Mobile transport for extracting and depositing energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11890952-B2
Application number	US-202016821951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	Mar 17, 2020
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

An example operation includes one or more of maneuvering, by a Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU), to a transport that is stationary for an amount of time, that is not currently being charged, that is at a distance between the transport and the MESU and that is within a timeframe for the MESU to reach the transport, and retrieving, by MESU, a minimum amount of energy from the transport.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising: maneuvering, by a Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU), to a transport that is: identified as available to transfer energy to the MESU based on the transport being stationary for a threshold amount of time, not currently being charged, at a distance between the transport and the MESU, and within a timeframe for the MESU to reach the transport; and retrieving, by the mobile energy storage unit, a minimum amount of energy from the transport.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
maneuvering, by the MESU, to another transport that previously did not have the minimum amount of energy but currently has the minimum amount of energy.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining, by the MESU, one or more of a current motion of the transport and an amount of time since the transport has been in motion.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
determining, by the MESU, the transport is not currently being charged when the transport is located in an area not proximate to a charging station.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the minimum amount of energy is based on a decreasing usage related to an amount of time remaining in a period of time, and
wherein the period of time is related to a time of limited probable usage of the transport and an expiration of time remaining in the period of time.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
stopping, by the MESU, the retrieving when one or more the following events occur on the transport:
an opening of a door of the transport;
a utilization of a seat belt of the transport; and
an interaction with an ignition of the transport.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
stopping, by the MESU, the retrieving when one or more of audio and gesture from an authorized user of the transport indicates that the retrieving should stop.

8. A Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU), comprising: a processor configured to: maneuver the MESU to a transport that is: identified as available to transfer energy to the MESU based on the transport being stationary for a threshold amount of time, not currently in a state of charge, at a distance between the transport and the MESU, and within a timeframe for the MESU to reach the transport; and retrieve a minimum amount of energy from the transport.

9. The MESU of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
maneuver to another transport that previously did not have the minimum amount of energy but currently has the minimum amount of energy.

10. The MESU of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine one or more of a current motion of the transport and an amount of time since the transport has been in motion.

11. The MESU of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine that the transport is not currently in a state of charge when the transport is located in an area not proximate to a charging station.

12. The MESU of claim 8 , wherein the minimum amount of energy is based on a decrease of usage related to an amount of time that remains in a period of time, and
wherein the period of time is related to a time of limited probable usage of the transport and an expiration of time that remains in the period of time.

13. The MESU of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
stop the retrieve when one or more the events occur on the transport:
an initiation of an open door of the transport;
a utilization of a seat belt of the transport; and
an interaction with an ignition of the transport.

14. The MESU of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to:
stop the retrieve when one or more of audio and gesture from an authorized user of the transport indicates that the retrieve should stop.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more instructions that when executed by a processor of a Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU) cause the MESU to perform: maneuvering, by a Mobile Energy Storage Unit (MESU), to a transport that is: identified as available to transfer energy to the MESU based on the transport being stationary for a threshold amount of time, not currently being charged, that is at a distance between the transport and the MESU, and that is within a timeframe for the MESU to reach the transport; and retrieving, by the mobile energy storage unit, a minimum amount of energy from the transport.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the MESU to perform:
maneuvering to another transport that previously did not have the minimum amount of energy but currently has the minimum amount of energy.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the MESU to perform: determining one or more of a current motion of the transport and an amount of time since the transport has been in motion.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the MESU to perform: determining the transport is not currently being charged when the transport is located in an area not proximate to a charging station.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the minimum amount of energy is based on a decreasing usage related to an amount of time remaining in a period of time, and
wherein the period of time is related to a time of limited probable usage of the transport and an expiration of time remaining in the period of time.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the one or more instructions further cause the MESU to perform: stopping the retrieving when one or more the following event occurs on the transport:
an opening of a door of the transport;
a utilization of a seat belt of the transport; and
an interaction with an ignition of the transport.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor North America Inc
• Toyot Motor North America Inc

Inventors

• Lu Norman

Classifications

• B60L53/12 Primary

  Inductive energy transfer · CPC title

• B60L53/65

  involving identification of vehicles or their battery types · CPC title

• B60L53/305

  Communication interfaces · CPC title

• B60L58/12

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title

• B60L2240/622

  by satellite navigation · CPC title