Container comprising a battery, transportation system comprising the same and method thereof

• US 10,040,370 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ningbo WISE Digital Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ningbo WISE Digital Technology Company Limited
• Inventors: Wei, Xibo, Li, Yuanyuan, Wei, Jingjing
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/268,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20180105063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/16 with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/64 for parcel delivery or retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/058 Construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/227 Organic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/229 Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 : specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/296 : characterised by terminals of battery packs terminals of batteries H01M50/543
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 : characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 : with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 : Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides a container, a transportation system comprising such a container, and a method of using the transportation system. The container includes a battery that provides electricity to a vehicle such as an unmanned aerial vehicle that is carrying and shipping the container. The battery functions as a supplemental power supply to the vehicle and hence improves the endurance of the vehicle, so that heavier cargo can be shipped over longer distance.

Claims

1. A container comprising a cargo compartment, a battery, and a power outlet, wherein the battery can provide electrical power through the power outlet to a vehicle located outside the container, and said vehicle can transport the container from one place to another;

and

wherein at least two walls of the container are electrodes and at least one wall is internally filled with electrolyte; and

the electrodes and the electrolyte collectively function as the battery.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the battery is selected from lithium batteries, supercapacitor, gel battery, nickel hydrogen batteries, nickel cadmium batteries, fuel cells, zinc batteries, photovoltaic batteries, liquid battery, as well as primary and secondary batteries.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the battery is mounted or embedded within the housing wall of the container, and the battery becomes a part of the housing wall.

4. The container according to claim 1, wherein a wall of the container consists of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte;

and the wall functions a battery.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container is made from lightweight materials, such as wood, paper, fabric, plastics, porous material, fibrous material, composites materials, alloy, and metals.

6. A transportation system comprising the container according to claim 1 and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), wherein the battery can provide electrical power through the power outlet to the UAV located outside the container, and said UAV can transport the container from one place to another.

7. The transportation system according to claim 6, wherein the UAV comprises a separate power source for operating the UAV, and the battery functions as a supplemental power source to said separate power source for operating the UAV.

8. The transportation system according to claim 7, wherein the. UAV comprises a driving mechanism, and said operating the UAV includes energizing the driving mechanism in order to generate driving force for flying the UAV.

9. The transportation system according to claim 8, wherein the container further includes a battery management system (BMS) for managing the battery therein, and the UAV further comprises a controller to perform power management on the BMS of the battery within the container, the UAV'"'"'s separate power source, and driving mechanism in operating the UAV.

10. The transportation system according to claim 9, wherein, in transporting the container from one place to another, said controller can execute a power management program in which the driving mechanism consumes the power of the container'"'"'s battery in the first place and as much as possible before the UAV starts to consume the power of the UAV'"'"'s separate power source.

11. The transportation system according to claim 6, wherein the container is electrically connectable to the UAV, and, when the two are connected, the container'"'"'s battery can provide electrical power through the power outlet to the UAV;

and wherein the container is mechanically connectable to the UAV, and, when the two are connected, the UAV can carry the container around for shipping.

12. The transportation system according to claim 11, wherein said electrical connection is accomplished using at least one electrical structure, said mechanical connection is accomplished using at least one mechanical structure, and said electrical structure and said mechanical structure are separated from each other.

13. The transportation system according to claim 11, wherein said electrical connection and said mechanical connection are accomplished using at least one electrically-and-mechanically bifunctional structure.

14. The transportation system according to claim 13, wherein said electrically-and-mechanically bifunctional structure comprises a mechanically lockable holder which is electrically conductive, wherein the power outlet is configured to be a receptacle for said holder;

wherein when the UAV is loading and carrying the container, said holder can be inserted into the power outlet and mechanically locked thereto, and in the meanwhile the power outlet can be electrically connected to the UAV power system, and wherein when the UAV is unloading the container, said holder is removed from the power outlet and mechanically unlocked therefrom, and the power outlet is electrically disconnected from the UAV power system.

15. The transportation system according to claim 6, wherein the container further comprises a tracking unit.

16. The transportation system according to claim 6, wherein the container further comprises a recording unit.

17. A method of delivering a product using the transportation system of claim 6, comprising:

(1) providing a container that comprises a cargo compartment, a battery, and a power outlet at the point of departure such as a warehouse;

(2) placing the product in the cargo compartment;

(3) providing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV);

(4) connecting the container and the UAV electrically and mechanically, wherein the battery can thus provide electrical power through the power outlet to the UAV, and the UAV can thus carry the container around for shipping;

(5) transporting the container from the point of departure to the destination such as customer'"'"'s house using the UAV;

(6) disconnecting the container and the UAV electrically and mechanically at the destination; and

(7) flying the UAV away from the destination and leaving behind the container and the product therein at the destination.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of collecting and recycling the empty container left in the destination.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery, further comprising a step of collecting the empty container left in the destination, recharging the battery, and reusing the container for next shipment.