Rechargeable storage for accessory identification and control

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling connected accessories and / or displaying connected accessories on the vehicle's user interface. [Solution] A vehicle 100 is electrically connected to one or more removable accessories 130. The vehicle 100 includes a user interface 110, a power supply 122, a rechargeable storage compartment, and a controller 102. The controller 102 can be configured to detect one or more removable accessories 130 connected to at least one power outlet, identify the identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories 130, and cause the user interface 110 to display the one or more identifiers associated with the detected removable accessories 130.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicles and accessories, and more particularly, to systems and methods for connecting accessories to a vehicle, controlling connected accessories, and / or displaying connected accessories on a user interface of the vehicle. BACKGROUND ART

[0002]

[0002] Generally, vehicles such as recreational vehicles (RVs) and utility vehicles (UVs) are used to transport one or more passengers and cargo from one location to another, sometimes over a wide range of terrain, and may be used on roads and / or off-road such as trails. For example, systems and methods for displaying customized information related to RVs are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0334500, filed on May 23, 2016 and entitled "DISPLAY SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE", and systems and methods for identifying and controlling vehicle accessories based on RV accessory information are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0198561, filed on September 4, 2019 and entitled "MANAGING RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND ACCESSORIES", the entire disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0003]

[0003] Furthermore, RVs and UVs can provide deliverable power to accessories such as tools that can be used by passengers. However, when multiple accessories are simultaneously powered by the vehicle, it is difficult for passengers to identify which of such accessories are connected to the vehicle. Accordingly, there exists a need for one or more improved methods or systems to address one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004]

[0004] As described above, the embodiments provided herein relate to vehicle hazard detection relating to recreational vehicles. Exemplary embodiments include, but are not limited to, the following examples.

[0005]

[0005] In one embodiment, the vehicle includes a user interface, a power supply configured to provide power to one or more removable accessories, a rechargeable storage unit including at least one power outlet electrically coupled to the power supply, each of the at least one power outlet configured to receive and provide power to one of the one or more removable accessories, and a controller operably coupled to the user interface, the power supply, and the rechargeable storage unit. The controller is configured to detect one or more removable accessories connected to at least one power outlet, identify an identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories, and cause the user interface to display one or more identifiers associated with the detected removable accessories.

[0006]

[0006] In some embodiments, identifying the identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories may include having the controller receive the identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories via a user interface.

[0007]

[0007] In some embodiments, the vehicle may further include at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of the charge state of the power supply or the power consumption of the power supply when charging one or more removable accessories. The controller may further be configured to determine, based on the charge state of the power supply, whether the charge state of the power supply is sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination.

[0008]

[0008] In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to cause the user interface to display a message warning the user to turn off one or more of at least one power outlets in response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination.

[0009]

[0009] In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to automatically turn off one or more of at least one power outlet in response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination.

[0010]

[0010] In some embodiments, at least one power outlet may be individually activatable and deactivatable by a user interface.

[0011]

[0011] In some embodiments, the controller can be wirelessly coupled to a remote device, which is configured to display a user interface.

[0012]

[0012] In some embodiments, the controller can be further configured to receive user input from a user interface indicating at least one user priority; receive sensor information from at least one sensor, the sensor information including the charge status of the power supply or power consumption relating to the power supply when charging one or more removable accessories; identify that one or more of the at least one power outlets need to be deactivated based on the received sensor information and at least one user priority; and cause the user interface to display a notification for deactivating one or more of the at least one power outlets.

[0013]

[0013] In some embodiments, the vehicle may further include an accessory current consumption sensor configured to detect the current consumption of one or more removable accessories. The controller may further be configured to receive the current consumption and to identify a list of possible identifiers for each of the one or more removable accessories by comparing the current consumption with one or more previously detected current consumptions.

[0014]

[0014] In some embodiments, identifying the identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories may include automatically selecting an identifier from a list of possible identifiers based on current consumption.

[0015]

[0015] In some embodiments, identifying identifiers associated with each of the detected removable accessories may include displaying a list of possible identifiers for each of the one or more removable accessories on the user interface and receiving identifiers from the list of possible identifiers via the user interface.

[0016]

[0016] In some embodiments, the controller may be further configured to determine, based on current consumption, the power consumption of charging one or more detachable accessories; to determine, based on power consumption, that one or more of at least one power outlets need to be deactivated; and to cause the user interface to display a notification to deactivate one or more of at least one power outlets.

[0017]

[0017] In some embodiments, the rechargeable storage can further include a storage lock that can be activated and deactivated by a user interface.

[0018]

[0018] In another embodiment, a method for controlling the charging of one or more removable accessories connected to a vehicle power supply includes the steps of: detecting one or more removable accessories connected to at least one power outlet of a rechargeable storage compartment, wherein at least one power outlet is coupled to a power supply and each of the at least one power outlet is configured to receive and supply power to one of the one or more removable accessories; identifying an identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories; and causing a user interface to display the one or more identifiers associated with the one or more detected removable accessories.

[0019]

[0019] In some embodiments, the step of identifying the identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories may include receiving the identifier associated with each of the detected removable accessories via a user interface.

[0020]

[0020] In some embodiments, the method may further include the steps of determining whether the charge state of the power supply is sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination, and in response to determining that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination, causing the user interface to display a message warning the user to turn off one or more of the at least one power outlets, or (ii) automatically turning off one or more of the at least one power outlets.

[0021]

[0021] In some embodiments, the method may further include the steps of: receiving at least one user priority via a user interface; receiving the charge status of a power supply and power consumption related to the power supply by charging one or more removable accessories; identifying that one or more of the at least one power outlets need to be deactivated based on the received sensor information and at least one user priority; and causing the user interface to display a notification for deactivating one or more of the at least one power outlets.

[0022]

[0022] In some embodiments, the method may further include the steps of receiving a current consumption and identifying a list of possible identifiers for each of one or more removable accessories by comparing the current consumption with one or more previously detected current consumptions, wherein the user selects an identifier from the list.

[0023]

[0023] In some embodiments, the method may further comprise: determining power consumption for charging one or more removable accessories based on current consumption; determining, based on the power consumption, that one or more of the at least one power outlet needs to be deactivated; and causing a user interface to display a notification to deactivate one or more of the at least one power outlet.

[0024]

[0024] In some embodiments, the at least one power outlet may be individually activatable and deactivatable via the user interface.

[0025]

[0025] The foregoing aspects and many additional features of the present system and method will become more readily appreciated and better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings by reference to the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a representative view of an exemplary vehicle. [Figure 2] It is a representative view of exemplary components of the vehicle of Figure 1, including a vehicle controller. [Figure 3] It is a diagram illustrating an exemplary user interface displaying an exemplary screen layout, such as a screen of identified accessories. [Figure 4] It is a representative view of an exemplary accessory charging system for the vehicle of Figure 1, including a rechargeable hangar. [Figure 5] It is an exemplary flowchart for identifying one or more accessories and determining whether a power outlet in a rechargeable hangar needs to be deactivated. [Figure 6]Another exemplary flowchart for identifying whether one or more accessories and the power outlet in the rechargeable hangar need to be deactivated. [Figure 7] It is a front perspective view of another exemplary vehicle, such as a two-wheeled vehicle. [Figure 8] It is a front perspective view of another exemplary vehicle, such as a four-wheeled vehicle. [Figure 9] It is a front perspective view of another exemplary vehicle, such as an all-terrain vehicle. [Figure 10] It is a front perspective view of another exemplary vehicle, such as a three-wheeled vehicle. [Figure 11] It is a front perspective view of another exemplary vehicle, such as a utility vehicle. [Figure 12] It is a front perspective view of another exemplary vehicle, such as a snowmobile. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0027]

[0038] For the purpose of facilitating understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments disclosed hereinafter are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise forms disclosed in the detailed description. Rather, these embodiments are selected as illustrative examples of the content described herein.

[0028]

[0039] The terms "couple", "coupled" and variations thereof are used to include both configurations in which two or more components are in direct physical contact, and configurations in which two or more components are not in direct contact with each other (e.g., the components are "coupled" via at least one third component), but still cooperate or interact with each other.

[0029]

[0040] Throughout this disclosure and in the claims, numerical terms, such as the first and second, are used in reference to various components or features. Such use is not intended to indicate an ordering of those components or features. Rather, the numerical terms are used to assist the reader in identifying the components or features referred to, and should not be narrowly interpreted as providing a specific order between components or features.

[0030]

[0041] Anyone with ordinary skills in the art will notice that the provided embodiments can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, and / or a combination thereof. The programming code for these embodiments can be implemented in any executable programming language, such as C, C++, HTML, XTML, JAVA®, or any other executable high-level programming language, or in a combination of high-level and low-level programming languages.

[0031]

[0042] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the components of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 can include, for example, recreational vehicles (RVs), utility vehicles (UVs), electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles such as vehicles with both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine (ICE), or any other suitable type of vehicle that may benefit from these components. Vehicle 100 includes a controller (such as an accessory charge controller 102) having at least one associated memory 104. The accessory charge controller 102 provides electronic control of various components of vehicle 100, such as the user interface 110 and / or components of the user interface 110. In some examples, the accessory charge controller 102 forms part of a processing subsystem that includes one or more computing devices having memory hardware, processing hardware, and communication hardware. The accessory charge controller 102 can be a single device or a distributed device, and the functions of the accessory charge controller 102 can be executed by hardware and / or as computer instructions on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium such as memory 104.

[0032]

[0043] The accessory charging controller 102 (for example, the accessory control module) also interacts with the user interface 110, which includes at least one input device 112 and at least one output device 114. An exemplary input device 112 may include input from a lever, button, switch, soft key, selector, knob, frequency control button (FOB), hard key, and / or other suitable input device. An exemplary output device 114 may include a light, display, touchscreen, audio device, haptic device, and / or other suitable output device. The user interface 110 further includes a user interface controller 116 (which may also be referred to herein as the “interface controller” or “controller”) and associated memory 118. The interface controller 116 performs specific operations to control one or more subsystems of the user interface 110, or other vehicle components, such as one or more of the input devices 112 and the output devices 114. In some cases, the interface controller 116 forms part of a processing subsystem that includes one or more computing devices having memory hardware, processing hardware, and / or communication hardware. The interface controller 116 can be a single device or a distributed device, and the functions of the interface controller 116 can be executed by hardware and / or as computer instructions on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium such as memory 118.

[0033]

[0044] In some examples, the output device 114 may include a display, and the interface controller 116 may format the information to be displayed on that display and make that information appear on the output device 114. In some variations, the output device 114 may include a touch display, and the interface controller 116 may format the information to be displayed on that touch display, display that information, and monitor the touch display for user input. For example, the interface controller 116 may interpret various types of touches on the touchscreen display as input and control the content displayed on the touchscreen display. Exemplary user inputs (e.g., types of touches) may include touches, drags, swipes, pinches, spreads, and / or other known types of gestures.

[0034]

[0045] The accessory charge controller 102 is operably coupled to the power supply 122. The power supply 122 can be any type of power supply, including a battery, a high-voltage bus, a stator, a regulator, an iron core, a solar component, and / or any type of alternative power method and / or power supply. The power supply 122 provides power to operate the vehicle 100. Additionally, or alternatively, the power supply 122 is operably coupled to the user interface 110 (e.g., the user interface controller 116), a power system (not shown), and / or further components of the vehicle 100. For example, the power supply 122 can be electrically connected to components of the vehicle 100 via a network, such as a vehicle bus and / or a controller area network (CAN).

[0035]

[0046] The accessory charge controller 102 is also electrically coupled to one or more detachable accessories, such as accessory A 130A, accessory B 130B, and accessory C 130C (collectively, accessory 130). For example, accessories that are detachably (e.g., electrically and / or mechanically) coupled to the vehicle 100 may be referred to as detachable accessories according to the embodiments described herein. Each of the accessories 130 may have separate functional or power level requirements (e.g., current and voltage limits during charging). Although only three accessories are shown, any other number of accessories can be coupled to the accessory charge controller 102 as appropriate. Exemplary accessories 103 may include, but are not limited to, one or more handheld electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, satellite phones, personal gaming devices), power tools, external batteries, battery chargers, electronic vehicle equipment, buildings, or other devices having one or more components configured to operate using electricity.

[0036]

[0047] The accessory charging controller 102 is capable of communicating with the power supply 122 and / or the user interface 110. Additionally, or alternatively, the accessory charging controller 102 may communicate directly and / or indirectly (for example, through the user interface controller 116) with components within the user interface 110, such as the input device 112, memory 118, and / or output device 114. Other exemplary networks or other suitable data connections may be implemented instead of a CAN network and used for communication between entities and / or devices within the vehicle 100 and the controller 102. The accessory charging controller 102, memory 104, and power supply 122 may be collectively referred to as the accessory charging system 140.

[0037]

[0048] Figure 2 shows a block diagram further illustrating the components of vehicle 100. For example, vehicle 100 may include a vehicle controller 200 (such as an electronic control module) electrically coupled to an accessory charging controller 102. As discussed above in relation to Figure 1, the accessory charging controller 102 is electrically coupled to the user interface controller 116 of the user interface 110. In some examples, the accessory charging controller 102 may be contained within the vehicle controller 200. Although not shown, further controllers such as a suspension controller, steering system controller, and / or power system controller may be contained within the vehicle controller 200. Each of these controllers, including the vehicle controller 200, may be a single device or a distributed device, or one or more of these controllers may be part of a single device or a distributed device together. The functions of these controllers may be executed by hardware and / or as computer instructions on a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium such as memory 104. Additionally or alternatively, memory such as memory 104 may be contained within the vehicle controller 200. In other words, the controller within the vehicle controller 200 can use the memory 104 to store and / or retrieve information.

[0038]

[0049] In some variations, the vehicle controller 200 may include at least two separate controllers (e.g., a network controller and / or accessory charging controllers) that communicate over a network. In some cases, the network is a Controller Area Network (CAN). In some variations, the CAN network may be implemented according to the Society of Automotive Engineers standard J1939 protocol. Details relating to an exemplary CAN network are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. 11 / 218,163, filed 1 September 2005, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Other exemplary networks or other suitable data connections may be implemented instead of the CAN network. For example, in some embodiments, two-wire serial communication may be used for communication between controllers.

[0039]

[0050] In some examples, the vehicle controller 200 can communicate with other devices and / or entities within the vehicle 100 via a network such as the CAN network described above. For example, the vehicle controller 200 can communicate with one or more sensors 202, which may include any suitable sensors for detecting the operating status of the vehicle 100, such as a power supply voltage sensor capable of detecting the charge state of an energy storage device (e.g., power supply 122) used in the vehicle 100, which may affect the charge capacity of an accessory 130. In some examples, the sensor 202 may include one or more accessory power / current consumption sensors for detecting the power consumption, voltage drop, and / or current consumption of the connected accessory 130. In some examples, the sensor 202 may include a vehicle speed sensor and / or engine speed sensor for detecting when the vehicle is moving, parked, or when the vehicle's engine is off. The vehicle speed sensor provides information indicating the vehicle speed to the controller 116 via the controller 102. The vehicle speed sensor is any type of sensor that detects the vehicle speed of vehicle 100. The engine speed sensor provides information indicating the engine speed (e.g., revolutions per minute (RPM)) to the user interface controller 116 via the accessory charge controller 102. The engine speed sensor is any type of sensor that detects the engine speed (e.g., the rotational speed of the engine's crankshaft). Other exemplary networks or other suitable data connections may be implemented instead of a CAN network and may be used for communication between entities and / or devices within vehicle 100 and the controller 200.

[0040]

[0051] In some examples, the vehicle controller 200 may be further coupled to (or, alternatively, implemented within) a network controller 204 that controls communication between the vehicle 100 and other devices through one or more network components (not shown). In some embodiments, the vehicle 100's network controller 204 may communicate with paired devices via a wireless network (e.g., via wireless or Wi-Fi chip). An exemplary wireless network may be a radio frequency network utilizing the BLUETOOTH® protocol. In this example, the network components may include a radio frequency antenna. The network controller 204 may control the pairing of devices and / or servers with the vehicle 100, and communication between the vehicle 100 and one or more remote devices 206. Additionally, or alternatively, the network controller 204 may control and / or provide communication between multiple different vehicles (e.g., vehicle-to-vehicle communication). In some examples, the network controller 204 may be communicatively coupled to, or directly coupled to, a user interface controller 116.

[0041]

[0052] The exemplary remote device 206 may include, but is not limited to, communication devices (e.g., mobile phones, smartphones, satellite phones, and / or audio interface devices), near-field communication devices (e.g., personal identification badges, vehicle identification badges, or other devices configured to transmit or receive RFID signals, etc.), servers (e.g., cloud computing servers), computing devices (e.g., laptops, desktops, tablets, and / or other personalized computers), and / or other devices capable of transmitting and receiving communications over an external network. For example, a server may connect a computing device to a network controller 204. In this manner, the network controller 204 may provide data to the server. Furthermore, based on that data, the cloud computing server may store that data. In some examples, a computing device may receive data from a server (e.g., obtain and / or retrieve it). Additionally or alternatively, although not shown, a computing device may communicate with the vehicle 100 by connecting directly to the network controller 204 via a network component. In some examples, the server and the vehicle 100 may be in communication with a communication device. In other words, the communication device is capable of receiving and / or transmitting data from the server and / or vehicle 100.

[0042]

[0053] In examples where the remote device 206 includes one or more audio interface devices, these audio interface devices may include a microphone for receiving audio input and converting it into an electronic signal, and a speaker for converting the electronic signal into an audio output. In some cases, the exemplary communication device may include one or more displays for displaying information such as information about the vehicle 100. The network controller 204 can provide commands to the communication device to bring about the display of vehicle information on the display screen of the communication device.

[0043]

[0054] In some examples, the vehicle controller 200 may further include a location locator that determines the current location of the recreational vehicle 100. An exemplary location locator is a GPS unit that determines the location of the recreational vehicle 100 based on interaction with a global satellite system.

[0044]

[0055] When describing the operation and functionality of the user interface 110 in relation to the rechargeable storage 400, for example, a storage compartment, accessory mounting section, or other device configured to hold or secure the accessories 130, references are made to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 shows an example of an image that may be displayed on the user interface 110 according to several embodiments disclosed herein. Figure 4 shows an accessory charging system 140 according to several embodiments disclosed herein.

[0045]

[0056] The user interface 110 includes a number of user-operable buttons (e.g., interactive buttons) that can be displayed on the display of a computing device (e.g., a vehicle navigation system) mounted on the vehicle 100. The interactive buttons can be selected by hand, or by using a control knob coupled to the display, if the user interface 110 is a touchscreen display and / or includes a touchscreen display. When a user presses an interactive button, touches an interactive button, and / or interacts with an interactive button in any other way, the user interface controller 116 can receive user input indicating interaction with the interactive button and bring up the display of another image on the user interface 110, update an image already displayed on the user interface 110, or process the user input in any other way.

[0046]

[0057] In some examples, the user interface 110 displays multiple sections 300A, 300B, 300C, and 300D (collectively, section 300), and each section 300 can be associated with an accessory 130. For example, the charging controller 102 can detect an accessory 130 when it is connected to the accessory charging system 140. In some examples, section 300 can be arranged in rows, columns, arrays, cells, blocks, windows, or image icons of any appropriate shape and size. In some examples, section 300 can be static. In other examples, section 300 can be configurable by the user (for example, it can be moved and rearranged according to the user's preference). In the example shown, sections 300A to 300D are arranged in rows, and each section is associated with each power outlet 402A to 402B (collectively, power outlet 402). In other examples, any other number of sections can be implemented according to the number of power outlets 402 available in the rechargeable storage bay 400. Each of the power outlets 402 is electrically coupled and controlled by an accessory charge controller 102, thereby controlling the amount of power supplied to that power outlet 402, which in some examples can be controlled by the user via a user interface 110 as described herein. The power outlets 402 can include any suitable electrical outlets, such as outlets from 15 amperes (A) to 30 A and from 120 volts (V) to 240 V, USB outlets, smart outlets, ground fault current circuit breaker outlets, arch fault current circuit breaker outlets, or other electrical outlets.

[0047]

[0058] Each section 300 in the user interface 110 includes an identifier subsection, for example, an identifier subsection 302, where the identifier (e.g., name) of the connected accessory 130 is displayed. The identifier subsection can indicate the identifier of an accessory connected to the associated power outlet 402, which can be entered by the user while the vehicle 100 is moving or stationary. Each section 300 further includes an "on" button 304 and an "off" button 306. Buttons 304 and 306 allow the user to manually turn on (activate) or turn off (deactivate) the power supplied to the associated power outlet 402, thereby acting as power switches for individual accessories 130.

[0048]

[0059] The user interface 110 may further display multiple buttons to allow the user to switch between separate modes. For example, these multiple buttons may include an equipment charging button 308 and a storage locking button 310. The equipment charging button 308 may be a button that the user presses to view the various sections 300 representing accessories 130 connected to the power outlet 402. Alternatively, the equipment charging button 308 may function as a universal power switch. For example, pressing the button 308 may turn off all power outlets 402. Such a universal power switch may be advantageous in case of an urgent need for more power for the operation of the vehicle 100, thereby preventing the accessory charging system 140 from using power to charge the accessories 130.

[0049]

[0060] The hangar locking button 310 is capable of operating to lock or unlock the hangar lock 404 of the rechargeable hangar 400 in which the accessory 130 is stored for charging. The hangar lock 404 can be operated manually by the user, for example, via a knob or physical switch, and electrically via the user interface 110 using the hangar locking button 310, which provides an electrical signal to the hangar lock 404 to lock or unlock the rechargeable hangar 400.

[0050]

[0061] In some examples, the hangar lock 404 can be operated by one or more remote devices 206 via Bluetooth, near-field communication, or other wireless connection to the user interface 110. In this manner, the hangar lock 404 may be operable at least partially on the presence, for example, of one or more remote devices 206 to the vehicle 100, for example, in proximity. In some examples, the hangar lock 404 may be configurable on pre-specified permissions associated with one or more remote devices. For example, the hangar lock 404 may be unlocked on the proximity of one or more remote devices 206 and locked after a pre-specified amount of time, or after one or more remote devices 206 have gone out of range, immediately after one or more remote devices 206 have gone out of range, or when the vehicle 100 has been started, etc.

[0051]

[0062] As shown in Figure 4, the exemplary accessory charging system 140 includes three accessories (130A-130C) and four power outlets (402A-402D). However, it should be understood that in some examples, any other number of accessories and power outlets can be implemented. In this explanatory example, one of the power outlets is free (for example, power outlet D 402D), and such occupancy status of power outlet 402D is indicated on the user interface 110 by displaying the default outlet identifier "Outlet 4..." in section 300D. In some examples, when the user plugs an accessory 130 into one of the power outlets 402, a message may be displayed prompting the user to enter an identifier to identify the plugged-in accessory 130. The user can type in a device identifier, such as "Drill," "Speaker," "Telephone," or other device identifier, and enter that identifier so that it is displayed in the identifier subsection 302 of section 300 associated with the accessory 130. The entered identifier can be stored in memory 104, so that when the user connects the same accessory 130 again in the future, instead of having to type the entire identifier, a drop-down menu may appear with a list of suggested identifiers (most or all of which have been previously entered in the user interface 110). In some examples, the drop-down menu may also include pre-installed default identifiers that have not been previously entered but are possible candidates for the identifier of the accessory 130. In some examples, the accessory charging system 140 may be configured to display identifiers for available power outlets, such as "Phone," "Spare," "Unused," or other pre-specified or user-configurable identifiers.

[0052]

[0063] In some examples, the accessory charging controller 102 and / or the user interface controller 116 can be configured to automatically identify the connected accessory 130 by sensing the current or power consumption of the accessory 130 via a media transfer protocol (MPT) or wired or wireless communication protocol configured to enable device identification, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or near-field communication. In some examples, the sensor 202 can include one or more accessory power / current consumption sensors capable of detecting the power consumption, voltage drop, and / or current consumption of the connected accessory. For example, one or more accessory power / current consumption sensors can be operably coupled to each accessory and can provide information indicating the power consumption of the accessory and / or the amount of current consumed by the accessory. The sensor(s) can be any type of sensor that detects the power consumption and / or current consumption of the connected accessory. The accessory power / current consumption sensor(s) can provide information indicating the power consumption and / or current consumption of the accessory to the user interface controller 116 via the accessory charging controller 102. In some cases, the accessory power / current consumption sensor(s) may be included in the accessory charging controller 102 and / or the user interface controller 116, or may be directly connected to them. In other words, the accessory charging controller 102 and / or the user interface controller 116 may detect the power / current consumption of the accessories. Additionally, or alternatively, sensor 202 may identify the voltage drop and / or current usage of the accessories, and use that voltage drop and / or current usage to identify the power consumption of the accessories. Additionally, or alternatively, sensor 202 may receive signals from each accessory if each accessory is connected to one of the power outlets 402.For example, the signal could be an MPT signal or other wired or wireless signal configured to identify each accessory.

[0053]

[0064] Therefore, if a newly connected accessory has the same or similar power usage, current usage, or other identification signals as a previously identified accessory, the accessory charging controller 102 and / or user interface controller 116 can automatically identify that the newly connected accessory is the same as the previously identified accessory based on the same. In such cases, the user interface 110 can display the proposed identifier of the newly connected accessory (i.e., the identifier of the previously identified accessory) to the user for verification. Alternatively, if multiple previously identified accessories are identified, the user interface 110 can provide the user with a reduced list of potential identifiers for the newly connected accessory via a dropdown menu, by eliminating candidates associated with power usage and / or current usage that differ from those of the newly connected accessory. Thus, the user will not need to scroll through a long list of accessory identifiers to reach the correct identifier.

[0054]

[0065] In the examples shown, the user interface 110 is displayed on a display mounted on the vehicle 100, but in some examples, the same or similar user interface may be displayed on a remote device 206, for example, a user's smartphone or tablet computer that is operably connected (either via cable or wirelessly) to the accessory charge controller 102 via the vehicle 100's network controller 204. The remote device 206 may function substantially as a secondary display for the vehicle 100 by performing the same operations as described herein on its own user interface 110. In some examples, the user interface 110 displayed on the remote device 206 may differ from that displayed on the vehicle 100's display, such as the shape, size, and / or arrangement of sections or buttons, to fit the smaller display screen of the remote device 206.

[0055]

[0066] In some cases, the user interface 110 can be used to implement load limiting to increase the range of the vehicle 100 by shutting off one or more of the power outlets 402. Alternatively, a range application can be implemented to identify which of the power outlets 402 may need to be shut off in order to extend the vehicle's range. In one example, if a user enters destination information via the user interface 110 of the vehicle 100 or a remote device 206, the vehicle controller 200, or more specifically its location finder, and other applications such as mapping and routing programs pre-installed on the vehicle controller 200 or accessible via the network controller 204, can determine whether any of the power outlets 402 need to be shut off in order for the vehicle 100 to have a sufficient charge to reach its destination.

[0056]

[0067] In some examples, the rechargeable storage 400 is a container with a storage compartment that can be placed anywhere in the vehicle 100 where appropriate. The container can be made from any suitable material, such as plastic, metal, wood, ceramic, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the container can be placed in the trunk at the rear or front of the vehicle 100, integrated into the dashboard of the vehicle 100, such as in the glove box, placed between the driver's and passenger's seats, such as inside the armrest located in the center console of the vehicle 100, or placed near the rear seats of the vehicle 100, among many other possible locations. In other examples, as discussed above, the rechargeable storage 400 can include accessory mounting devices or other devices configured to hold or secure accessories. Wherever the physical location of the rechargeable storage 400 may be, the rechargeable storage 400 is remotely controllable so that any of the power outlets 402 and the lock 404 can be activated or deactivated via operation of the user interface 110 of the vehicle 100 or the remote device 206. It should be understood that in some cases, the power outlet 402 may, as appropriate, be able to receive power from a connected accessory 130, such as a battery or generator, in order to provide power to the vehicle's power supply 122 of the vehicle 100.

[0057]

[0068] Figure 5 shows an exemplary flowchart describing a processing sequence 500 relating to a controller (e.g., a user interface controller 116, an accessory charging controller 102, and / or a vehicle controller 200) according to embodiments disclosed herein. In some examples, the accessory controller 102 is configured to detect the identification of one or more accessories 130 and to display identifiers associated with the identification of one or more accessories 130 via the user interface 110. For example, in block 502, the accessory charging controller 102 can detect accessories 130 connected to a power outlet 402. In some examples, a sensor, for example, sensor 202, can receive a signal from the accessory 130 indicating the identification of the accessory 130. In response to the detection, in block 504, the accessory charging controller 102 can cause the user interface controller 116 to display a message via the user interface 110 requesting the user to input the identifier of the accessory 130. In some embodiments, the request may include a proposed (e.g., pre-identified) identifier for the detected accessory 130 for user verification. Alternatively, the request may include a dropdown menu with a proposed identifier for the detected accessory 130, from which the user can select the appropriate identifier for the accessory 130. In some examples, the accessory charging controller 102 may, in response to receiving a signal indicating the identification of the accessory 130, cause the user interface controller 116 to display the pre-identified identifier associated with the identification of the accessory 130 on the user interface 110 (blocks 502 and 504).

[0058]

[0069] In block 506, the vehicle controller 200 and / or accessory charge controller 102 determine whether the vehicle's electrical energy storage device, such as a power supply 122, has sufficient electrical energy. Sufficient electrical energy can be determined by comparing the current charge state of the energy storage device with a predicted charge state that may be required to reach a destination entered by the user. For example, the vehicle controller 200 and / or accessory charge controller 102 determine whether there is sufficient electrical energy stored in the energy storage device to reach a specified destination, based on a specified destination and the minimum amount of electrical energy required to complete the journey. The minimum amount of electrical energy required can be calculated by the vehicle controller 200 or by one of the remote devices 206 connected to the vehicle 100 via a network controlled by the network controller 204. In some examples, the minimum amount of energy required may include a safety factor, such as an additional percentage of the total energy required to reach the specified destination.

[0059]

[0070] If sufficient energy is available, the vehicle operation can proceed without further user interaction, and the processing sequence 500 loops back to block 502 to continue detecting new accessories 130 connected to the power outlets 402. However, if it is determined that there is insufficient electrical energy, the sequence 500 proceeds to block 508, in which the user interface controller 116 is configured to warn the user to turn off one or more of the power outlets 402 in order to reduce the amount of electrical energy consumed by the vehicle 100 to charge one or more accessories 130 connected to one or more power outlets 402. Alternatively, the user interface controller 116 can cause the accessory charging controller 102 to automatically turn off one or more of the power outlets 402.

[0060]

[0071] In some examples, the interface controller 116 can be configured to warn the user to turn off one or more of the power outlets 402 based on the prioritization of the accessories 130, or to cause the accessory charging controller 102 to automatically turn off one or more of the power outlets 402. For example, reducing the amount of electrical energy consumed by the vehicle 100 to charge one or more accessories 130 may include predictively identifying which one or more of the accessories 130 will consume the most power while charging (when multiple accessories are connected to the vehicle 100), and / or based on the importance or priority of each accessory. For example, if the accessories being charged include a smartphone, a battery-powered drill, and a battery-powered speaker, the drill may be predictively identified as likely to consume the most power when left continuously charging. In some examples, each accessory can be assigned a value (which may be stored in memory, for example, as a lookup table) and ranked in terms of importance or priority based on its function. For example, a smartphone may be ranked higher in terms of priority than a power tool or a speaker. This is because a smartphone is an essential item to be charged in the event of a vehicle-involved accident, or when the user needs to use the smartphone to find their way to their destination. In some cases, the prioritization of each accessory can be identified or predefined by the user, thereby allowing the user to determine which accessories are more important to keep charged.

[0061]

[0072] Following block 508, sequence 500 loops back to block 506 to determine whether it was sufficient to disconnect one or more power outlets 402 in order to reduce the amount of power consumed by one or more of the accessories 130, enabling the vehicle 100 to reach its destination. If it is determined that one or more other accessories 130 are still consuming too much power, a message from block 508 may be displayed again, prompting the user to turn off the additional power outlets to conserve power. Alternatively, the user interface controller 116 may cause the accessory charging controller 102 to automatically turn off one or more of the additional power outlets 402. Otherwise, the operation of the vehicle 100 may proceed without further user interaction, i.e., sequence 500 may loop back to block 502 and be repeated.

[0062]

[0073] In some cases, determining in block 506 whether the vehicle has sufficient energy may depend on a power plan (also called a “priority”). The power plan may be selected by the user or may include pre-determined priorities based on the identification of accessory 130. Any number of selectable power plans may be implemented. For example, there may be three power plans: Normal, Saver, and Ultra. The Normal power plan allows the accessory to continue charging regardless of the battery level or the accessory's power consumption. The Saver power plan allows the accessory to continue charging until the vehicle's engine is turned off or the vehicle's battery level falls below a threshold. The Ultra power plan allows the accessory to continue charging until the vehicle's engine is turned off or the energy consumption from charging the accessory becomes too high.

[0063]

[0074] Figure 6 shows an exemplary flowchart describing another processing sequence 600 relating to a controller (e.g., a user interface controller 116, an accessory charging controller 102, and / or a vehicle controller 200) according to embodiments disclosed herein. In block 602, one or more accessories connected to the vehicle are identified, for example, by automatically identifying those accessories based on their power usage, current usage, or other wired or wireless signals as previously disclosed, or by having the user manually identify each accessory. Using a displayed image on the user interface 110, the user can select a power plan for that accessory in block 604. In other words, based on the user's interaction with the displayed image on the user interface 110, the user interface 110 receives a user input indicating the selected power plan (e.g., a normal, saver, or ultra power plan). The user interface 110 transmits this user input to the user interface controller 116. As will be further described below, the user input indicating the selected power plan is used to determine whether to cut off and / or reduce the power supplied to the accessory.

[0064]

[0075] In the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that only three exemplary power plans and / or priorities are described above, solely for the sake of brevity and clarity. However, additional types or concepts of power plans and / or priorities may be used to specify whether to turn on, turn off, and / or reduce the power supplied to an accessory. For example, the user interface controller 116 may bring more or fewer priority displays on the user interface 110 for the user to select. Additionally, or alternatively, each of those priorities may include similar and / or different restrictions as the Normal, Saver, and / or Ultra power plans described above, and may bring about various restrictions for cutting off and / or holding the charge of their corresponding accessories.

[0065]

[0076] As shown in block 606, the user interface controller 116 receives sensor information. For example, the accessory charging controller 102 receives sensor information from multiple sensors 202, including a power supply voltage sensor, one or more accessory power consumption sensors, and / or additional sensors coupled to the vehicle 100. After receiving the sensor information, the accessory charging controller 102 transmits that sensor information to the user interface controller 116.

[0066]

[0077] For example, the power supply voltage sensor can provide information indicating the battery voltage (e.g., the charge status of power supply 122) to the user interface controller 116 via the accessory charge controller 102. The power supply voltage sensor can be operably coupled to power supply 122 and can be any type of sensor that detects the charge status of power supply 122. For example, the power supply voltage sensor is a battery monitoring sensor that monitors and detects / identifies the charge of power supply 122.

[0067]

[0078] As shown in block 608, the user interface controller 116 determines, based on sensor information (e.g., power state of charge (SOC), engine speed, and power consumption resulting from charging accessories) and user priority, whether it is necessary to cut off and / or reduce the power supplied to one or more connected accessories. If the user interface controller 116 determines that it is necessary to cut off and / or reduce the power supplied to one or more connected accessories, the processing sequence 600 proceeds to block 610. Otherwise, the processing sequence 600 loops back to block 602, and the process repeats.

[0068]

[0079] In some cases, based on user priority indicating a normal power plan, saver power plan, and ultra power plan, the user interface controller 116 determines whether power to connected accessories should be cut off and / or reduced. For example, if the user interface controller 116 identifies an accessory with a normal power plan, the user interface controller 116 will not cut off and / or reduce power to the accessory, regardless of the accessory's power consumption (e.g., power usage / current consumption) and / or power level (e.g., state of charge of the power supply). Additionally, or alternatively, based on the identification that the vehicle's engine is off (e.g., the engine speed sensor indicates that the engine speed meets a threshold) and / or that the power level (e.g., state of charge of the power supply) meets a threshold (e.g., is below a threshold), the user interface controller 116 may cut off and / or reduce power to accessories with a saver power plan. Additionally, or alternatively, based on the determination that the vehicle's engine is off and / or that the consumption of an accessory (e.g., power consumption and / or current consumption) meets a threshold (e.g., exceeds a threshold), the user interface controller 116 may cut off and / or reduce power to an accessory having an ultra-power plan.

[0069]

[0080] As represented by block 610, the user interface controller 116 displays or transmits a notification to warn the user to deactivate the charging of one or more of the connected accessories 130 by turning off one or more of the power outlets 402. When the user makes a selection, the selected one or more power outlets are turned off. Alternatively, the user interface controller 116 and / or accessory charging controller 102 may automatically turn off one or more of the power outlets 402. After block 610, the processing sequence 600 may loop back to block 602 and be repeated. It should be understood that the notification and / or warning for the user may be visual, audible, or any other appropriate form of notification / warning suitable for the user.

[0070]

[0081] In some cases, if the engine speed meets a threshold (for example, if the engine speed indicates that the engine is off and / or is below the threshold), the user interface controller 116 may suggest that the user cut off or reduce the power supplied to accessories with the Ultra Power Plan and / or Saver Power Plan. In some cases, if the State of Charge (SOC) of the power supply meets a threshold (for example, below the threshold), the user interface controller 116 may suggest that the user cut off or reduce the power supplied to accessories with the Saver Power Plan. In some variations, if the consumption of the accessories (for example, power / current consumption) meets a threshold (for example, above the threshold), the user interface controller 116 may suggest that the user cut off or reduce the power supplied to accessories with the Ultra Power Plan.

[0071]

[0082] In some examples, the user interface controller 116 may prompt or display a power outlet for which it is suggested to be cut off. For example, if the “Drill” (as shown in Figure 3) has an ultra power plan and the user interface controller 116 determines that the power consumption of charging the “Drill” is greater than a threshold, the user interface controller 116 may suggest to the user that the power supplied to the power outlet associated with the drill be cut off. The user interface controller 116 may then display a prompt indicating that the power outlet associated with the drill has been turned off. The user interface controller 116 may also provide in the prompt the reason for turning off the charging of the drill (for example, the power consumption of charging the drill was too high).

[0072]

[0083] It should be understood that Vehicle 100 can be embodied as any vehicle, including two-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, and / or other multi-wheeled recreational vehicles used on roads, trails, and / or both. Some examples of such vehicles include, but are not limited to, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), sport utility type vehicles, side-by-side recreational vehicles, snowmobiles, and utility vehicles. Figures 7–12 show various embodiments of Vehicle 100 configured to connect to and / or control (e.g., provide commands and / or power) various accessories. However, the vehicles shown in Figures 7–12 are not exhaustive, and other types of vehicles are conceivable within this disclosure.

[0073]

[0084] Figure 7 shows a vehicle 700 as a two-wheeled vehicle, such as a motorcycle. The motorcycle 700 includes two ground contact members (wheels). Furthermore, the motorcycle includes a windshield and a user interface 710 (e.g., a display). The user interface 710 can be the same as or substantially the same as the user interface 110 discussed above, except for the differences described herein. For example, the user interface 710 can include input devices (e.g., input devices 112 such as hard buttons and / or soft buttons), output devices (e.g., output devices 114 such as a display), memory (e.g., memory 118), and / or a user interface controller (e.g., user interface controller 116) configured to receive input from the input devices and / or to bring about the display of images on the output devices.

[0074]

[0085] Figure 8 shows a four-wheeled vehicle 800, such as a four-wheeled on-road and / or off-road vehicle. Figure 9 shows an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) 900. Figure 10 shows a three-wheeled motorcycle-type vehicle 1000, such as a Polaris Slingshot. Figure 11 shows a four-wheeled vehicle 1100, such as a utility vehicle. Figure 12 shows a snowmobile 1200. Each of the vehicles 700 to 1200 shown in Figures 7 to 12 includes one or more user interfaces 710, 810, 910, 1010, 1110, and 1210, and accessory charge controllers 702, 802, 902, 1002, 1102, and 1202, respectively, and each accessory charge controller can be connected to one or more accessories 730, 830, 930, 1030, 1130, and 1230, respectively. It should be understood that user interfaces 710, 810, 910, 1010, 1110, and 1210 can be the same as or substantially the same as user interface 110 discussed above, except for the differences described herein. User interfaces 710, 810, 910, 1010, 1110, and 1210 can be the same as or substantially the same as user interface 110 discussed above, except for the differences described herein. Accessory charge controllers 702, 802, 902, 1002, 1102, and 1202 can be the same as or substantially the same as accessory charge controller 102 discussed above, except for the differences described herein. Accessories 730, 830, 930, 1030, 1130, and 1230 can be the same as or substantially the same as accessory 130 discussed above, except for the differences described herein. Additionally, or alternatively, the in-vehicle controllers shown in Figures 7 to 12 (e.g., the user interface controller 116 and / or accessory charging controller 102) are capable of receiving, controlling, and / or transmitting information about each accessory. Additionally, or alternatively, the controllers are also capable of supplying power to each accessory.

[0075]

[0086] Further details regarding the various types of vehicles shown in Figures 7-12 can be found in U.S. Patent No. 8,827,019 (filed December 18, 2013, titled "SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLE"), U.S. Patent No. 9,211,924 (filed March 25, 2014, titled "SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLE"), U.S. Patent No. 8,544,587 (filed March 21, 2012, titled "THREE-WHEELED VEHICLE"), U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 387,504 (filed December 21, 2016, titled "TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE"), and U.S. Patent No. 9,738,134 (filed June 23, 2016, titled "UTILITY"). These are provided in U.S. Patent No. 9,809,195 (filed November 22, 2013, and titled "SNOWMOBILE"), and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020 / 0198561 (filed September 4, 2019, and titled "MANAGING RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND ACCESSORIES"), all of which have been assigned to the assignee, and their entire disclosures are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

[0076]

[0087] This application is intended to cover any variation, use, or adaptation of the Disclosure that uses the general principles of the Disclosure. Furthermore, this application is intended to cover any deviations from the Disclosure that fall within the scope of known or customary practice in the art relating to the Disclosure and within the boundaries of the appended claims.

[0077]

[0088] Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent functional relationships and / or physical connections between various elements. It should be noted that in actual systems, many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist. However, no benefit, advantage, solution to a problem, or any element that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to arise or become more prominent should be interpreted as a critical, required, or essential feature or element. Accordingly, the scope should not be limited by anything other than the appended claims, and in the claims, references to elements in the singular are not intended to mean "only" (unless explicitly stated to do so), but rather "one or more."

[0078]

[0089] Furthermore, where a phrase similar to "at least one of A, B, or C" is used in the claims, that phrase is intended to be interpreted as meaning that in some embodiments only A may exist, in some embodiments only B may exist, in some embodiments only C may exist, or that any combination of the elements A, B, or C, such as A and B, A and C, B and C, or A, B, and C may exist in a single embodiment.

[0079]

[0090] Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed descriptions herein, references such as “one embodiment,” “a certain embodiment,” and “exemplary embodiment” indicate that the embodiments described may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments may necessarily include those features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Moreover, if certain features, structures, or characteristics are described in relation to one embodiment, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art, whether explicitly stated or not, that such features, structures, or characteristics will be affected in relation to other embodiments and benefit from the disclosure. After reading this description, it will be clear to those skilled in the art in the relevant field how the disclosure will be implemented in alternative embodiments.

[0080]

[0091] Furthermore, no elements, components, or method steps in this disclosure are intended to be made available to the public, whether or not such elements, components, or method steps are expressly enumerated in the claims. Where used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article, or apparatus containing a list of elements may include not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed or that are specific to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0081]

[0092] This disclosure includes the following forms: [Claim 1] User interface and A power supply configured to provide power to one or more detachable accessories, A rechargeable storage unit including at least one power outlet electrically coupled to the power source, wherein each of the at least one power outlet is configured to receive and supply power to one of the one or more removable accessories, The user interface, the power supply, and the controller operably coupled to the rechargeable storage unit The controller is equipped with, Detecting the one or more detachable accessories connected to at least one of the power outlets, Identifying the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories, A vehicle configured to cause the user interface to display one or more identifiers associated with the one or more detected removable accessories. [Claim 2] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein identifying the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories includes causing the controller to receive the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories via the user interface. [Claim 3] The system further comprises at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of the charging status of the power supply and the power consumption of the power supply when charging one or more of the removable accessories, The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on the charge state of the power supply, whether the charge state of the power supply is sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination. [Claim 4] The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the user interface to display a message warning the user to turn off one or more of the at least one power outlets in response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at the pre-specified destination. [Claim 5] The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically turn off one or more of the at least one power outlets in response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at the pre-specified destination. [Claim 6] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the power outlets can be individually activated and deactivated by the user interface. [Claim 7] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is wirelessly coupled to a remote device, and the remote device is configured to display the user interface. [Claim 8] The aforementioned controller The user interface receives user input indicating at least one user priority, Receiving sensor information from at least one of the sensors, wherein the sensor information includes the charging state of the power supply, or the power consumption of the power supply when charging one or more detachable accessories; Based on the received sensor information and the at least one user priority, it is determined that one or more of the at least one power outlets need to be deactivated. The vehicle according to claim 3, further configured to cause the user interface to display a notification for deactivating one or more of the at least one power outlets. [Claim 9] The controller further comprises an accessory current consumption sensor configured to detect the current consumption of each of the one or more detachable accessories, Receiving the aforementioned current consumption, The vehicle according to claim 1, further configured to identify a list of possible identifiers for each of the one or more removable accessories by comparing the current consumption with one or more previously detected current consumptions. [Claim 10] The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein identifying the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories includes automatically selecting the identifier from the list of possible identifiers based on the current consumption. [Claim 11] Identifying the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories is Displaying the list of possible identifiers for each of the one or more detachable accessories on the user interface, The vehicle according to claim 9, comprising receiving the identifier from the list of possible identifiers via the user interface. [Claim 12] The aforementioned controller The power consumption of charging one or more of the aforementioned detachable accessories is determined based on the current consumption, Based on the aforementioned power consumption, it is determined that one or more of the at least one power outlets need to be deactivated, The vehicle according to claim 9, further configured to cause the user interface to display a notification for deactivating one or more of the at least one power outlets. [Claim 13] The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable storage compartment further includes a storage compartment lock that can be activated and deactivated by the user interface. [Claim 14] A method for controlling the charging of one or more removable accessories connected to a vehicle's power supply, Steps include detecting one or more removable accessories connected to at least one power outlet of a rechargeable storage unit, wherein the at least one power outlet is coupled to the power supply, and each of the at least one power outlet is configured to receive and supply power to one of the one or more removable accessories; The steps include identifying an identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories, The steps include causing the user interface to display one or more identifiers associated with the one or more detected removable accessories, and A method that includes this. [Claim 15] The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of identifying the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories includes receiving the identifier associated with each of the one or more detected removable accessories via the user interface. [Claim 16] The steps include determining whether the charge state of the power supply is sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination, In response to determining that the charge state of the power supply is insufficient for the vehicle to reach the predetermined destination, the steps include: (i) causing the user interface to display a message warning the user to turn off one or more of the at least one power outlets; and (ii) automatically turning off one or more of the at least one power outlets. The method according to claim 14, further comprising: [Claim 17] The steps include receiving at least one user priority via the user interface, The steps include receiving the charge status of the power supply and the power consumption related to the power supply by charging one or more of the aforementioned detachable accessories, The steps include identifying that one or more of the at least one power outlets need to be deactivated based on the received sensor information and the at least one user priority, The steps include causing the user interface to display a notification to deactivate one or more of the at least one power outlets; The method according to claim 14, further comprising: [Claim 18] The step of receiving the current consumption, A step of identifying a list of possible identifiers for each of the one or more removable accessories by comparing the current consumption with one or more previously detected current consumptions, wherein the user selects the identifier from the list; The method according to claim 14, further comprising: [Claim 19] A step of determining the power consumption of charging one or more of the aforementioned detachable accessories based on the current consumption, The steps include: identifying that one or more of the at least one power outlets need to be deactivated based on the power consumption; The steps include causing the user interface to display a notification to deactivate one or more of the at least one power outlets; The method according to claim 18, further comprising: [Claim 20] The method according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the power outlets can be individually activated and deactivated by the user interface.

Claims

1. Power supply and It is a container, A power outlet electrically coupled to the aforementioned power source, and configured to supply power from the power source to a removable accessory that is configured to be plugged into the power outlet, A container including a storage compartment configured to store the removable accessories therein for charging, A controller operably coupled to the power supply and the power outlet, the controller includes a memory for storing identification information relating to a plurality of previously identified removable accessories, The aforementioned controller The system detects when the aforementioned detachable accessory is plugged into the power outlet, After detecting that the removable accessory has been plugged into the power outlet, the system receives accessory identification information associated with the removable accessory, By comparing the received accessory identification information with the stored identification information relating to the plurality of previously identified accessories, it is determined that the received accessory identification information corresponds to at least two or more previously identified removable accessories among the plurality of previously identified removable accessories, The system is configured to generate a list of two or more possible identifiers for the detected removable accessory, wherein the list includes an identifier corresponding to each of the two or more previously identified removable accessories. vehicle.

2. The vehicle is equipped with a user interface that is operably coupled to the controller, The aforementioned controller The user interface is made to display the list of two or more possible identifiers, The system is configured to receive, via the user interface, an identifier associated with the detected removable accessory. The vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The system further includes a sensor configured to detect the charging state of the power supply, The controller is further configured to determine, based on the charge state of the power supply, whether the charge state of the power supply is sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination. The vehicle according to claim 2.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the user interface to display a message warning the user to deactivate the power outlet in response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at the pre-specified destination.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically deactivate the power outlet in response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at the pre-specified destination.

6. The aforementioned controller The system receives user input indicating user priority from the user interface, Receiving sensor information from the aforementioned sensor, wherein the sensor information includes the charging state of the power supply, Based on the received sensor information and the user priority, it is determined that the charge state of the power supply is insufficient. The system is further configured to cause the user interface to display a notification to deactivate the power outlet, The vehicle according to claim 3.

7. The container includes a plurality of power outlets, including the power outlet, The plurality of power outlets can be individually activated by the user interface in order to electrically connect the removable accessories to the power supply, and The plurality of power outlets can be individually deactivated by the user interface in order to electrically disconnect the removable accessories from the power supply. The vehicle according to claim 2.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to receive, via the user interface, a selection of an identifier from the list of two or more possible identifiers.

9. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the container includes a storage compartment lock that can be operated by the user interface to selectively lock or unlock the storage compartment.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is wirelessly coupled to a remote device configured to display a user interface, and the user interface is configured to display the list of two or more possible identifiers.

11. The system further comprises an accessory current consumption sensor configured to detect the current consumption of the aforementioned removable accessory, The accessory identification information includes the current consumption of the removable accessory, The controller identifies the received accessory identification information as corresponding to two or more previously identified removable accessories by comparing one or more previously detected current consumptions stored in the memory with the current consumption of the removable accessory. The vehicle according to claim 1.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically select an identifier from the list of two or more possible identifiers based on the current consumption of the removable accessory.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the power consumption of charging the removable accessory based on the current consumption of the removable accessory.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the accessory identification information includes the current consumption of the removable accessory or the power consumption of the removable accessory.

15. A method for controlling the charging of a removable accessory connected to a vehicle's power supply, The steps include storing identification information for multiple previously identified removable accessories in the memory of the vehicle's controller, The steps include: detecting by the controller when the removable accessory is plugged into a power outlet in the vehicle's container, wherein the power outlet is electrically coupled to the vehicle's power supply, the power outlet is configured to supply power from the power supply to the removable accessory plugged into the power outlet, and the container includes a storage compartment configured to store the removable accessory for charging; The steps include: detecting that the removable accessory has been plugged into the power outlet, and then having the controller receive accessory identification information associated with the removable accessory; The controller performs the steps of comparing the received accessory identification information with the stored identification information of the plurality of previously identified removable accessories to determine that the received accessory identification information corresponds to two or more previously identified removable accessories among the plurality of previously identified removable accessories, A step of generating a list of two or more possible identifiers for the detachable accessory detected by the controller, wherein the list includes an identifier corresponding to each of the two or more previously identified detachable accessories. A method that includes this.

16. The controller causes the user interface of the vehicle to display the list of two or more possible identifiers; The steps include receiving an identifier associated with the detected removable accessory via the user interface, and The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

17. A step of detecting the charging state of the power supply using a sensor, The steps include: determining, based on the charge state of the power supply, whether the charge state of the power supply is sufficient for the vehicle to arrive at a predetermined destination; In response to the determination that the charge state of the power supply is not sufficient for the vehicle to reach the predetermined destination, The user interface is instructed to display a notification warning the user to deactivate the power outlet, and The steps include: automatically turning off the aforementioned power outlet, and performing at least one of the following: The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

18. The steps include receiving user input corresponding to user priority via the user interface, The steps include: receiving sensor information from the sensor using the controller, wherein the sensor information includes the charge state of the power supply; The controller performs the step of identifying that the charge state of the power supply is insufficient based on the received sensor information and the user priority, The controller causes the user interface to display a notification to deactivate the power outlet. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

19. The process further includes detecting the current consumption of the removable accessory using an accessory current consumption sensor, The accessory identification information includes the current consumption of the removable accessory, Identifying that the received accessory identification information corresponds to the two or more previously identified removable accessories includes comparing one or more previously detected current consumptions stored in the memory with the current consumption of the removable accessories. The method according to claim 15.

20. The controller determines the power consumption of charging the removable accessory based on the current consumption of the removable accessory, The steps include: identifying that the power outlet needs to be deactivated based on the aforementioned power consumption; The steps include causing the vehicle's user interface to display a notification to deactivate the power outlet, and The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

Images