Apparatus, method and article for redistributing power storage devices, such as batteries, between collection, charging and distribution machines

A distribution management system for portable electrical energy storage devices, comprising:

• at least one processor of the distribution management system;
• and
• at least one processor-readable memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor-readable memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the distribution management system to:
• receive information regarding a predicted demand for charged portable electrical energy storage devices, the predicted demand being at a plurality of distribution machines for portable electrical energy storage devices, wherein the predicted demand is for multiple users at the multiple locations, and wherein the information regarding the predicted demand includes information tracking physical exchanges of portable electrical energy storage devices for charged portable electrical energy storage devices at the plurality of distribution machines at multiple locations;
• determine a physical redistribution of portable electrical energy storage devices between the plurality of distribution machines according to at least the received information regarding demand;
• and
• send information initiating the physical redistribution between the plurality of distribution machines.

A distribution machine for portable electrical energy storage devices, the distribution machine comprising:

• at least one processor of the distribution machine;
• and
• at least one processor-readable memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor-readable memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the distribution machine to:
• send information regarding a predicted demand for charged portable electrical energy storage devices, wherein the information regarding the predicted demand includes information tracking physical exchanges of portable electrical energy storage devices for the charged portable electrical energy storage devices at the distribution machine at a first location, and wherein the predicted demand is for multiple users at the multiple locations;
• receive information regarding physical redistribution of portable electrical energy storage devices between the distribution machine and one or more other distribution machines of a plurality of distribution machines, the one or more other distribution machines are at locations different from the first location;
• receive a request to exchange a portable electrical energy storage device at the distribution machine;
• and
• respond to the request to exchange the portable electrical energy storage device based on the received information regarding physical redistribution of portable electrical energy storage devices between the distribution machine and the one or more other distribution machines of the plurality of distribution machines.