APPARATUS, METHOD AND ARTICLE FOR COLLECTION, CHARGING AND DISTRIBUTING POWER STORAGE DEVICES, SUCH AS BATTERIES
First Claim
1. A method of operating at least one distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the method comprising:
- identifying by a control subsystem a first number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at a first distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged at an accelerated rate relative to at least a second number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the first distribution, collection and charging machine;
charging by a charging subsystem the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via an electrical service, where the electrical service has an associated limiting rating; and
charging by the charging subsystem the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via energy supplied from at least the second number of portable electrical energy storage devices concurrently with the charging of the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via the electrical service.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A collection, charging and distribution machine collects, charges and distributes portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, super- or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machine employs electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. The machine determines a first number of devices to be rapidly charged, employing charge from a second number of devices identified to sacrifice charge. Thus, some devices may be concurrently charged via current from the electrical service and current from other devices, to achieve rapid charging of some subset of devices. The devices that sacrifice charge may later be charged. Such may ensure availability of devices for end users.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method of operating at least one distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the method comprising:
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identifying by a control subsystem a first number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at a first distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged at an accelerated rate relative to at least a second number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the first distribution, collection and charging machine; charging by a charging subsystem the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via an electrical service, where the electrical service has an associated limiting rating; and charging by the charging subsystem the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via energy supplied from at least the second number of portable electrical energy storage devices concurrently with the charging of the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via the electrical service. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the method comprising:
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a number of receivers each sized and dimensioned to removably receive respective portable electrical energy storage devices; a control subsystem including at least one controller that identifies a first number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged at an accelerated rate relative to at least a second number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine; and a charging subsystem responsive to the at least one controller to charge the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via an electrical service and to concurrently charge the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via energy supplied from at least the second number of portable electrical energy storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A nontransitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions executable by a processor to operate a distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, by:
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identifying by the processor a first number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at a first distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged at an accelerated rate relative to at least a second number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the first distribution, collection and charging machine; causing a charging subsystem to charge the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via an electrical service, where the electrical service has an associated limiting rating; and causing the charging system to charge the charging subsystem the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via energy supplied from at least the second number of portable electrical energy storage devices concurrently with the charging of the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via the electrical service. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification