System and method for distributed energy exchange using a token ecosystem

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019275894-A1
Application number	US-201815915616-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 12, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to improving distribution of power using an internal battery of an electric vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes, in response to detecting establishment of an electrical connection between the electric vehicle and a station, determining attributes of the electrical connection with the station that indicate at least a relationship between the electric vehicle and the station. The method includes transferring electric charge between an internal battery of the vehicle and the station according to at least the attributes of the electrical connection by performing one of i) discharging the electric charge to the station from the internal battery to offset electric demand at a location associated with the station according to at least the relationship, and ii) charging the internal battery of the vehicle from the station to store surplus electric supply.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A transfer system for improving distribution of power using an internal battery of an electric vehicle, comprising:
one or more processors; a memory communicably coupled to the one or more processors and storing:
a monitoring module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to, in response to detecting establishment of an electrical connection between the electric vehicle and a station, determine attributes of the electrical connection with the station that indicate at least a relationship between the electric vehicle and the station; and
a charging module including instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to transfer electric charge between an internal battery of the electric vehicle and the station according to at least the attributes of the electrical connection by performing one of:
i) discharging the electric charge to the station from the internal battery to offset electric demand at a location associated with the station according to the relationship, and
ii) charging the internal battery of the vehicle from the station to store surplus electric supply.

2 . The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the charging module includes instructions to transfer the electric charge independently of an electric utility grid, and wherein the relationship indicates a futures contract between the electric vehicle and the location associated with the station for exchanging the electric charge for payment.

3 . The transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the payment includes using a decentralized form of monetization that is a blockchain-based cryptocurrency, and wherein the futures contract indicates a defined schedule of transfers of the electric charge to the station from the vehicle and from the station to the vehicle.

4 . The transfer system of claim 2 , wherein the monitoring module further includes instructions to:
exchange tokens as the payment between the vehicle and the station according to at least the attributes by: i) receiving, by the vehicle, the tokens upon providing the internal battery at predefined times to store the surplus electric supply as a service to the location associated with the station as a function of the relationship, ii) providing, from the vehicle, the tokens as payment for the electric charge when not fulfilling the relationship, and iii) receiving, by the vehicle, the tokens upon discharging the electric charge to the station in fulfillment of the relationship, wherein the relationship defines exchange rates for transferring the electric charge; and exchange, by the vehicle with a provider, the tokens for one or more of: a toll, and dry goods.

5 . The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module further includes instructions to determine an exchange rate for transferring the electric charge according to at least the attributes, wherein the exchange rate is a function of the relationship, a time of day, and an available supply of electric.

6 . The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module includes instructions to determine the attributes including instructions to determine a score indicating at least previous behavior of the vehicle in relation to transferring the electric charge and fulfilling obligations under the relationship, and wherein the charging module includes instructions to transfer the electric charge based, at least in part, on the score.

7 . The transfer system of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring module includes instructions to detect the establishment of the electrical connection including instructions to detect a charging cable of the vehicle being connected with a connector of the station, wherein the station is independent of an electric grid, and
wherein the monitoring module includes instructions to determine the attributes including instructions to identify physical characteristics of the connection and policy characteristics of the connection.

8 . The transfer system of claim 7 , wherein the policy characteristics control how the vehicle charges from and discharges to the station, and wherein the policy characteristics indicate aspects of the relationship between the station and the vehicle.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium for improving distribution of power using an internal battery of an electric vehicle and including instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
in response to detecting establishment of an electrical connection between the electric vehicle and a station, determine attributes of the electrical connection with the station that indicate at least a relationship between the electric vehicle and the station; and transfer electric charge between an internal battery of the electric vehicle and the station according to at least the attributes of the electrical connection by performing one of:
i) discharging the electric charge to the station from the internal battery to offset electric demand at a location associated with the station according to the relationship, and
ii) charging the internal battery of the vehicle from the station to store surplus electric supply.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to transfer the electric charge include instructions to transfer the electric charge independently of an electric utility grid, and wherein the relationship indicates a futures contract between the electric vehicle and the location associated with the station for exchanging the electric charge for payment.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the payment includes using a decentralized form of monetization that is a blockchain-based cryptocurrency, and wherein the futures contract indicates a defined schedule of transfers of the electric charge to the station from the vehicle and from the station to the vehicle.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further includes instructions to:
exchange tokens as the payment between the vehicle and the station according to at least the attributes by: i) receiving, by the vehicle, the tokens upon providing the internal battery at predefined times to store the surplus electric supply as a service to the location associated with the station as a function of the relationship, ii) providing, from the vehicle, the tokens as payment for the electric charge when not fulfilling the relationship, and iii) receiving, by the vehicle, the tokens upon discharging the electric charge to the station in fulfillment of the relationship, wherein the relationship defines exchange rates for transferring the electric charge; and exchange, by the vehicle with a provider, the tokens for one or more of: a toll, and dry goods.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine an exchange rate for transferring the electric charge according to at least the attributes, wherein the exchange rate is a function of the relationship, a time of day, and an available supply of electric, wherein the instructions to determine the attributes include instructions to determine a score indicating at least previous behavior of the vehicle in relation to transferring the electric charge and fulfilling obligations under the relationship, and wherein the instructions to transfer the electric charge include instructions to transfer the electric charge based, at least in part, on the score.

14 . A method for impr

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Amacker Matthew
• Ballinger Christopher

Classifications

• G07F15/005

  dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles (electrical charging as such, B60L50/00) · CPC title

• G06Q20/3224

  Transactions dependent on location of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title

• H04L2209/84

  Vehicles · CPC title

• H04L9/006

  involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models (network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823) · CPC title