Systems and methods for replacing a vehicle battery

• US 10,144,307 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NIO (Anhui) Holding Co., Ltd. (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Original Assignee: Nio Nextev Limited (NIO, Inc. (China))
• Inventors: Newman, Austin, Yellambalase, Yadunandana
• Primary Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US15/246,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 320106
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0438 Arrangement under the floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0472 from below
• 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: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/90 Vehicles comprising electric prime movers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2306/01 Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2200/00 Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A management system of a vehicle battery replacement system has a plurality of battery replacement stations for replacing a depleted battery pack of an electric vehicle with a charged battery pack. Each battery replacement station includes a coordinating device. The management system also has a control system in communication with the coordinating devices of the battery replacement stations and a plurality of client devices. The control system is configured to receive a request for a battery replacement operation from a client device, and select a battery replacement station of the plurality of battery replacement stations for performing the battery replacement operation.

Claims

1. A management system of a vehicle battery replacement system, comprising:

a plurality of battery replacement stations for replacing a depleted battery pack of an electric vehicle with a charged battery pack, wherein each battery replacement station includes a coordinating device, wherein the plurality of battery replacement stations includes a first station and a second station, and wherein the first station is a different type than the second station; and

a control system in communication with the coordinating devices of the battery replacement stations and a plurality of client devices, wherein the control system is configured to;

receive a request for a battery replacement operation from a client device; and

select a battery replacement station of the plurality of battery replacement stations for performing the battery replacement operation.

2. The management system of claim 1, wherein the request for the battery replacement operation includes a location, and the control system selects the battery replacement station based on the location.

3. The management system of claim 2, wherein the location is a location of the vehicle.

4. The management system of claim 1, wherein the first station or the second station is configured to deliver the charged battery pack to a location of the vehicle at the time the request was sent.

5. The management system of claim 1, wherein the first station or the second station includes a designated parking location for conducting the battery replacement operation.

6. The management system of claim 1, wherein the battery replacement station further includes a battery pack queue comprising charged batteries.

7. The management system of claim 6, wherein the charged batteries are stored at less than full charge, and

wherein a coordinating device is configured to provide an instruction to charge a selected battery pack to full charge based on the request for a battery replacement operation.

8. The management system of claim 1, wherein the battery replacement station further includes a service provider configured to perform the battery replacement operation, wherein the service provider is a robotic cart.

9. The management system of claim 1, wherein the client device is a mobile device.

10. The management system of claim 1, wherein the client device is an on-board computer of the vehicle.

11. A battery replacement station, comprising:

a battery pack queue comprising partially-charged batteries stored at less than full charge;

a charging device; and

a coordinating device configured to;

receive, from a client device associated with a vehicle, a request to perform a battery replacement operation for the vehicle, wherein the request includes information about a type of the vehicle;

select, based on the request, a partially-charged battery from the battery pack queue to be used in the battery replacement operation for the vehicle, wherein the selected partially-charged battery is compatible with the type of the vehicle; and

charge, via the charging device and in response to receiving the request from the client device, the selected partially-charged battery to full charge for installation in the vehicle.

12. The battery replacement station of claim 11, wherein the partially-charged batteries are stored at approximately 70% of full charge.

13. The battery replacement station of claim 11, wherein the coordinating device is further configured to:

schedule the battery replacement operation for the vehicle at a future time, and wherein the selected partially-charged battery is charged to full charge for installation in the vehicle prior to the future time.

14. A method for replacing a battery pack of an electric vehicle, comprising:

receiving a request for a battery replacement operation from a client device, the request including status information; and

coordinating, by a processor, the battery replacement operation by selecting a battery replacement station from a plurality of battery replacement stations for performing the battery replacement operation based on the status information, wherein the plurality of battery replacement stations includes a first station and a second station, and wherein the first station is a different type than the second station, and

wherein the status information includes one or more of a location of the vehicle, a desired battery replacement station, a remaining battery charge, historical replacement information, battery availability information, or future travel information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending a message to the client device, the message identifying the selected battery replacement station.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the message identifies a designated parking spot for performing the battery replacement operation.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the status information is a vehicle location and the battery replacement station is selected based on a proximity to the location.

18. The method of claim 14, further including performing the battery replacement operation, including removing a depleted battery pack from the vehicle and connecting a charged battery pack to the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein performing the battery replacement operation includes delivering the charged battery pack to a location of the vehicle at the time the request was received.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the battery replacement operation is performed by a robotic cart.