Parking guidance system for solar panel-equipped vehicles and method thereof

A solar panel-equipped vehicle parking guidance system including a vehicle, the system comprising:

• a solar panel configured to convert solar energy into electrical energy and to generate a first DC voltage;
• a solar charging controller configured to convert the first DC voltage into a second DC voltage that is chargeable to a battery to be charged;
• a communications unit;
• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing computer program instructions that, based on being executed by the at least one processor, perform operations comprising:
• generating a solar intensity message including information regarding at least one of a vehicle location, a time, and a vehicle ID associated with a solar intensity that is periodically measured by the solar charging controller,
• transmitting the solar intensity message through the communications unit to a server;
• and
• receiving, through the communications unit from the server, information identifying a recommended parking space for solar charging.

A method for guiding a parking of a vehicle equipped with a solar panel, the method comprising:

• receiving, through a communications unit, solar intensity messages from solar panel-equipped vehicles, wherein for each vehicle, the solar intensity message comprises information regarding a solar intensity detected on a solar panel of the vehicle;
• accumulating and processing the solar intensity messages over a period of time, and generating a mapping of variable solar intensity in a vehicle parking area, based on the accumulated solar intensity messages;
• receiving, through the communications unit from a first vehicle, a request for a recommended parking space in the vehicle parking area for solar charging, and information regarding a location of the first vehicle and an entry time at which the first vehicle enters the vehicle parking area,
• based on the mapping of variable solar intensity in the vehicle parking area, determining the recommended parking space in the vehicle parking area as a parking space that satisfies at least one criteria for solar charging;
• and
• transmitting, through the communications unit to the first vehicle, information identifying the recommended parking space in the vehicle parking area that satisfies at least one criteria for solar charging.