Apparatus and method for initiating a charging process of an electric vehicle

An apparatus for reserving a charging station for an electric vehicle according to predefined charging preferences, the apparatus comprising:

• a module operable to establish an association between the electric vehicle and a user profile comprising the predefined charging preferences, the predefined charging preferences comprising at least one filter criterion for filtering results in response to a charging request message, the filter criterion comprising at least one criterion of the group of electrical charge pricing of interest, charging station provider of interest, charging station type of interest, and a preferred charging station reservation period, wherein the user profile is stored in a memory within a distributed processing network;
• a transmitter operable to transmit the charging request message, in response to a determination that a current state of charge of the electric vehicle falls below a minimum state of charge defined by the user profile, and depending on a way of driving the electric vehicle to a remote charging request message processor of the distributed processing network, the charging request message indicating a charging need of the electric vehicle, wherein the charging request message is initiated from a processor module installed within the electric vehicle, the processor module having access to navigational or charging state data of the vehicle;
• a receiver operable to receive a result message in response to the charging request message from the remote charging request message processor, the result message comprising user specific result data based on the user's predefined charging preferences stored in the user profile, the user specific result data comprising information on a list of available charging stations corresponding to the predefined charging preferences;
• and a learning system or navigational system that can predict where the vehicle will go and how much energy will be left in the battery at any point along a route based on past energy consumption of the user;
• wherein the transmitter automatically transmits a charging request message based on the predictions generated;
• and
• reserving a charging station meeting the user's predefined charging preferences based on the user specific result data.

An apparatus for reserving a charging station for an electric vehicle according to predefined charging preferences stored in a user profile associated to the electric vehicle, wherein the user profile is stored in a memory within a distributed processing network, the apparatus comprising:

• a receiver operable to receive a charging request message related to the electric vehicle, the charging request message, including navigational data, indicating a charging need of the electric vehicle, the charging request message initiated from a processor module installed within the electric vehicle in response to a determination that a current state of charge of the electric vehicle falls below a minimum state of charge defined by the user profile, and depending on a way of driving the electric vehicle;
• a charging request message processor operable to process the charging request message using the user's predefined charging preferences stored in the user profile, the predefined charging preferences comprising at least one filter criterion for filtering results in response to a charging request message, the filter criterion comprising at least one criterion of the group of electrical charge pricing of interest, charging station provider of interest, charging station type of interest, and a preferred charging station reservation period, to obtain user specific result data, the user specific result data comprising information on a list of available charging stations corresponding to the predefined charging preferences;
• and
• a transmitter operable to transmit a result message related to the charging request message, the result message comprising the obtained user specific result data for initiating the charging process;
• and
• reserving a charging station meeting the user's predefined charging preferences based on the user specific result data.