Interactive charging of battery-operated vehicles

• US 10,807,490 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2018
• Issued: 10/20/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Drake, Corey D., Barone, Nicholas F., Wong, Clifford, Yeung, Jason A., Goslin, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US16/162,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20200114767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/60 Monitoring or controlling charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 characterised by data exchange
• 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
• 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 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A method and associated computer program product and system are disclosed. The method comprises, while a battery-operated vehicle is not being charged by a power supply, receiving a first input at a user interface displayed on a computing device. The method further comprises, responsive to the first input, wirelessly transmitting a first control signal to the battery-operated vehicle to control motive operation thereof. The method further comprises, responsive to receiving an indication that the battery-operated vehicle is being charged by the power supply, displaying one or more tasks to be completed using the user interface. The method further comprises receiving a second input at the user interface while the one or more tasks are displayed, and responsive to the second input, wirelessly transmitting a second control signal to operate one or more output devices of the battery-operated vehicle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

while a battery-operated vehicle is not being charged by a power supply, operating a user interface displayed on a computing device in a first mode;

responsive to receiving a first input at the user interface while in the first mode, wirelessly transmitting a first control signal to the battery-operated vehicle to control motive operation thereof;

responsive to receiving an indication that the battery-operated vehicle is being charged by the power supply, operating the user interface in a second mode in which one or more tasks are displayed;

responsive to receiving one or more second inputs at the user interface while in the second mode, assessing performance of the one or more tasks; and

wirelessly transmitting, to the battery-operated vehicle, a second control signal that is based on the assessed performance of the one or more tasks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery-operated vehicle comprises a controller and a battery, and

wherein the second control signal configures the controller to adjust a charging rate of the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second control signal operates one or more output devices of the battery-operated vehicle to momentarily operate a drive element of the battery-operated vehicle without disrupting a coupling of the power supply with the battery-operated vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein operating the user interface in the first mode comprises displaying at least a first graphical element that controls the motive operation, wherein the first input is received at the first graphical element;

and

wherein operating the user interface in the second mode comprises displaying at least a second graphical element that does not control the motive operation, wherein the second input is received at the second graphical element.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

during the motive operation, receiving a sensor input from a sensor of the battery-operated vehicle;

wherein one or more graphical elements displayed in the second mode are based on the sensor input.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tasks relate to a virtual operational condition of the battery-operated vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

during the motive operation, receiving a sensor input from a sensor of the battery-operated vehicle;

detecting a collision of the battery-operated vehicle using the sensor input; and

assigning a virtual damage level to the battery-operated vehicle responsive to the collision,

wherein performance of the one or more tasks operates to reduce the virtual damage level.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing the performance of the one or more tasks comprises one or more of the following:

whether a first task of the one or more tasks was successfully completed;

a length of time to successfully complete the first task; and

a progress of the first task within a period.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more computer processors to perform an operation for controlling operation of a battery-operated vehicle, the operation comprising:

displaying a user interface at a display coupled with the one or more computer processors;

while the battery-operated vehicle is not being charged by a power supply, operating the user interface in a first mode;

responsive to receiving a first input at the user interface while in the first mode, wirelessly transmitting a first control signal to the battery-operated vehicle to control motive operation thereof;

responsive to receiving an indication that the battery-operated vehicle is being charged by the power supply, operating the user interface in a second mode in which one or more tasks are displayed;

responsive to receiving one or more second inputs at the user interface while in the second mode, assessing performance of the one or more tasks; and

wirelessly transmitting, to the battery-operated vehicle, a second control signal that is based on the assessed performance of the one or more tasks.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the battery-operated vehicle comprises a controller and a battery, and

wherein the second control signal configures the controller to adjust a charging rate of the battery.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the second control signal operates one or more output devices of the battery-operated vehicle to momentarily operate a drive element of the battery-operated vehicle without disrupting a coupling of the power supply with the battery-operated vehicle.

12. The computer program product of claim 9,

wherein operating the user interface in the first mode comprises displaying at least a first graphical element that controls the motive operation, wherein the first input is received at the first graphical element;

and

wherein operating the user interface in the second mode comprises displaying at least a second graphical element that does not control the motive operation, wherein the second input is received at the second graphical element.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, the operation further comprising:

during the motive operation, receiving a sensor input from a sensor of the battery-operated vehicle;

wherein one or more graphical elements displayed in the second mode are based on the sensor input.

14. A system comprising:

a battery-operated vehicle comprising;

a battery;

a charging interface coupled with the battery; and

a communications interface;

a power supply configured to couple with the charging interface;

a display; and

one or more computer processors configured to;

display a user interface using the display;

while the battery is not being charged by the power supply, operate the user interface in a first mode;

responsive to receiving a first input at the user interface while in the first mode, wirelessly transmit a first control signal to the communications interface to control motive operation of the battery-operated vehicle;

responsive to receiving an indication that the battery is being charged by the power supply, operate the user interface in a second mode in which one or more tasks are displayed;

responsive to receiving one or more second inputs at the user interface while in the second mode, assess performance of the one or more tasks; and

wirelessly transmit, to the communications interface, a second control signal that is based on the assessed performance of the one or more tasks.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the display and the one or more computer processors are included in a mobile computing device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the battery-operated vehicle further comprises:

a controller coupled with the battery,

wherein the second control signal configures the controller to adjust a charging rate of the battery.

17. The system of claim 14,

wherein the battery-operated vehicle further comprises an output device, and

wherein the second control signal operates output device to momentarily operate a drive element of the battery-operated vehicle without disrupting a coupling of the power supply with the battery-operated vehicle.

18. The system of claim 14,

wherein operating the user interface in the first mode comprises displaying at least a first graphical element that controls the motive operation, wherein the first input is received at the first graphical element;

and

wherein operating the user interface in the second mode comprises displaying at least a second graphical element that does not control the motive operation, wherein the second input is received at the second graphical element.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the battery-operated vehicle further comprises:

a sensor,

wherein the one or more computer processors are further configured to;

during the motive operation, receiving a sensor input from the sensor,

wherein one or more graphical elements displayed in the second mode are based on the sensor input.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit.