Vehicle battery point of sale system and method

• US 9,230,390 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Gospodarek, Dale A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US14/055,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20140121829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

A point of sale battery distribution system includes a cabinet in which batteries may be stored, a user interface for facilitating selection and purchase of batteries, and doors which may be secured and freed to be opened based upon purchase transactions. Batteries stored in the cabinet may be charged by a charging system until purchase. The charging system may provide one or more charging voltages and regimes, and output of the charging system may be disabled by a control system when a door is open or freed to be open. An inventory management system may detect batteries stored in the cabinet and convey inventory information to remote systems for replenishment of the cabinet based upon purchases.

Claims

1. A vehicle battery distribution system, comprising:

a cabinet configured to hold, for purchase, at least a first type of battery having a first physical configuration and a second type of battery having a second physical configuration different than the first physical configuration, wherein the cabinet includes corresponding first and second doors having first and second physical configurations accommodative of the first and second physical configurations of the first and second types of batteries, respectively, and wherein the first and second doors are selectively secured from opening and freed to open for respective extraction of the first and second types of batteries from the cabinet;

an inventory management component that detects data for batteries disposed in the cabinet for replenishment of batteries based upon purchases;

a user interface associated with the cabinet and configured to facilitate battery purchase transactions for the purchase of batteries disposed in the cabinet; and

a control system coupled to the user interface and to the first and second doors and configured to control securing and freeing of the first and second doors in response to the battery purchase transactions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the inventory management component automatically prompts an order for replenishment of batteries based upon purchases.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a data exchange component configured to exchange data with a remote system to facilitate the battery purchase transactions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises a reader capable of reading user information as a basis of the battery purchase transactions, and of communicating the user information to the data exchange component to facilitate the battery purchase transactions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an interactive screen configured to provide a user with information useful in selection of a battery disposed in the cabinet.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cabinet is configured for placement in an inside or an outside environment.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising a battery charging system configured to maintain a charge of batteries disposed in the cabinet.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the battery charging system comprises a battery charger and a rail or conductor structure that conveys charging current to the batteries disposed in the cabinet.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first physical configuration of the first type of battery comprises a first voltage rating, the second physical configuration of the second type of battery comprises a second voltage rating different than the first voltage rating, and the battery charging system is configured to provide a first voltage level corresponding to the first voltage rating to the first type of battery and a second voltage level corresponding to the second voltage rating to the second type of battery.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the battery charging system is coupled to the control system, and wherein the control system is configured to at least partially disable output of the battery charging system when the first or second door is open or freed to be opened.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first physical configuration of the first type of battery comprises a first physical size and the second physical configuration of the second type of battery comprises a second physical size greater than the first physical size.

12. A vehicle battery distribution system, comprising:

a cabinet configured to hold batteries for purchase, the cabinet including at least one door that is selectively secured from opening and freed to open for extraction of a battery from the cabinet;

a user interface associated with the cabinet and configured to facilitate battery purchase transactions for the purchase of batteries disposed in the cabinet;

a battery charging system that receives power from a source and provides power to maintain a charge on the batteries disposed in the cabinet, wherein the battery charging system is configured to provide a first voltage level to a first type of battery having a first voltage rating and to provide a second voltage level to a second type of battery having a second voltage rating different than the first voltage rating; and

a control system coupled to the user interface and to the at least one door and configured to control securing and freeing of the at least one door in response to the battery purchase transactions, the control system operative to cause disabling of output of the battery charging system when the at least one door is open or freed to be opened.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising an inventory management component that detects data for batteries disposed in the cabinet for replenishment of batteries based upon purchases.

14. The system of claim 12, comprising a data exchange component configured to exchange data with a remote system to facilitate the battery purchase transactions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises a reader capable of reading user information as a basis of the battery purchase transactions, and of communicating the user information to the data exchange component to facilitate the battery purchase transactions.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises an interactive screen configured to provide a user with information useful in selection of a battery disposed in the cabinet.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises an input component capable of receiving inputs entered by a user to enable the user to select between the first type of battery and the second type of battery.

18. A vehicle battery distribution system, comprising:

a cabinet configured to be located both in an inside or an outside environment and to hold two or more different types of batteries for purchase, the cabinet including at least one door that is selectively secured from opening and freed to open for extraction of a battery from the cabinet;

a user interface associated with the cabinet and configured to facilitate battery purchase transactions of the two or more different types of batteries for the purchase of at least one of the two or more different types of batteries disposed in the cabinet, wherein the user interface prompts a user to select between the two or more different types of batteries;

a battery charging system that receives power from a source and provides power to maintain a charge on the two or more different types of batteries disposed in the cabinet;

a data exchange component configured to exchange data with a remote system to facilitate the battery purchase transactions; and

a control system coupled to the user interface and to the at least one door and configured to control securing and freeing of the at least one door in response to the battery purchase transactions, the control system operative to cause disabling of output of the battery charging system when the at least one door is open or freed to be opened.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the battery charging system comprises a battery charger and a rail or conductor structure that conveys charging current to the two or more different types of batteries disposed in the cabinet.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the battery charging system is configured to provide corresponding two or more different voltage levels to the two or more different types of batteries disposed in the cabinet.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the user interface comprises a reader capable of reading user information as a basis of the battery purchase transactions, and of communicating the user information to the data exchange component to facilitate the battery purchase transactions.

22. The system of claim 18, comprising an inventory management component that detects data for the two or more different types of batteries disposed in the cabinet for replenishment of at least one of the two or more different types of batteries based upon purchases.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the two or more different types of batteries comprises:

a first type of battery having a first size or voltage rating; and

a second type of battery having a second size or voltage rating different than the first size or voltage rating of the first type of battery.