AUTOMATED RECHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20090079388A1
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semaconnect, Inc. (Blink Charging Co.)
• Original Assignee: Semaconnect, Inc. (Blink Charging Co.)
• Inventors: Reddy, Mahidhar
• Granted Patent: US 8,368,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An automated recharging system to automatically recharge a vehicle is disclosed. A recharging device may be incorporated into the automated recharging system to perform the automatic recharge. The recharging device may include one or more sensors to sense the location of an electrical receptacle of the vehicle, an electrical connector to automatically connect to the receptacle to provide electrical current through the connection, and a controller to cause the connection to be made so as to automatically recharge the vehicle.

Claims

1. A recharging device comprising:

at least one sensor configured to sense the location of an electrical receptacle of an object;

an electrical connector configured to electrically connect to the electrical receptacle; and

a controller in communication with the at least one sensor and the electrical connector and configured to cause the electrical connector to connect to the electrical receptacle at the sensed location so as to automatically recharge the object via the connection.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a movable body coupled to the electrical connector and in communication with the controller, the movable body configured to move the electrical connector in response to a communication from the controller.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the movable body is configured to have at least one degree of freedom of movement vertically and at least three degrees of freedom of movement horizontally.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a current source configured to deliver current through the electrical connector to the electrical receptacle so as to electrically recharge the object having the electrical receptacle.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the current source is configured to deliver the current upon a communication from the controller that the electrical connector is electrically connected to the electrical receptacle.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the electrical connector to move to the sensed location of the electrical receptacle so as to automatically connect to the electrical receptacle, and

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the electrical connector to move away from the sensed location of the electrical receptacle so as to automatically disconnect from the electrical receptacle.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to sense the orientation of the electrical receptacle.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is further configured to sense that the electrical connector is electrically connected to the electrical receptacle and to communicate to the controller that the connection was made.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical connector has at least one anchor disposed on the electrical connector to assist the electrical connector to completely connect to the electrical receptacle.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is one of a camera, an infrared rangefinder, or an ultrasonic rangefinder.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a manual lever disposed on the electrical connector and configured to manually disconnect the electrical connector from the electrical receptacle upon manipulation.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of indicators, each indicator configured to transmit a direction to a user of the object to maneuver the object into proximity with the device.

13. The device of claim 1 incorporated into an automated recharging system.

57. A device comprising:

the recharging device of claim 1; and

a meter configured to measure the amount of time that a vehicle is parked at the device.

58. A device comprising:

the recharging device of claim 1; and

a communication port configured to connect to the Internet.

59. A device comprising:

the recharging device of claim 1; and

a communication device configured to connect to a telephone network.

60. A device comprising:

the recharging device of claim 1; and

a display device configured to display a plurality of images.

14. A method for automatically recharging a device, comprising:

responsive to a detected position of a receptacle in the device, automatically connecting a connector to the receptacle;

transferring current from the connector to the receptacle via the connection therebetween; and

automatically recharging a power source in the device using the transferred current, the power source electrically coupled to the receptacle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically connecting comprises:

until a present position of the connector corresponds to the detected position,

moving the connector toward the detected position,

determining the present position of the moved connector, and

comparing the determined position to the detected position.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically recharging comprises:

until a predetermined condition is detected, transferring the current to the power source in the device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition is selected from the group consisting of the device powering up, a predetermined recharge time limit being reached, the device being fully recharged, and a recharge stop signal being received.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

responsive to an indication that the recharging has stopped, automatically disconnecting the connector from the receptacle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the automatically disconnecting comprises:

until a present position of the connector corresponds to a predetermined position,

moving the connector away from the detected position of the receptacle,

determining the present position of the moved connector, and

comparing the determined position to the predetermined position.

20. In a system including a recharging device having a connector and a vehicle having a receptacle, a method for automatically recharging the vehicle, the method comprising:

determining whether the vehicle is within a predetermined distance of the recharging device;

automatically connecting the connector to the receptacle based on the determination; and

automatically recharging the vehicle through the connection.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining comprises:

based on a signal from the vehicle, detecting the location of the vehicle;

calculating the distance between the detected location and the recharging device; and

determining that the vehicle is within the predetermined distance if the calculated distance is less than or equal to the predetermined distance.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

communicating with the vehicle to exchange information with the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the communicating is via an electromagnetic medium.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

authenticating the information received from the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

if the authenticating fails, sending a message to the vehicle that the vehicle can not be recharged.

26. In a system including a recharging device having a connector and a vehicle having a receptacle, a method for automatically recharging the vehicle, the method comprising:

transmitting a recharge request to the recharging device;

upon receipt of a query from the recharging device, transmitting information about the vehicle; and

automatically receiving the connector into the receptacle so as to automatically recharge the vehicle through the connector.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to stop recharging the vehicle.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the recharge request includes the location of the vehicle.

29. A method for automatically recharging a device comprising:

responsive to a recharge request from the device, determining whether the current time corresponds to a predetermined recharge time period; and

based on the determination,

automatically connecting a recharging device to the device, and

automatically recharging the device through the connection.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining comprises:

acquiring current time information;

comparing the acquired time information with the predetermined recharge time period; and

determining that the current time corresponds to the predetermined recharge time period if the current time is within the predetermined recharge time period.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the automatically connecting comprises:

automatically connecting the recharging device to the device if the current time is within the predetermined recharge time period.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the automatically recharging comprises:

automatically recharging the device if the current time is within the predetermined recharge time period.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

if the current time is not within the predetermined recharge time period, sending a warning to the device, wherein the warning includes a suggested recharge time that is within the predetermined recharge time period.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

determining whether there is a system override; and

if so, proceeding with the automatic connecting of the recharging device to the device and the automatic recharging of the device through the connection.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the predetermined recharge time period represents an off-peak demand time period.

36. An automated recharging system comprising:

a server; and

a plurality of recharging devices in communication with the server, each recharging device comprising

an electrical connector configured to connect to a mobile device,

a controller in communication with the electrical connector and configured to cause the electrical connector to automatically connect to the mobile device in order to recharge the mobile device, and

a communication unit configured to communicate with the server in order to provide data to the server upon the electrical connector connecting to the mobile device.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the data includes an identifier of the mobile device, an identifier of the recharging device connected to the mobile device, and a date and time that the connection was made.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the communication unit is configured to communicate with the server wirelessly.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein the communication unit is further configured to communicate with the other recharging devices via wired communication, wireless communication, or both.

40. The system of claim 36, further comprising an entity in communication with the server, the entity providing at least one of a service or a product via the plurality of recharging devices.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the entity is an electric utility providing electrical current via the plurality of recharging devices.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the entity is a municipality providing parking service via the plurality of recharging devices.

43. The system of claim 36, further comprising a client computer in communication with the server via a web interface, the web interface being configured to monitor, control, and exchange information with the server regarding the mobile device connections.

44. The system of claim 36, wherein the plurality of recharging devices are formed into a mesh network, each recharging device being configured to communicate with the other recharging devices via the mesh network and one of the recharging devices being configured to communicate with the server on behalf of all of the recharging devices.

45. The system of claim 36, wherein the server is configured to control the plurality of recharging devices, the control comprising determining the amount of electrical current dispensed to the mobile device and determining whether the recharging devices can recharge the mobile device.

46. In a system including a server in communication with at least one recharging device comprising a connector configured to connect to a receptacle in a vehicle and including at least one entity in communication with the server, the at least one entity providing to the vehicle at least one of a product or a service associated with automatically recharging the vehicle via the connection between the at least one recharging device and the vehicle, a method comprising:

upon receipt of data regarding the connection between the at least one recharging device and the vehicle, identifying the at least one entity providing to the vehicle through the connection the at least one of a product or a service associated with the automatic recharging of the vehicle;

communicating the data to the identified entity; and

receiving from the identified entity a cost associated with the provided at least one of a product or a service.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

identifying a consumer associated with the vehicle.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

generating a bill to the identified consumer including the cost.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

identifying a payable account of the consumer.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

deducting the cost from the identified account.

51. In a system including a server in communication with at least one recharging device comprising a connector configured to connect to a receptacle in a vehicle and including at least one entity in communication with the server, the at least one entity providing to the vehicle at least one of a product or a service associated with automatically recharging the vehicle via the connection between the at least one recharging device and the vehicle, a method comprising:

upon receipt of data regarding the connection between the at least one recharging device and the vehicle, identifying a quantity of the at least one of a product or a service associated with the automatic recharging of the vehicle that the vehicle received through the connection;

calculating a cost of the identified quantity; and

communicating the calculated cost to at least one of the server, the at least one recharging device, or the vehicle.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the communicating comprises:

communicating the calculated cost to the server via a communication network.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the calculating comprises:

retrieving the time and date of the connection from the received data;

determining a cost per unit of the received at least one of a product or a service based on the retrieved time and date; and

calculating the cost of the identified quantity according to the determined cost per unit.

54. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store data regarding at least one recharging device, at least one vehicle, and a connection therebetween; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to

determine at least one of a service or a product that was transferred from the at least one recharging device to the at least one vehicle via the connection,

identify a provider of the at least one of a service or a product, and

communicate the determination to the identified provider.

55. The system of claim 54, the processor further configured to receive a cost of the at least one of a service or a product from the identified provider.

56. The system of claim 54, the processor further configured to generate a bill listing all of the services and products transferred to the at least one vehicle during a predetermined time period.

61. A computer readable medium storing a set of instructions for automatically recharging a vehicle that when executed by a processor causes the processor to

determine a location of the vehicle toward which to extend a recharging device,

direct the recharging device to automatically connect to the vehicle at the determined location, and

direct the recharging device to automatically recharge the vehicle through the connection.

62. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein, when determining the location of the vehicle, the processor

receives a signal from a proximity sensor indicating the proximity of the recharging device to the vehicle, and

determines the location of the vehicle based on the received signal.

63. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein the processor transmits a signal to a display unit to display a status of the recharging device.

64. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein the processor receives data including a form of payment for the recharge of the vehicle.

65. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically connect, the processor

receives a signal from a connection sensor indicating the position on the vehicle to which to connect the recharging device, and

directs the recharging device to automatically connect to the indicated position on the vehicle based on the received signal.

66. The computer readable medium of claim 65, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically connect, the processor

receives a second signal from the connection sensor indicating that an obstacle is present between the recharging device and the indicated position, and

directs the recharging device to retract to a predetermined position.

67. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically connect, the processor transmits a signal to the recharging device to extend toward the determined location of the vehicle.

68. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein, when directing the recharging device to automatically recharge, the processor transmits a signal to the recharging device to send an electrical current through the connection to the vehicle.

69. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein the processor is further caused to direct the recharging device to automatically stop recharging the vehicle and to automatically disconnect from the vehicle when the recharge stops.