A METHOD FOR CONTROLLING CHARGING OF ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN VEHICLES, A COMPUTER PROGRAM, A COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM, A CONTROL UNIT AND A BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling charging of at least one electrically driven vehicle of a vehicle fleet including a plurality of vehicles at a charging area, the method includes the step of defining a reference minimum charging energy level for a battery of the vehicle. Further the method includes the step of determining a charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle and comparing the charging energy level with the reference minimum charging energy level. Lastly the method includes assigning a charging command to the vehicle to charge the vehicle if the determined charging energy level of the battery is below said reference minimum charging energy level, and wherein the charging command depends from a charging parameter or a combination of multiple charging parameters if the determined charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle is above said reference minimum charging energy level.

Claims

1. A method for controlling charging of at least one electrically driven vehicle of a vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles at a charging area, the method comprising: defining a reference minimum charging energy level for a battery of the vehicle; determining a charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle; comparing the charging energy level with the reference minimum charging energy level and assigning a charging command to the vehicle to charge the vehicle if the determined charging energy level of the battery is below said reference minimum charging energy level, and wherein the charging command depends from a charging parameter or a combination of multiple charging parameters if the determined charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle is above said reference minimum energy charging level.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reference minimum charging energy level is defined depending from a minimum charging energy level parameter or a combination of multiple minimum charging energy level parameters selected from the following: a user input defining an absolute minimum charging energy level which is not to be undercut by said minimum charging energy level; and/or an expected required charging energy level calculated from an expected energy consumption of the vehicle until the vehicle reaches the charging area; and/or an expected distance of a mission of the vehicle until it reaches the charging area; and/or an expected charging time interval available for the vehicle until a further vehicle approaches the charging area; and/or an average energy consumption of the vehicle during its last mission or a plurality of its last missions; and/or a desired average charging energy level of the vehicles of the vehicle fleet, wherein said desired average charging energy level is entered via a user interface or calculated; and/or an average energy consumption of all vehicles of the vehicle fleet during the last mission or a plurality of last missions; and/or a defined maximum charging power level of the battery of at least said vehicle of said vehicle fleet, preferably of each vehicle of said vehicle fleet, wherein said maximum charging power level is entered via a user interface or calculated.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging parameter or the combination of multiple charging parameters is selected from the following: the expected distance of the mission of the vehicle until it reaches the charging area; and/or the expected charging time interval available for said vehicle until a further vehicle approaches the charging area; and/or the average energy consumption of the vehicle during the last mission or a plurality of last missions; and/or the desired average charging energy level of the vehicles of the fleet, wherein said desired average charging energy level is entered via the user interface or calculated; and/or the average energy consumption of all vehicles of the vehicle fleet during their last mission or their plurality of last missions and/or the defined maximum charging power of the battery of at least said vehicle of said vehicle fleet, preferably of each vehicle of said vehicle fleet.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle comprises: determining a current battery charging energy level of the vehicle at the charging area; and/or determining an expected battery charging energy level of the vehicle approaching the charging area.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein said maximum charging power level and/or said desired average charging energy level is calculated taking into account energy losses and battery degradation.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging command is assigned to the charging area if the charging command is to charge the vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 1, the method further comprising: assigning a stopping command to a vehicle being charged at the charging area to stop the charging of the battery of the vehicle if a further charging command was assigned to a further vehicle at said charging area, wherein said further charging command is assigned based on one or multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters related to said further vehicle and further based on a comparison of this one or multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters related to said further vehicle to the one or multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters applied when assigning the charging command to the vehicle being charged or with a current one or current multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters related to the vehicle being charged.

8. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 1 when said program is run on a computer.

9. A computer readable medium carrying a computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of claim 1 when said program product is run on a computer.

10. A charging control unit for controlling the charging of at least one electrically driven vehicle of a vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the steps of the method according to claim 1.

11. A charging control unit according to claim 10, wherein the charging control unit comprises a user interface to manually enter data or is connected for communication with said user interface.

12. A charging control unit according to claim 10, wherein the charging control unit is a centralized control unit for all vehicles of the vehicle fleet.

13. A battery charging system comprising: a charging control unit according to claim 10, and a vehicle control unit for at least one electrically driven vehicle of a vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles and/or a charging area control unit for at least one charging area to charge the at least one electrically driven vehicle of the vehicle fleet.

14. A battery charging system according to claim 12, wherein the charging control unit and/or the charging area control unit and/or the vehicle control unit are connected with one another for communication.

15. A battery charging system according to claim 12 wherein the charging control unit is integrated in the charging area control unit or in the vehicle control unit.

16. A battery charging system according to claim 12, comprising a user interface to manually enter data.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a more detailed description of embodiments of the invention cited as examples.

[0055] In the drawings:

[0056] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram depicting steps in an example embodiment of a method for controlling charging of at least one electrically driven vehicle of a vehicle fleet and

[0057] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of an example embodiment of a battery charging system according to the fourth aspect of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0058] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram depicting steps in a preferred example embodiment of a method for controlling charging of at least one electrically driven vehicle of a vehicle fleet. Particularly, this preferred embodiment of the method comprises four steps: defining a reference minimum charging energy level for a battery of the vehicle in step S1; determining a charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle in step S2; comparing the charging energy level with the reference minimum charging energy level in S3 and assigning a charging command to the vehicle to charge the vehicle if the determined charging energy level of the battery is below said reference minimum charging energy level, and in step S4 determining the charging command depending from a charging parameter or a combination of multiple charging parameters if the determined charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle is above said reference minimum charging energy level.

[0059] The reference minimum charging energy level is in the preferred example determined in step S1 depending from a minimum charging energy level parameter or a combination of multiple minimum charging energy level parameters. In particular this minimum charging energy level parameter or these minimum charging energy level parameters can be selected from parameters characterizing the planned or prior mission of the vehicle, like an expected required charging energy level calculated from an expected energy consumption of the vehicle until the vehicle reaches the charging area; and/or an expected distance of a mission of the vehicle until it reaches the charging area; and/or an average energy consumption of the vehicle during its last mission or a plurality of its last missions. Additionally or alternative parameters representing user input or calculations can be used as minimum charging energy level parameters, like user input defining an absolute minimum charging energy level which is not to be undercut by said minimum charging energy level; and/or a desired average charging energy level of the vehicles of the vehicle fleet, wherein said desired average charging energy level is entered via a user interface or calculated; and/or a maximum charging power level, wherein said maximum charging power level is entered via a user interface or calculated. Furthermore, parameters derived from the vehicle fleet or single vehicles of the fleet can be used as minimum charging energy level parameters, like an expected charging time interval available for the vehicle until a further vehicle approaches the charging area; and/or an average energy consumption of all vehicles of the vehicle fleet during the last mission or a plurality of last missions; and/or

[0060] In step S4 the charging parameter or charging parameters for determining the charging command in the preferred embodiment also take into account the mission and state of charge of the vehicle as well as user input and information derived from the fleet as a whole or from single vehicles of the fleet like the following vehicle in a row. In particular, the following parameters can be used as charging parameter alone or in combination with others: the expected distance of the mission of the vehicle until it reaches the charging area, the expected charging time interval available for said vehicle until a further vehicle approaches the charging area; the average energy consumption of the vehicle during the last mission or a plurality of last missions; the desired average charging energy level of the vehicles of the fleet, wherein said desired average charging energy level is entered via the user interface or calculated; the average energy consumption of all vehicles of the vehicle fleet during their last mission or their plurality of last missions and the defined maximum charging power level of the battery of at least said vehicle of said vehicle fleet, preferably of each vehicle of said vehicle fleet.

[0061] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of an example embodiment of a battery charging system 1000, which comprises in the shown embodiment a charging control unit 300, two vehicle control units 400, 401 for each of shown the electrically driven vehicles 100, 101 of a vehicle fleet comprising a plurality of vehicles and a charging area control unit 500 for the charging area 200 to charge the at least one electrically driven vehicle of the vehicle fleet. In the shown embodiment the charging control unit 300 is configured to perform the steps of the method according to the first aspect of the invention, in particular defining a reference minimum charging energy level for a battery of a vehicle; determining a charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle; comparing the charging energy level with the reference minimum charging energy level and assigning a charging command to the vehicle to charge the vehicle if the determined charging energy level of the battery is below said reference minimum charging energy level, and determining the charging command depending from a charging parameter or a combination of multiple charging parameters if the determined charging energy level of the battery of the vehicle is above said reference minimum charging energy level.

[0062] The charging control unit 300 in this example is a centralized charging control unit, which controls all the vehicles of the fleet, in particular both shown vehicles 100 and 101. The charging control unit 300 communicates with the vehicle control units 400, 401 and the charging area control unit. If the command for the respective vehicle is to charge the charging command is send to the respective vehicle control unit and the charging area control unit, in order to command the vehicle to a charging point or charging node at the charging area.

[0063] The charging control unit 300 in the shown embodiment is also able to assign a stopping command to for example vehicle 100 being charged at the charging area to stop the charging of the battery of the vehicle 100 if a further charging command was assigned to the further vehicle 101 at said charging area. Said further charging command is assigned based on one or multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters related to said further vehicle 101 and further based on a comparison of this one or multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters related to said further vehicle 101 to the one or multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters applied when assigning the charging command to the vehicle 100 being charged or with a current one or current multiple of the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or charging parameters related to the vehicle being charged. Thus the charging control unit is able to prioritize the vehicles of the fleet based on the minimum charging energy level parameters and/or the charging parameters.

[0064] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.