APPARATUS, METHOD AND ARTICLE FOR CHANGING PORTABLE ELECTRICAL POWER STORAGE DEVICE EXCHANGE PLANS

• US 20140279576A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Inventors: Luke, Hok-Sum Horace
• Granted Patent: US 11,710,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/308
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/006 dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• 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: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

A network of collection, charging and/or distribution machines collect, charge and/or distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). In some embodiments, if the user selects to change their current portable electrical power storage device exchange plan to a two-portable electrical power storage device exchange plan while exchanging their current portable electrical power storage device, the user will return their current portable electrical power storage device and will receive two portable electrical power storage devices in exchange at the collection, charging and distribution machine. The user may also be required to pay additional fees and/or commit to additional obligations while at the collection, charging and distribution machine in order to change to the different portable electrical power storage device exchange plan.

Claims

1. A method in a system for changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computer processors of a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan system, information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle;

determining, by one or more computer processors of the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan system, based on the received information regarding the user exchanging the portable electrical power storage device, whether to provide information regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user; and

providing, by one or more computer processors of the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan system, information to a user regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user based on the determination of whether to provide information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the provided information regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan is information regarding changing a current portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user to a different portable electrical power storage device exchange plan.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the current portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user is a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan in which the user is allowed to have only one portable electrical power storage device for a vehicle at a time from one or more portable electrical power storage device collection and distribution machines.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the different portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user is a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan in which the user is allowed to have multiple portable electrical power storage devices for a vehicle at a time from one or more portable electrical power storage device collection and distribution machines.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle is information regarding one or more of:

whether a vehicle of the user has one or more compartments configured to hold or use at least two portable electrical power storage devices at one time, and a number of vehicles associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle is information regarding driving history of the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle is received from a remote portable electrical power storage device exchange plan information management system or one or more collection and distribution machines.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle is received as a result of receiving input indicative of a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device in possession of the user for a charged portable electrical power storage device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the providing information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user includes providing the information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user at a collection and distribution machine.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the providing information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user includes providing the information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user on a mobile device of the user.

11. A system for changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan, the method comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

determine, based on a received information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device at a collection and distribution machine, whether to provide information via the collection and distribution machine regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user; and

providing information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user via the collection and distribution machine based on the determination of whether to provide information regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the provided information regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan is information regarding changing a current portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user to a different portable electrical power storage device exchange plan.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the current portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user is a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan in which the user is allowed to have only one portable electrical power storage device for a vehicle at a time from one or more portable electrical power storage device collection and distribution machines.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the different portable electrical power storage device exchange plan is a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan in which the user is allowed to have two portable electrical power storage devices for a vehicle at a time from one or more portable electrical power storage device collection and distribution machines.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle is information regarding whether a vehicle of the user has one or more compartments configured for the vehicle to use at least two portable electrical power storage devices at one time or in tandem.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the information regarding a user exchanging a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle includes information regarding a promotion or incentive to offer the user to change a current portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:

authenticate a user;

receive a request by a user to exchange a portable electrical power storage device of a vehicle;

receive, based on the received request by the user to exchange the portable electrical power storage device, information regarding driving habits of the user; and

determine, based on the received information regarding driving habits of the user, whether to provide information regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions thereon, when executed by one or more computer processors, further cause the one or more computer processors to

provide information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user based on the determination of whether to provide information regarding changing a portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the providing information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user includes providing, at a collection and distribution machine, the information regarding changing the portable electrical power storage device exchange plan of the user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the information regarding driving habits of the user is information regarding portable electrical power storage device exchange history of the user.