# US 11,993,245 B2 · Method for operating a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,245 B2 - Document ID: US11993245B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/256,930 - Filed: 2019-07-02 - Published: 2021-09-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-02 - Assignees: Daimler AG - Applicants: Daimler AG - Inventors: Gudrun Schoenherr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993245B2 ## CPC - B60L 53/00: Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles - B60W 10/30: including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps - B60L 1/00: Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) - B60L 2250/12: by confirmation, e.g. of the input - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method tar operating a vehicle where at least one comfort function is offered to at least one vehicle user for activation. The at least one comfort function is offered to the at least one vehicle user for activation after a start of an electrical charging process of at least one energy storage device of the vehicle. The comfort function is offered to the vehicle user depending on an expected necessary charging time of the electrical charging process of the energy storage device of the vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a vehicle, comprising the steps of: starting an electrical charging process of an energy storage device of the vehicle by an electrical energy source external to the vehicle at an electrical charging station; and offering a comfort function providable by the vehicle to a vehicle user for activation optically via a notification displayed on a display unit of the vehicle, wherein the comfort function is offered to the vehicle user after the starting of the electrical charging process of the energy storage device of the vehicle; wherein the comfort function is offered to the vehicle user depending on an expected necessary charging time of the electrical charging process of the energy storage device of the vehicle; wherein the comfort function is offered to the vehicle user depending on a previous journey time and/or on an expected upcoming journey time and/or on an expected total journey time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of informing the vehicle user about energy required for the offered comfort function and an associated extension of the expected necessary charging time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of activating the offered comfort function via an input unit of the vehicle or by a voice input. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the comfort function is an optical output and/or an acoustic output and/or a haptic output in the vehicle and/or an adjustment of an ambient condition in the vehicle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of offering the vehicle user a plurality of comfort functions for activation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of selecting by the vehicle user a comfort aspect before the step of offering. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of determining in the vehicle or externally to the vehicle a comfort function to be offered to the vehicle user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the comfort function is a haptic output in the vehicle that comprises a massage function performed by a vehicle seat of the vehicle on which the vehicle user sits. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the comfort function is an adjustment of an ambient condition in the vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the ambient condition in the vehicle comprises a seat adjustment of a vehicle seat of the vehicle on which the vehicle user sits.