EV Battery Reservation Assistant for Charging Station Availability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle users face challenges in finding available rechargeable batteries at charging stations when their vehicle's battery is low, leading to time and energy wastage, as existing systems lack efficient reservation and navigation assistance.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle system with a reservation assistant unit that computes travel distance, residual battery energy, and provides information on the closest available charging station, allowing users to reserve a rechargeable battery proactively, ensuring timely replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the user manually finds a charging station when the battery is low, then the user can replace the battery, but the process is time and energy consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively notifying users before the battery is depleted and automatically reserving batteries at charging stations in advance. The reservation assistant unit computes remaining distance and compares it with estimated travelling distance to determine when users need to recharge, then automatically reserves a battery at the nearest charging station, eliminating the need for users to manually search and reserve batteries when in a hurry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically monitoring battery status, computing travel distances, identifying nearest charging stations with available batteries, and completing reservations without user intervention. The reservation assistant unit continuously monitors the rechargeable battery status and automatically executes the reservation process, freeing users from manual operations.
2Reliability
If the user arrives at a charging station without reserving, then battery replacement is possible, but the charging station may not have an available rechargeable battery
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary reservation actions before the user arrives at the charging station. The reservation assistant unit checks battery availability at nearby charging stations and reserves a battery in advance, ensuring that when the user arrives, a battery is already reserved and ready for immediate replacement, eliminating waiting time and ensuring reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring battery status and charging station availability, then providing real-time notifications to users. The reservation assistant unit receives feedback about battery levels and charging station status, processes this information, and triggers appropriate actions such as notifying users and making reservations, ensuring users have accurate, up-to-date information about battery availability.
3Loss of information
If the system provides real-time charging station information, then users can make informed decisions, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reservation assistant unit performs multiple functions within a single integrated system: monitoring battery status, computing travel distances, identifying charging stations, checking battery availability, making reservations, and providing notifications. This multi-functional approach consolidates what could be separate complex systems into one unified unit, providing comprehensive information services without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The reservation assistant unit acts as an intermediary between the user, the electric vehicle, and the charging stations. It collects information from multiple sources (battery status, location data, charging station availability), processes this information, and presents simplified, actionable information to the user while automatically handling complex reservation logistics, thereby reducing information loss without requiring the user to directly manage system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is proposed to assist a user of an electric vehicle in reserving a rechargeable battery with a charging station. A reservation assistant unit that is related to the electric vehicle computes an estimated travelling distance from a current location corresponding to the electric vehicle to a destination, and computes a remaining distance based on residual electric energy of a rechargeable battery currently used by the electric vehicle. When the estimated travelling distance is greater than the remaining distance, the reservation assistant unit provides charging station information that indicates the closest charging station that has a rechargeable battery available.