Distributed charging station and method of managing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12040646-B2
Application number	US-202217985684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2022
Priority date	Feb 28, 2018
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A battery management platform including a battery configured to supply a type of power to at least one load device, and a central charging station configured to provide power to charge the battery while the battery is coupled to the central charging station. The central charging station including a locking mechanism configured to: secure the battery to the central charging station when a status of the battery is determined to be checked-in, and disengage to allow the battery to be removed when the status is verified to be check-out. Wherein the locking mechanism includes an override function configured to allow a user to disengage the locking mechanism without an electronic command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery management platform comprising:
a battery configured to supply a type of power to at least one load device; and
a central charging station configured to provide power to charge the battery while the battery is coupled to the central charging station, the central charging station including:
a locking mechanism configured to:
secure the battery to the central charging station when a status of the battery is determined to be checked-in, and
disengage to allow the battery to be removed when the status is verified to be check-out; and

an electronic processor configured to:
in response to the status not being verified, transmit an alert and output a signal to the locking mechanism to secure the battery to the central charging station, and
in response to the battery not being returned to the battery charging station within a predetermined time after being removed, outputting an alert to a user of the battery.

2. The battery management platform of claim 1 , further comprising:
the electronic processor configured to:
receive, via a graphic user interface, a user request to check-out the battery,
update, in a memory, a status of the battery as checked-out,
disengage the locking mechanism, when the status is changed to checked-out;
monitor at least one characteristic of the battery;
determine, when the status is checked-out;
update, in the memory, the status of the battery as checked-in; and
engage the locking mechanism to secure the battery to the central charging station when the status is changed to checked-in.

3. The battery management platform of claim 2 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
determine, in response to the user request, a user profile associated with the user request;
determine if there is a hold on the user profile;
associate, when there is no hold on the user profile, an identifier of the battery with the user profile; and
update the status of the battery to checked-out when there is no hold on the user profile.

4. The battery management platform of claim 1 , wherein the alert is transmitted to another central charging station.

5. The battery management platform of claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the battery includes at least one selected from a group consisting of an electric characteristic of the battery, a location of the battery, a thermal characteristic of the battery, and an identity of the load device coupled to the battery.

6. The battery management platform of claim 5 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to
determine, based on the at least one characteristic, when a charge level of the battery falls below a threshold; and
when the charge level falls below the threshold, wirelessly charge the battery while the battery is within a predetermined charging range of the central charging station.

7. The battery management platform of claim 5 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to, when the status of the battery is changed to checked-in, evaluate the at least one characteristic of the battery to determine at least one selected from a group consisting of a usage cost, an indication of potential malfunction, and a load device history of the battery.

8. The battery management platform of claim 2 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to update the status to checked-in based on a reading from a battery sensor.

9. The battery management platform of claim 2 , wherein the status of the one or more batteries includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a charge level, a location, and an operational status.

10. The battery management system of claim 2 , wherein the electronic processor receives the unlock request via an application of an external device.

11. The battery management system of claim 2 , wherein prior to disengage the locking mechanism, the electronic processor is configured to verify the user.

12. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the battery center further includes a display.

13. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the display includes a graphical user interface configured to receive the unlock request from the user.

14. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the display is configured to display one or more advertisements.

15. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the display is configured to display information associated with an organization.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Bonilla Nelson
• Walker Jason
• Brower John
• Gay Nicole
• Samojeden Matthew
• Abughazaleh Shadi

Classifications

• H02J13/10

  characterised by displaying of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition [SCADA] systems · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/443

  using passive battery identification means, e.g. resistors or capacitors (identification by mechanical connections H02J7/751) · CPC title

• H02J7/90

  Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage · CPC title

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title