System to selectively provide power to recreational vehicles with a SaaS application accessed via mobile devices

• US 10,414,357 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2019
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wild Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wild Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorensen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US16/446,306
• Time in Patent Office: 90 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0238 Electrical distribution centers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/066 Arrangements for avoiding or indicating fraudulent use
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2637 Vehicle, car, auto, wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/35 for the management of goods or merchandise
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

Provided is a system, comprising: an electrical power meter comprising: a network interface; electrical power inputs configured to receive electrical power from a power-distribution system of a vehicle facility configured to host a plurality of vehicles; first and second electrically controlled switches coupled to vehicle power connectors; and a client-side processor configured to communicate with a remote server system; and the remote server system, configured to: cause a user-computing device of a user to display a user interface by which power-delivery is configurable; receive a request to deliver electrical power via a vehicle power connector; and in response, transmitting, to the electrical power meter, a command that causes the client-side processor to adjust the electrically controlled switch.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first electrical power meter configured to selectively provide electrical power at a first current amount via a first vehicle power connector and provide electrical power at a second current amount via a second vehicle power connector, the first electrical power meter comprising;

a first network interface;

one or more electrical power inputs configured to receive electrical power from a power-distribution system of a vehicle facility configured to host a plurality of vehicles;

a first electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the first vehicle power connector;

a second electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the second vehicle power connector; and

a first client-side processor coupled to the first network interface, the first electrically controlled switch, and the second electrically controlled switch, wherein the first client-side processor is configured to communicate via the first network interface with a remote server system; and

the remote server system, comprising;

one or more server-side processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed effectuate operations comprising;

causing a user-computing device of a user to display a user interface by which power-delivery via the first electrical power meter is configurable;

receiving, from the user-computing device, a request to deliver electrical power via the first vehicle power connector; and

in response to receiving the request, transmitting, to the network interface of the first electrical power meter, a command that causes the client-side processor to adjust the first electrically controlled switch to effectuate delivery of electrical power at the first current amount via the first vehicle power connector, wherein;

the vehicle facility is a recreational vehicle facility having a plurality of sites to park recreational vehicles, each of the plurality of sites having an instance of the electrical power meter;

the first vehicle power connector is a 30-ampere recreational vehicle power connector;

the second vehicle power connector is a 50-ampere recreational vehicle power connector or a 20-ampere recreational vehicle power connector;

the first electrical power meter comprises a meter configured to measure an amount of electrical energy delivered to a recreational vehicle via the first electrical power meter;

the remote server system is configured to cause the first electrically controlled switch or the second electrically controlled switch to cease delivering electrical power after a measured amount of electrical energy delivered to the recreational vehicle exceeds a threshold amount;

the threshold is determined by the remote server system based on user input to the user-computing device and sent by the user-computing device to the remote server system; and

the first electrical power meter retrofits a recreational-vehicle pedestal electrical box that, prior to the retrofit, does not include a network interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrical power meter is configured to measure an amount of electrical energy consumption by the user via the first electrical power meter; and

the remote server system, the first electrical power meter, or both are configured to;

cause the first electrical power meter to cease providing electrical power to the user in response to electrical power consumption exceeding a first threshold; and

cause the first electrical power meter to cease providing electrical power to the user in response to a duration of time of availability of electrical power consumption exceeding a second threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the remote server system is configured to determine the first threshold and the second threshold and send the first threshold and the second threshold to the first electric power meter via the network interface; and

the first electrical power meter is configured to store the first threshold and the second threshold in memory and later determine, based on the stored first threshold or second threshold, whether to cease providing electrical power to the user without a network connection to the remote server system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical power meter comprises:

an override switch configured to bypass the first electrically controlled switch, the second electrically controlled switch, or both to provide electrical power when the first electrically controlled switch, the second electrically controlled switch, or both are in an open state; and

a visual or audible user interface indicative of a state or states of the first electrically controlled switch, the second electrically controlled switch, or both.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a second electrical power meter configured to selectively provide electrical power at the first current amount via a third vehicle power connector and provide power at the second current amount via a fourth vehicle power connector, the second electrical power meter comprising;

a second network interface;

one or more electrical power inputs configured to receive electrical power from the power-distribution system of the vehicle facility;

a third electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the third vehicle power connector;

a fourth electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the fourth vehicle power connector; and

a second client-side processor coupled to the second network interface, the third electrically controlled switch, and the fourth electrically controlled switch, wherein the second client-side processor is configured to communicate via the second network interface with the remote server system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first network interface or another network interface of the first electrical power meter comprises a first wireless network interface through which the first electrical power meter is configured to communicate with the remote server system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the first wireless network interface is a cellular or satellite wireless network interface; and

the first electrical power meter comprises a second wireless network interface that is different from the first wireless network interface; and

the remote server system and the user-computing device are configured to communicate with each other via a message conveyed by both the first wireless network interface and the second wireless network interface.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of instances of the electrical power meter at different sites in the vehicle facility, the plurality of instances including the first electrical power meter,

wherein the plurality of instances of the electrical power meter are configured to form a mesh wireless network via respective network interfaces of the plurality of instances of the electrical power meter, at least some of the plurality of instances of the electrical power meter communicating with the remote server system via other instances of the electrical power meter having access to a different wireless network from the mesh wireless network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the remote server system is configured to;

manage a plurality of sets of electric power meters, each set of electric power meters corresponding to a different tenant account of the remote server system; and

provide a tenant user interface by which different tenants are presented with data indicative of utilization of different sets of electric power meters corresponding to the respective tenant.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrical power meter comprises an electrically controlled water valve; and

the first client-side processor is configured to cause the electrically controlled water valve to open or close responsive to commands from the remote server system to selectively provide water to a recreational vehicle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the first electrical power meter comprises a water meter configured to measure an amount of water consumption; and

the remote server system is configured to cause the first electrical power meter to cause the electrically controlled water valve to close responsive to;

a threshold time elapsing;

a threshold amount of measured water consumption;

or

both a threshold time elapsing and a threshold amount of measured water consumption.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising at least one of the following:

a security system configured to communicate via the first network interface;

an emergency alert system configured to communicate via the first network interface;

a video streaming system configured to communicate via the first network interface;

or

an inventory management system configured to communicate via the first network interface and effectuate delivery of locally stored physical goods to the user.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

inferring a number of vehicles used by the user based on user selections among the first vehicle power connector and the first vehicle power connector;

storing the number in a profile of the user in memory; and

determining to send a message to the user based on the profile.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first electrical power meter comprises;

a first meter configured to measure electrical energy consumption via the first vehicle power connector; and

a second meter configured to measure electrical energy consumption via the second vehicle power connector;

the client side processor is configured to report electrical energy consumption via the first vehicle power connector and, as a distinct measure, electrical energy consumption via the second vehicle power connector to the remote server system; and

the remote server system is configured to store values indicative of reported electrical energy consumption via the first vehicle power connector and electrical energy consumption via the second vehicle power connector in memory in association with an identifier of the user.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the user-computing device comprises memory storing a native application by which the user interface is displayed.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the native application is configured to cause a user interface pertaining to the first electrical power meter to be customized in response to the user-computing device receiving a wireless signal from the first electrical power meter.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations comprise:

determining a first threshold for electrical energy consumption or power-availability time for the first vehicle power connector based on a first user input via the native application;

determining a second threshold for electrical energy consumption or power-availability time for the second vehicle power connector based on a second user input via the native application;

causing the first electrical power meter to cease providing electrical power via the first vehicle power connector at a first time in response to determining that the first threshold has been exceeded; and

causing the first electrical power meter to cease providing electrical power via the second vehicle power connector at a first time in response to determining that the second threshold has been exceeded, the second time being different from the first time.

18. The system of claim 1, comprising:

means for retrofitting a power-distribution system to provide self-service power distribution to vehicles at a plurality of different amperages with amperage-specific pre-selected amounts of power or amperage-specific pre-selected durations of time of power availability.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electrical power meter and the remote server system are configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving, with the remote server system, a request from the user-computing device to power a second vehicle from a first vehicle; and

in response to the request to power a second vehicle from a first vehicle, causing the first electrical power meter to draw power from the first vehicle via the first vehicle power connector and provide at least some of the drawn power to the second vehicle via the second vehicle power connector.

20. A system, comprising:

a first electrical power meter configured to selectively provide electrical power at a first current amount via a first vehicle power connector and provide electrical power at a second current amount via a second vehicle power connector, the first electrical power meter comprising;

a first network interface;

one or more electrical power inputs configured to receive electrical power from a power-distribution system of a vehicle facility configured to host a plurality of vehicles;

a first electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the first vehicle power connector;

a second electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the second vehicle power connector; and

a first client-side processor coupled to the first network interface, the first electrically controlled switch, and the second electrically controlled switch, wherein the first client-side processor is configured to communicate via the first network interface with a remote server system; and

the remote server system, comprising;

one or more server-side processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed effectuate operations comprising;

causing a user-computing device of a user to display a user interface by which power-delivery via the first electrical power meter is configurable;

receiving, from the user-computing device, a request to deliver electrical power via the first vehicle power connector; and

in response to receiving the request, transmitting, to the network interface of the first electrical power meter, a command that causes the client-side processor to adjust the first electrically controlled switch to effectuate delivery of electrical power at the first current amount via the first vehicle power connector, wherein;

the first electrical power meter comprises a third electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via a third vehicle power connector;

the first, second, and third electrically controlled switches are different switches from one another;

the first, second, and third vehicle power connectors are different power connectors from one another;

the first vehicle power connector is a 20-amp recreational vehicle power connector;

the second vehicle power connector is a 30-amp recreational vehicle power connector; and

the third vehicle power connector is a 50-amp recreational vehicle power connector.

21. A system, comprising:

a first electrical power meter configured to selectively provide electrical power at a first current amount via a first vehicle power connector and provide electrical power at a second current amount via a second vehicle power connector, the first electrical power meter comprising;

a first network interface;

one or more electrical power inputs configured to receive electrical power from a power-distribution system of a vehicle facility configured to host a plurality of vehicles;

a first electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the first vehicle power connector;

a second electrically controlled switch configured to selectively conduct electrical power from the power-distribution system via the second vehicle power connector; and

a first client-side processor coupled to the first network interface, the first electrically controlled switch, and the second electrically controlled switch, wherein the first client-side processor is configured to communicate via the first network interface with a remote server system; and

the remote server system, comprising;

one or more server-side processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed effectuate operations comprising;

causing a user-computing device of a user to display a user interface by which power-delivery via the first electrical power meter is configurable;

receiving, from the user-computing device, a request to deliver electrical power via the first vehicle power connector; and

in response to receiving the request, transmitting, to the network interface of the first electrical power meter, a command that causes the client-side processor to adjust the first electrically controlled switch to effectuate delivery of electrical power at the first current amount via the first vehicle power connector, wherein;

the first electrical power meter comprises an electrically controlled water valve; and

the first client-side processor is configured to cause the electrically controlled water valve to open or close responsive to commands from the remote server system to selectively provide water to a recreational vehicle.