Vehicle-mounted terminal, charging pile, electric bicycle, and rental system and method thereof

• US 10,109,006 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Right Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Zhejiang Right Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yan, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): McAtee, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US15/391,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20170364995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/00 Separate supports or holders for parking or storing cycles cycle supports used during maintenance B25H; building aspects E04H
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 43/13 on rider-propelled cycles with additional electric propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/45 Control or actuating devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an intelligent transportation field. A vehicle-mounted terminal, a charging pile, an electric bicycle, and a rental system and a rental method of the electric bicycle are described. The vehicle-mounted terminal for the electric bicycle comprises: a receiver configured to receive a rental request; and a controller configured to: acquire the performance state of an electric bicycle targeted by the rental request, in response to the rental request; communicate with a server to authenticate the validity of the renter, if the acquired performance state meets preset rental criteria; and issue an unlocking instruction signal to a charging pile to unlock the electric bicycle, if a successful authentication message is received from the server. The vehicle-mounted terminal communicates with the server, so that the back-end server can obtain the service condition of the rented bicycle in real time, and can monitor and manage the bicycle.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted terminal for an electric bicycle, comprising:

a receiver, configured to receive a rental request; and

a controller, configured to;

acquire the performance state of an electric bicycle targeted by the rental request, in response to the rental request;

communicate with a server to authenticate the validity of a renter, if the acquired performance state meets preset rental criteria;

issue an unlocking instruction signal to a charging pile to which the electric bicycle is locked, to unlock the electric bicycle, if a successful authentication message is received from the server; and

a positioning device configured to provide a position information of the electric bicycle to the controller;

the controller further configured to;

communicate with the server to report the position information, and control the electric bicycle to power on according to a feedback from the server that indicates the electric bicycle is within a predefined geographical scope as determined by the server, or control the electric bicycle to power off according to a feedback from the server that indicates the electric bicycle is outside of the predefined geographical scope as determined by the server, wherein the predefined geographical scope is associated with a travel range determined by battery capacity of the electric bicycle and distance to the nearest electric bicycle rental outlet.

2. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, further comprising:

a renter information acquisition means comprising a 2D barcode scanner and/or a wireless IC card reader;

wherein the renter information comprises at least one of the following;

identity information and account information.

3. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive renter information using the renter information acquisition means, if the acquired performance state meets the preset rental criteria; and

communicate with the server to authenticate the validity of the renter according to the renter information received by the renter information acquisition means.

4. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

control the electric bicycle to power on in response to an unlocking feedback from the charging pile, after issuing the unlocking instruction signal to the charging pile.

5. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein the performance state comprises the usable electric capacity in the electric bicycle, and the controller is configured to:

determine that the electric bicycle meets the preset rental criteria, if the usable electric capacity in the electric bicycle is higher than a preset value.

6. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a temporary parking request;

and

the controller is configured to;

control a self-locking device of the electric bicycle to lock up the electric bicycle in response to the temporary parking request.

7. An electric bicycle comprising a bicycle body, a battery, and the vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1.

8. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 1, wherein, the controller is configured to:

control the electric bicycle to power off in response to a bicycle locking signal received from the charging pile.

9. The vehicle-mounted terminal according to claim 8, wherein, the controller is configured to:

issue a charging instruction signal to the charging pile so that the charging pile charges the electric bicycle if the usable electric capacity in the electric bicycle is lower than a preset value, after controlling the electric bicycle to power off.

10. An electric bicycle rental method, comprising:

acquiring, by a controller, the performance state of an electric bicycle, in response to a rental request for the electric bicycle received by a receiver;

communicating, by the controller, with a server to authenticate the validity of a renter, if the acquired performance state meets preset rental criteria;

issuing, by the controller, an unlocking instruction signal to a charging pile to which the electric bicycle is locked, to unlock the electric bicycle, if a successful authentication message is received from the server;

acquiring, by the controller, position information of the electric bicycle from a positioning device; and

communicating, by the controller, with the server to report the position information, and controlling the electric bicycle to power on according to a feedback from the server that indicates the electric bicycle is within a predefined geographical scope as determined by the server, or controlling the electric bicycle to power off according to a feedback from the server that indicates the electric bicycle is outside of the predefined geographical scope as determined by the server, wherein the predefined geographical scope is associated with a travel range determined by battery capacity of the electric bicycle and distance to the nearest electric bicycle rental outlets.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the controller, renter information obtained by a renter information acquisition means, if the acquired performance state meets the preset rental criteria, wherein the renter information acquisition means comprises a 2D barcode scanner and/or a wireless IC card reader, and wherein the renter information comprises at least one of the following;

identity information and account information; and

communicating, by the controller, with the server to authenticate the validity of the renter according to the renter information received by the renter information acquisition means.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the electric bicycle to power on according to an unlocking feedback from the charging pile, after issuing the unlocking instruction signal to the charging pile.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, the performance state comprises the usable electric capacity in the electric bicycle, and the method further comprises:

determining, by the controller, that the electric bicycle meets the preset rental criteria, if the usable electric capacity in the electric bicycle is higher than a preset value.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, by the receiver, a temporary parking request; and

controlling, by the controller, a self-locking device of the electric bicycle to lock up the electric bicycle in response to the temporary parking request.

15. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

controlling, by the controller, the electric bicycle to power off in response to a bicycle locking signal received from the charging pile.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

issuing, by the controller, a charging instruction signal to the charging pile so that the charging pile charges the electric bicycle if the usable electric capacity in the electric bicycle is lower than a preset value, after controlling the electric bicycle to power off, to improve the battery life.