# US 2019/0168627 A1 · Apparatus, system, and method for vending, charging, and two-way distribution of electrical energy storage devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168627 A1 - Document ID: US20190168627A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/056,291 - Filed: 2018-08-06 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-04 - Assignees: Gogoro Inc. - Applicants: Gogoro Inc. - Inventors: Jung-Hsiu Chen; Shen-Chi Chen; Yu-Lin Wu; Chien-Ming Huang; TsungTing Chan; Feng Kai Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168627A1 ## CPC - B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60K 1/00: Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) - B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles - B60L 53/30: Constructional details of charging stations - B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces} - B60L 53/51: Photovoltaic means - B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types - B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment} - B60L 53/80: Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries - B60L 58/16: responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH] - B60L 58/26: by cooling - B60L 58/27: by heating - G07F 7/06: by returnable containers {, i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value}, e.g. bottles - G07F 15/006: {dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles} - H02J 7/45: between battery management systems and external servers (batteries used in smart grids for balancing of the load H02J3/32) - H02J 7/47: 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 - H02J 7/731: {specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence)} - B60K 2001/0494: {with arrangements for sliding} - B60L 2240/545: Temperature - B60L 2240/70: Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres - B60L 2250/20: by driver identification - B60L 2270/34: of parts - B60Y 2200/126: Scooters - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations - Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV] - Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION - Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS ## Abstract A two-way distribution, charging, and vending system permits a subscriber to exchange one or more partially or completely discharged portable electric energy storage devices for a comparable number of charged portable electric energy storage devices. The two-way distribution, charging, and vending system includes a number of charging modules, each with a dedicated power converter, communicably coupled to at least one two-way distribution system controller and to a power distribution grid. Upon receipt of a discharged portable electric energy storage device, the at least one two-way distribution system controller validates a manufacturer identifier and a subscriber identifier stored in a nontransitory storage media carried by the discharged portable electric energy storage device. Responsive to a successful authentication and validation, the at least one two-way distribution system controller dispenses a charged portable electric energy storage device to the subscriber. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-46. (canceled) ### Claim 47 A method of operating a portable electrical energy storage device charging and distribution system, the method comprising: receiving, by a first charging module of the system, a first portable electrical energy storage device; retrieving, by a controller of the system, data from one or more non-transitory storage media carried by the first portable electrical energy storage device; authenticating, by the controller, the first portable electrical energy storage device based on a first portion of the data; and responsive to successfully authenticating the first portable electrical energy storage device, storing, by the controller, a second portion of the data in a second portable electrical energy storage device positioned in a second charging module of the system and enabling the second portable electrical energy storage device to be removed from the second charging module. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, further comprising: validating, by the controller, a subscription plan based on the second portion of the data; and responsive to successfully authenticating the first portable electrical energy storage device and responsive to successfully validating the subscription plan, storing, by the controller, the second portion of the data in the second portable electrical energy storage device positioned in the second charging module of the system and enabling the second portable electrical energy storage device to be removed from the second charging module. ### Claim 49 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the first portion of the data includes a manufacturer identifier. ### Claim 50 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the second portion of the data includes a subscriber identifier. ### Claim 51 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, further comprising: responsive to unsuccessfully authenticating the first portion of the data, operating a first locking hub of the first charging module to lock the first portable electric energy storage device in the first charging module ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) The method of claim 51, further comprising: rotatably displacing the first locking hub of the first charging module from a locked position to receive the first portable electrical energy storage device; and rotatably returning the first locking hub to the locked position via one or more biasing members to lock the first portable electric energy storage device in the first charging module. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52, further comprising: after storing the second portion of the data in the second portable electrical energy storage device positioned in the second charging module of the system, operating a second locking hub of the second charging module to unlock the second portable electric energy storage device in the second charging module. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The method of claim 53, further comprising: rotatably displacing the second locking hub of the second charging module from a locked position to an unlocked position to unlock the second portable electric energy storage device in the second charging module. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, further comprising: displacing an actuator from a first position to a second position so as to displace the second locking hub from the locked position to the unlocked position. ### Claim 56 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, further comprising: erasing data indicative of one or more operational aspects of an external device powered by the first portable electrical energy storage device from the one or more non-transitory storage media carried by the first portable electrical energy storage device. ### Claim 57 (depends on 56) The method of claim 56, further comprising: erasing the data indicative of the one or more operational aspects of the external device via a communications interface communicably coupled to the controller. ### Claim 58 (depends on 48) The method of claim 48, wherein validating the subscription plan based on the second portion of the data comprises: transmitting the second portion of the data to a back-end system; and receiving a confirmation from the back-end system regarding validity of the subscription plan. ### Claim 59 (depends on 48) The method of claim 48, further comprising: responsive to unsuccessfully validating the second portion of the data, causing a display on a display device communicably coupled to the controller, data indicative of the unsuccessful validation; generating a request for a subscriber to perform one or more actions to restore the subscription plan; and responsive to receipt of data indicative that the subscription plan is restored, enabling the second portable electrical energy storage device to be removed from the second charging module. ### Claim 60 A portable electrical energy storage device charging and distribution system, the system comprises: a controller; a first charging module coupled to the controller and configured to receive and charge a first portable electrical energy storage device; and a second charging module coupled to the controller and configured to receive and charge a second portable electrical energy storage device; wherein the controller is configured to: retrieve data from one or more non-transitory storage media carried by the first portable electrical energy storage device; authenticate the first portable electrical energy storage device based on a first portion of the data; and responsive to successfully authenticating the first portable electrical energy storage device and responsive to successfully validating the subscription plan, store a second portion of the data in a second portable electrical energy storage device positioned in a second charging module of the system. ### Claim 61 (depends on 60) The system of claim 60, wherein the controller is further configured to: validate a subscription plan based on the second portion of the data; and responsive to successfully authenticating the first portable electrical energy storage device and responsive to successfully validating the subscription plan, store the second portion of the data in the second portable electrical energy storage device positioned in the second charging module of the system and enabling the second portable electrical energy storage device to be removed from the second charging module. ### Claim 62 (depends on 60) The system of claim 60, wherein the first and second charging modules are two of a plurality of charging modules of the system, and wherein each of the charging modules comprises: a housing configured to receive a portable electrical energy storage device; and a housing door axially displaceable along a longitudinal axis of the housing from a first position proximate an entrance of the housing to a second position proximate a base of the housing. ### Claim 63 (depends on 62) The system of claim 62, wherein the housing door includes an aperture configured to enable the portable electrical energy storage device to electrically couple to an electric contact projecting from the base of the housing. ### Claim 64 (depends on 63) The system of claim 63, wherein each of the charging modules comprises: a displaceable cover operably coupled to the housing door and to the housing such that as the housing door is displaced from the first position to the second position, the displaceable cover is displaced from a closed position to an open position. ### Claim 65 (depends on 60) The system of claim 60, wherein the first portable electrical energy storage device is received in an interior space defined by a housing of the first charging module, and wherein the first charging module includes a housing door axially displaceable along a longitudinal axis of the housing from a first position proximate an entrance of the housing to a second position proximate a base of the housing. ### Claim 66 (depends on 65) The system of claim 65, wherein the first portable electrical energy storage device is electrically coupled to an electric contact projecting from the base of the housing and passing through an aperture in the housing door.