The present invention relates to providing electric vehicle location assessments and in particular, for generating assessments for particular locations or areas based on demographic, availability, cost, awareness, and policy data associated with those locations.
Spurred by a multitude of factors, electric vehicle (EV) adoption is increasing at an historically unprecedented pace. More than ever before, individuals and companies are interested in exploring what it would be like to own an EV in a particular geographic location. Currently, potential EV owners have limited information to determine and thus can attempt to make an “educated guess” as to how convenient (or inconvenient) it would be to own an EV at a given location, such as where they currently live or where they plan to move. However, if the assessment made is inaccurate, they may find themselves with a relatively expensive car that is inconvenient to charge. Poor access to EV charging availability information may also produce a situation where owners shy away from EVs, limiting electric vehicle adoption because more polluting vehicles continue to be used and further contribute to pollution problems, even though, with the right information in hand, EV ownership that is less polluting would have been highly desirable and convenient to many consumers. To avoid these problems, it is desirable to provide automated, data-driven techniques to accurately evaluate, measure and/or express how easy it is to own and maintain an EV in a particular geographic region.
In the drawings:
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.
In a first stage of projected score generation, depicted by the left grey block in
Once the user inputs and engine inputs are processed by Kalman filtering techniques, weights are applied to each input value. The weights may be defined by a system administrator. The weighted input values are provided as input to a Markov Model which combines the weighted inputs into a single score. Any applicable Markov Modeling techniques may be used.
Examples of possible intermediate scores that are generated during stage 1 include:
In some embodiments, the type of intermediate score that is generated is based on the weights that are applied to the filtered input values. For example, an “EV Policy Score” may indicate that a higher weight was applied to a “Local EV Policy” input value, as opposed to an “EV Infrastructure Score” which indicates that a higher weight was applied to a “Available # of chargers in the area” input value. Further, in some embodiments, the EVScore may be a combined weighted score of various intermediate scores, which may be selected from the example intermediate scores listed above.
In a second stage of projected score generation, depicted by the right grey block in
Various projected inputs including one or more of:
The weighted projected values, along with one or more of the intermediate score values that were generated by the first stage, are provided as inputs to a trained machine learning model, such as a regression model shown in
In one embodiment, the regression model shown in
The training dataset may include labeled ground truth values that correspond to combinations of inputs of the regression model. Labeled ground truth values are established to train the regression model of EVScore Engine. Each ground truth value comprises a value of 0-100 for various geographical addresses. The 0-100 values may be collected by a combination of the following sources: 1) consensus of experts from the following fields: a. Urban planning and design b. Statistics and Stochastics c. Anthropology d. Architecture e. Demography. 2) Mapping to proxy levels including the following: a. Real-estate valuation b. EV sales c. EVSE Usage d. Number of dealerships selling EVs. 3) Experience quantified by ratings including the following. a. Local PlugScore (by PlugShare) ratings b. Parking lots with EVSE ratings on Google or Apple Maps.
It is crucial to note that the EVScore Engine does not crucially depend on any one of the aforementioned sources or factors of ground truth. If a source or factor is to be removed, the EVScore engine can be reconfigured.
Once an EVScore is generated, there are many different applications of the score.
In one embodiment, a geographical address is used as user input to the EVScore engine to generate an EVScore. The EVScore may indicate: whether a real estate property of interest has sufficient EV infrastructure, how friendly to EVs the real estate property of interest is, how friendly a real estate portfolio that includes the real estate property of interest is.
In another embodiment, a geographical address, a time span, and incentive/policy qualifies are used as user input to the EVScore engine to generate EV ownership trends, a geographic representation of EVScores, and one or more incentive/policy recommendations. Such generated values provide an overview and a detailed analysis of EV adoption in a respective jurisdiction and help understand EV adoption rends in a geographic region.
In another embodiment, a geographical address, family/fleet size, incentive/policy qualifiers, and commute distance are used as user input to the EVScore engine to generate an EVScore and EV recommendations. Such generated values help understand how easy it is to transition a non-EV fleet of vehicle to an EV fleet, and whether a neighborhood/real estate property of interest has sufficient EV infrastructure.
In another embodiment, a geographical address, time span, incentive/policy qualifiers, and current market valuation are used as user input to the EVScore engine to generate a projected EVScore and project portfolio valuation based on historical trends. Such generated values help understand how EV adoption will affect real estate portfolio valuation.
In another embodiment, a representation of a generated EVScore or EVScores is displayed in conjunction with a particular location or a plurality of locations. For example, a map of a city may illustrate different EVScores for each block, zip code, or selected region. Different colorings of geographic areas may be used to indicate a higher or lower score for each geographic area.
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According to one embodiment, the techniques described herein are implemented by one or more special-purpose computing devices. The special-purpose computing devices may be hard-wired to perform the techniques, or may include digital electronic devices such as one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that are persistently programmed to perform the techniques, or may include one or more general purpose hardware processors programmed to perform the techniques pursuant to program instructions in firmware, memory, other storage, or a combination. Such special-purpose computing devices may also combine custom hard-wired logic, ASICs, or FPGAs with custom programming to accomplish the techniques. The special-purpose computing devices may be desktop computer systems, portable computer systems, handheld devices, networking devices or any other device that incorporates hard-wired and/or program logic to implement the techniques.
For example,
Computer system 500 also includes a main memory 506, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus 502 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 504. Main memory 506 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 504. Such instructions, when stored in non-transitory storage media accessible to processor 504, render computer system 500 into a special-purpose machine that is customized to perform the operations specified in the instructions.
Computer system 500 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 508 or other static storage device coupled to bus 502 for storing static information and instructions for processor 504. A storage device 510, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or solid-state drive is provided and coupled to bus 502 for storing information and instructions.
Computer system 500 may be coupled via bus 502 to a display 512, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 514, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus 502 for communicating information and command selections to processor 504. Another type of user input device is cursor control 516, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 504 and for controlling cursor movement on display 512. This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in a plane.
Computer system 500 may implement the techniques described herein using customized hard-wired logic, one or more ASICs or FPGAs, firmware and/or program logic which in combination with the computer system causes or programs computer system 500 to be a special-purpose machine. According to one embodiment, the techniques herein are performed by computer system 500 in response to processor 504 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in main memory 506. Such instructions may be read into main memory 506 from another storage medium, such as storage device 510. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in main memory 506 causes processor 504 to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions.
The term “storage media” as used herein refers to any non-transitory media that store data and/or instructions that cause a machine to operate in a specific fashion. Such storage media may comprise non-volatile media and/or volatile media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical disks, magnetic disks, or solid-state drives, such as storage device 510. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory 506. Common forms of storage media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, solid-state drive, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic data storage medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical data storage medium, any physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, NVRAM, any other memory chip or cartridge.
Storage media is distinct from but may be used in conjunction with transmission media. Transmission media participates in transferring information between storage media. For example, transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 502. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications.
Various forms of media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 504 for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk or solid-state drive of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 500 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector can receive the data carried in the infra-red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on bus 502. Bus 502 carries the data to main memory 506, from which processor 504 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory 506 may optionally be stored on storage device 510 either before or after execution by processor 504.
Computer system 500 also includes a communication interface 518 coupled to bus 502. Communication interface 518 provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 520 that is connected to a local network 522. For example, communication interface 518 may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card, cable modem, satellite modem, or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, communication interface 518 may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 518 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.
Network link 520 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link 520 may provide a connection through local network 522 to a host computer 524 or to data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 526. ISP 526 in turn provides data communication services through the world wide packet data communication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet” 528. Local network 522 and Internet 528 both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link 520 and through communication interface 518, which carry the digital data to and from computer system 500, are example forms of transmission media.
Computer system 500 can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link 520 and communication interface 518. In the Internet example, a server 530 might transmit a requested code for an application program through Internet 528, ISP 526, local network 522 and communication interface 518.
The received code may be executed by processor 504 as it is received, and/or stored in storage device 510, or other non-volatile storage for later execution.
In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the invention, and what is intended by the applicants to be the scope of the invention, is the literal and equivalent scope of the set of claims that issue from this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 120 as a continuation of application 17/891,885 filed Aug. 19, 2022, which claims the benefit of provisional application 63/235,226, filed Aug. 20, 2021, by Haroon Ali Akbar et al., the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e).
Number | Date | Country | |
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63235226 | Aug 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17891885 | Aug 2022 | US |
Child | 17932970 | US |