Telematics Service Provider for Electric Vehicle Charging Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing demand for electricity and the desire for self-sufficiency in electrical power production, especially after natural disasters, highlight the need for efficient electric vehicle charging systems that optimize energy usage and reduce grid reliance, while also considering factors like cost and greenhouse gas emissions.
Innovation Solution
A telematics system that uses a telematics unit in electric vehicles and a telematics service provider to control the amount of power reserved for charging, determining this based on available energy characteristics, user preferences, and vehicle use schedules, ensuring that charging does not exceed reserved power limits by communicating with energy management systems and utilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If electric vehicle charging is optimized to use energy from identified renewable sources, then environmental performance and cost-effectiveness are improved, but system complexity increases due to integration of telematics units and energy management systems
Solution Approach 1:
A telematics service provider acts as an intermediary between the electric vehicle, renewable energy sources, and the charging infrastructure. The TSP receives data from telematics units about vehicle location and charging needs, identifies available renewable energy sources, and coordinates charging events to maximize use of clean energy while managing system complexity centrally rather than requiring complex onboard vehicle systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where telematics units continuously report vehicle status and location to the TSP, which monitors renewable energy source availability and adjusts charging schedules accordingly. This real-time feedback enables dynamic optimization of charging to use renewable energy when available, reducing emissions while maintaining operational efficiency
2Productivity
If charging events are controlled to reserve specific amounts of power from identified sources, then energy management efficiency is improved, but operational flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The power reservation for charging events is made dynamic rather than static. The TSP continuously monitors renewable energy source availability, vehicle charging needs, and grid conditions, adjusting the reserved power amount in real-time. This allows the system to maximize renewable energy utilization when available while maintaining flexibility to adapt to changing conditions, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and flexibility
3Use of energy by moving object
If telematics systems are used to coordinate charging with renewable energy sources, then energy cost is reduced, but infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telematics service provider platform performs multiple functions: it manages vehicle telematics data, identifies renewable energy sources, coordinates charging events, and optimizes power allocation. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional platform, the system reduces energy costs through renewable energy coordination while avoiding the need for multiple separate complex infrastructure components
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations of the present invention contemplate utilizing a communicative infrastructure represented by a telematics unit of an electric vehicle and a telematics service provider (TSP) communicatively coupled to the telematics unit to control an amount of power reserved for a charging event of the vehicle. Specifically, the TSP utilizes information provided by the telematics unit, electrical power utilities, and electrical power metering devices to determine the characteristics of electrical energy available for charging the vehicle. The TSP can utilize the characteristics of the available energy along with additional information, such as charging preferences established by a subscriber of the TSP and vehicle use schedules, to determine an amount of power to reserve for the charging event. The amount of power reserved for the charging event may be determined based on cost, greenhouse gas emissions, a combination thereof, and on other factors.