Adaptation of characteristic information for the charging process

Abstract

It at least partially overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art and provides the possibility to adapt or correct current characteristic information related to the charging process at a charging station. [Solution] A method for adapting at least one characteristic information PL_neu for a charging process at a charging station L, in which at least one charging parameter P1-P4, R1-R4 for the charging process is notified to an external evaluation management unit AI from an electric vehicle F1-F4 connected to the charging station L, the evaluation management unit AI evaluates the at least one charging parameter P1-P4, R1-R4, and provides at least one characteristic information PL_neu identified based on the evaluation to at least one management unit F1-F4 that can be involved in the charging station L in a future charging process.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for adapting at least one characteristic information of a charging process at a charging station. The invention can be applied with particular advantage to public charging stations. [Background technology]

[0002] Standard ISO 15118 ("Plug&Charge") is known, according to which the charging process of an electric vehicle at a public charging station can be easily started or ended by connecting or disconnecting the charging cable, if a communication protocol is supported by the components involved, without the need for example to use a charging card for authorizing the payment of the charging process.

[0003] It is also known to authorize the charging current of the charging station using a smartphone application. For this purpose, the application or the selected charging station can be equipped with a start / stop function that signals the control manager of the charging station to start or stop the charging process.

[0004] It is also known that users of electric vehicles can notify operators of a public charging station that has failed, for example, via a suitable website. However, for example, due to incorrect or inaccurate inputs into the database during installation of the charging station and / or due to material or structure-related differences in the charging behavior of the charging station from the manufacturer's instructions, inconveniences may occur for users of electric vehicles who want to charge their electric vehicles at the charging station. For example, the geographic location of the charging station may only inaccurately match the geographic location displayed in the route planner, which makes it more difficult for users to find the charging station. In some cases, the charging station may respond very slowly to the authorization / start of charging current requested by the user of the electric vehicle, which may lead the user to mistakenly consider that the activation or start of the charging process at the charging station has failed. Then, if the user attempts to activate charging again, while still attempting to perform the previous activation, the operation of the charging station may be blocked for a certain period of time, because some charging stations are equipped with a mechanism for blocking simultaneous or short successive activations, especially via online connection. Therefore, users often find it necessary to connect their electric vehicles to other charging stations, which can lead to tedious re-parking.

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a method and apparatus for locating a charging station, in which a movement event of at least one mobile phone is detected to locate the station. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2013 / 053394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide the possibility of adapting or correcting current characteristic information relating to a charging process at a charging station. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This problem is solved by the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments can be seen in particular from the respective dependent claims.

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for adapting at least one characteristic information of a charging process in a charging station, the method comprising: - at least one charging parameter (hereinafter, without limiting generality, referred to as "charging parameter") for a charging process is communicated from an electric vehicle connected to (and charged or to be charged by) the charging station to an external evaluation management unit; an evaluation management unit for evaluating at least one charging parameter; The evaluation management unit provides at least one characteristic information determined based on the evaluation to at least one management unit that can be involved in the charging station in a future charging process. is solved by the method.

[0010] The method provides the advantage that by evaluating (past) charging parameters of a plurality of electric vehicles, characteristic information for current and / or future charging processes can be statistically reliably checked and, if necessary, corrected, which in turn facilitates the execution of the charging process and in particular reduces the probability that the expectations of users of electric vehicles regarding an easy execution of the charging process at the charging station are violated, while increasing user satisfaction. The method thus provides the possibility to create a "family learning curve" for the characteristics of each charging station used by a family of electric vehicles, in particular by evaluating charging parameters of a group or a family of electric vehicles of a given manufacturer.

[0011] Characteristic information about the charging process at a charging station may in particular be understood as respectively available information about characteristics of the charging station that influence the charging process.

[0012] Adapting the characteristic information may include correcting or precisely specifying the characteristic information.

[0013] The external reputation manager may be, for example, the back-end of the electric vehicle manufacturer.

[0014] The notification may include, for example, communication of at least one charging parameter, for example, wirelessly.

[0015] The evaluation of the at least one charging parameter by the evaluation manager comprises in particular the evaluation manager determining or calculating at least one characteristic information based on the at least one notified charging parameter and possibly on at least one further parameter. The at least one charging parameter thus corresponds to an input quantity of the evaluation and the at least one characteristic information corresponds to a result of the evaluation. It is one development that the characteristic information corresponds to the charging parameter, i.e. the characteristic information and the charging parameter are one and the same quantity but may have different values. It is one development that the characteristic information does not correspond to the charging parameter.

[0016] Providing at least one characteristic information determined based on the evaluation by the evaluation manager to at least one manager that may be involved in future charging processes at the charging station includes that the possibly adapted or corrected characteristic information can be provided to a manager that may be involved or incorporated in future charging processes at the charging station. For this purpose, the determined characteristic information can be stored, for example, in an available database and / or can be actively transmitted to the involved managers.

[0017] The charging parameters may include, for example, charging characteristics of the charging station and / or charging characteristics of an electric vehicle that has been or is being charged at the charging station. Alternatively or in addition, the charging parameters may include geometric quantities for the charging process.

[0018] At least one charging parameter belongs to the following groups: - The (geographic) location of the electric vehicle connected to the charging station; - Orientation of electric vehicles connected to the charging station; -The length of the charging cable of the electric vehicle or the charging station; -An identifier of the charging station to which the electric vehicle is connected (hereinafter, without limiting generality, referred to as the "station identifier"); - Electric vehicle identifier; - Execution or failure of the charging process (e.g. incorrect operation, interruption); -Charging mode of the charging station; In one embodiment, the method includes at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of the above.

[0019] The geometric quantity "geographic location" of the electric vehicle to be charged can be determined, for example, by GPS, WLAN or other geolocation methods. The geometric quantity "orientation" of the electric vehicle to be charged, in particular its longitudinal angle with respect to the charging station, can be determined, for example, by evaluation of trip data and / or images taken by the electric vehicle. The geometric quantity "length of charging cable" can include the length of the charging cable of the electric vehicle, which is particularly advantageous if a charging cable of the electric vehicle is used for connection to the charging station.

[0020] The length of the charging cable can be directly communicated by the electric vehicle or can be derived based on the type of electric vehicle, for example based on the VIN of the electric vehicle, which is also communicated, but it is also possible that the user inputs the length of the charging cable into a data memory beforehand, or that the vehicle determines the length by measurement after plugging it into a charging socket in the vehicle.

[0021] If the charging station is equipped with a charging cable of known length, it is also possible to derive the length, for example, via a station identifier, which can be received by the electric vehicle, for example, by data exchange between the charging station and the electric vehicle.

[0022] The charging behavior of the charging station may include one or more charging parameters, such as the time between a user requesting a charging authorization and the actual granting of the charging. In addition, an identifier of the electric vehicle, such as its VIN, may allow evaluation whether certain characteristic information is electric vehicle type-dependent. It may be that a certain charging station causes problems only for certain electric vehicle types of the same electric infrastructure generation, for example.

[0023] The electric vehicle may be, for example, a plug-in hybrid vehicle or a fully electric driven vehicle.

[0024] At least one participating management - Electric vehicles willing to charge at a charging station; - a control management unit for the operation of the charging station (e.g. of the management unit of the charging station) and / or -Operator, management part of the route planner, e.g. with charging stations as points of interest It is one configuration to include the above.

[0025] An electric vehicle with the intention to charge may, for example, select a predefined charging station along the route for future charging during route planning. Alternatively or additionally, an electric vehicle with the intention to charge may be an electric vehicle that is currently connected to a charging station. A control manager operating the charging station may, for example, be a controller of an operating part of the charging station. The electric vehicle may, for example, utilize a route planner, where a map / map is displayed showing at least the positions of the charging stations recorded therein and possibly further information such as charging characteristics of the charging station, for example connector type, charging capacity, available payment methods, etc.

[0026] - at least a geographical location of the electric vehicle connected to the charging station and a station identifier are communicated to an external evaluation management unit; The Evaluation Management Department: - based on at least the geographical position of the electric vehicle and the length of the charging cable used, areas (A1 to A4) in which a related charging station may be present are identified as charging parameters, - by checking whether the charging station is located within the area; and - If the predetermined geographical position of the charging station is not within the area even once, a possible location of the charging station is determined as the specified characteristic information based on the area of ​​a plurality of electric vehicles charged at the charging station, and the previous location of the charging station is corrected, for example, by replacing it. Evaluate geolocation and station identifier This is one configuration.

[0027] This allows the location of the charging station (as characteristic information), which may have been set incorrectly or very inaccurately up to now, to be corrected, so that the user of the electric vehicle can find the charging station better. Inaccuracies in the set location can arise, for example, from incorrect manual input of the location of the charging station (e.g., a typo in the number) or from an inaccurate geographical location of the charging station when it is installed. Thus, the previous location is adapted or corrected.

[0028] In one development, the geographical position of the electric vehicle connected to the charging station and the station identifier are communicated. The length of the charging cable of the electric vehicle can be communicated as well or can be determined based on the type of electric vehicle. If the charging station has a fixed charging cable, the length can be communicated by data exchange with the electric vehicle or can be derived from the station identifier.

[0029] The charging parameters are used to identify an area of ​​coverage within which the associated charging station should or should be located, since the possible location of the charging station is uniquely located by the geographic location of the electric vehicle and the length of the charging cable, possibly with some systematic uncertainties such as the location imprecision of the electric vehicle, imprecise knowledge of the location of the charging plug of the electric vehicle, etc.

[0030] If a charging station does not exist within the area and this is identified for one or more charging processes, the possible location of the charging station is identified as characteristic information detected based on the area of ​​multiple electric vehicles charged at the charging station and is accepted in place of the location of the charging station that was previously set, recognized or stored.

[0031] In one development, the potential (new) location of the charging station is calculated based on a geometric superposition of the areas identified for a number of electric vehicles, e.g. as the geometric center of gravity of one or more overlapping areas where the majority of the individual areas are superimposed.

[0032] In one configuration, the area is a circular area whose radius corresponds to the length of the charging cable of the electric vehicle or of the charging station. Such an area determination can be performed particularly easily.

[0033] In one configuration, the center point of the circular area corresponds to the location of the charging socket of the electric vehicle, which allows the area to be determined more accurately.

[0034] It is one development that the area is determined depending on the orientation of the electric vehicle. This also makes it possible to determine the area more accurately. Thus, for example, in tall electric vehicles such as SUVs or buses, only the semicircle extending from the charging plug in front of the electric vehicle can be considered as the area, if it is assumed that the charging cable is not guided beyond the electric vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the orientation of the electric vehicle can be recognized to determine the position of the charging plug more accurately.

[0035] One configuration is for the evaluation management unit to provide potential locations of charging stations to electric vehicles that have the intention to charge at the charging stations, and / or to provide a route planner operating unit with charging stations as points of interest, etc. as an involved management unit.

[0036] In one embodiment, at least one charging parameter for the charging mode of the charging station is communicated to the evaluation management unit; the evaluation management unit statistically evaluates the at least one charging parameter for evaluation and classifies the result of the statistical evaluation; and the evaluation management unit provides the result of the classification as characteristic information to the at least one involved management unit. Thus, it is advantageous that target characteristic information or standard characteristic information based on, for example, manufacturer's instructions can be checked by the actual operation of the electric vehicle and possibly corrected. In this case, the quantity of the electric vehicle is utilized to obtain statistical reliability of the characteristic information calculated based on this.

[0037] Classification is used to evaluate the specific information determined based on a statistical population of charging parameters, e.g., to confirm, discard, or correct previous characteristic information. For example, a charging station can be classified as "suitable" or "unsuitable" for a given electric vehicle type.

[0038] In one embodiment, the at least one charging parameter for the charging behavior of the charging station includes a time aspect between a charging operation at the charging station (L) requested by a user of the electric vehicle and the operation of the charging station, and the evaluation management unit provides the result of the classification to at least one control management unit for operating the charging station. Thus, for example, the period between the request and the operation of the charging station can be classified as within a target period or as an "abnormally long duration". If, for example, a longer switching time occurs, if not all connectors can be opened simultaneously, the switching time can be detected statistically and taken into account in the control (operation) of the particular charging station. The control management unit can then use particularly favorable control (operation) transitions in order to start the charging process as quickly as possible.

[0039] In one configuration the charging station is a public charging station. In one development the charging station is an AC charging station.

[0040] If there are indications about changes to components installed at the charging station that suggest a behavioral change in operation, the associated classifications can be checked before the next charging process is performed by the vehicle.

[0041] The above-mentioned characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the manner in which said advantages are achieved, will now be described in detail for a clearer and more clearly understood understanding in connection with the following schematic description of the embodiments in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0042] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows electric vehicles F1 to F4 connected to a public AC charging station L for charging at respective positions P1 to P4 in succession in time. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0043] The geographical position PL_alt of the charging station L is entered into a database (not shown) when it is installed and only corresponds inaccurately to its actual position, for example due to a typo by the person entering the number. The database is used by the route planner so that the charging station can be recognized and approached as a destination. Thus, in the route planner, the charging station L, after its installation, is also initially only very inaccurately / incorrectly and therefore difficult to find by the user of the electric vehicle or can only be found by luck.

[0044] Also, there exists a fleet manager of the fleet of electric vehicles F1-F4, e.g. a vehicle manufacturer, which is able to exchange data with the electric vehicles F1-F4 and in particular to receive data from the electric vehicles F1-F4, e.g. their location, their vehicle identifier (e.g. VIN), the fact that they are connected to a charging station, the station identifier received from the charging station L, etc. The fleet manager is here also used as an assessment manager AI.

[0045] Thus, for example, when an electric vehicle F1 is to be charged, if the user / driver is lucky enough to find a charging station L at the actual location, the user plugs the charging cable he / she carries into the charging station L for charging. Here, it is assumed that the charging station L does not have a specific charging cable fixedly installed at the charging station. The parked electric vehicle F1 then notifies the evaluation manager AI, for example by means of a wireless message, of at least its geographical position P1, its VIN and the station identifier of the charging station L as charging parameters. In one embodiment, the length of the charging cable of the electric vehicle F1 can also be notified. Alternatively, the evaluation manager AI can obtain the length based on a vehicle-specific cable length.

[0046] The assessment management unit AI then checks whether the currently stored geographical position PL_alt of the charging station matching the station identifier is within a circular area A1 whose centre point corresponds to the position P1 of the vehicle F1 and in particular whose radius corresponds to the length of the charging cable corresponding to and connected to its charging socket.

[0047] If this is not the case (the currently stored geographical position PL_alt is not within the area A1), the evaluation manager AI waits to see if a second vehicle F2 will later connect to the charging station L. If this is the case (the second vehicle F2 will connect to the charging station L), the evaluation manager AI checks whether the currently stored geographical position PL_alt of the charging station L is within an area A2 around the vehicle F2 (e.g. around the location of its charging socket) whose radius R2 corresponds to the length of the charging cable of the vehicle F2. If this is also not the case for the vehicle F2 (the currently stored geographical position PL_alt is not within the area A2), the evaluation manager AI identifies the geographical center of the cross section of the area A1 or A2 as characteristic information and stores it as a new geographical position PL_neu. The new geographical position PL_neu can be communicated, for example, to the fleet manager's fleet of electric vehicles and / or to the manager of the route planner.

[0048] In one embodiment, the geographical position PL_neu of the charging station L can be determined more and more precisely by each connected vehicle F3, F4, ..., in that each connected vehicle is calculated as the geographical center point of a cross section based on a number of areas A1, A2, A3, A4, .... Here, four vehicles F1 to F4 are described, and the cross sections for all four areas A1 to A4 correspond to closed lines extending directly around the geographical position PL_neu.

[0049] Naturally, the invention is not limited to the examples shown.

[0050] In general, "ein", "eine" (indefinite article denoting the singular), etc. can be understood as singular or plural, and specifically as "at least one" or "one or more", etc., unless expressly excluded, e.g. "exactly one".

[0051] Also, numerical recitations may include the number just recited as well as the normal tolerance range, unless expressly excluded. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] AI Evaluation Management Department A1~A4 area F1~F4 electric vehicles L Charging Station P1~P4 position PL_alt Geolocation of charging stations to date PL_neu New geographic location of charging stations R1~R4 Charging cable length

Claims

1. A method for adapting at least one characteristic information (PL_neu) regarding a charging process in a charging station (L), comprising: - At least one charging parameter (P1 - P4, R1 - R4) regarding the charging process is notified from an electric vehicle (F1 - F4) connected to the charging station (L) to an external evaluation management unit (AI); - The evaluation management unit (AI) evaluates at least one charging parameter (P1 - P4, R1 - R4); - The evaluation management unit (AI) provides at least one characteristic information (PL_neu) identified based on the evaluation to at least one management unit (F1 - F4) that can be involved in the charging station (L) in a future charging process. The method is characterized by the above.

2. At least one charging parameter (P1 - P4, R1 - R4) belongs to the following group: - The geographical location (P1 - P4) of the electric vehicle (F1 - F4) connected to the charging station (L); - The orientation of the electric vehicle (F1 - F4) connected to the charging station (L); - The length of the charging cable of the electric vehicle (F1 - F4) or the charging station (L) (R1 - R4); - The identifier of the charging station (L) to which the electric vehicle (F1 - F4) is connected; - The execution of the charging process; - The charging mode of the charging station (L). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes at least one parameter of the above group.

3. At least one manageable management unit includes: - An electric vehicle (F1 - F4) having a charging intention at the charging station (L); - A control management unit for the operation of the charging station (L) and / or - An operation unit of a route planner equipped with the charging station (L). The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it includes the above.

4. - At least, the geographical location (P1 - P4) of the electric vehicle (F1 - F4) connected to the charging station and the station identifier are notified to an external evaluation management unit; - The evaluation management unit: · By identifying an area (A1 - A4) where there may be a related charging station (L) based on at least the geographical location (P1 - P4) of the electric vehicle (F1 - F4) and the length of the charging cable used (R1 - R4), · By checking whether a predetermined geographical location (PL_alt) of the charging station (L) is within the area (A1 - A4), and - If the predetermined geographical location of the charging station is not within the area even once, based on the areas (A1 to A4) of a plurality of electric vehicles (F1 to F4) charged at the charging station (L), the possible position (PL_neu) of the charging station (L) is determined as the specified characteristic information, and thereby, by correcting the previous position (PL_alt) of the charging station (L), evaluate the geographical locations (P1 to P4) and the station identifier The method according to claim 2, characterized in that.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the areas (A1 to A4) are circular areas with a radius corresponding to the length (R1 to R4) of the charging cable of the electric vehicle (F1 to F4) or the charging station (L).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the center points of the circular areas (A1 to A4) correspond to the positions of the charging sockets of the electric vehicles (F1 to F4).

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the evaluation management unit (AI) provides the possible position (PL_neu) of the charging station (L) to the electric vehicles (F1 to F4) having the charging intention at the charging station (L) and / or to the management unit of the route planner including the charging station (L) as the management unit (F1 to F4) that can be involved.

8. - At least one charging parameter regarding the charging mode of the charging station (L) is notified to the evaluation management unit (AI); - The evaluation management unit (AI) statistically evaluates the at least one charging parameter for evaluation and classifies the results of the statistical evaluation; and - The evaluation management unit (AI) provides the results of the classification to at least one management unit (F1 to F4) that can be involved as characteristic information. The method according to claim 2, 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one charging parameter regarding the charging mode of the charging station (L) includes the charging intention of the user regarding the electric vehicle (F1 to F4) at the charging station (L) and the temporal aspect between the charging intention and the operation of the charging station (L), and the evaluation management unit provides the results of the classification to at least one control management unit for operating the charging station (L).

10. The method according to claim 1, 2, 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the charging station (L) is a public charging station.

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