Apparatus, method and article for collection, charging and distributing power storage devices, such as batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10459471-B2
Application number	US-201514817043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2015
Priority date	Jul 26, 2011
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A collection, charging and distribution machine collects, charges and distributes portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, super- or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machine employs electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. The machine determines a first number of devices to be rapidly charged, employing charge from a second number of devices identified to sacrifice charge. Thus, some devices may be concurrently charged via current from the electrical service and current from other devices, to achieve rapid charging of some subset of devices. The devices that sacrifice charge may later be charged. Such may ensure availability of devices for end users.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of operating a distribution, collection and charging machine for portable electrical energy storage devices, the method comprising:
identifying by a control subsystem at least one first portable electrical energy storage device currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged at an accelerated rate relative to one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine;
charging by a charging subsystem the first portable electrical energy storage device via an electrical service, wherein the electrical service has an associated limiting rating; and
charging, at the accelerated rate, by the charging subsystem the first portable electrical energy storage device via energy supplied from one or more of the second portable electrical energy storage devices and via the electrical service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices are less than halfway to being fully charged.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices are below a first threshold of being fully charged and are above a second threshold of being fully depleted.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising charging the first portable electrical energy storage device at the accelerated rate in response to detecting that a rate required to charge the first energy storage device exceeds the limiting rating of the electrical service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first portable electrical energy storage device is more fully charged than one or more of the second portable electrical energy storage devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices are less than halfway to being fully charged, and wherein the first portable electrical energy storage device is more than halfway to being fully charged.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, from the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices, at least one portable electrical energy storage device which is more than halfway to being fully charged.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
identifying, from the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices a portable electrical energy storage device which is more than 80-85 percent fully charged.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying one or more of the second portable electrical energy storage devices to sacrifice charge.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removably receiving an at least partially discharged portable electrical energy storage device at a first position of the distribution, collection and charging machine at a first time, and
charging the first portable electrical energy storage device at the accelerated rate in response to the receiving of the at least partially discharged portable electrical energy storage device at the first position of the distribution, collection and charging machine at the first time.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising removably receiving a battery sized to power a personal vehicle.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an insertion of a portable electrical energy storage device at one of a plurality of positions of the distribution, collection and charging machine; and
determining a charge state of the inserted portable electrical energy storage device.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
repeatedly updating the identified first portable electrical energy storage device over time.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising repeatedly updating a list of the identified first portable electrical energy storage device based at least in part on a current charge condition of the portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine and a rate of charging for at least one of the portable electrical energy storage devices.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising repeatedly updating the identified first portable electrical energy storage device based at least in part on a presence or absence of one or more of the portable electrical energy storage devices at the distribution, collection and charging machine.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising repeatedly updating the identified first portable electrical energy storage devices based at least in part on a total number of the portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine and a respective charge state of each of the portable electrical energy storage devices.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising repeatedly updating the identified first portable electrical energy storage device based at least in part on a total cumulative charge available from a number of portable electrical energy storage devices identified as available to sacrifice charge for charging the first portable electrical energy storage device at the accelerated rate.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
conductively supplying electrical current to the first portable electrical energy storage device via mains of an electrical service panel supplied via a metered electrical service from an external electrical grid; and
conductively supplying electrical current from the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices.

19. A distribution, collection and charging machine for portable electrical energy storage devices, comprising:
a number of receivers each sized and dimensioned to removably receive one or more respective portable electrical energy storage devices;
a control subsystem including at least one controller that identifies at least one first portable electrical energy storage device currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine to be charged at an accelerated rate relative to one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices currently removably located at the distribution, collection and charging machine; and
a charging subsystem responsive to the at least one controller to charge the first portable electrical energy storage device at the accelerated rate via an electrical service and energy supplied from one or more of the second portable electrical energy storage devices concurrently.

20. The distribution, collection and charging machine of claim 19 wherein the at least one controller identifies the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices based on a respective charge state that is less than halfway to being fully charged.

21. The distribution, collection and charging machine of claim 19 wherein the at least one controller identifies the one or more second portable electrical energy storage devices based on a respective charge state that is between a first threshold of being fully charged and a second threshold of being fully depleted.

22. The distribution, collection and charging machine of claim 19 wherein the first portable electrical energy storage device is more fully charged than at least one of the second portable electrical energy storage devices.

23. The distribution, collection and charging machine of claim 19 wherein the first portable electrical energy storage device has a first respective charge sta

Assignees

• Gogoro Inc
• Gorogo Inc

Inventors

• Luke Hok-Sum Horace
• Taylor Matthew Whiting
• Hung Huang-Cheng

Classifications

• B60L50/60

  using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/47

  Arrangements for checking compatibility or authentication between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source · CPC title

• H02J7/44

  between battery management systems and power sources · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title