TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The present subject matter relates, in general, to electric vehicles and,
in particular, to charging of electric vehicles.
5 BACKGROUND
[002] With progressive exhaustion of fossil fuels, such as gasoline and the
enhanced awareness of environmental protection, more attention is being paid to
electric vehicles. Fueling the electric vehicles with electricity offers advantages, such
as negligible emission of carbon derivatives, which is not available in conventional
10 internal combustion engine vehicles. Other advantages of electrically powered vehicles
include reduction in noise of operation of the vehicle. Electric vehicles,
interchangeably referred to as EVs, have also gained popularity as their usage involves
a onetime investment thereby providing maximum cost effectiveness.
[003] Further, the progressive exhaustion of fossil fuels and increase in air
15 pollution has also led to an increased focus on renewable energy as a viable alternative
to power the vehicles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[004] The detailed description is described with reference to the
accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number
20 identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers
are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.
[005] Figure 1 shows a network environment implementing a system for
managing charging of electric vehicles using renewable energy sources, in accordance
with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
3
[006] Figure 2 illustrates a battery management system for an electric vehicle,
according to an implementation of the present subject matter.
[007] Figure 3 shows a management terminal for managing charging of
electric vehicles using renewable energy sources, according to an embodiment of the
5 present subject matter.
[008] Figure 4 illustrates a method for managing charging of electric vehicles
using renewable energy sources, in accordance with an implementation of the present
subject matter.
10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[009] Electric vehicles (EVs) are generally easy to maintain, their electric
motors react quickly, and have very good torque. These and other advantageous
features relating to battery operated vehicles have led to electric vehicles, such as
electric rickshaws, hereinafter referred to as e-rickshaws, becoming a popular means
15 of transport. Electric vehicles use electricity stored in a battery to operate an electric
motor that in turn drives the wheels of the EVs. When depleted, the battery is recharged
using grid electricity, either from a wall socket or a charging unit.
[0010] In case of electric vehicles, such as e-rickshaws that are used for
commercial purposes, dedicated charging stations are provided for charging of the e20 rickshaws, for example, on payment of fees in proportion to consumption of the
electricity or duration of charging.
[0011] Generally, the electric vehicles charge at the charging stations using
conventional energy. In some cases, the charging stations may have availability of
renewable energy for charging the EVs. The charging stations may provide renewable
25 energy alone or in combination with the conventional energy in any proportion. For
example, a charging station may have availability of solar power to charge the EVs
based on, solar power harvested at that charging station, for example, using solar panels
4
installed at the charging station. In another example, a charging station may have
availability of wind energy for charging the EVs. For instance, the wind energy may
be generated by a wind turbine and fed to a grid to which the charging station is
connected.
5 [0012] While it is advantageous to use renewable energy and preferable for
charging the EVs for cost as well as environmental reasons, the availability of
renewable energy is unpredictable. For example, a charging station may have
availability of solar power for certain hours of the daytime but not all time. Similarly,
a charging station may have availability of wind energy when the wind conditions are
10 favorable. Due to the unpredictability of availability of renewable energy at the
charging stations, efficient utilization of renewable energy to charge the EVs is often
impeded.
[0013] Utilization of renewable energy to charge the EVs is inefficient due to
lack of information regarding availability of renewable energy in a real-time or near15 real time basis. In an example situation, it is possible that due to lack of information
regarding availability of renewable energy at a certain charging station, an e-rickshaw
driver may use conventional energy at another charging station in the vicinity. The use
of conventional energy at a time when renewable energy is readily available, results in
the renewable energy getting stored for subsequent use. This asserts additional load on
20 charging infrastructure to have a high storage capacity which may incur significant
cost.
[0014] The present invention provides techniques for managing charging of
EVs, such as e-rickshaws at charging stations using renewable energy. The present
disclosure describes a system and method for managing charging of the EVs by
25 providing information regarding availability of renewable energy at the charging
stations in a real-time or near-real time basis. Thus, the present invention may
disseminate information regarding availability of renewable energy at the charging
stations to drivers of EVs in real-time or near-real time basis. In an example, the
5
information may include an amount of renewable energy available at each of the
charging stations. The amount of renewable energy available at each of the charging
stations may be a proportion of the total energy that may be needed to charge an EV.
Thus, the drivers are made aware of availability of renewable energy and may choose
5 to avail the same for charging of their vehicles.
[0015] In an example embodiment, when a plurality of EVs is charged using
renewable energy at more than one charging stations, the present invention ensures the
most effective utilization of the renewable energy and also manages congestion at the
charging stations. Accordingly, in an implementation, the present invention not only
10 provides information regarding availability of renewable energy at the charging
stations to the drivers of the EVs but also allocates an amount of renewable energy and
assigns time slots to the respective EVs for charging at a given charging station.
[0016] In an example, amount of renewable energy allocated for charging an
EV may be based on a driver categorization that may be determined for a driver of the
15 EV. Further, a time slot during which the EV may be charged at a given charging station
may also be allocated based on the driver categorization. The driver categorization may
be indicative of driving behavior of the driver. In an example, driver categorization ‘A’
may indicate the driving behavior that is better than a driver categorization ‘B’. In
another example, driver categorizations, such as driver categorization ‘1’, driver
20 categorization ‘2’,……………, driver categorization ‘5’ may exist wherein each driver
categorization is indicative of a ranking provided to the driver of the EV based on the
driving behavior of the driver.
[0017] In an example embodiment, for determining the driver categorization
for a driver of an EV, the driving behavior may be monitored over a predefined period
25 of time. In an example, the driving behavior may be based on usage of a battery of the
EV by the driver. For instance, when a driver drives the EV at very high speed, a rate
of battery drainage is high. The output of the battery may be monitored to determine
instances of over speeding. More than a predefined number of instances of over
6
speeding over a predefined period of time may be indicative of a poor driving behavior.
In an example, the driver categorization may also be based on driver’s history
information. The driver’s history information may include, among other things,
information regarding any traffic accidents that the driver may have been involved in.
5 [0018] In an example embodiment, a higher proportion of renewable energy to
conventional energy may be made available to a driver having a driver categorization
indicative of a good driving behavior. In an example implementation, if availability of
renewable energy is limited, charging of the EVs using renewable energy may allowed
only to drivers who have been categorized in top categories based on their driving
10 behavior.
[0019] In an example embodiment, the time slot during which an EV may be
charged at a given charging station may be allocated based on the driver categorization
such that drivers with driving behavior better than others, are assigned a more
preferable time slot for charging their respective EVs. In an example, more preferable
15 time slot may be day time as opposed to night time since availability of solar power is
higher during the day time. In an example embodiment, it is also possible to offer
renewable energy at a discounted rate for charging the EV to the drivers having driver
categorization indicative of a good driving behavior.
[0021] A variety of parameters, such as the ones described above may be used
20 independently or in any combination to compute a time slot that results in most
effective utilization of the renewable energy available at the charging stations. It is
possible that each of the parameters may be assigned a weightage. To illustrate with an
example, a readily available time slot may be provided to a driver, irrespective of his
driver categorization, in the interest of most effective utilization of the renewable
25 energy available at a charging station.
[0022] The present system and method for charging of e-rickshaws thus
manages the charging of e-rickshaws such that not only the renewable energy available
at the charging stations is used efficiently but also, charging load of the e-rickshaws to
7
be charged is distributed across the charging stations that have renewable energy
available and across time during which renewable energy is available.
[0023] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in
context of an e-rickshaw, it will be understood that the same is only to provide an
5 example of implementation of the present invention and is not be construed as a
limitation. The teachings of the present invention may be extended to other electric
vehicles as applicable.
[0024] It should also be understood that the term renewable energy used herein,
refers to energy or electricity generated using renewable energy sources that can be
10 used to charge an EV. Examples of renewable energy sources include but are not
restricted to solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, and biomass
energy. A person skilled in the art will also understand that electricity generated using
such renewable energy sources may be processed to make it suitable for supplying to
EVs. Details of techniques relating to generation and processing of electricity
15 generated using such renewable energy sources has not been discussed for sake of
brevity of the present description.
[0025] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject
matter will be better explained with regard to the following description and
accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely
20 illustrate the principles of the present subject matter along with examples described
herein and, should not be construed as a limitation to the present subject matter. It is
thus understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly
described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover,
all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and examples thereof, are intended to
25 encompass equivalents thereof. Further, for the sake of simplicity, and without
limitation, the same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like
features and components.
8
[0026] Figure 1 shows a network environment implementing a system 102 for
managing charging of electric vehicles using renewable energy, in accordance with an
embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0027] In an embodiment, the system 102 comprises a plurality of electric
5 vehicles 104-1, 104-2…..104-n. (The figure depicts the EV 104-1 and EV 104-2 alone
for the ease of depiction.) In an example, the electric vehicles 104-1, 104-2…..104-n
may be electric rickshaws, electric motorbikes or any other electric vehicles that may
need to charge by connecting to a charging station (not shown in figure).
[0028] Each of the EVs 104-1, 104-2…..104-n include at least one battery 106-
10 1, 106-2…..106-n, respectively. In an example, the batteries 106-1, 106-2…..106-n,
may be lithium ion batteries.
[0029] Due to their utility and advantages over other types of batteries, lithium
ion batteries, which presently dominate the most recent group of electric vehicles in
development including consumer electronics, are preferred. A typical lithium ion
15 battery cell yields 80-90% of discharge efficiency. Examples of the types of lithium
ion batteries that can be incorporated in the electric vehicles 104-1, 104-2…..104-n can
be NCA, NMC, LMO, LiFePO4.
[0030] Following description, to explain concepts relating to charging of the
batteries 106-1, 106-2…..106-n of the electric vehicles 104-1, 104-2…..104-n using
20 renewable energy, is provided in reference to the EV 104-1 and the battery 106-1 of
the EV 104-1 for ease of explanation and is applicable to the other EVs 104-2, 104-
3…..104-n and their respective batteries 106-1, 106-2…..106-n.
[0031] The EV 104-1 includes a charging connector 108-1. The charging
connector 108-1 may be understood to be an input terminal to the battery 106-1 that
25 facilitates charging of the battery 106-1 at a charging station, by connecting itself to an
output terminal of a charging port at the charging station. Examples of the charging
connector 108-1 include but are not limited to mode 2, mode 3 charger or a plug of
9
type 1, or type 2. In accordance with an example embodiment of the present subject
matter, the charging connector 108-1 may couple to a source of renewable energy, such
as a charging station providing electricity, wherein the electricity generation is based
on renewable energy. The charging connector 108-1 may allow charging of the battery
5 106-1 using renewable energy alone or in combination with conventional energy in any
proportion.
[0032] In accordance with an example embodiment of the present subject
matter, the charging connector 108-1 functions in response to instructions given by a
battery management system 110-1. The battery management system 110-1 of the EV
10 104-1 is a component that acts as the control terminal of the battery 106-1. Among
other functions, the battery management system 110-1 manages battery functions, such
as monitoring current battery charge level, ensuring low consumption of the battery
106-1 when in inactive mode, prevention from overcharging and under discharge. For
the purpose of managing the battery functions, the battery management system 110-1
15 measures various parameters of the battery 106-1, such as battery cell voltage,
temperature, etc. In an example, the battery management system 110-1 may also
measure various other parameters of the EV 104-1, for example, speed or location of
the EV 104-1. Accordingly, the battery management system 110-1 may be
communicatively coupled to one or more sensors (not shown) installed in the EV 104-
20 1.
[0033] In an example, the battery management system, 110-1 may
communicate various parameters of the battery 106-1 to a management terminal 112.
Further the battery management system 110-1 may control the charging connector 108-
1 and in turn control the battery 106-1, based on control information received from the
25 management terminal 112. (Details of the battery management system 110-1 have been
discussed subsequently in reference to Figure 2.)
[0034] The management terminal 112 may be implemented as any of a variety
of conventional computing devices, including, server, a mainframe computer, a
10
desktop, a personal computer, a notebook or portable computer, a workstation, and a
laptop. Further, in one example, the system 102 may be a distributed or centralized
network system in which different computing devices may host one or more of the
hardware or software components of the system 102. The management terminal 112
5 can operate remotely or lie within the vicinity of the charging stations.
[0035] In an example of control of the EV 104-1 by the management terminal
112, the management terminal 112 may indicate availability of renewable energy at a
charging station to the battery management system 110-1 and instruct the battery
management system 110-1 to avail the same for charging the battery 106-1.
10 [0036] In another example of control of the EV 104-1 by the management
terminal 112, the battery management system 110-1 may obtain speed of the EV 104-
1, for instance, from a sensor of the EV 104-1 and may communicate the same to the
management terminal 112. If the management terminal 112 determines that the speed
of the EV 104-1 needs to be reduced, for example, based on determining that a current
15 location of the EV 104-1 is in a low speed zone, the management terminal 112 may
direct the battery management system 110-1 of the EV 104-1 accordingly. Based on
the instructions from the management terminal 112, the battery management system
110-1 may reduce the battery output to the electric motor of the EV 104-1 to reduce
speed of the EV 104-1.
20 [0037] In yet another example of control of the EV 104-1 by the management
terminal 112, the management terminal 112 may determine deterioration in the
condition of the battery 106-1 of the EV 104-1, based on monitoring maintenance and
usage of the battery 106-1 over a period of time. In such example situations, the
management terminal 112 may provide control signals to the battery management
25 system 110-1 of the EV 104-1 to control the charging connector 108-1 of the EV 104-
1 such that the charging connector 108-1 charges the battery 106-1 of the EV 104-1 at
a controlled rate of charging as opposed to a high rate of charging that may cause
damage to the battery 106-1 in its current deteriorated condition.
11
[0038] In an implementation of the system 102 for managing charging of the
electric vehicles using renewable energy, the management terminal 112 may be
implemented as a centralized entity to control various EVs, such as electric vehicles
104-1, 104-2…..104-n connected to the management terminal 112 in the network
5 environment. The respective battery management systems of the EV 104-1, 104-
2…..104-n may use various communication techniques to provide information relevant
to charging conditions, such as the battery level indication information, the data
pertaining to the driver history, the location of the EVs 104-1, 104-2…..104-n to the
management terminal 112. The management terminal 112 acts as a control node that
10 contains logic circuitry for processing of the data received from the battery
management systems of plurality of electric vehicles 104-1, 104-2…..104-n. The
management terminal 112 may process the received information along with other
information such as information relating to availability of renewable energy at the
charging stations and location of charging stations to manage charging of the electric
15 vehicles using renewable energy.
[0039] The electric vehicles 104-1, 104-2…..104-n may connect to the
management terminal 112 over a network 114. The network 114 may be a single
network or a combination of multiple networks and may use a variety of different
communication protocols. The network 114 may be a wireless or a wired network, or
20 a combination thereof. Examples of such individual networks include, but are not
limited to, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network, Personal Communications
Service (PCS) network, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, Next Generation Network (NON), Public
25 Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Depending on the technology, the network 114
includes various network entities, such as gateways, routers; however, such details
have been omitted for the sake of brevity of the present description.
[0040] In accordance with an example embodiment of the present subject
12
matter, user devices, such as those in possession of the drivers of the EVs may also be
communicatively coupled to the management terminal 112 over the network 114.
Example of user devices include, smartphones, personal digital assistant (PDAs), and
tablets or any other display device, consisting of applications that may interact with the
5 management terminal 112 to update information processed and transmitted to these
devices by the management terminal 112.
[0041] The management terminal 112 may associate user devices, such as user
devices 116-1 and 116-2 with their corresponding driver and EVs, for example, based
on a registration process. The management terminal 112 may provide information to a
10 driver of an EV by pushing such information to a user device associated with the driver.
For instance, the management terminal 112 may provide current information regarding
availability of renewable energy at various charging stations in vicinity of an EV, by
flashing a message on a display screen of the driver’s user device. In another example,
the management terminal 112 may provide information regarding amount of renewable
15 energy available at various charging stations.
[0042] The present described techniques thus allow for timely and effective
utilization of renewable energy for charging of the EVs, even in situations where driver
of the EVs are unaware of availability of renewable energy at nearby charging stations.
Moreover, since the selection of the charging stations is based on various factors, an
20 optimum charging station is chosen effectively for the recharging of the EV using
renewable energy.
[0043] As mentioned previously, the management terminal 112 may process
the information received from battery management systems of the EV 104-1, 104-
2…..104-n along with other information such as information relating availability of
25 renewable energy at the charging stations and location of charging stations to manage
charging of the electric vehicles using renewable energy. For the purpose, the
management terminal 112 may monitor the charging stations to obtain information,
such as information relating to availability of renewable energy at the charging stations
13
in a real-time or near-real time basis.
[0044] The charging stations may implement infrastructure for generation of
electricity from renewable energy or may be connected to a plant that may generate
electricity from renewable energy. For example, a charging station may be using solar
5 panels for generation of electricity using solar power. In another example, a charging
station may have availability of wind energy for charging the EVs. For instance, the
wind energy may be generated by a wind turbine and fed to a grid to which the charging
station may be connected. In an example, the charging stations may also receive
electricity generated using a conventional energy source, such as electricity generated
10 by a thermal power plant by combustion of coal. The charging stations may also receive
electricity generated using the renewable energy source and electricity generated using
the conventional energy source simultaneously. The charging stations may implement
various techniques for combining electricity generated using the renewable energy
source with electricity generated using the conventional energy source to provide the
15 same to the EVs for charging.
[0045] Reference is now made to Figure 2 that illustrates a battery management
system 200 for an electric vehicle, according to an implementation of the present
subject matter. As will be understood the battery management system 200 is similar to
the above-explained battery management system 110-1.
20 [0046] The battery management system 200 of an electric vehicle battery may
be understood as a control system for a battery (not shown) of the EV, which monitors
and controls the battery status and operation. In an example implementation, the battery
management system 200 of the present invention, comprises a communication engine
202. The communication engine 202 performs communication between the battery
25 management system and the management terminal 112. The communication is
typically based on communication protocols. The communication engine 202 may use
several methods of serial or parallel communication, for instance and not limited to,
CAN bus communication, which is commonly used in automotive environments, DC-
14
BUS for serial communication, and different types of wireless communication. The
communication protocols can vary as per the hardware implementation.
[0047] The communication engine 202 communicates internally with various
sensors (not shown) that may be installed on the EV and transmits the inputs obtained
5 from the sensors to the management terminal 112. Based on the inputs obtained from
the sensors and other battery information communicated by the communication engine
202 to the management terminal 112, the management terminal 112 provides control
information to a control engine 204 of the battery management system 200 to take
actions to control the battery and in turn the operation of the EV. For example, the
10 management terminal 112 may provide control information to the control engine 204
of the battery management system 200 to allow charging of the battery using renewable
energy that may be available at a charging station.
[0048] The control engine 204 is responsible for controlling the trigger signals
sent to a charging connector (not shown). In an example implementation, the control
15 engine 204 controls the charging of the battery as per predefined rule. The control
engine 204 instructs the charging connector of the battery to either connect to the
supply terminals of the charging station or stop the charging process. The control
engine 204 also controls the charging schedule for the electric vehicle by ensuring that
the charging is done at a time slot allotted to the EV by the management terminal 112.
20 The control engine 204 also ensures that the charging of the battery is in accordance
with instructions provided by the management terminal 112, if any. For example, if the
management terminal 112 determines a rate of charging for the battery, the control
engine 204 ensures that the battery charges at that specified rate by controlling the
charging connecter accordingly.
25 [0049] In the present description, the engine(s) may be implemented as a
combination of hardware and programming (for example, programmable instructions)
to implement certain functionalities of the engine(s), such as transmitting signals. In
examples described herein, such combinations of hardware and programming may be
15
implemented in several different ways. For example, engine(s) may be implemented
by electronic circuitry.
[0050] In an example implementation, the battery management system 200 of
the present invention, comprises a data store 206. The data store 206 maybe understood
5 as a memory component to store various data collated, manipulated or otherwise used
by the battery management system 200 during operation. The memory component may
include any computer-readable medium including, for example, volatile memory (e.g.,
RAM), and/or non-volatile memory (e.g., EPROM, flash memory, etc.).
[0051] The data store 206 may store information, for example and is not limited
10 to, inputs obtained from the sensors installed on the EV, such as EV position
information or current charge level information. The data store 206 may also store
instructions communicated to the battery management system 200 by the management
terminal 112, such as charging station congestion information. Other examples of
information that the data store 206 may store are: customer rating in case of an electric
15 rickshaw, battery maintenance data, drivers credit information, driver’s history
information, and information regarding driving actions.
[0052] Figure 3 shows a management terminal 300 for managing charging of
electric vehicles, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0053] The management terminal 300, among other things, includes
20 processor(s) 302, memory 304 and interface(s) 306 coupled to the processor(s) 302.
The processor(s) 302 may be implemented as microprocessors, microcomputers,
microcontrollers, digital signal processors, central processing units, state machines,
logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational
instructions. Among other capabilities, the processor(s) 302 is configured to fetch and
25 execute computer-readable instructions stored in the memory 304 of the management
terminal 300. The system memory 304 may include any computer-readable medium
including, for example, volatile memory (e.g., RAM), and/or non-volatile memory
(e.g., EEPROM, flash memory, etc.).
16
[0054] The functions of the various elements shown in the figures, including
any functional blocks labelled as “processor(s)”, may be provided through the use of
dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software. When provided
by a processor, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a
5 single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which may
be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term “processor” should not be construed to
refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and may implicitly
include, without limitation, digital signal processor (DSP) hardware, network
processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate
10 array (FPGA), read only memory (ROM) for storing software, random access memory
(RAM), and non-volatile storage. Other hardware, conventional and/or custom, may
also be included.
[0055] The interface(s) 306 may include a variety of software and hardware
interfaces that allow the management terminal 300 to interact with battery management
15 systems of one or more EVs. Modules 308 and data 310 may reside in the memory 304.
The modules 308 include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and
the like, which perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
The modules 308 may also comprise other modules 312 that supplement functions of
the management terminal 300. The data 310 serves, amongst other things, as a
20 repository for storing data that may be fetched, processed, received, or generated by
the modules 308. The data 310 comprises other data 314 corresponding to the other
modules 312.
[0056] In operation, an EV communication module 316 of the management
terminal 300 allows the management terminal 300 to communicate with battery
25 management systems of one or more EVs. The EV communication module 316 enables
the management terminal 300 to receive information, such as sensor inputs and battery
information from the battery management systems. The EV communication module
316 may store the information received from the battery management systems as EV
17
input data 318 in the data 310 of the management terminal 300. Examples of
information received from the battery management systems of the EVs include current
battery level information, battery health information and location of the respective EVs.
5 [0057] Based on the information received from the battery management
systems of the EVs and other data, such as availability of renewable energy at the
charging stations, driver categorization etc., an EV control module 320 of the
management terminal 300 may generate control information for each of the EVs. In an
example, the control information may make drivers of the EVs aware of current
10 availability of renewable energy at the charging stations for charging of the EVs. The
amount of renewable energy available at each of the charging stations may be in a
proportion of the total energy that may be needed to charge an EV. Thus, the drivers
are made aware of availability of renewable energy and may choose to avail the same
for charging of their vehicles. In an example, the control information may also include
15 a time slots for charging of each of the EVs at particular charging station using the
renewable energy. The control information can also include a ratio of renewable energy
to conventional energy allocated to the certain EV, for example, based on the driver
categorization of the driver of that EV.
[0058] The EV control module 320 may store the control information generated
20 for each of the EVs as EV control data 322 in the data 310 of the management terminal
300. The control information generated for each of the EVs may be communicated to
the battery management systems of the respective EVs by the EV communication
module 316 to enable charging of the EVs based on the control information generated
by the management terminal 300. Thus, the management terminal 300 controls the
25 charging of the EVs for effective utilization of renewable energy that may be currently
available at the charging stations by providing the relevant information, such as an
amount of renewable energy that each of the EVs may use to the EV drivers and by
allocating different time slots for charging to the EVs.
18
[0059] Figure 4 illustrates a method 400 for managing charging of electric
vehicles for effective utilization of renewable energy, in accordance with an
implementation of the present subject matter. Although the method 400 may be
implemented in a variety of electric vehicles, for the ease of explanation, the present
5 description of the example method 400 of managing charging of electric vehicles is
provided in reference to e-rickshaws. Also, although the method 400 may be
implemented in a variety of computing devices, but for the ease of explanation, the
present description of the example method 400 of managing charging of electric
vehicles is provided in reference to the above-described management terminal 112 or
10 300.
[0060] The order in which the method 400 is described is not intended to be
construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks may be
combined in any order to implement the method 400, or an alternative method.
Furthermore, the method 400 may be implemented by processor(s) or computing
15 device(s) through any suitable hardware, non-transitory machine readable instructions,
or combination thereof.
[0061] It may be understood that blocks of the method 400 may be performed
by programmed computing devices. The blocks of the method 400 may be executed
based on instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, as will be
20 readily understood. The non-transitory computer-readable medium may include, for
example, digital memories, magnetic storage media, such as magnetic disks and
magnetic tapes, hard drives, or optically readable digital data storage media.
[0062] Referring to Figure 4, at block 402, a present location of the electric
vehicle is determined. The geographic location of the electric vehicle may be
25 determined based on known techniques of determining location, such as through use
of Global Positioning System (GPS), triangulation through mobile towers, assisted
GPS (A-GPS), and the like.
19
[0063] In an example, the current location may be located by the management
terminal. The management terminal may communicate with battery management
system which may provide the location information to the management terminal using
the GPS of the EV. The management terminal may communicate with a user device
5 associated with the EV to determine the current location.
[0064] At block 404, information regarding remaining charge in the battery of
the electric vehicle is obtained. The level of remaining charge in the battery determines
the charging needs pertaining to the EV. In an example, the battery level determines
the urgency for charging required by an EV. The control engine of the battery
10 management system, monitors the battery level information of the electric vehicle and
may transmit the information to the management terminal.
[0065] At block 406, a driver categorization is determined for a driver. The
driver categorization may be indicative of driving behavior of the driver. In an example,
a first driver categorization may indicate a driving behavior that is better than a second
15 driver categorization. In another example, a driver categorization may rank drivers with
a ranking of 1 through 10 based on a comparative analysis of the driving behavior of
the drivers. In an example, the driving behavior may be based on usage of a battery of
the EV by the driver. The driver categorization may also be based on data is obtained
from the sensors installed on the EV, wherein the data is indicative of driving actions
20 of the driver of the EV. In an example, sensors like accelerators, engine speed sensor,
voltage sensor, measure the current driving conditions of the EV. Deviation of the
current driving conditions of the EV from predefined ideal driving conditions may be
indicative of poor driving skills and in turn poor driving behavior. In an example,
potentiometers at the accelerators determine an amount of power that is consumed from
25 the battery for application of brakes, for instance the application of brakes can be in
response to sudden appearance of objects before the EV or precarious driving of the
driver. Accordingly, driving actions like sudden application of brakes can be indication
of driving actions of the driver. Also, speed of the EV at low-speed and high-speed
20
zones may be monitored. In another example, erratic driving actions, such as lane
changing without activating a turn indicator may monitored by the sensors.
[0066] In yet another example, the driver categorization may also be based on
driver’s history information. The driver’s history information may include, among
5 other things, information regarding any traffic accidents that the driver may have been
involved in. Also, maintenance history of the EV may be take into consideration. The
maintenance history of the EV includes, among other data, the history of maintenance
provided to battery of the EV. In an example, the lithium ion batteries may be employed
in the EV, and may require routine maintenance, such as servicing and repair. The
10 servicing may be, for example, routine check-up of charge status of the lithium ion
batteries, such that the batteries approaching the end of their estimated life are replaced.
In an example, it is taken into consideration that if the battery run time drops below
80% of the original time, and the battery charge time increases significantly, the
batteries must be replaced.
15 [0067] In an implementation of the present method, the maintenance history of
the EV may be obtained from a customer database that may be an internal or external
data store comprising maintenance records pertaining to EVs that are serviced, for
example, by a certain service provider. In an example, along with the maintenance
history of the EV, the management terminal may also obtain driver’s history
20 comprising information regarding any traffic accident relating to the driver.
[0068] In one example, information regarding customer feedback regarding the
driver of the EV also obtained for determining driver categorization for the driver. The
customer feedback may be obtained by the management terminal through an
application employed for providing ride services. In an example, the customer feedback
25 can be obtained by the customer providing rating to the driver of the EV. Further, the
feedback can also include remarks for the driver based on driver’s driving skills. In an
example, the customer feedback acts as a direct channel for driver categorization as it
21
is a real time analysis/experience submitted as feedback by the customer to the
management terminal.
[0069] As will be understood based on foregoing description, the determination
of the driver categorization is done by monitoring EVs over a predefined period. A
5 driver categorization thus determined previously may be retrieved at block 406 by the
management terminal.
[0070] At block 408, one or more charging station(s) within the predefined area
from the current location of the EV are identified. The determination of the charging
stations maybe based on the type of the EV and charging capabilities of the charging
10 station(s) which may support the charging of the EV. As apparent, the type of the EV
may be based on the charging capability of the EV.
[0071] At block 410, current availability of renewable energy at each of the
charging stations to charge one or more EVs is determined. In an example, this
information is obtained by the management terminal by monitoring the charging
15 stations. The information regarding current availability of renewable energy, in an
example, may be communicated to the management terminal by the respective
charging stations. The information regarding current availability of renewable energy,
enables identification of charging stations capable of handling more load.
[0072] At block 412, based on the information determined at blocks 402
20 through 410, a time slot is allocated to the electric vehicle for charging at a charging
station using renewable energy. The time slot is based on utilization factor of renewable
energy available at each of the charging stations as well as cost incurred on an EV to
reach the charging station. Thus, non-availability of renewable energy at a charging
station in proximity of the EV is weighted against cost that may be incurred in
25 travelling to a charging station that may have renewable energy available.
[0073] In an example, the information determined at blocks 402 through 410
may be used independently or in any combination to compute time slots that results in
22
most effective utilization of the renewable energy available at the charging stations. It
is possible that each of the parameters may be assigned a weightage. To illustrate with
an example, information regarding remaining charge in the battery of the electric
vehicle obtained, at block 404, may indicate that the battery is 40% charged. While the
5 battery may generally need to charge only when the remaining charge in the battery
drops to 20% or less, in some example implementations it is possible to assign a low
or zero weightage to the current charge on the battery. Accordingly, the battery may be
charged even if the battery is 40% charged, in the interest of most effective.
[0074] At block 414, the time slot allocated to the electric vehicle for charging
10 at a charging station, as determined at block 412, is communicated to a driver of the
EV. Accordingly, a notification of the time slot and a location of the charging station
is provided to a user device of the driver of the EV.
[0075] In an example, to ensure that the time slot allocated to the electric
vehicle for charging at a charging station is adhered to, the management terminal may
15 also convey the time slot and location of the charging station to the battery management
system of the EV. The battery management system of the EV may thus enable charging
of the battery only at said time slot and when engaged to a charging port at said
charging station.
[0076] Further, at block 416, along with or instead of the time slot allocated to
20 the electric vehicle for charging at a charging station, a notification regarding amount
of renewable energy available at the charging station is provided to the driver of the
EV.
[0077] The method 400, thus provides a method for charging of e-rickshaws
such that not only the renewable energy available at the charging stations is used
25 efficiently but also load of the e-rickshaws to be charged is distributed across the
charging stations that have renewable energy available and across time during which
renewable energy is available.
23
[0078] Although the subject matter has been described in considerable detail
with reference to certain examples and implementations thereof, other implementations
are possible. As such, the present disclosure should not be considered limited to the
description of the preferred examples and implementations contained therein.

I/We Claim:

1. A method comprising:
determining a current location of an electric vehicle;
5 identifying at least one charging station within a predefined area from the
current location of the electric vehicle;
determining availability of renewable energy at the at least one charging station
to charge the electric vehicle; and
providing a notification regarding availability of renewable energy at the at
10 least one charging station to a user device of a driver of the electric vehicle.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one charging
station further comprises determining that the at least one charging station has charging
capabilities to support the charging of the electric vehicle.
15
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
allocating a time slot to the electric vehicle for charging at the at least one
charging station; and
providing a notification of the time slot and a location of the at least one
20 charging station to the user device of the driver.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:
obtaining information regarding usage of a battery of the electric vehicle; and
25
determining a driver categorization for the driver of the electric vehicle based
at least in part on the information regarding usage of the battery, wherein driver
categorization is indicative of driving behavior of the driver, and wherein
allocating the time slot to the electric vehicle for charging is based on the driver
5 categorization.
5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein allocating the time slot for charging
the electric vehicle is further based on at least one of an amount of current charge in
the battery of the electric vehicle, congestion at the at least one charging station, and
10 traffic congestion in route to the at least one charging station from the current location
of the electric vehicle.
6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein determining the driver
categorization for the driver further comprises one or more of:
15 obtaining information regarding usage of a battery of the electric vehicle;
obtaining, from one or more sensors installed on the electric vehicle, data
indicative of driving actions of the driver of the electric vehicle;
obtaining maintenance history of the electric vehicle;
obtaining driver’s history comprising information regarding any traffic accident
20 relating to the driver; and
obtaining information regarding customer feedback regarding the driver of the
electric vehicle.
7. A management terminal comprising:
25 a processor;
26
an EV control module, coupled to the processor, to:
receive information regarding availability of renewable energy at at
least one charging station; and
generate control information for a plurality of electric vehicles, the
5 control information to make drivers of a plurality of electric vehicles aware of
current availability of renewable energy at the at least one charging station for
charging of the plurality of electric vehicles; and
an EV communication module, coupled to the processor, to:
communicate the control information to respective drivers of each of
10 the plurality of electric vehicles.
8. The management terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control
information further comprises time slots for charging of each of the plurality of electric
vehicles at the at least one charging station using the renewable energy.
15
9. The management terminal as claimed in claim 7, wherein the control
information further comprises a ratio of renewable energy to conventional energy
allocated to each of the plurality of electric vehicles.
20 10. The management terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the ratio of renewable
energy to conventional energy is allocated to each of the plurality of electric vehicles
based on a driver categorization of the respective drivers of each of the plurality of
electric vehicles, the driver categorization being representative of driving behavior of
the respective drivers.
25
27
11. The management terminal as claimed in claim 10, wherein the driver
categorization of the drivers of each of the plurality of electric vehicles is determined
based on usage of a battery of each of the plurality of electric vehicles by the respective
drivers.
5
12. An electric vehicle comprising:
at least one battery;
a charging connector to facilitate charging of the at least one battery; and
a battery management system to control charging of the electric vehicle by
10 controlling the charging connector to charge the at least one battery based on control
information, the control information is to allow charging of the at least one battery
using renewable energy available at a charging station.
13. The electric vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control information
15 further comprises a time slot for charging the electric vehicle at the charging station
using the renewable energy.
14. The electric vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the time slots allotted to
the electric vehicle is based on a driver categorization of a driver of the electric vehicle,
20 wherein the driver categorization corresponds to driving behavior of the driver of the
electric vehicle.
28
15. The electric vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the charging connector
controls the charging schedule for the electric vehicle by enabling the charging to be
done only at the time slot allotted to the electric vehicle.