Managing power distribution

• US 10,043,223 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Beardsmore, Anthony P., Fenton, Oliver, Levell, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Trotter, Scott S
• Application Number:
  US12/982,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,777 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/006 dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/10 Energy trading, including energy flowing from end-user application to grid

Abstract

In an embodiment of the invention, a method for wireless power generation for managing power distribution in a wireless environment is provided. The method includes receiving a request from a device to connect to a wireless power distribution base station, authenticating the device, determining a lease period during which time power is to be delivered wirelessly to the device in response to authenticating the device, and delivering power wirelessly from the wireless power distribution base station to the device for the duration of the lease period, but subsequent to the lease period, discontinuing delivery of power wirelessly to the device.

Claims

1. A method for managing power distribution by a wireless power distribution base station, comprising:

receiving a request from a device to connect to a wireless power distribution base station;

determining whether a low battery condition exists for the device and also delivering power wirelessly for a limited duration to the device upon determining that the low battery condition exists for the device until the device is authenticated;

authenticating the device;

determining a lease period during which time power is to be delivered wirelessly to the device in response to authenticating the device;

delivering power wirelessly from the wireless power distribution base station to the device for the duration of the lease period, but subsequent to the lease period, discontinuing delivery of power wirelessly to the device, wherein delivering power to the device is discontinued before expiration of the lease period upon determining one of a battery of the device reaches a full charge and the device disconnects from the wireless power distribution base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

calculating a fee for delivering power wirelessly from the wireless power distribution base station to the device for the duration of the lease period;

displaying the fee to the device; and

,

receiving authorization of payment of the fee from the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the device comprises:

identifying a user associated with the device;

locating a subscription record for the user; and

,

verifying validity of the subscription.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the device comprises:

terminating delivering power for the limited duration to the device upon determining that the device fails to authenticate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the device comprises:

determining an amount of power expected to be drawn by the device;

identifying a user associated with the device;

locating a subscription record for the user; and

,

verifying an availability of payment by the user for an amount commensurate with the expected amount of power.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lease period is determined by performing a lookup in a database containing subscriber records.

7. A computer program product for wireless power management distribution the computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for receiving a request from a device to connect to a wireless power distribution base station;

computer readable program code for determining whether a low battery condition exists for the device and also delivering power wirelessly for a limited duration to the device upon determining that the low battery condition exists for the device until the device is authenticated;

computer readable program code for authenticating the device;

computer readable program code for determining a lease period during which time power is to be delivered wirelessly to the device in response to authenticating the device; and

,

computer readable program code for delivering power wirelessly from the base station to the device for the duration of the lease period, but subsequent to the lease period, discontinuing delivery of power wirelessly to the device;

wherein delivering power to the device is discontinued before expiration of the lease period upon determining one of a battery of the device reaches a full charge and the device disconnects from the wireless power distribution base station.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer readable program code for calculating a fee for delivering power wirelessly from the wireless power distribution base station to the device for the duration of the lease period;

computer readable program code for computer readable program code for displaying the fee to the device; and

,

computer readable program code for receiving authorization of payment of the fee from the device.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer readable program code for authenticating the device comprises:

computer readable program code for identifying a user associated with the device

computer readable program code for locating a subscription record for the user; and

,

computer readable program code for verifying validity of the subscription.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein authenticating the device comprises:

computer readable program code for terminating delivering power for the limited duration to the device upon determining that the device fails to authenticate.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein authenticating the device comprises:

computer readable program code for determining an amount of power expected to be drawn by the device;

computer readable program code for identifying a user associated with the device;

computer readable program code for locating a subscription record for the user; and

,

computer readable program code for verifying an availability of payment by the user for an amount commensurate with the expected amount of power.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the lease period is determined by performing a lookup in a database containing subscriber records.

13. A power distribution system configured for wireless power management distribution, comprising:

a wireless power distribution base with at least one processor and memory;

a database coupled to the wireless power distribution base;

an operating system executing on the wireless power distribution base; and

,

a power management distribution module coupled to the operating system, the module comprising program code enabled to receive a request from a device to connect to a wireless power distribution base station, to determine whether a low battery condition exists for the device and also delivering power wirelessly for a limited duration to the device upon determining that the low battery condition exists for the device until the device is authenticated, to authenticate the device, to determine a lease period during which time power is to be delivered wirelessly to the device in response to authenticating the device, and to delivery power wirelessly from the base station to the device for the duration of the lease period, but subsequent to the lease period, discontinuing delivery of power wirelessly to the device, wherein delivering power to the device is discontinued before expiration of the lease period upon determining one of a battery of the device reaches a full charge and the device disconnects from the wireless power distribution base station.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprises a payment processor.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the power management distribution module further comprises program code enabled to calculate a fee for delivering power wireless from the wireless power distribution base station to the device for the duration of the lease period, to display the fee to the device, and to receive authorization of payment of the fee from the device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the power management distribution module comprising program code enabled to authenticate the device, comprises program code enabled to identify a user associate with the device, and to locate a subscription record for the user, to verify validity of the subscription.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprises program code enabled to record an access even to the wireless power distribution base station for the user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the lease period is determined by performing a lookup in a database containing subscriber records.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the program code enabled to authenticate the device comprises program code to terminate delivering power for the limited duration to the device upon determining that the device fails to authenticate.