Information providing apparatus, information providing system, and information providing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11568476-B2
Application number	US-202017017243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2020
Priority date	Mar 20, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

An information providing apparatus provides information concerning a lendable electric power supply device. More specifically, the information providing apparatus for providing information via a network in response to a request from a terminal, performs the following processes. The apparatus receives, from the terminal via the network, an information request concerning a lendable electric power supply device configured to supply electric power, acquires information concerning electric power that can be provided by the electric power supply device and a lending price of the electric power supply device by communicating with the electric power supply device via the network. The apparatus further edits, based on the acquired information, information to be provided to the terminal that has issued the information request, and transmits the edited information to the terminal that has issued the information request via the network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information providing method in an information providing apparatus for providing information via a network in response to a request from a terminal, the information providing apparatus including a database configured to store information concerning lendable electric power supply devices, each of which includes a communication device an input device, and a remaining amount sensor that detects electric power of the associated lendable power supply device, the information including a location of each lendable electric power supply device, the method comprising:
receiving, from the terminal via the network, an information request concerning a lendable electric power supply device configured to supply electric power, the information request including a position of the terminal;
selecting lendable electric power supply devices from the information in the database based on the position of the terminal and the location of each lendable electric power supply device in the information;
transmitting, to each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices by communicating with each of the selected lendable electric power devices via the network, a transmission request concerning electric power that can be provided by each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices and a lending price of each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices;
detecting, by each of the selected lendable electric power devices, via the remaining amount sensor, the electric power of the associated lendable power device;
receiving by each of the selected lendable electric power device, via the input device, a lending price inputted by an owner of the associated lendable electric power supply device;
acquiring, from each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices, information concerning electric power that can be provided by each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices and a lending price of each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices by communicating with each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices via the network;
editing, based on the acquired information from each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices, information to be provided to the terminal that has issued the information request; and
transmitting, via the network, the edited information to the terminal that has issued the information request.

2. A system comprising:
an information providing apparatus which transmits information via a network in response to a request from a terminal,
lendable electric supply devices, each of which includes a communication device and an input device, and
a remaining amount sensor that detects electric power of the associated lendable power supply device,
wherein the information providing apparatus comprises
a database configured to store information concerning the lendable electric power supply devices, the information including a location of each lendable electric power supply device; and
a processor configured, by executing a program, to:
receive, from the terminal via the network, an information request concerning a lendable electric power supply device configured to supply electric power, the information request including a position of the terminal;
select lendable electric power supply devices from the information in the database based on the position of the terminal and the location of each lendable electric power supply device in the information;
acquire, from each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices, information concerning electric power that can be provided by each of the selected lendable electric power supply device and a lending price of the electric power supply device by communicating with the electric power supply device via the network, wherein the lending price is inputted through the input device by an owner of the associated lendable electric power supply device and the electric power is detected, via the respective remaining amount sensor of each of the selected lendable power supply devices;
edit, based on information acquired from each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices, information to be provided to the terminal that has issued the information request; and
transmit, via the network, the information edited based on information acquired from each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices to the terminal that has issued the information request.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured, by executing the program, to transmit, to each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices by communicating with the electric power supply device via the network, a transmission request concerning the electric power and the lending price.

4. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the database stores at least
an identifier for specifying each lendable electric power supply device,
lending/borrowing information of each lendable electric power supply device,
a location of each lendable electric power supply device,
specifications of each lendable electric power supply device, and
a remaining capacity representing electric power that can be provided by each lendable electric power supply device.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the lending/borrowing information is history information accumulated every time lending is performed, and
the history information includes the lending price and used electric power.

6. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the information edited based on information acquired from each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices includes a lending price and a remaining capacity concerning each of the selected lendable electric power supply devices which are located near the terminal that has issued the information request.

7. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the electric power supply device includes an electric generator and a rechargeable battery that can be charged by electric power generated by the electric generator, or includes a rechargeable battery that can be charged.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• TAKADA Sho
• Sasaki Nobuyuki
• Ito Mitsuhiro
• Oshima Mio
• Matsunaga Yoshihiro
• Oshima Ryo

Classifications

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title

• G06Q30/0645 Primary

  Rental transactions; Leasing transactions · CPC title

• G06F16/22

  Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title