US 11,139,684 B2 · Apparatus, method and article for a power storage device compartment

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.

Claims11

Dependent claims

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;
receiving, by the portable electrical energy storage device compartment system, information regarding a presence of a portable electrical energy storage device in a compartment of a vehicle associated with the external device, wherein the information regarding the presence of the portable electrical energy storage device includes a determination that the portable electrical energy storage device is in a target position in the compartment based on a position sensor in the compartment;
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 the presence of the portable electrical energy storage device in the vehicle associated with the external device.

1 more element

A portable electrical energy storage device compartment in a vehicle, 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 associated with the vehicle and based on information regarding a presence of the portable electrical energy storage device and based on a detection of a charge level of the portable electrical energy storage device positioned in the compartment, wherein the information regarding the presence of the portable electrical energy storage device includes a determination that the portable electrical energy storage device is in a target position in the compartment based on a position sensor in the compartment.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/207,268Filed 11 Jul 2016 · continuation

Priority

26 Jul 2011

Published

US 2016/0347281 A11 Dec 2016

Granted

5 Oct 2021

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification139 codes

B60L 1/003
Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles: to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
B60L 1/00
Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles
B60L 3/0046
Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train: relating to electric energy…
B60L 3/0069
Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train: relating to the isolation,…

Family

Application61/511,900Us provisional application · filed 26 Jul 2011

Application61/511,887Us provisional application · filed 26 Jul 2011

Application61/511,880Us provisional application · filed 26 Jul 2011

Application61/534,753Us provisional application · filed 14 Sep 2011

Application61/534,761Us provisional application · filed 14 Sep 2011

Application61/534,772Us provisional application · filed 14 Sep 2011

Application61/557,170Us provisional application · filed 8 Nov 2011

Application61/581,566Us provisional application · filed 29 Dec 2011

Application61/601,404Us provisional application · filed 21 Feb 2012

Application61/601,949Us provisional application · filed 22 Feb 2012

Application61/601,953Us provisional application · filed 22 Feb 2012

Application61/647,936Us provisional application · filed 16 May 2012

Application61/647,941Us provisional application · filed 16 May 2012

Application13/559,125Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jul 2012

US 9,424,697 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Aug 2016

US 2016/0347281 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Dec 2016

US 2013/0027183 A1Published application

US 11,139,684 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Apparatus, method and article for a power storage device compartment

Life of this patent

Apparatus, method and article for a power storage device compartment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11