Battery rental system

• US 6,154,006 A
• Filed: 04/17/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Honda, Satoshi, Yamagata, Tetsuo, Hatanaka, Kaoru, Kumagai, Chiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, LAWRENCE W
• Application Number:
  US09/061,910
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 320/107, 320/124, 320/106
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• 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 53/65 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 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/006 dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• 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

To provide a battery rental system that is extremely convenient and economical, and that is always stable. The battery rental system includes unmanned automatic battery rental stations, a communication system, a central processing station, electrically assisted bicycle batteries, and ID cards. A user merely inserts the ID card into the battery rental system and the central processing station automatically charges the user for removing a battery from the battery rental system.

Claims

1. A battery rental system for an electrically assisted bicycle, for carrying out exchange of a battery mounted on the electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery, using an ID card, comprising:

an unmanned automatic battery rental station; and

a central processing unit for carrying out central processing of the unmanned automatic battery rental station via a communication line.

2. A battery rental system for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on an electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery, using an ID card comprising:

an unmanned automatic battery rental station being provided with user information recognizing means for recognizing the user, battery characteristic information recognizing means for determining the status of the battery, and communication means for transmitting and receiving information from a central processing unit, said user information recognizing means, said battery characteristic information recognizing means and said communication means permits a user to change a user'"'"'s used battery for a fully charged battery.

3. The battery rental system according to claim 2, wherein said ID card stores a user and a registered ID number of an electrically assisted bicycle, the time and date of battery rental and a log of electricity rental.

4. A method of operating a battery rental system for an electrically assisted bicycle, for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on the electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery comprising the following steps:

using an ID card to identify a user;

providing an unmanned automatic battery rental station for receiving said ID card and for housing a plurality of batteries; and

providing a central processing unit for carrying out central processing of the unmanned automatic battery rental station via a communication line to permit a user to remove a battery from said unmanned battery rental station.

6. The method of operating a battery rental system according to claim 4, wherein said ID card stores a user and a registered ID number of an electrically assisted bicycle, the time and date of battery rental and a log of electricity rental.

5. A method of operating a battery rental system for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on an electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery comprising the following steps:

using an ID card to identify a user;

providing an unmanned automatic battery rental station containing user information recognizing means, battery characteristic information recognizing means, and communication means; and

permitting the changing of a user'"'"'s used battery for a fully charged battery by use of said ID card, said user information recognizing means, battery characteristic information recognizing means and said communication means.

7. A battery rental system for an electrically assisted bicycle, for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on the electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery, using an ID card, comprising:

an unmanned automatic battery rental station; and

a central processing unit for carrying out central processing of the unmanned automatic battery rental station via a communication line;

whereby bi-directional transmission of information between said unmanned automatic battery rental device and said central processor unit is carried out via said communication line.

8. A battery rental system for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on an electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery, using an ID card comprising:

an unmanned automatic battery rental station being provided with user information recognizing means for recognizing the user, battery characteristic information recognizing means for determining the status of the battery, and communication means for transmitting and receiving information from a central processing unit, said user information recognizing means, said battery characteristic information recognizing means and said communication means permits a user to change a user'"'"'s used battery for a fully charged battery;

whereby bi-directional transmission of information between said unmanned automatic battery rental device and said central processor unit is carried out via a communication line.

9. The battery rental system according to claim 8, wherein said ID card stores a user and a registered ID number of an electrically assisted bicycle, the time and date of battery rental and a log of electricity rental.

10. A method of operating a battery rental system for an electrically assisted bicycle, for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on the electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery comprising the following steps:

using an ID card to identify a user;

providing an unmanned automatic battery rental station for receiving said ID card and for housing a plurality of batteries; and

providing a central processing unit for carrying out central processing of the unmanned automatic battery rental station via a communication line to permit a user to remove a battery from said unmanned battery rental station;

providing bi-directional transmission of information between said unmanned automatic battery rental device and said central processor unit is carried out via said communication line.

12. The method of operating a battery rental system according to claim 10, wherein said ID card stores a user and a registered ID number of an electrically assisted bicycle, the time and date of battery rental and a log of electricity rental.

11. A method of operating a battery rental system for carrying out an exchange of a battery mounted on an electrically assisted bicycle with a fully charged battery comprising the following steps:

using an ID card to identify a user;

providing an unmanned automatic battery rental station containing user information recognizing means, battery characteristic information recognizing means, and communication means; and

permitting the changing of a user'"'"'s used battery for a fully charged battery by use of said ID card, said user information recognizing means, battery characteristic information recognizing means and said communication means;

providing bi-directional transmission of information between said unmanned automatic battery rental device and said communication means is carried out via a communication line.