Vehicle Battery Preconditioning Ranking for Shared Charger Queues

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional battery preconditioning systems for electric vehicles fail to optimize battery charging efficiency in fleets due to lack of coordination among vehicles, leading to downtime and inefficiencies at charging stations, as they do not account for the conditions of other vehicles in the fleet.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that coordinates battery preconditioning across vehicles using a mesh network, determining preconditioning characteristics and rankings to prioritize vehicles for charging, allowing for dynamic queue management and override rules to optimize charging station usage based on factors like estimated recharge time, arrival time, and battery temperature.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional independent battery preconditioning is used in each vehicle, then individual vehicle battery temperature can be optimized for charging, but fleet-wide charging efficiency decreases due to lack of coordination and idle time at charging stations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefleet-wide charging efficiencyVSAvoidvehicle idle time at charging station

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines individual vehicle preconditioning systems into a coordinated fleet-wide system. Multiple vehicles share charging station access through a centralized queue management system that considers battery temperature, charge state, and destination for all vehicles simultaneously, transforming independent operations into a unified coordinated system that optimizes overall fleet productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary queue positioning and preconditioning coordination before vehicles arrive at charging stations. By determining optimal queue positions in advance and coordinating preconditioning timing across the fleet, vehicles can begin charging immediately upon arrival without idle waiting time, while still achieving optimal battery temperature for charging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If battery preconditioning is performed without considering other vehicles, then individual vehicle charging conditions can be optimized, but charging station utilization decreases leading to downtime and inefficiencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging station utilizationVSAvoidpreconditioning coordination system

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a queue management system as an intermediary between individual vehicles and charging stations. This intermediary coordinates preconditioning operations, determines optimal queue positions, and manages charging station access for multiple vehicles, transforming independent vehicle operations into a coordinated system that maximizes charging station utilization without excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If vehicles precondition battery independently without fleet coordination, then individual battery temperature optimization is achieved, but fleet response time to charging opportunities increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefleet response time to chargingVSAvoidvehicle condition information sharing

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback loops where vehicles continuously share battery temperature, charge state, and destination information with the queue management system. This real-time feedback enables the system to dynamically adjust queue positions and preconditioning timing for the entire fleet, ensuring rapid response to charging opportunities while maintaining optimal individual battery conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11840155B2Battery preconditioning management for vehicles of a distributed network

Publication Date: 2023.12.12 BP PULSE FLEET NORTH AMERICA INC

AI summary

A method of controlling battery preconditioning in a vehicle includes determining a first preconditioning characteristic of a first battery of a first vehicle relative to a charging station. The method further includes transmitting the first preconditioning characteristic. The method further includes receiving, from a second vehicle, a second preconditioning characteristic of a second battery relative to the charging station. The method further includes comparing the first preconditioning characteristic and the second preconditioning characteristic to determine a preconditioning ranking for the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The method further includes determining a queue of the first and second vehicles for the charging station using the preconditioning ranking of the first and second vehicles.