Apparatus, method and article for providing to a user device information regarding availability of portable electrical energy storage devices at a portable electrical energy storage device collection, charging and distribution machine

• US 9,911,252 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gogoro Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Yi-Tsung, Taylor, Matthew Whiting, Luke, Hok-Sum Horace, Chen, Jung-Hsiu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/511,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20150025923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320108, 320132, 320149, 320109, 700291, 701 22, 701 291, 702 62- 64
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/14 to electric lighting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/16 DC brushless machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/26 Vehicle weight
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/427 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/429 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 : by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 : Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/645 : Type of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 : Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 : by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/18 : by enquiring driving style
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 : by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/22 : by presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 : by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 : drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/34 : of parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/46 : Heat pumps, e.g. for cabin heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 : relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 : relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 : relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 : relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 : using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 : characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 : Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 : involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• 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 58/10 : for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 : responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 : by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/06 : for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 : for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/22 : Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/56 : Control of actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3476 : using point of interest [POI] information, e.g. a route passing visible POIs
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3682 : output of POI information on a road map G01C21/3614, G01C21/3685 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 : Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0638 : Organizing or formatting or addressing of data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0671 : In-line storage system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 : During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 : based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 : based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 : Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 : Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0858 : wherein the data carrier is removable
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 : Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 : Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 : Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 : Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 : Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 : Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 : Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 : acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 : Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/92 : Energy efficient charging or discharging systems for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors specially adapted for vehicles
• 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 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 : Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 : Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 : Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]

Abstract

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Availability of charged portable electrical energy storage devices available at a collection, charging and distribution machine are communicated to or acquired by a mobile device of a user or a user'"'"'s vehicle. Once the mobile device of a user or a user'"'"'s vehicle comes within close proximity of the collection, charging and distribution machine or within a particular area surrounding the collection, charging and distribution machine, the collection, charging and distribution machine or a collection, charging and distribution machine management system communicates an alert (e.g., over a cellular network, short range wireless signal or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) network) to the mobile device or vehicle indicating how many portable electrical energy storage devices are available at the distribution machine.

Claims

1. A method of operating a system for providing information regarding availability of batteries at a collection and distribution machine, the method comprising:

receiving, by the system, information indicating that a user device is within a distance from the collection and distribution machine; and

in response to the received information, communicating to the user device, by the system, information indicative of a number regarding available batteries at the collection and distribution machine with a selectable link to reserve at least one of the available batteries.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information includes information indicative of the user device being within a wireless signal range of the collection and distribution machine.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the system is part of the collection and distribution machine.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message from the system to the user device over a wireless signal via a local area network to which the system is connected.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the collection and distribution machine is a first collection and distribution machine, and wherein the number of available batteries is a first number, and wherein the method further comprises communicating to the user device a second number of available batteries at a second collection and distribution machine.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to reserve the at least one of the available batteries via the selectable link; and

in response to the request, reserving the at least one of the available batteries at the collection and distribution machine.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one of the available batteries is reserved for a limited amount of time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information indicating that the user device is within the distance from the collection and distribution machine based on global positioning system data associated with a current location of the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating to the user device, by the system, information regarding a type of available batteries and an associated price to obtain the type of available batteries.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user device is a wireless mobile device.

11. A method for providing information regarding availability of batteries at a collection and distribution machine, the method comprising:

causing a user device to emit a wireless signal from the user device, when the user device is within a distance from the collection and distribution machine;

in response to the emission of the wireless signal, receiving a communication, from the collection and distribution machine, at the user device including information indicative of a number regarding available batteries at the collection and distribution machine; and

receiving a selectable link at the user device to reserve at least one of the available batteries.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the communication is a short message service communication received over a wireless connection to a local area network.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the number of available batteries on the user device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying the number of available batteries on a displayed map.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the communication from the collection and distribution machine.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the communication from a collection and distribution machine management system remote from the collection and distribution machine.

17. A battery reservation system comprising:

at least one battery reservation system processor unit; and

at least one processor-readable memory of the battery reservation system that stores instructions executable by the at least one battery reservation system processor unit to cause the at least one battery reservation system processor unit to;

determine that a user device is within a distance from a collection and distribution machine;

transmit to the user device information indicative of a number regarding available batteries at the collection and distribution machine with a selectable link to reserve at least one of the available batteries;

receive an indication of selection via the selectable link to reserve a selected number of available batteries at the collection and distribution machine; and

communicate the selection to the collection and distribution machine.

18. The battery reservation system of claim 17 wherein the instructions are executable by the least one battery reservation system processor unit to further cause the battery reservation system to:

communicate a confirmation to the user device that the selected number of available batteries has been reserved.

19. The battery reservation system of claim 17, wherein the collection and distribution machine is a first collection and distribution machine, and wherein the number regarding available batteries is a first number, and wherein the instructions are executable by the least one battery reservation system processor unit to further cause the battery reservation system to:

receive an advertisement indicative of a second number regarding available batteries at a second collection and distribution machine; and

transmit the advertisement to the user device.