MOBILE POWER SHARING

• US 20120031963A1
• Filed: 08/06/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Adipietro, John M., Kolevar-Brunson, Darcee M., Cheney, Thomas L., Demshur, Paul C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,055 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• 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

An apparatus may include a vehicle cover having a plurality of photovoltaic cells, an inverter, a vehicle battery connector, a plug, and a switch assembly configured to operatively couple the inverter selectively to one of the vehicle battery connector and the plug based, at least in part, on a charge level of the battery. Another apparatus may include a receptacle configured to receive a plug having an identification tag; an identification tag reader to obtain, from the identification tag, identification data associated with a customer of a power company providing a power distribution system; and a controller to receive the identification data and provide the identification data to an account server associated with the power company. A method may include receiving a plug including an identification tag, reading identification data, contacting an account server, and providing the identification data to the account server.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a vehicle cover configured to cover at least an upwardly exposed portion of a vehicle;

a plurality of photovoltaic cells operatively coupled to the vehicle cover and configured to convert light into direct current electrical power;

an inverter configured to convert the direct current into an alternating current;

a vehicle battery connector configured to be electrically connected selectively to a battery of the vehicle;

a plug configured to be electrically connected selectively to a power distribution system; and

a switch assembly configured to operatively couple the inverter selectively to one of the vehicle battery connector and the plug based, at least in part, on a charge level of the battery.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plug includes at least one radio-frequency identification tag containing identification data associated with a customer of a power company providing a power distribution system.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plug includes a base and contact prongs extending from the base, the base including a slot that receives the at least one radio-frequency identification tag.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly is responsive, at least in part, to the charge level of the battery for operatively coupling the inverter to the vehicle battery connector in response to the battery charge level being below a first threshold charge level.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the switch assembly is responsive, at least in part, to the charge level of the battery for operatively coupling the inverter to the plug in response to the battery charge level being above a second threshold charge level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly is further responsive, at least in part, to the charge level of the battery for operatively uncoupling the inverter from the vehicle battery connector and coupling the vehicle battery connector to the plug.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch assembly is further responsive to the current level being received from the inverter for operatively coupling the plug to the vehicle battery connector in response to the current level being below a threshold current level.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a receptacle configured to receive a plug of a vehicle cover assembly having a plurality of photovoltaic cells, the plug including an identification tag;

an identification tag reader mounted proximate to the receptacle and configured to read the identification tag while the plug is received in the receptacle and to obtain, from the identification tag, identification data associated with a customer of a power company providing a power distribution system; and

a controller operatively coupled to the identification tag reader to receive the identification data and provide the identification data to an account server associated with the power company.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the identification tag includes a RFID tag, and the identification tag reader is configured to read the RFID tag.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a switch assembly configured to operatively couple the receptacle selectively to a conductor associated with the power distribution system, and a meter configured to monitor power being conducted through the receptacle.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein an account of the customer on the account server includes one or more customer-selected settings, the controller being further configured to receive the one or more customer-selected settings and control the switch assembly based on the one or more customer-selected settings.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one, or more customer-selected settings includes at least one of (a) whether the customer desires to direct power from the vehicle cover assembly to the power distribution system, and (b) one or more time periods to provide power from the vehicle cover assembly to the power distribution system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more customer-selected settings includes a set price for providing power to the power distribution system, and wherein the controller is further configured to control the switch assembly based on whether the account will receive at least the set price for the power provided to the power distribution system.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving a plug of a vehicle cover assembly having a plurality of photovoltaic cells, the plug including an identification tag;

reading, from the identification tag, identification data associated with a customer of a power company providing a power distribution system;

contacting an account server associated with the power company; and

providing the identification data to the account server.

15. The method of claim 14, where the identification tag includes a RFID tag, wherein reading identification data from the identification tag includes reading identification data from the RFID tag.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving alternating current from the vehicle cover assembly, and directing the alternating current to the power distribution system.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

verifying, based on status of an account of the customer on the account server, whether the vehicle cover assembly should be connected to the power distribution system; and

electrically connecting the plug selectively to a conductor associated with the power distribution system based on authorization from the account server.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

verifying, based on one or more customer-selected settings of an account of the customer on the account server, whether the vehicle cover assembly should be connected to the power distribution system; and

electrically connecting the plug selectively to a conductor associated with the power distribution system based on the one or more customer-selected settings.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein verifying, based on one or more customer-selected settings of the account, whether the vehicle cover assembly should be connected to the power distribution system includes determining at least one of (a) whether the customer desires to direct power from the vehicle cover assembly to the power distribution system, and (b) one or more time periods to provide power from the vehicle cover assembly to the power distribution system.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein verifying, based on one or more customer-selected settings of the account, whether the vehicle cover assembly should be connected to the power distribution system includes determining whether at least a customer-selected set price for providing power will be credited to the account when the power from the vehicle cover assembly is received by the power distribution system.