Scoring charging events for electric vehicles

Abstract

A system and method for ranking or scoring charging stations and/or charging events or sessions, and/or performing actions based on the ranking or scoring is described. In some embodiments, a charging station ranking engine is configured to rank charging stations, or potential charging events, based on feedback received from users of the charging stations, such as drivers of electric vehicles, or other dynamically determined factors.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 accessing context information associated with a potential charging event at a charging station,
 wherein the potential charging event is specific to an electric vehicle; 
   determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the context information,
 wherein the context information includes information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station, including information based on a date-weighted average of binary station reviews obtained via check-in actions of other electric vehicles at the charging station, and 
 wherein the score for the potential charging event at the charging station is determined for the potential charging event of charging the electric vehicle at the charging station; and 
   rendering an icon representative of the charging station along with an indicator of the score determined for the potential charging event at the charging station on a map presented by a mapping application associated with the electric vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the context information includes dynamically determining the score after accessing the context information for the charging station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 automatically reserving the charging station when the score for the potential charging event at the charging station is above a threshold score for reserving the electric vehicle at a charging station.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context information includes a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle to a physical location of the charging station. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 . wherein the context information includes a current state of charge of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context information includes a current state of charge of the electric vehicle and a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle to a physical location of the charging station. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context information includes information identifying a cost to charge the electric vehicle at the charging station during the potential charging event. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context information includes information identifying a source of renewable energy to be used by the charging station during the potential charging event. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication that an actual charging event has occurred between the electric vehicle and the charging station;   assigning a score to the actual charging event that is based on the score for the potential charging event at the charging station; and   providing a reward to a driver of the electric vehicle that is based on the score assigned to the actual charging event.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the context information includes dynamically updating a score previously assigned to the charging station. 
     
     
         11 . A charging interface system, comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions;   one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and operable to execute the instructions from the non-transitory memory, the execution of the instructions causing the charging interface system to perform operations, the operations comprising:   accessing context information associated with a potential charging event at a charging station,
 wherein the potential charging event is specific to an electric vehicle; 
   determining a score for the potential charging event at the charging station based on the context information,
 wherein the context information includes information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station, including information based on a date-weighted average of binary station reviews obtained via check-in actions of other electric vehicles at the charging station, and 
 wherein the score for the potential charging event at the charging station is determined for the potential charging event of charging the electric vehicle at the charging station; and 
   rendering an icon representative of the charging station along with an indicator of the score determined for the potential charging event at the charging station on a map presented by a mapping application associated with the electric vehicle.   
     
     
         12 . The charging interface system of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising accessing information identifying a state of charge for the electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event. 
     
     
         13 . The charging interface system of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising accessing information identifying a route to be traveled from a current location of the electric vehicle to a physical location of the charging station. 
     
     
         14 . The charging interface system of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising accessing information identifying a cost to charge the electric vehicle during the potential charging event and information identifying a source of energy to be used when charging the electric vehicle during the future, potential charging event at the charging station. 
     
     
         15 . The charging interface system of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising updating a score previously assigned to the charging station based on the context information. 
     
     
         16 . The charging interface system of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising updating a score previously assigned to the charging station based on information identifying a state of charge for the electric vehicle to be charged during the potential charging event. 
     
     
         17 . The charging interface system of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising updating a score previously assigned to the charging station based on information identifying a predicted route currently traveled by the electric vehicle to be charged during the future, potential charging event. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium whose contents, when executed by a computing system of an electric vehicle, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 accessing context information associated with a future charging event for the electric vehicle at a charging station; and   determining a score for the future charging event at the charging station by:
 accessing a score previously assigned to the charging station; and 
 updating the score previous assigned to the charging station based on the context information,
 wherein the context information includes information associated with reviews of previous charging events at the charging station, including information that is based on a date-weighted average of binary station reviews obtained via check-in actions of other electric vehicles at the charging station. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable non-transitory storage of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 automatically reserving the charging station when the score for the future charging event at the charging station is above a threshold score for reserving the electric vehicle at a charging station.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable non-transitory storage of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 rendering an icon representative of the charging station along with an indicator of the score determined for the future charging event at the charging station on a map presented by a mapping application associated with the electric vehicle.