VEHICLE-TO-VEHICLE ENERGY MARKET SYSTEM

• US 20110238519A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seetharamakrishnan, Devasenapathi P., Basak, Jayanta
• Granted Patent: US 10,304,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

The use of a just-in-time market for EV'"'"'s (electric vehicles) to buy and sell energy from each other directly. Such a market enables the following: sellers to advertise the amount of energy they are willing to sell and the minimum selling price; buyers to advertise the amount of energy they are interested in buying and the maximum buying price. The market works at any location and at any time as long as there is a buyer and seller. The communications are directly between buyers and sellers without the involvement of any third parties.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

ascertaining an electric energy imbalance in a vehicle at least partly powered by electric power;

broadcasting the imbalance to one or more other vehicles;

said broadcasting comprising broadcasting an opening price for energy to redress the imbalance;

listening for one or more bids from the one or more other vehicles;

deciding on whether to accept a bid from another vehicle; and

collecting identifying information from a vehicle from which a bid is accepted.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the imbalance is an electrical energy surplus in the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the imbalance is an electrical energy deficit in the vehicle

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining an electric energy surplus in the vehicle;

broadcasting the surplus to one or more other vehicles and broadcast an opening price for energy to redress the surplus;

listening for one or more bids to redress the surplus;

deciding on whether to accept a bid from another vehicle to redress the surplus; and

identifying information from a vehicle from which a bid redressing the surplus is accepted.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle at least partly powered by electrical power is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle at least partly powered by electrical power is a plug-in electric vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle at least partly powered by electrical power is an electric vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said broadcasting ceases upon lack of response from other vehicles after a predetermined period of time and initiates a broadcast sleep period.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising waking from the sleep period responsive to a broadcast from another vehicle.

10. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the one or more processors, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to ascertain an electric energy imbalance in a vehicle at least partly powered by electric power;

computer readable program code configured to broadcast the imbalance to one or more other vehicles and broadcast an opening price for energy to redress the imbalance;

computer readable program code configured to listen for one or more bids from the one or more other vehicles;

computer readable program code configured to decide on whether to accept a bid from another vehicle; and

computer readable program code configured to identify information from a vehicle from which a bid is accepted.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the imbalance is an electrical energy surplus in the vehicle.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the imbalance is an electrical energy deficit in the vehicle.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said computer readable program code is further configured to:

ascertain an electric energy surplus in the vehicle;

broadcast the surplus to one or more other vehicles and broadcast an opening price for energy to redress the surplus;

listen for one or more bids to redress the surplus;

decide on whether to accept a bid from another vehicle to redress the surplus; and

identify information from a vehicle from which a bid redressing the surplus is accepted.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle at least partly powered by electrical power is a plug-in electric vehicle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle at least partly powered by electrical power is a plug-in electric vehicle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle at least partly powered by electrical power is an electric vehicle.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to cease broadcasting upon lack of response from other vehicles after a predetermined period of time and initiate a broadcast sleep period.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said computer readable program code is further configured to wake from the sleep period responsive to a broadcast from another vehicle.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to ascertain an electric energy imbalance in a vehicle at least partly powered by electric power;

computer readable program code configured to broadcast the imbalance to one or more other vehicles and broadcast an opening price for energy to redress the imbalance;

listening for one or more bids from the one or more other vehicles;

computer readable program code configured to decide on whether to accept a bid from another vehicle; and

computer readable program code configured to identify information from a vehicle from which a bid is accepted.