SECURED ON-DEMAND ENERGY SYSTEMS

• US 20150241898A1
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nova Lumos Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nova Lumos Ltd.
• Inventors: MAROM, Nir, VORTMAN, David, NITZANI, Nir, BONEH, Rafi, MEDAN, Yoav
• Granted Patent: US 9,985,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A system for providing electrical energy to an energy consumer includes an environmental energy source; an energy storage unit being electrically connected to the environmental energy source and configured to operate with the environmental energy source; and a control unit connected to the environmental energy source and to the energy storage unit, the control unit further comprising an authentication unit configured to periodically authenticate operation of the energy storage unit with the environmental energy source such that, upon authentication by the authentication unit, the control unit enables energy to flow from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit.

Claims

1. A system for providing electrical energy to an energy consumer, comprising:

an environmental energy source;

an energy storage unit being electrically connected to the environmental energy source and configured to operate with the environmental energy source; and

a control unit connected to the environmental energy source and to the energy storage unit, the control unit further comprising an authentication unit configured to periodically authenticate operation of the energy storage unit with the environmental energy source such that, upon authentication by the authentication unit, the control unit enables energy to flow from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit is further configured to perform at least one of:

enable supply of energy from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit upon a positive authentication result between the environmental energy source and the energy storage unit;

enable supply of energy from the energy storage unit to the energy consumer upon a positive authentication result between the energy storage unit and the energy consumer;

disable supply of energy from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit upon a negative authentication result between the environmental energy source and the energy storage unit; and

disable supply of energy from the energy storage unit to the energy consumer upon a negative authentication result between the energy storage unit and the energy consumer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit is integrated within the energy storage unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the authentication unit ceases authentication upon mechanical damaging of the energy storage unit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of:

a quantity of electrical energy that is provided from the energy storage unit;

a rate of electrical energy that is provided from the energy storage unit;

a quantity of electrical energy that is transferred from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit;

a time period during which energy may be transferred from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit; and

a rate of electrical energy transfer from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the control based on a purchased energy plan.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the purchased energy plan is purchased over a cellular network, wherein further authentication information respective of the purchased energy plan is provided to the system over the cellular network for authentication by the authentication unit.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to perform the control based on authentication of the energy consumer.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising a network, wherein the control unit is remote to the environmental energy source and to the energy storage unit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental energy source provides electrical energy from at least one of:

wind, sun, water currents, and waves.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental energy source further comprises at least a photovoltaic cell.

12. A method for operating a system for providing electrical energy to an energy consumer, comprising:

initializing an environmental energy source to operate with an energy storage unit;

initializing the energy storage unit to operate with the environmental energy source;

electrically connecting the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit; and

performing an authentication of the electrical connection between the energy storage unit and the environmental energy source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the authentication is performed periodically.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein performing an authentication ceases upon determination of mechanical damage to the energy storage unit.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising at least one of:

enabling supply of energy from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit upon a positive authentication result between the environmental energy source and the energy storage unit;

enabling supply of energy from the energy storage unit to the energy consumer upon a positive authentication result between the energy storage unit and the energy consumer;

disabling supply of energy from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit upon a negative authentication result between the environmental energy source and the energy storage unit; and

disabling supply of energy from the energy storage unit to the energy consumer upon a negative authentication result between the energy storage unit and the energy consumer.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling, by a control unit, at least one of;

a quantity of electrical energy that is provided from the energy storage unit;

a rate of electrical energy that is provided from the energy storage unit;

a quantity of electrical energy that is transferred from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit;

a time period during which energy may be transferred from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit; and

a rate of electrical energy transfer from the environmental energy source to the energy storage unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling is performed based on a purchased energy plan.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

purchasing the purchased energy plan over a cellular network, wherein authentication information respective of the purchased energy plan is provided and further used for the authentication.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the authentication further comprises:

authenticating the energy consumer.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental energy source provides electrical energy from at least one of:

wind, sun, water currents, and waves.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the environmental energy source comprises at least a photovoltaic cell.