Systems and methods for vehicle refueling

• US 10,373,238 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerbanq LLC
• Original Assignee: Powerbanq LLC
• Inventors: Hill, Newell H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US15/209,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0498 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring biofuels, e.g. ethanol-gasoline mixture
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3407 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/20 Monitoring the location of vehicles belonging to a group, e.g. fleet of vehicles, countable or determined number of vehicles
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for replenishing the power source of a user vehicle. The system may comprise at least one power source transport vehicle, the power source transport vehicle having at least one power source container; a vendor device; and a platform having at least a vendor interface for display on the vendor device and a user interface for display on a user device. The platform receives a user request through the user interface regarding the user vehicle. The power source transport vehicle is then deployed to the location of the vehicle based on the user request and replenishes the power source of the user vehicle based on the user request.

Claims

1. A method for replenishing a power source of a user vehicle, comprising:

receiving a user request for power source replenishment services for a user vehicle at a first location through a platform having a user interface accessible with a user device;

coordinating the request with power source replenishment vendors through the platform with an on-board navigation system;

directing the user vehicle through the platform to autonomously relocate itself to a second location having a power source replenishment station associated with a vendor using the on-board navigation system; and

upon arrival of the vehicle at the second location, replenishing an amount of power source on the user vehicle from an amount of power source stored by the vendor at the power source replenishment station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein replenishing an amount of power source of the user vehicle is done by either the user of the user vehicle

or by a person acting on behalf of the vendor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises at least one of gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, isobutanol, methanol, butane, kerosene, propane, natural gas, synthetic fuels, complex hydrides, hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide, and oxygen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises at least one power source from the group consisting of at least one fuel cell, at least one battery, and electrical power.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the power source replenishment station is comprised of one or more power source replenishment units.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the power source replenishment station may be fixed or mobile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user vehicle is navigated autonomously from the power source replenishment station after replenishment of the power source to the first location or to another location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform has a vendor interface accessible via a vendor device with at least one vendor and displays information about the user request on the vendor interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method for the user to input information into the platform comprises at least one method selected from the group consisting of:

speaking on a telephone or using a telephone, computer, tablet, vehicle console module, or other device to email, text, or otherwise communicate using some form of electronic messaging method without using what has been commonly referred to as an “

app”

;

using an “

app”

or other software application that is stored or executed on a telephone, computer, tablet, vehicle console module, or other device;

using an electronic device to access an app via a network; and

using a vehicle console module, computer, location detection, remote unlocking, and reporting device located on the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein information input into the platform comprises at least one specific piece of information selected from the group consisting of:

specific information about the user vehicle, information about the vehicle replenishment point, power source information, specific time for the replenishment including immediately, whether the replenishment should be on a periodic basis, and whether the replenishment should occur when the power source reserves reach a specific percentage of total power source capacity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein replenishing an amount of power source of the user vehicle is done either automatically or semi-automatically.

12. A system for replenishment of the power source of a user vehicle comprising:

a mobile power source replenishment station;

means for vendor delivery of the power source replenishment to a given location;

means for navigating the user vehicle to the power source replenishment station in response to a user request for power source replenishment; and

means for power source replenishment of the user vehicle by the power source replenishment station;

wherein the navigation to the power source replenishment station and the power source replenishment of the user vehicle are coordinated by a digital platform connecting users to vendors.

13. A method for replenishing a power source of a user vehicle, comprising:

providing a platform having a user interface accessible via a user device and a vendor interface accessible via a vendor device, the platform configured for coordinating a user request for power replenishment with at least one vendor; and

upon receiving a user request for power replenishment, navigating the user vehicle autonomously using an on-board navigation system to a power source replenishment station associated with a vendor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the platform displays at least information about the user request through the user interface accessible via the user device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the platform displays at least information about the user request through the vendor interface accessible via the vendor device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising, upon arrival of the user vehicle at the power source replenishment station, replenishing an amount of power source on the user vehicle from an amount of power source stored by the vendor at the power source replenishment station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein replenishing an amount of power source of the user vehicle is done by either the user of the user vehicle or a person acting on behalf of the vendor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein replenishing an amount of power source of the user vehicle is done either automatically or semi-automatically.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method for the user to input information into the platform comprises at least one method selected from the group consisting of:

speaking on a telephone or using a telephone, computer, tablet, vehicle console module, or other device to email, text, or otherwise communicate using some form of electronic messaging method without using what has been commonly referred to as an “

app”

;

using an “

app”

or other software application that is stored or executed on a telephone, computer, tablet, vehicle console module, or other device;

using an electronic device to access an app via a network; and

using a vehicle console module, computer, location detection, remote unlocking, and reporting device located on the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the user request comprises at least one specific piece of information from the group consisting of:

information about the user vehicle, information about the fuel replenishment station, power source information, specific time for the replenishment including immediately, and whether the replenishment should occur when the power source reserves reach a specific percentage of total power source capacity.