METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EFFICIENT BATTERY CHARGING AND USAGE

• US 20160079787A1
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powerplug Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powerplug Ltd.
• Inventors: Yechieli, Eyal
• Granted Patent: US 10,170,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/16 The load or loads being an Information and Communication Technology [ICT] facility
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

Battery charging methods and systems for devices that have rechargeable batteries provide an efficient way to know when to charge a device'"'"'s battery, and when to switch between the device'"'"'s battery and an external power source as the device'"'"'s power source. The methods and systems receive signals associated with an external information service including instructions to conduct processing, access thresholds for a plurality of power rates, obtain information about when different power rates are in effect and, after determining a charge level associated with a battery, compare the threshold of the current power rate to the device'"'"'s battery'"'"'s charge level. Based on such a comparison, the methods and systems can determine whether the battery should be charged and whether the device'"'"'s battery or an external power source should be used as the device'"'"'s power source.

Claims

1. A method for charging a battery associated with a device, wherein the device is configured to draw power from either one of a battery or an external power source, the method comprising the following operations performed by one or more processors:

receiving a signal from an external information service, the signal including power rate data reflecting a value at which power is purchasable at a particular time;

determining a usage threshold and a charge threshold corresponding to the power rate data in response to receiving the signal; and

enabling the device to draw power from the battery as a function of whether a charge level associated with the battery exceeds the usage threshold, and enabling the device to charge the battery with power drawn from the external power source as a function of whether the charge level is below the charge threshold and whether the external power source is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge threshold is less than the usage threshold, and further comprising enabling the device to draw power from the external power source without charging the battery as a function of whether the charge level exceeds the charge threshold and is less than the usage threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charge threshold or the usage threshold is based on a user preference setting.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein enabling the device to draw power from the battery or enabling the device to draw power from the external power source occurs for an amount of time equal to a charging interval, and wherein the charging interval is based on the power rate data and the charge level associated with the battery.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the usage threshold or the charge threshold is based on a user habit reflecting an energy usage pattern associated with the device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the usage threshold or the charge threshold is based on calendar data associated with a user of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an association between a set of potential power rates and a respective set of potential charging thresholds, and wherein determining the usage threshold and the charge threshold further comprises comparing the power rate data to the set of potential power rates and selecting the usage threshold and the charge threshold b17, whereiased on the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling a future time to obtain future power rate data, the scheduling based on the charge level and user schedule information; and

obtaining the future power rate data in accordance with the scheduling.

9. A system for charging a battery associated with a device, wherein the device is configured to draw power from either one of a battery or an external power source, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories;

instructions stored in at least one of the memories, which, when executed by at least one of the processors, causes the system to perform the operations of;

receiving a signal from an external information service, the signal including power rate data reflecting a value at which power is purchasable at a particular time;

determining a usage threshold and a charge threshold corresponding to the power rate data in response to receiving the signal; and

enabling the device to draw power from the battery as a function of whether a charge level associated with the battery exceeds the usage threshold, and enabling the device to charge the battery with power drawn from the external power source as a function of whether the charge level is below the charge threshold and whether the external power source is available.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the charge threshold is less than the usage threshold, and further comprising enabling the device to draw power from the external power source without charging the battery as a function of whether the charge level exceeds the charge threshold and is less than the usage threshold.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the charge threshold or the usage threshold is based on a user preference setting.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein enabling the device to draw power from the battery or enabling the device to draw power from the external power source occurs for an amount of time equal to a charging interval, and wherein the charging interval is based on the power rate data and the charge level associated with the battery.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the usage threshold or the charge threshold is based on at least one of:

a user habit reflecting an energy usage pattern associated with the device;

or

user schedule information based on calendar data associated with a user of the device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise storing an association between a set of potential power rates and a respective set of potential charging thresholds, and wherein determining the usage threshold and the charge threshold further comprises comparing the power rate data to the set of potential power rates and selecting the usage threshold and the charge threshold based on the comparison.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

scheduling a future time to obtain future power rate data, the scheduling based on the charge level and user schedule information; and

obtaining the future power rate data in accordance with the scheduling.

16. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method for charging a battery associated with a device, wherein the device is configured to draw power from either one of a battery or an external power source, comprising:

receiving a signal from an external information service, the signal including power rate data reflecting a value at which power is purchasable at a particular time;

determining a usage threshold and a charge threshold corresponding to the power rate data in response to receiving the signal; and

enabling the device to draw power from the battery as a function of whether a charge level associated with the battery exceeds the usage threshold, and enabling the device to charge the battery with power drawn from the external power source as a function of whether the charge level is below the charge threshold and whether the external power source is available.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the charge threshold is less than the usage threshold, and further comprising enabling the device to draw power from the external power source without charging the battery as a function of whether the charge level exceeds the charge threshold and is less than the usage threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the charge threshold or the usage threshold is based on at least two of:

a user preference setting;

user habit reflecting an energy usage pattern associated with the device; and

calendar data associated with a user of the device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising storing an association between a set of potential power rates and a respective set of potential charging thresholds, and wherein determining the usage threshold and the charge threshold further comprises comparing the power rate data to the set of potential power rates and selecting the usage threshold and the charge threshold based on the comparison.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein enabling the device to draw power from the battery or enabling the device to draw power from the external power source occurs for an amount of time equal to a charging interval, and wherein the charging interval is based on the power rate data and the charge level associated with the battery.