MODULAR SYSTEM FOR COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC STORAGE DEVICES

• US 20140266006A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hok-Sum Horace Luke, Huang-Cheng Hung, Matthew Whiting Taylor
• Inventors: LUKE, Hok-Sum Horace, TAYLOR, Matthew Whiting, HUNG, Huang-Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 11,075,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/106
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

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. Collection, charging and distribution machines may be deployed individually or as networked collection, charging and distribution modules with one collection, charging and distribution module controlling at least one other collection, charging and distribution module.

Claims

1. A distribution, collection and charging machine deployment for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the distribution, collection and charging machine deployment comprising:

a master distribution, collection and charging machine including;

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 master distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged, and

a charging subsystem responsive to the at least one controller to charge the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices;

a slave distribution, collection and charging machine communicably coupled to the master distribution, collection and charging machine, the slave distribution, collection and charging machine including;

a network interface device to communicably couple the slave distribution, collection and charging machine to the master distribution collection and charging machine via at least one of a wired network connection or a wireless network connection; and

a number of receivers each sized and dimensioned to removably receive respective portable electrical energy storage devices, each of the number of receivers communicably coupled to the control subsystem.

2. The distribution, collection and charging machine deployment of claim 1 wherein each of the number of receivers in the slave collection, charging, and distribution machines are individually addressable by the control subsystem via the network interface device.

3. The distribution, collection and charging machine deployment of claim 1 wherein the slave distribution, collection and charging machine further comprises:

a slave device controller communicably coupled to each of the number of receivers included in the slave distribution, collection and charging machine and to the network interface device in the slave distribution, collection and charging machine.

4. The distribution, collection, and charging machine deployment of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one power transfer connector configured to electrically communicably couple each of the slave collection, charging, and distribution machine to at least one other slave collection, charging, and distribution machine or the master collection, charging, and distribution machine.

5. The distribution, collection, and charging machine deployment of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one user interface communicably coupled to the control subsystem.

6. A distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the distribution, collection and charging machine comprising:

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 and identifies a second number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at another 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 and the second number of portable electrical energy storage devices; and

a network interface device to communicably couple the distribution, collection and charging machine to the another distribution collection and charging machine via at least one of a wired network connection or a wireless network connection.

7. The distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices of claim 6, wherein the control subsystem individually addresses receivers sized and dimensioned to removably receive portable electrical energy storage devices in the another distribution, collection and charging machine.

8. The distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one power transfer connector configured to electrically communicably couple the distribution, collection and charging machine to the another distribution, collection and charging machine.

9. A distribution, collection and charging machine for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the distribution, collection and charging machine comprising:

a number of receivers each sized and dimensioned to removably receive respective portable electrical energy storage devices;

a network interface device to communicably couple the distribution, collection and charging machine to the another distribution collection and charging machine via at least one of a wired network connection or a wireless network connection; and

at least one power transfer connector configured to electrically communicably couple the distribution, collection and charging machine to another distribution, collection and charging machine.

10. A method of operating at least two distribution, collection and charging machines for distribution, collection and charging of portable electrical energy storage devices, the method comprising:

identifying, by a control subsystem included in a first distribution, collection and charging machine, a first number of portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at a second distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged;

charging, by a charging subsystem included in the first distribution, collection and charging machine, the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying, by the control subsystem, the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices, further comprises identifying by the control subsystem, portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the second 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 or the second distribution, collection and charging machine.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein charging, by the charging subsystem, further comprises charging, by the charging subsystem, the first number of portable electrical energy storage devices via an electrical service, wherein the electrical service has an associated limited 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.