energy that may be stored based on battery state of charge SOC. The autonomous energy management system may decide to sell excess energy for cost-effective energy management by considering various factors such as SOC, cost per kilowatt hour, battery health, available time, and energy that may be transmitted to and from the charging station, grid, and / or microgrid.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for operating an autonomous energy management system for an autonomous vehicle, wherein the autonomous vehicle connects to a central server of a fleet of autonomous vehicles using a communication module, the method comprising determining a current location; detecting an initial parameter, wherein the initial parameter comprises a battery status, a control parameter regarding the positioning of the autonomous vehicle relative to charging stations, a current time of day, current energy prices, and user input regarding vehicle usage; determining a charging station, wherein the most efficient route to the charging station is calculable and selectable by the autonomous energy management system through communication with the central server; initiating the vehicle to travel to the charging station; initiating the parking system to park the vehicle at the charging station; and initiating the charging system to connect to the charging station for charging or discharging of the vehicle.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a computer program product comprising program code means for performing the method and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least the computer program product.

[0011] The electronic computing device as well as the vehicle comprise means for performing the method.

[0012] A computing unit may, in particular, be understood as a data processing device, which comprises processing circuitry. The computing unit can process data to perform computing operations. This may also include operations to perform indexed accesses to a data structure, for example a look-up table, LUT.

[0013] In particular, the computing unit may include one or more computers, one or more microcontrollers, and / or one or more integrated circuits, for example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits, ASIC, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, FPGA, and / or one or more systems on a chip, SoC. The computing unit may also include one or more processors, for example, one or more microprocessors, one or more central processing units, CPU, one or more graphics processing units, GPU, and / or one or more signal processors, in particular, one or more digital signal processors, DSP. The computing unit may also include a physical or a virtual cluster of computers or other of said units.

[0014] In various embodiments, the computing unit includes one or more hardware and / or software interfaces and / or one or more memory units. For example, the interface may include a customer interface for displaying the available charging stations, parking spots, or other factors.

[0015] A memory unit may be implemented as a volatile data memory, for example a dynamic random access memory, DRAM, or a static random access memory, SRAM, or as a non-volatile data memory, for example a read-only memory, ROM, a programmable read-only memory, PROM, an erasable programmable read-only memory, EPROM, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM, a flash memory or flash EEPROM, a ferroelectric random access memory, FRAM, a magnetoresistive random access memory, MRAM, or a phase-change random access memory, PCRAM.

[0016] In summary the communication between the server and the autonomous energy management system of the vehicle for locating and navigating to the nearest charging station may be facilitated using technology such as GPS and wireless connections as the internet. The vehicle may transmit its GPS coordinates to the server, which then identifies the closest available charging station, and the autonomous energy management system may consider factors such as the closest available charging station, the vehicle's current battery level, driver preferences, and / or other factors for selecting a charging station. The autonomous energy management system may send the information about the selected charging station to the charging system and parking system of the vehicle to implement autonomous parking and charging at the chosen destination. The autonomous energy management system and the method may optimize parking procedures, optimize charging procedures, enhance charging and discharging efficiencies, and contribute to the safety of the charging and parking process for the vehicle.

[0017] Further advantages, features, and details of the present invention derive from the following description of preferred embodiments as well as from the drawings. The features and feature combinations previously mentioned in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned in the following description of the figures and / or shown in the figures alone may be employed not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in any other combination or taken alone without leaving the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The novel features and characteristic of the present disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and / or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures.

[0019] The drawings show in:

[0020] Fig. 1 a schematic diagram illustrating an autonomous vehicle with an autonomous energy management system; and

[0021] Fig. 2 a flow chart diagram illustrating the step-by-step procedure for implementing the autonomous energy management system.

[0022] In the figures the same elements or elements having the same function are indicated by the same reference signs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration". Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0024] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawing and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.

[0025] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion so that a setup, device or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises” or “comprise” does not or do not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

[0026] In the following detailed description of the embodiment of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment in which the disclosure may be practiced. This embodiment is described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0027] Fig. 1 depicts schematic diagram of an autonomous vehicle 2 with an autonomous energy management system 1. The autonomous energy management system 1 for the autonomous vehicle 2 may include a communication module (not shown), a charging system 3 and a parking system 4. The autonomous vehicle 2 connects to a central server 5 via the communication module. The central server 5 is for a fleet of autonomous vehicles 6. The charging system 3 may include an alternating current AC charging system or direct current DC charging system.

[0028] The autonomous energy management system 1 is configured to autonomously locate and charge at a charging station 7 when charging is needed and to determine the most efficient route to such a charging station 7 based on various factors including factors communicated from the central server 5.

[0029] Some of the factors include predetermined initial parameters such as the battery status such as the state of charge SOC and / or control parameters regarding the positioning of the autonomous vehicle 2 relative to the charging station 7.

[0030] The charging system 3 is configured to perform a charging or discharging operation at the selected charging station 7 as an output of the calculation and selection process. The charging system 3 is an autonomous charging system 3 that may start and stop the charging or discharging process without a user action once the parking system 4 positions the vehicle 2 in the selected charging location. Therefore, the location of the autonomous vehicle 2 may be identified by a global positioning system GPS based on communication with the central server 5, as an example.

[0031] The parking system 4 is an autonomous parking system 4 that may park the vehicle 2 without a user action once the energy management system 1 determines the desired charging station 7.

[0032] Fig. 2 illustrates a flow chart diagram with a step-by-step procedure for implementing the autonomous energy management system 1.

[0033] For operating the autonomous energy management system 1 for the autonomous vehicle 2, wherein the autonomous vehicle 2 connects to the central server 5 of the fleet of autonomous vehicles 6 using a communication module, the method includes the following steps.

[0034] In a first step S1, the autonomous energy management system 1 of the vehicle 2 determines its location. The vehicle 2 may be at home or located in a fleet of vehicles 6. Therefore, the location of the autonomous vehicle 2 may be identified by the global positioning system GPS based on communication with the central server 5, as an example. In a second step S2, the autonomous energy management system 1 may detect various initial parameters including battery state of charge SOC, current time of day, current electricity prices, and user input regarding vehicle usage, including regular usage information and user input. In a third step S3 the vehicle 2 autonomously departs from its current location such as home, a parking area, or fleet lot. In a fourth step S4 the autonomous energy management system 1 of the vehicle 2 determines an output such as a charging station 7 based on the initial parameters such as control parameters that may be determined by the central server 5 and / or the autonomous energy management system 1 and initiates a command for the vehicle 2 to travel to the charging station 7. The control parameters include the proximity to charging locations, fast charging or cost-effective charging locations, the number of fleet vehicles, the priority and charging requirements of each vehicle in the fleet, other vehicles present at charging locations, the charger availability, wherein the control parameters may be captured alone or in combination.

[0035] Determining the optimal charging station 7 includes determining the most efficient route to the charging station 7, which may be calculated and selected by the autonomous energy management system 1 through communication with the central server 5. Possible outputs for the charging station 7 may include staying in the home garage, going to a charger location, charging vehicle-to-vehicle and / or sending energy to the grid or microgrid, among others.

[0036] In a fifth step S5 a query is conducted, and the autonomous energy management system 1 determines if the vehicle 2 is traveling towards the selected charging station 7. If the vehicle goes to the selected charging station 7, the method proceeds to a sixth step S6.

[0037] In the sixth step S6, the autonomous energy management system 1 initiates a command for the parking system 4 to park the vehicle 2 via autonomous parking at the charging station 7. The charging system 3 of the vehicle 2 is controlled by the autonomous energy management system 1 to connect to the charging station 7 for charging or discharging using various methods, such as a wireless robotic charger. In a seventh step S7, the charging system 3 of the vehicle 2 automatically connects the vehicle 2 to the charging station 7 by plugging into the charger for charging or discharging.

[0038] For some embodiments where the vehicle 2 is part of a fleet 6, the autonomous energy management system 1 may select another vehicle from the fleet 6 in preparation for repeating the previous method steps while the vehicle 2 is charging or discharging in an eighth step S8. In a ninth step S9, the autonomous energy management system 1 initiates a command to the vehicle 2 to return to its first determined location, and the vehicle 2 autonomously returns to the parking lot or garage. In a tenth step S10 the vehicle 2 is ready for driving and / or prepared for its next operation. The chronological order of the steps is just an example and by no means obligatory. Adaption and modification of the steps for the method are possible.

[0039] In summary, the autonomous energy management system 1 locates the charging station 7 and charges at the charging station 7 when charging is needed and determines the most efficient route to the selected charging station 7 based on various factors including factors received from communication with the central server. Depending on predetermined initial parameters regarding the battery status and / or control parameters concerning the positioning of the vehicle 2 relative to the charging station 7, the charging system 3 performs a charging or discharging operation at a selected charging station 7 as an output of the calculation and selection process after the parking system 4 parks the vehicle 2. Signs energy management system autonomous vehicle charging system parking system central server fleet of autonomous vehicles charging station steps global positioning system status of charge alternating current DC direct current

Claims

1. An autonomous energy management system (1) for an autonomous vehicle (2), wherein the autonomous vehicle (2) connects to a central server (5) of a fleet of autonomous vehicles (6) using a communication module, the autonomous energy management system (1) comprising: a charging system (3); and a parking system (4), wherein the autonomous energy management system (1) is configured to autonomously locate and connect to a charging station (7) for charging or discharging, and wherein the most efficient route to such a charging station (7) is calculable and selectable through communication with the central server (5), characterized in that, depending on at least one initial parameter regarding the battery status and / or control parameter regarding the positioning of the autonomous vehicle (2) relative to the charging station (7), the charging system (3) is configured to perform a charging or discharging operation at the selected charging station (7) as an output of the calculation and selection process.

2. The autonomous energy management system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the initial parameters further comprise a current time of day, current energy prices, and user input regarding vehicle usage.

3. The autonomous energy management system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in thatthe control parameters comprise the charging speed of the charging stations (7), the number of vehicles in a fleet of autonomous vehicles (6), their respective charging priorities within the fleet (6), as well as other vehicles near the charging station (7) and charger availability.

4. The autonomous energy management system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in thatthe output comprises an option for remaining stationary and for vehicle-to-vehicle charging.

5. The autonomous energy management system (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in thatthe charging system (3) is an alternating current (AC) charging system.

6. The autonomous energy management system (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in thatthe charging system (3) is a direct current (DC) charging system.

7. Method for operating an autonomous energy management system (1) for an autonomous vehicle (2), wherein the autonomous vehicle (2) connects to a central server (5) of a fleet of autonomous vehicles (6) using a communication module, the method comprising:determining a current location;detecting an initial parameter, wherein the initial parameter comprises a battery status, a control parameter regarding the positioning of the autonomous vehicle (2) relative to charging stations (7), a current time of day, current energy prices, and user input regarding vehicle usage;determining a charging station (7), wherein the most efficient route to the charging station (7) is calculable and selectable by the autonomous energy management system (1) through communication with the central server (5);initiating the vehicle (2) to travel to the charging station;initiating the parking system (4) to park the vehicle (2) at the charging station (7);andinitiating the charging system (3) to connect to the charging station (7) for charging or discharging of the vehicle (2).

8. A computer program product comprising program code means for performing a method according to claim 7.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least the computer program product according to claim 8.

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