Apparatus, method and article for a power storage device compartment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347281-A1
Application number	US-201615207268-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 26, 2011
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To allow easy and convenient access to empty portable electrical energy storage device compartments within the vehicles, if the vehicle comes within the vicinity of a collection, charging and distribution machine or other authorized external device such as a key fob or other wireless device of a user, an empty portable electrical energy storage device compartment that is closed or locked, is unlocked, unlatched or opened automatically. Also, if the portable electrical energy storage device compartment is in another desired state to have the compartment unlocked, such as having a portable electrical energy storage device in the compartment that has a charge level below a particular threshold, the compartment will likewise be unlocked, unlatched or opened automatically.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of operating a portable electrical energy storage device compartment system, the method comprising:
receiving, by the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system, information regarding authentication of an external device; and making a determination, by the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system, regarding unlocking a portable electrical energy storage device compartment locking mechanism, based on the information regarding authentication and based on a detection of an absence of a portable electrical energy storage device in a compartment configured to hold the portable electrical energy storage device.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
detecting the absence of the portable electrical energy storage device in the compartment by determining that the portable electrical energy storage device is not present in the compartment based on an absence of a signal from a detection device coupled to the compartment configured to be activated by the presence of the portable electrical energy storage device in the compartment.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the information regarding authentication includes receiving the information regarding authentication via a wireless signal transmitted from a portable wireless electronic device, and wherein the wireless signal received from the portable wireless electronic device is not detectable outside a specified maximum range from a communications module of the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system is coupled to a vehicle to which the portable electrical energy storage device is configured to provide power when the portable electrical energy storage device is present in the compartment.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the making the determination includes comparing a code from the received information regarding authentication to one or more codes associated with the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system and further comprising:
unlocking the portable electrical energy storage device compartment locking mechanism to allow the compartment to be opened if the code from the received information regarding authentication matches one of the one or more codes associated with the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system and there is an absence of the portable electrical energy storage device in the compartment detected.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:
automatically lifting a lid of the compartment if the code from the received information regarding authentication matches the one of the one or more codes associated with the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system and there is an absence of the portable electrical energy storage device in the compartment detected.

7 . A portable electrical energy storage device compartment, comprising:
a housing configured to hold a portable electrical energy storage device; a power source; and a portable electrical energy storage device compartment locking system coupled to the power source and the housing configured to allow the compartment to be opened based on information regarding authentication of an external device received wirelessly from the external device and based on a detection of a desired state to have the compartment unlocked, wherein the desired state to have the compartment unlocked is a state in which the portable electrical energy storage device is not present in the compartment.

8 . The portable electrical energy storage device compartment of claim 7 wherein the portable electrical energy storage device compartment locking system comprises:
at least one controller; and
at least one communications module coupled to the at least one controller, wherein the at least one controller is configured to:
receive the information regarding authentication of an external device via the at least one communications module;
receive information regarding the detection of an absence of a portable electrical energy storage device in the housing; and
make a determination regarding unlocking the portable electrical energy storage device compartment locking system to allow the compartment to be opened based on the received information regarding authentication of an external device via the at least one communications module and based on the received information regarding the detection of an absence of a portable electrical energy storage device in the housing.

9 . The portable electrical energy storage device compartment of claim 8 wherein the housing configured to hold the portable electrical energy storage device is coupled to a vehicle to which the portable electrical energy storage device is configured to provide power when the portable electrical energy storage device is present in the housing.

Assignees

• Gogoro Inc

Inventors

• Wu Yi-Tsung
• Luke Hok-Sum Horace
• Huang Jui Sheng
• Taylor Matthew Whiting
• Hung Huang-Cheng

Classifications

• 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

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title