Method and system for assigning vehicles to charging stations

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for allocating a vehicle (1) to a charging station (2), in which a vehicle (1) with an electric energy storage to be charged directly or indirectly wirelessly exchanges information with a charging station network (3), the information comprising at least vehicle configuration parameters (4) and charging process information (5), taking into account which information the vehicle (1) is allocated to a charging station (2) for carrying out a charging process by a computing unit (6.1, 6.2). The method according to the invention is characterized in that the vehicle (1) informs the charging station network (3) of a first vehicle configuration (7.1), the charging station network (3) determines the charging process information (5) depending on the first vehicle configuration (7.1) and transmits this information to the vehicle (1), and the vehicle (1) adapts at least one vehicle configuration parameter (4) depending on the charging process information (5) obtained from the charging station network (3) to set a second vehicle configuration (7.2) before the charging process is carried out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for allocating a vehicle to a charging station as defined in more detail by the generic concept of claim 1, and to a charging system as defined in more detail by the generic concept of claim 9.

Background Art

[0002] In order to store drive energy, an electrified vehicle can have an electrical energy storage unit such as a traction battery. A suitable vehicle performs a charging process at a charging station in order to charge the traction battery. Such a charging station can be privately owned in the form of, for example, a so-called Wallbox, but it is also possible to use a public charging station of an operator who operates the charging infrastructure.

[0003] In order to perform the charging process, an exchange of information between the vehicle user or between the vehicle and the operator of the charging infrastructure is required. In this information exchange, for example, charging parameters such as the charging voltage or the charging capacity, and personal data that enables the charging process to be billed are transmitted. This information exchange is relatively easily configured and, in many cases, is simply carried out via a corresponding charging cable or via an operating terminal attached to the charging station or a mobile terminal device of the vehicle user connected to the operating terminal. Patent Document 1 provides a known data processing unit for communicating with at least one vehicle and with multiple charging stations for charging the vehicle's energy storage device. This data processing unit enables extensive communication between the vehicle and the charging station, thereby facilitating the exchange of a wide variety of information between the relevant operating entities. Specifically, the vehicle can notify the charging station of the charge status of each electrical energy storage unit of the vehicle at a given time, and the maximum charging capacity available to perform the charging process. Conversely, the charging station itself can notify the vehicle of the charging capacity available within a given time window. Subsequently, the data processing unit derives a strategy for temporally and / or spatially associating the vehicle with the charging station, thereby ensuring compliance with predetermined parameters during the execution of the charging process. For example, each vehicle can be distributed to each charging station so as not to excessively increase the load on the underlying power transmission and distribution system. By the data processing unit automatically deriving a strategy for associating the vehicle with the charging station, the cost of performing the charging process is reduced, waiting times at suitable charging stations are shortened, and the charging stations can be used efficiently. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] DE102016005630A1 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] The problem on which the present invention is based is to provide an improved method for assigning vehicles to a charging station and a suitable charging system for use therein, which further improves the efficiency and / or safety during the execution of the charging process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, this problem is solved by a method for assigning a vehicle to a charging station having the features of claim 1, and a charging system having the features of claim 9. Advantageous configurations and variations become apparent from the claims dependent on those claims.

[0007] In the method for assigning a vehicle to a charging station as described at the beginning, the vehicle, which is equipped with an electrical energy storage unit to be charged, directly or indirectly exchanges information with the charging station network wirelessly, and this information includes at least vehicle configuration parameters and charging process information, and taking this information into consideration, a computing unit assigns the vehicle to a charging station to perform the charging process. According to the present invention, this general method is further developed by the vehicle notifying the charging station network of a first vehicle configuration, the charging station network obtaining charging process information depending on the first vehicle configuration and transmitting this information to the vehicle, and the vehicle setting a second vehicle configuration before the charging process is performed by adapting at least one vehicle configuration parameter depending on the charging process information obtained from the charging station network.

[0008] The method according to the present invention enables further improvements in the efficiency and / or safety of the charging process compared to the prior art. In other words, in the prior art, a computing unit obtains information from the vehicle and the charging station network, and the vehicle is distributed to a suitable charging station in the charging station network based on the obtained information. However, according to the present invention, the vehicle and the charging station network interact, thereby allowing the vehicle to change its first vehicle configuration to a second vehicle configuration based on charging process information obtained from the charging station network. The change in vehicle configuration results in modified boundary conditions for executing the charging process, which enables more efficient distribution of vehicles to charging stations. In other words, in order to execute the charging process under modified boundary conditions, the vehicle conforms to the boundary conditions imposed by the charging station network.

[0009] This will be explained in detail in the following example. In the first example, in the first vehicle configuration, the vehicle's partially discharged electrical energy storage unit, such as the traction battery, should only be charged when it reaches a critical charge state, for example, 20% of its maximum capacity. The charging station network currently has a low utilization rate, and as a result, unused resources such as unoccupied charging stations and reserve voltage stored in the energy network remain unused. Based on this, the charging station network delivers charging process information offering that charging is possible at a reduced rate for a specific period, for example, for the next two hours. Based on this, the vehicle can change its strategy to allow the charging process to proceed even if the traction battery is still at a charge state higher than the aforementioned critical 20%, for example, 60%. In this case, the vehicle can autonomously determine whether the charging process should be carried out, and the vehicle user can also assign the task of carrying out the charging process to the vehicle by proactively suggesting offers from the charging station network to the vehicle user. As a result, multiple vehicles will generally decide to charge during time windows with favorable electricity rates, which provides vehicle users with the benefits of improved charging station utilization and reduced charging costs.

[0010] In the second example, the vehicle configuration parameters may include values ​​for various charging speeds available to the vehicle. The charging speed may be expressed directly, for example, in units of kWh per hour or Ah per minute, or indirectly, for example, by the charging voltage to be selected. With respect to the various charging speeds, the charging process information may include various electricity costs, for example, higher electricity costs for higher charging voltages and lower electricity costs for relatively lower charging voltages. Based on this, the vehicle can automatically, or manually, determine a specific charging speed for performing the charging process. However, while the vehicle is moving to a charging station assigned to it, the boundary conditions for performing the charging process change. For example, the utilization rate of the charging station network may suddenly increase, and / or the underlying power transmission and distribution system may reach its load limit. Based on this, for example, a certain relatively high charging capacity may no longer be available, or it may only be available at an increased cost. Nevertheless, in order to perform the charging process in accordance with the changed environmental conditions, the vehicle subsequently changes from the first vehicle configuration to the second vehicle configuration. For example, a vehicle can accept higher electricity rates or a charging process with a lower charging voltage.

[0011] In general, vehicles and charging station networks exchange information even while the charging process is in progress. For example, during the charging process, a vehicle can change its configuration to a third configuration by changing its vehicle configuration parameters. Referring to the example above, for instance, a vehicle might perform the charging process again at a relatively high charging voltage when the availability of the power transmission and distribution system decreases.

[0012] Furthermore, various independent or interdependent boundary conditions can be defined, and these boundary conditions are simultaneously related to the execution of the charging process. These boundary conditions can take into account technical aspects such as charging speed, battery life, charging process duration, date and time, availability of the charging station network and / or the underlying power transmission and distribution system, available charging interfaces and / or similar. Similarly, commercial aspects can be taken into account, such as special offers, electricity rates set depending on the availability of the power transmission and distribution system, and the vehicle user's schedule (e.g., the vehicle user running errands while the vehicle is parked). Vehicle users can also define strict environmental conditions, such as the vehicle being charged independently of any other environmental conditions. This allows people with limited time to charge their vehicles even when charging would no longer be possible under normal boundary conditions, for example, if there are no available charging stations. For example, a second person who does not currently need their vehicle could set their vehicle to pause the charging process in order to give way to someone with limited time to a charging station that is currently in use. Accordingly, the second person can receive compensation for giving up the charging station, and can also charge a higher electricity fee to those who are short on time.

[0013] Any reliable wireless communication technology can be used for communication between a vehicle and a charging station network. Preferably, the vehicle and the charging station network can communicate via mobile radio, particularly 2G to 6G or future communication protocols. Communication can also be performed using WLAN, particularly WiFi protocol, Bluetooth, NFC, ZigBee, etc. Generally, any V2X (Vehicle-to-X) interface and / or V2I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) interface can be used. This enables information exchange between the vehicle and the charging station network even when the vehicle is stationary at a distance from a designated charging station. Here, communication between the vehicle and the charging station network can be performed directly. That is, the vehicle is directly connected to a part of the charging station network, such as a communication relay or a charging station. However, communication can also be performed indirectly, for example, via a central computing unit such as a cloud server or backend. A service provider can operate a suitable cloud server. Examples of service providers include vehicle manufacturers, smart city operators, smart grid operators, and / or charging station network operators. The charging station network may include multiple charging station providers, such as municipal energy suppliers and private companies. The ability to conveniently utilize charging stations from various providers for the charging process improves the user experience when using the method according to the present invention. The computing unit that assigns vehicles to charging stations may be, for example, the aforementioned cloud server. However, generally, a corresponding computing unit can also be integrated into a portion of the charging station network, such as a specific charging station.

[0014] For example, in order to adapt the vehicle configuration, any one of the following vehicle configuration parameters can be changed: the maximum electricity charge at which the charging process is carried out; the offer electricity charge at which the charging process is initiated regardless of other boundary conditions; the minimum or maximum charge amount of the traction battery to ensure a desired minimum range by the vehicle, for example; the charging curve to be used; the charging capacity to be used; the charging voltage and / or charging current intensity; the desired charging speed, in particular the maximum and / or minimum values ​​relating thereto; and / or similar.

[0015] Furthermore, the planned use of the vehicle for the charging process can be considered. For example, if the vehicle is to perform a relatively long drive in a short period, the charging process can be planned so that sufficient reserve energy is stored in the traction battery to enable that drive. The vehicle user's schedule can also be analyzed to find an appropriate time window for performing the charging process. From this, for example, it is possible to deduce when the vehicle user wants to use the vehicle and to utilize the appropriate free time for performing the charging process. In other words, the vehicle's configuration can be changed from "standby," where the vehicle user must be ready to use the vehicle, to "idle," where the vehicle is ready to perform the charging process.

[0016] In an advantageous development of this method, the vehicle activates preconditioning of the electrical energy storage unit to conform to one of the configuration parameters. Preconditioning of the electrical energy storage unit may include temperature control of the energy storage unit. If the vehicle has been in use for a relatively long period, for example, the vehicle's traction battery is likely to be heated. Conversely, if the vehicle has been parked for a relatively long period, the traction battery is generally considered to be at ambient temperature. Especially in winter, the traction battery will have a correspondingly lower temperature. The charging process requires that the traction battery be within an acceptable temperature range, for example, between 5°C and 70°C. By initiating preconditioning of the electrical energy storage unit before the charging process, the waiting time for the charging process can be reduced. For example, the traction battery can be adequately cooled or heated by the time the vehicle arrives at the designated charging station. This ensures that the temperature of the traction battery upon arrival at the charging station is within the acceptable temperature range for the charging process. However, preconditioning of the electrical energy storage unit may go beyond pure temperature control, and for example, a cell equalization method, also known as "cell balancing," may be planned as intended.

[0017] According to another advantageous configuration of the method according to the present invention, the charging station network transmits charging process-specific interface utilization information to the vehicle, which authenticates the vehicle to exchange information via an exchange interface between the vehicle and a third party and / or between the vehicle and the charging station network when a specified event occurs, and also enables the vehicle to exchange information via an exchange interface between the vehicle and a third party and / or between the vehicle and the charging station network when a specified event occurs. The transmission of interface utilization information to the vehicle can be associated with boundary conditions. For example, the transmission of interface utilization information can first occur at a specific point in time or time window, and / or when the vehicle is within a certain radius of a designated charging station. Using the interface utilization information, the vehicle can respond to specific events such as emergency situations. For example, a specified event may be a malfunction or failure of the charging station, or it could be a fire at the charging station and / or in the vehicle. The exchange interface may be a hardware-side interface and / or a software-side interface. The interface utilization information enables the vehicle to exchange information via the corresponding exchange interface. For example, the information may include a switch-off signal to disconnect the power supply to the charging station from the power transmission and distribution system. For example, in the event of a fire, this would allow the vehicle to control the charging station and disconnect the power connection to the power transmission and distribution system. In other words, the vehicle can remotely control the charging station via the exchange interface. In other words, the interface usage information may be permission to output control commands from the vehicle to the charging station. The interface usage information may be a single command or a set of commands that can be output from the vehicle in response to an event that occurs.

[0018] In another advantageous configuration of the method according to the present invention, a charging station network transmits a charging process-specific emergency telephone number to a vehicle as charging process-specific interface utilization information, and based on this, the vehicle sets the charging process-specific emergency telephone number as a reference emergency telephone number for establishing a communication connection in an emergency in order to adapt one of the configuration parameters.

[0019] Today, vehicles are increasingly equipped with so-called eCall systems. Using eCall, it is possible to automatically detect accident events and notify rescue services. In this case, a verbal communication connection with the rescue coordination center can be established. Typically, for this purpose, the vehicle stores only standard emergency numbers. By setting a charging process-specific emergency number as the standard emergency number, the vehicle can respond as intended to the appropriate emergency situation. For example, the number of the local fire station near the charging station can be stored as the emergency number. This number can be called from the vehicle to notify information about a fire at the charging station and / or in the vehicle. For example, the vehicle can play an automated help message and / or establish a verbal communication connection with the appropriate rescue service. Verbal communication can be conducted from the vehicle, for example, via a hands-free device connected to a communication unit inside the vehicle, or via a mobile terminal device used by the vehicle user if no vehicle user is present. In other words, a suitable application can be run on a mobile terminal device, such as a smartphone, and this application establishes a communication connection with a local fire station via the mobile terminal device and, for example, a service provider's cloud server and the aforementioned computing unit. This can shorten the rescue chain for taking action in the event of an emergency. Furthermore, digital data can be transmitted using the communication unit, thus enabling data exchange with the internet, for example, via a mobile wireless network.

[0020] Additionally or alternatively, a service number for the charging station network operator can also be stored as an emergency telephone number specific to the charging process. This means that in the event of a failure, the operator can be contacted directly, and the operator can provide initial hints for resolving the problem as needed.

[0021] The applicable emergency telephone number may be determined individually for each charging process, or for each charging station or group of charging stations. Other emergency telephone numbers stored in the vehicle may be overwritten, at least temporarily, by the charging process-specific emergency number, and / or used in addition to the charging process-specific emergency number.

[0022] According to another advantageous configuration of the method according to the present invention, the first vehicle configuration and / or the second vehicle configuration include safety charging parameters, which are used to notify the charging station network to perform the charging process with reduced charging speed, charging capacity, charging current intensity, charging voltage, charging time, and / or charging energy amount compared to standard charging parameters. In other words, this allows for the setting of an alternative charging curve that enables the execution of the charging process while protecting the vehicle's traction battery. Here, the vehicle can set a "battery protection mode" depending on the response of the charging station network, i.e., the charging process information, by setting the second vehicle configuration. Alternatively, the vehicle can set a battery protection mode according to the first vehicle configuration, and then set the second vehicle configuration by adapting the individual parameters after receiving and evaluating the charging process information. This allows for the activation of an alternative battery protection mode if the charging process cannot be performed by the battery protection mode according to the first vehicle configuration. For example, if the charging capacity, charging voltage, and / or charging current intensity cannot be changed, a shortened charging time can be set, thereby preventing, for example, excessive heating of the traction battery.

[0023] In another advantageous configuration of this method, the first vehicle configuration and / or the second vehicle configuration further include a minimum charge state threshold to which the electrical energy storage unit is filled during the charging process by at least a specified time. Depending on the selected vehicle configuration and the agreed conditions for the charging process to be performed by the charging station network, for example, the vehicle charging process may be terminated early and / or performed with at least a temporarily reduced charging capacity. The vehicle and the charging station network can agree on a minimum charge state threshold to which the vehicle's traction battery is at least charged by a specified time. This improves the comfort of the vehicle user because the vehicle user can be assured that their vehicle's traction battery will be charged to the minimum charge state threshold by the agreed time. This gives the vehicle user peace of mind if they wish to drive a relatively long distance in the vehicle after the charging process is completed. In this case, the vehicle can first set the minimum charge state threshold in the second vehicle configuration, or it can also set it in the first vehicle configuration, and based on this, the minimum charge state threshold is adapted after information exchange with the charging station network. During this adaptation, any other boundary conditions can be considered, for example, a lower minimum charge state threshold when charging is possible at a lower electricity rate, or a higher minimum charge state threshold when charging is possible at a higher charging capacity.

[0024] According to another advantageous configuration of the method, the vehicle is at least partially automated to move to the charging station and, when it arrives at the charging station, automatically unlocks the charging interface lock of the vehicle's charging interface for an authorized person. In the future, the degree of automation of vehicles will increase even further. That is, in the future, at least partially automated vehicles or even a fleet of autonomous vehicles will be used on road traffic. In one possible scenario, people will no longer own their own vehicles but will share vehicles from a vehicle pool, thereby increasing the utilization rate of the vehicles from a few minutes or hours a day to almost 100%. In this case, in order to maintain the operation of the vehicle fleet as efficiently as possible, the problem becomes how to charge the energy storage unit of that type of vehicle. In the present invention, that type of vehicle travels at least partially automated or even autonomously to each designated charging station, where it unlocks the charging interface of the vehicle for an authorized person, such as an attendant at the charging station, whereby the attendant at the charging station can electrically connect the vehicle to the charging station, thereby executing the charging process. At this time, the vehicle changes the vehicle setting of the vehicle from "charging interface lock locked" to "charging interface lock unlocked". In appropriately configured vehicles and charging stations, it is also conceivable that the electrical connection (separation) between the vehicle and the charging station is automated.

[0025] Preferably, the exchange of information between the vehicle and the charging station network, and / or the adaptation of the vehicle configuration, is performed independently of the vehicle's operating mode. The vehicle can take on various operating modes. When the vehicle is parked, the vehicle's ignition system is usually off, and various computing units, such as control units, can be turned off or operated in standby mode. Depending on the intended use, several other computing units of the vehicle can be gradually activated from standby mode to perform their operations. Finally, the vehicle's ignition system can be activated, and the vehicle's internal combustion engine can be started. Ultimately, with the required computing units of the vehicle activated, the vehicle can begin to move. At various points in time, the vehicle's doors can be locked or unlocked as needed. Of particular importance is the state of the telecommunications unit, also known as the TCU, which is responsible for communication between the vehicle and the charging station network. The TCU can be designed so that information exchange between the vehicle and the charging station network is guaranteed even while the TCU is operating in standby mode. Here, the TCU preferably uses various communication protocols so that information exchange can be achieved even when, for example, only a WiFi access point is within communication range instead of a mobile wireless network, or when the vehicle is connected to a charging station of a charging station network via Bluetooth through the TCU. The more computing units of the vehicle operating in standby mode, or the more computing units that are stopped, the more power efficient the execution of the method according to the present invention becomes, which suppresses the discharge of the vehicle's traction battery while the vehicle is stationary. Therefore, the risk of excessive discharge of the traction battery can be reduced by using the method according to the present invention. If the charge state of the traction battery drops excessively, the vehicle can start the charging process at an early stage and / or move autonomously to a charging station.

[0026] In a charging system comprising a vehicle having at least a partially electrified powertrain with an electrical energy storage unit, a charging station network including at least one charging station, and a computing unit, according to the present invention, the vehicle, the charging station network, and the computing unit are designed to execute the method described above. The vehicle may be any vehicle such as a passenger car, a truck, a transporter, a bus, etc. The vehicle may be configured as a vehicle driven only by the electricity of the battery, or may be configured as a hybrid vehicle. The charging station network can have any spatial extent and can also have any number of charging stations and / or charging station clusters. The various charging stations of the charging station network may be operated by various operating companies. The computing unit may be part of the charging station network or may be provided outside the charging station network. The computing unit is preferably a central computing unit such as a cloud server of a service provider, also referred to as a backend. The backend can be operated, for example, by a vehicle manufacturer, a local energy supplier, an operator of the charging station network, etc.

[0027] Access to information exchanged between individual operating entities involved in the execution of the method according to the present invention, or between various components of a charging system, can be achieved in various ways. The relevant information can be processed automatically by the vehicle and the charging station network. It is also possible for a user to manually view and / or manipulate at least a portion of the information. That is, software that allows access to the relevant information via a human-machine interface built into the vehicle can be run on the vehicle's computing unit. For example, a vehicle user can operate this software via a touchscreen in the vehicle, thereby viewing the vehicle configuration and, for example, changing vehicle configuration parameters to set a second vehicle configuration. This can also be achieved by running a corresponding application and connecting to the vehicle directly, for example, via wired and / or Bluetooth, or via a mobile terminal device indirectly connected to the vehicle via a central computing unit, such as the aforementioned computing unit. Furthermore, a vehicle user can also access services provided by the computing unit, i.e., a cloud server, from their home via an internet browser and a corresponding internet portal using their PC, thereby adapting the vehicle configuration.

[0028] Another advantageous configuration of the method and charging system according to the present invention for assigning vehicles to charging stations will become apparent from embodiments described below in more detail with reference to the figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of the charging system according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram is provided to illustrate the relationship between the costs incurred during the charging process and the complexity of allocating vehicles to charging stations. [Figure 3]This shows a schematic plan view of a vehicle as it moves between different locations, with the vehicle configuration changing during this process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a charging system 10 according to the present invention. The charging system 10 includes a vehicle operating unit 13 and a charging station network 3. The central part of the vehicle operating unit 13 is a vehicle 1 equipped with an electrified powertrain and an electrical energy storage unit in the form of, for example, a traction battery. The vehicle 1 has vehicle configurations 7.1 and 7.2 which can be set by configuration parameters 4. The setting of vehicle configurations 7.1 and 7.2 can be done automatically by the vehicle 1, that is, by a computing unit 6.3 built into the vehicle 1, or by input of manual operation actions by a vehicle user 14 via a human-machine interface 11 inside the vehicle, a mobile terminal device 12 directly or indirectly connected to the vehicle 1, such as a smartphone, or in particular an external PC 15 indirectly connected to the vehicle 1 via, for example, a cloud server. For example, the cloud server is the computing unit 6.1. Generally, it is also possible for the mobile terminal device 12 and / or the external PC 15 to automatically instruct the computing unit 6.3 inside the vehicle to change the vehicle configurations 7.1 and 7.2.

[0031] The charging station network 3 includes at least one charging station 2, which may be part of a parking lot 16, also known as an automated valet parking (AVP), and / or part of a so-called smart city 17 or smart grid. The computing unit 6.2 is also part of the charging station network 3 and is used to manage the corresponding charging station 2, parking lot 16, and / or smart city 17 or smart grid. Communication between the vehicle operating entity 13 and the charging station network 3 is indirectly conducted via the computing unit 6.1 in Figure 1. The computing unit 6.1 is, in particular, a cloud server for a service provider to provide the method according to the present invention.

[0032] To assign vehicle 1 to charging station 2, first, the vehicle 1 transmits vehicle configuration parameters 4 corresponding to the first vehicle configuration 7.1 to the charging station network 3. Subsequently, the charging station network 3 obtains charging process information 5 depending on the first vehicle configuration 7.1 and sends the charging process information 5 back to vehicle 1. Based on this, vehicle 1 changes its vehicle configuration to the second vehicle configuration 7.2 by conforming to at least one vehicle configuration parameter 4, and sends the changed vehicle configuration back to the charging station network 3 before the corresponding charging process for charging vehicle 1's traction battery is started. At this time, the distribution of vehicle 1 to charging station 2 can be performed before or after vehicle 1 sets the second vehicle configuration 7.2. Furthermore, it is also possible to associate an alternative charging station 2 with vehicle 1 after the setting of the second vehicle configuration 7.2. For this purpose, the charging station network 3 can also transmit the charging process information 5 back to vehicle 1 (not shown).

[0033] As illustrated in Figure 1, information exchange between the vehicle operating entity 13, particularly vehicle 1, and the charging station network 3 allows vehicle 1 and the charging station network 3 to communicate. This enables them to adapt and negotiate boundary conditions that are effective for the execution of the charging process for vehicle 1 at charging stations 2 in the charging station network 3, both during the planning of the charging process and, if necessary, while the charging process is underway. This makes it possible to assign vehicle 1 to charging stations 2 particularly efficiently, cost-effectively, and reliably.

[0034] In this regard, Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the costs incurred during the charging process and the complexity of assigning Vehicle 1 to Charging Station 2. Here, the horizontal axis of the figure plots the charging costs, and the vertical axis plots the complexity of assigning Vehicle 1 to Charging Station 2. The figure is divided into eight fields 18.1 to 18.8. These are user boundary conditions 19.1 to 19.5 and operational boundary conditions 20.1 to 20.4.

[0035] The first user boundary condition 19.1 stipulates that vehicle 1 will perform the charging process only if the current electricity rates for the charging station network 3 are favorable. The second user boundary condition 19.2 stipulates that the charging process will be performed as soon as charging station 2 becomes available. The third user boundary condition 19.3 stipulates that the charging process will be performed immediately as soon as it becomes necessary, for example, because the traction battery charge level of vehicle 1 falls below a critical value, or because there is a risk that vehicle 1 will not be able to achieve the driving range required for the planned trip. The fourth user boundary condition 19.4 stipulates that the charging process will be performed until vehicle user 14 returns to vehicle 1 of vehicle user 4. For example, vehicle user 14 can drive their vehicle 1 to an urban area, run errands there, and have vehicle 1 charged while parked in a parking lot. According to the fifth user boundary condition 19.5, all other boundary conditions are overridden, and the charging process must be performed in all cases.

[0036] Under the first operating boundary condition 20.1, there are particularly favorable weekend offers on electricity rates. According to the second operating boundary condition 20.2, the utilization rate of charging station 2 in charging station network 3 is currently low. In contrast, according to the third operating boundary condition 20.3, the utilization rate of charging station 2 in charging station network 3 is high. According to the fourth operating boundary condition 20.4, for example, there is a high demand for optimization to allocate vehicles 1 to charging station 2 because multiple vehicles 1 are in the charging queue. In this case, the complexity is further increased by the boundary conditions set for the vehicles in the charging queue. The more vehicles 1 for which different boundary conditions are set for performing the charging process, the more effort is required to distribute those vehicles to charging station 2.

[0037] Boundary conditions can be set for various vehicles 1, such as different charging speeds, adherence to battery saving modes, execution of charging processes at specific times, specific days, or specific hours, use of specific charging interfaces, and / or use of different charging parameters.

[0038] Figure 3 shows vehicle 1 located in public space 21. Vehicle 1 travels from starting point S to destination point Z along route R. During this journey, charging processes are carried out in charging station space 22 and vehicle parking space 23.

[0039] Vehicle 1 stores a standard emergency telephone number 9 that can be automatically contacted in the event of an emergency. For example, in Germany, the emergency telephone number is 112. The emergency telephone number may also be an emergency telephone number used for a so-called eCall system.

[0040] Here, when vehicle 1 enters the charging station space 22, vehicle 1 is notified of a charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8 valid for the designated charging station 2 from the corresponding charging station 2, for example, from the computing unit 6.1 or computing unit 6.2. This charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8 is indicated in Figure 3 by the exemplary emergency telephone number 9876. In the event of an emergency, for example, a fire at charging station 2 and / or vehicle 1, vehicle 1 can call the charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8 to request assistance. For example, the charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8 could be the telephone number of the operator of charging station 2, a municipal operating company of charging station 2 such as a public enterprise, or the local fire department. Multiple charging process-specific emergency telephone numbers 8 can also be stored in vehicle 1. Additionally or alternatively, vehicle 1 can also store emergency shutdown authorization 24, which grants vehicle 1 the authority to control charging station 2 and shut off the power connection between charging station 2 and the power transmission and distribution system, for example, in the event of a fire. Vehicle 1 can also receive and utilize the emergency shutdown authority 24 via, for example, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, or via a wired connection such as a charging cable.

[0041] While staying at charging station space 22, you can also temporarily disable the standard emergency phone number 9, or, as a supplement, be able to contact the charging process-specific emergency number 8.

[0042] When the vehicle leaves charging station space 2, the corresponding charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8 and emergency shutdown authorization 24 are discarded from vehicle 1.

[0043] When vehicle 1 enters vehicle parking space 23, an alternative charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8 is stored in vehicle 1, here indicated by, for example, the number 54321. In the event of an emergency in vehicle parking space 23, contact is made with an instance different from the one in charging station space 22, in particular an instance that is on-site and can initiate rescue particularly quickly. By implementing a charging process-specific emergency telephone number 8, the rescue chain in the event of an emergency can be shortened, which further enhances safety during the operation of the charging process. This safety can be further improved by being able to remotely control the compatible charging station 2.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a vehicle (1) to a charging station (2), In the method, a vehicle (1) equipped with an electrical energy storage unit to be charged directly or indirectly exchanges information wirelessly with a charging station network (3), wherein the information includes at least vehicle configuration parameters (4) and charging process information (5), and the vehicle (1) is assigned to a charging station (2) to perform a charging process by a computing unit (6.1, 6.2) taking the information into consideration, The vehicle (1) notifies the charging station network (3) of a first vehicle configuration (7.1), the charging station network (3) obtains the charging process information (5) depending on the first vehicle configuration (7.1) and transmits this information to the vehicle (1), the vehicle (1) sets a second vehicle configuration (7.2) before the charging process is executed by adapting at least one vehicle configuration parameter (4) depending on the charging process information (5) obtained from the charging station network (3), and The method is characterized in that the vehicle (1) is at least partially automated to move to the charging station (2), and upon arrival at the charging station (2), the charging interface lock of the vehicle (1) is automatically released to an authorized person.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle (1) activates preconditioning of the electrical energy storage unit in order to adapt one of the configuration parameters (4).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the charging station network (3) transmits interface usage information specific to the charging process to the vehicle (1), thereby authenticating the vehicle (1), and enabling the exchange of information between the vehicle (1) and a third party, and / or between the vehicle (1) and the charging station network (3) via an exchange interface when a specified event occurs.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the charging station network (3) transmits a charging process-specific emergency telephone number (8) to the vehicle (1) as interface usage information specific to the charging process, and thereafter, the vehicle (1) sets the charging process-specific emergency telephone number (8) as a reference emergency telephone number (9) for establishing a communication connection in the event of an emergency in order to adapt one of the configuration parameters (4).

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first vehicle configuration (7.1) and / or the second vehicle configuration (7.2) include safety charging parameters, and the charging station network (3) is notified to use the safety charging parameters to perform the charging process with a reduced charging speed, charging capacity, charging current intensity, charging voltage, charging time, and / or charging energy amount compared to standard charging parameters.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first vehicle configuration (7.1) and / or the second vehicle configuration (7.2) include a minimum charge state threshold by which the electrical energy storage unit is filled in the charging process by at least a specified time.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the exchange of information between the vehicle (1) and the charging station network (3), and / or the adaptation of the vehicle configuration, is performed independently of the operating mode of the vehicle (1).

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that wireless information exchange between the vehicle (1) and the charging station network (3) is performed using WLAN, Bluetooth, ZigBee and / or mobile radio, particularly utilizing 2G to 6G.

9. A charging system (10) comprising a vehicle (1) having at least a partially electrified powertrain equipped with an electrical energy storage unit, a charging station network (3) including at least one charging station (2), and a computing unit (6.1, 6.2), The charging system (10) is characterized in that the vehicle (1), the charging station network (3), and the computing units (6.1, 6.2) are designed to perform the method according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The charging system (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the vehicle (1) is designed to adapt vehicle configuration parameters (4) by input of manual operation actions via a human-machine interface (11) inside the vehicle and / or via a mobile terminal device (12) directly or indirectly connected to the vehicle (1).

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