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A system for updating a charge station database including information about charge station location and/or characteristic by determining and verifying charge station location and characteristics after a vehicle connects to a charging station. The vehicle determines (probes) the charge station locati

A system for updating a charge station database including information about charge station location and/or characteristic by determining and verifying charge station location and characteristics after a vehicle connects to a charging station. The vehicle determines (probes) the charge station location based upon the location of the vehicle while connected to the charging station. This location information is transmitted by the vehicle to a central database.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for identifying charge station characteristics comprising: a vehicle including:a connector for coupling the vehicle to a charge station, the connector configured to receive a first signal from the charge station;a battery for receiving the first signal through the connector to increase e

1. A system for identifying charge station characteristics comprising: a vehicle including:a connector for coupling the vehicle to a charge station, the connector configured to receive a first signal from the charge station;a battery for receiving the first signal through the connector to increase energy stored by the battery;a charge station information device to determine: a location based upon a location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station;a charging outlet connection type indicating compatibility of the charge station with the vehicle connector;an availability of the charge station; anda transmission device for transmitting charge station information. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location determination system comprises: a location signal receiver capable of receiving location signals; anda position estimation device using a distance measuring device and an elevation determination device to determine a change in location based upon movement after the location signals are no longer received, and determining a charge station location by determining the location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station based upon the location signals and the change in location determination. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the distance measuring device includes a wheel pulse unit for determining a distance travelled based upon wheel rotation and the elevation determination device includes a gyroscope. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a remote server including: a remote charge station database; andan update module for updating the remote charge station database with information about a new charge station when the received charge station location does not substantially match an existing charge station in the charge station database. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location signals are GPS signals. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the charge station information includes the charge voltage. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit the charge station information based on a request from the vehicle. 8. A method for identifying charge station characteristics comprising the steps of: coupling a vehicle to a charge station via a connector, the connector configured to receive a first signal from the charge station;determining characteristics of the charge station when the connector is coupled to the charge station, the characteristics including: a location of the charge station based upon a vehicle location when the connector is coupled to the charge station, a charging outlet connection type indicating compatibility of the charge station with the vehicle connector, and an availability of the charge station; andtransmitting, by the vehicle, the charge station characteristic. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining the charge station location further comprises the steps of: receiving location signals; anddetermining a change in location of the vehicle based upon movement occurring after the location signals are no longer received, and determining a charge station location by determining the location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station based upon the location signals and the change in location determination. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining a change in location includes the steps of: measuring the distance traveled using wheel rotation measurements and measuring changes in direction and elevation using gyroscope measurements. 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: receiving the charge station information at a remote server, andupdating the charge station database with information about a new charge station when the received charge station location does not substantially match an existing charge station in the charge station database. 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the location signals are GPS signals. 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the charge station characteristics include the charge voltage. 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit the charge station characteristic based on a request from the vehicle. 15. A method for updating a database of charge station characteristics comprising: receiving a transmission from a vehicle coupled to a charge station, the transmission including a characteristic of the charge station comprising a location of the charge station based upon a location of the vehicle when the connector is coupled to the charge station, a charging outlet connection type indicating compatibility of the charge station with the vehicle connector and an availability of the charge station;determining whether a pre-existing record in the database exists for the charging station;updating the location, the charging outlet connection type and the availability using the received transmission upon determining that the charging station is recorded in the database; andadding a record that includes the charging station location, the charging outlet connection type and the availability using the received transmission upon determining that the charging station is not recorded in the database.