FORD PATENT FILED FOR EV CHARGING COORDINATION SYSTEM

[roamtheworld]

An additional story about Ford charging dealers fees to be EV certified https://fordauthority.com/2022/12/ford-dealers-may-not-face-huge-ev-charging-bills-after-all/
It looks like the bill to dealers could be lower than the $1.2M
As pointed out getting 2K chargers added is a good thing. I know plenty of Ford dealers even in rural areas getting an L2 charger would be good for Texas as they are closer to HWYs than the current L2 options. If they get DCFC even better!

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[GreaseMonkey]

How do they enforce a reservation on a "public" station? I could see if I needed to identify myself before a charge session it could tell me it was reserved for someone else and "refuse" to work, but what about anonymous charging sessions?

I can see a lot of ways this can go sideways...so curious how it works.

I never tried it. Now you’re making me curious. I’m speculating, but it should have a mechanism to match charger to vehicle and deny other vehicles the ability to charge.

My account with EVGo allows me to Plug and Charge without needing to go through the FordPass app.

 

[kltye]

How do they enforce a reservation on a "public" station? I could see if I needed to identify myself before a charge session it could tell me it was reserved for someone else and "refuse" to work, but what about anonymous charging sessions?

I can see a lot of ways this can go sideways...so curious how it works.

You're required to have an EVgo account to reserve chargers, so... only allow the account holder to activate the charger? No one else - anonymous or otherwise - are allowed to do so. Presumably there's some sort of timeout on the reservation so it doesn't lock everyone out forever.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

You're required to have an EVgo account to reserve chargers, so... only allow the account holder to activate the charger? No one else - anonymous or otherwise - are allowed to do so. Presumably there's some sort of timeout on the reservation so it doesn't lock everyone out forever.

Yes, you have to initiate the session within 20 min. None of the chargers around Chicagoland accepts reservations. They are strictly first come first served.

 

[AlpaChino]

What happens when you pull in and charge at an empty charger and 30 min later someone shows up with a “reservation?”

The charger turns red and a countdown begins...

If you aren't fast enough a 2000 amp surge goes through the car and blows up your battery. Either that, or a scary clown pops out of the EVSE and chases you off.

Wait, I think I'm confusing Ford's patent with my own. Please disregard.

 

[Blue highway]

Nice development.

EVGo currently shows how many charges are available and in/ out of service by charging rate. It also allows users to make reservations for $3. I find all these features very helpful.

Reservations? So many questions...

• Does it block chargers waiting for you to show up for your reservation?
• Does it kick out cars that are charging when you arrive for your reservation?
• What if you are late for your reservation and run long? Do you get kicked out because there is a reservation right after yours?

.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

They're "patenting" searching, reserving and pricing?

Maybe next they can apply for a patent on sliced bread.

Having spent a fair bit of my career inventing and patenting stuff, I know that one of the reasons corporations file patents, as counter intuitive as it sounds, is to ensure that a given technology is protected from predatory patents (patents intended to extort companies with exorbitant royalties and licensing fees while never intending to build the technology). The US's patent law change about ten years ago to first-to-file made this matter worse.

Obviously I don't know Ford's motivations in this case, though it seems to me that if they ever hope to foster such a system, they'll need to license it broadly. And that means not only to charging networks, but also to auto OEMs.

Whether or not the technology described in the patent application is considered worthy of being granted a patent is another point. If their motivations are as I guess, it's almost a moot point. By applying for the patent, they've protected it from others patenting it and can then easily license it broadly.

 

[GreaseMonkey]

Reservations? So many questions...

• Does it block chargers waiting for you to show up for your reservation?
• Does it kick out cars that are charging when you arrive for your reservation?
• What if you are late for your reservation and run long? Do you get kicked out because there is a reservation right after yours?

.

I never tried it and it is not available in all areas (including mine). However, they mention making a reservation 20 min before arriving at location. You presumably can't book a location in use. I assume it would reserve it for you for the 20 minutes till you arrive.

It would be nice if someone in Cali can confirm and let the rest of us know.

 

[ThatGuyLando]

Their server seems to be a 1990's desktop PC, that explains why their apps are so slow

 

[superdave80]

I will freely admit I haven't thought this through so may be the dumbest idea ever, but why not change the model from the charge being the destination to the destination providing the charge. It seems that everyone on long distance trips drives to a charge destination and then looks for something to do while charging. That may be walking to a local eatery or retail establishment. I realize some places like hotels, Walmart, and Hy-Vee do this to some level, but the spaces for charging are limited and generally somewhere at the back of the lot. Why not incentivize this on a massive scale. The parking lots already exist at all these destinations so no need to build a separate facility. Planning trips becomes almost a non-issue because you just stop for a bite to eat or to shop and plug in while eating or shopping. Imagine if 50% of the spaces at the Burger King had chargers.

Don't flame me too hard for a dumb idea. As I said, I haven't thought this through but have just been wondering about the idea. Obviously, there are economics to consider here.

This can work as long as the 'destination' is very close to freeway access. Most of the time DC charging is only required for long trips on highways, so there is no point it putting it at a shopping mall that is ten minutes off the freeway, because I'd rather use that twenty minutes of extra driving to charge, even if there is nothing to do.

Once you can get enough consistent DC users on the road, it will make sense to build a location right off the freeway with dozens of chargers next to a cafe/shop/restaurant setup that will now have enough customers to justify building these facilities.

 

[superdave80]

The whole idea of 'reserving' a charger is very inefficient, and hopefully will never catch on.

 

[Mach1E]

The software will have to have current usage information and reroute you to another open charger. They could give a warning to the current user. Not sure how that will work with other brands. This is why the main benefit of a Tesla is the charging management. It will take years if ever to get to something usable for the mix-and-match groups of charging networks.
A standard communication platform that will allow the software to make calls and help manage charging sessions in the future.
It's a totally different problem that ICE customers face since we have a clear time-used problem.
I do think as more charging options come online the need for full charge ups on long trips goes down dramatically

Yeah, seems like it’s where theory and reality don’t mix.

Like you said “if ever” people would use a standard communication platform.

The biggest problem with a reservation system? It would actually decrease capacity.

First come, first served is the fastest way to serve the most people.

Kinda like how mythbusters tested the fastest way to get everyone on a plane- the way SW airlines does it: no assigned seats. Sit where there is an open seat.

 

[phil]

Having spent a fair bit of my career inventing and patenting stuff, I know that one of the reasons corporations file patents, as counter intuitive as it sounds, is to ensure that a given technology is protected from predatory patents (patents intended to extort companies with exorbitant royalties and licensing fees while never intending to build the technology). The US's patent law change about ten years ago to first-to-file made this matter worse.

Obviously I don't know Ford's motivations in this case, though it seems to me that if they ever hope to foster such a system, they'll need to license it broadly. And that means not only to charging networks, but also to auto OEMs.

Whether or not the technology described in the patent application is considered worthy of being granted a patent is another point. If their motivations are as I guess, it's almost a moot point. By applying for the patent, they've protected it from others patenting it and can then easily license it broadly.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

Pretty much

 

[romanservices]

I'm beginning to find it sad how we've over complicated something as simple as going from one place to another.

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