Idle power management system and method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202580016213.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2024-09-20
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-25
AI Technical Summary
[0004]然而,这种发电设施可能出现的问题是,如果所产生的能量的量与用户能量需求之间存在不平衡,则所产生的能量可能不能被完全利用,并且所产生的能量的至少一部分可能会损失,或者发电设施的运行可能会暂停
[0040]本发明的效果不限于上述效果,并且根据对权利要求的描述,其他未提及的效果对于本领域技术人员将是显而易见的。
Smart Images

Figure CN122826752A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a technique for managing idle power from a power source.
[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 891,802, filed with the USPTO on September 20, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology
[0003] Energy generated at power generation facilities can be transmitted to consumers who need the electricity through distribution networks, such as transmission lines. While many power generation facilities still use fossil fuels, they are increasingly employing environmentally friendly and renewable energy generation methods to provide sustainable power generation.
[0004] However, a potential problem with such power generation facilities is that if there is an imbalance between the amount of energy generated and the energy demand of users, the generated energy may not be fully utilized, and at least a portion of the generated energy may be lost, or the operation of the power generation facilities may be suspended.
[0005] Some energy management systems control electricity supply and distribution based on pricing. For example, the Korea Electric Power Exchange forecasts electricity demand at one-day intervals before the trading day and determines market prices at these intervals by reflecting the bidding capacity and supply costs of each generating facility. However, the forecasted electricity demand and the actual electricity demand can be completely different, and the capacity of generating facilities can also change on trading days.
[0006] Therefore, there is still a need for systems and methods to manage the electricity generated by power generation facilities so as to meet consumer demand for electricity without wasting excess power. Summary of the Invention
[0007] Technical issues
[0008] This disclosure is designed to address problems in the related art, and therefore relates to providing a system and method capable of allocating and utilizing idle power generated by a power source so that the idle power is not wasted.
[0009] These and other objects and advantages of this disclosure will be understood from the following detailed description and will become more apparent from exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. Likewise, it will be readily understood that the objects and advantages of this disclosure can be achieved by the means shown in the appended claims and combinations thereof.
[0010] Technical solution
[0011] Various aspects of this disclosure relate to a system having one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer instructions, which, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: Receive idle power availability information from the power source in relation to the current or predicted idle power availability of the power source; Receive (i) energy consumption information related to the current or predicted energy consumption of the power user and (ii) location information related to the location of the power user from the power user; Receive idle power transport capacity information related to the ability of the one or more transportable energy storage devices to store idle power from an entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices; Based on the idle power availability information, it is determined whether the power source meets a first criterion of currently having or predicting to have idle power availability; A second criterion is used to determine whether the electricity user meets the current or future electricity demand based on the energy consumption information; Based on the idle power transport capacity information, it is determined whether the entity meets the third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; and If the first criterion, the second criterion, and the third criterion are determined to be met, instructions are provided to one or more of the entity, the power user, and the power source to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the power source to the power user.
[0012] The transfer of idle power from a power source to an electricity user is performed by transferring the idle power from the power source to at least one transportable energy storage device of the entity. Physically transport the at least one transportable energy storage device containing the idle electricity to the location of the electricity user; and The idle electricity stored in the at least one transportable energy storage device is transferred to the electricity user at the location.
[0013] The power source may include one or more of power generation facilities, charging stations, and energy storage facilities.
[0014] The electricity user may include at least one selected from the group consisting of personal electricity users, industrial electricity users, vehicles, residences, buildings, regional or municipal power grids, charging stations and electricity storage facilities.
[0015] The entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices may include at least one selected from the group consisting of individuals, automobiles, companies, freight vehicles and energy storage facilities.
[0016] The one or more transportable energy storage devices may include one or more batteries that can be physically transported by being mounted on a means of transport, including at least one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships and trains.
[0017] When executed on one or more processors, the computer instructions may cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: receiving idle power availability information from a plurality of power sources in relation to the current or predicted idle power availability of each of the plurality of power sources; receiving energy consumption information from a plurality of power users in relation to the current or predicted energy consumption of each of the plurality of power users; determining, based on the idle power availability information, whether at least one of the plurality of power sources meets a first criterion of currently having or being predicted to have idle power availability; determining, based on the energy consumption information, whether at least one of the plurality of power users meets a second criterion of currently or future having power demand; matching one or more of the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more of the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; and providing instructions to one or more of the entities, the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, for facilitating the transfer of idle power from the matched one or more power sources to the one or more power users.
[0018] When executed on the one or more processors, the computer instructions may cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: receiving idle power transport capacity information from a plurality of entities having one or more transportable energy storage devices, relating to the ability of each of the plurality of entities to store idle power in the one or more transportable energy storage devices; determining, based on the idle power transport capacity information, whether at least one of the plurality of entities meets a third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; matching one or more of the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more of the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and one or more of the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; and providing instructions to the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, and the one or more entities that meet the third criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the matched one or more power sources via the at least one transportable energy storage device of the one or more entities to the one or more power users.
[0019] Matching one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, and matching one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, includes matching based on at least one of the following: the proximity between the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion; the required power volume of the one or more power users that meet the second criterion; the power volume that can be utilized from the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion; and the relationship between the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion. Compatibility among the one or more power users; availability of transport vehicles for the one or more transportable energy storage devices; proximity between the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion and the one or more power sources satisfying the first criterion; proximity between the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion and the one or more power users satisfying the second criterion; the amount of idle energy that the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion can store by the at least one transportable energy storage device; compatibility between the one or more power sources satisfying the first criterion and the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion; compatibility between the one or more power users satisfying the second criterion and the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion; and safety and / or lifespan diagnostics of the one or more transportable energy storage devices.
[0020] When executed on one or more processors, the computer instructions may cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: receive the location of the power source that meets the first criterion; receive the idle power required by the power user that meets the second criterion; instruct the entity that meets the third criterion to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device to the location of the power source that meets the first criterion; instruct the power source that meets the first criterion to transfer the idle power required by the power user to the at least one transportable energy storage device; instruct the entity that meets the third criterion to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device storing the idle power to the location of the power user that meets the second criterion; and instruct the power user that meets the second criterion to transfer the idle power from the transportable energy storage device.
[0021] The at least one transportable energy storage device may include safety devices for reducing the fire risk caused by the at least one transportable energy storage device.
[0022] Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a method implemented by executing computer instructions configured to execute on one or more processors, the method comprising the steps of: Receive idle power availability information from the power source in relation to the current or predicted idle power availability of the power source; Receive (i) energy consumption information related to the current or predicted energy consumption of the power user and (ii) location information related to the location of the power user from the power user; Receive idle power transport capacity information related to the ability of the one or more transportable energy storage devices to store idle power from an entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices; Based on the idle power availability information, it is determined whether the power source meets a first criterion of currently having or predicting to have idle power availability; A second criterion is used to determine whether the electricity user meets the current or future electricity demand based on the energy consumption information; Based on the idle power transport capacity information, it is determined whether the entity meets the third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; and If the first, second, and third criteria are determined to be met, instructions are provided to one or more of the entity, the power user, and the power source to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the power source to the power user.
[0023] The transfer of idle power from a power source to an electricity user is performed by transferring the idle power from the power source to at least one transportable energy storage device of the entity. Physically transport the at least one transportable energy storage device containing the idle electricity to the location of the electricity user; and The idle electricity stored in the at least one transportable energy storage device is transferred to the electricity user at the location.
[0024] The power source may include one or more of power generation facilities, charging stations, and energy storage facilities.
[0025] The electricity user may include at least one selected from the group consisting of personal electricity users, industrial electricity users, vehicles, residences, buildings, regional or municipal power grids, charging stations and electricity storage facilities.
[0026] The entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices includes at least one selected from the group consisting of individuals, automobiles, companies, freight transport vehicles and energy storage facilities.
[0027] The one or more transportable energy storage devices may include one or more batteries that can be physically transported by being mounted on a means of transport, including at least one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships and trains.
[0028] The method includes the following steps: receiving idle power availability information from a plurality of power sources, relating to the current or predicted idle power availability of each of the plurality of power sources; receiving energy consumption information from a plurality of power users, relating to the current or predicted energy consumption of each of the plurality of power users; determining, based on the idle power availability information, whether at least one of the plurality of power sources meets a first criterion of currently having or being predicted to have idle power availability; determining, based on the energy consumption information, whether at least one of the plurality of power users meets a second criterion of currently or in the future having power demand; matching one or more of the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more of the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; and providing instructions to one or more of the entity, the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the matched one or more power sources to the one or more power users.
[0029] The method further includes the steps of: receiving idle power transport capacity information from a plurality of entities having one or more transportable energy storage devices, relating to the ability of each of the plurality of entities to store idle power in the one or more transportable energy storage devices; determining, based on the idle power transport capacity information, whether at least one of the plurality of entities meets a third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; matching one or more of the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more of the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and with one or more of the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; and providing instructions to the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, and the one or more entities that meet the third criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the matched one or more power sources via the at least one transportable energy storage device of the one or more entities to the one or more power users.
[0030] The steps of matching one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, and matching one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, include matching based on at least one of the following: the proximity between the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion; the required power volume of the one or more power users that meet the second criterion; the power volume that can be utilized from the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion; and the proximity between the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion. The criteria include: compatibility between the one or more power users meeting the standard; availability of transportation for the one or more transportable energy storage devices; proximity between the one or more entities meeting the third standard and the one or more power sources meeting the first standard; proximity between the one or more entities meeting the third standard and the one or more power users meeting the second standard; the amount of idle energy that the one or more entities meeting the third standard can store by the at least one transportable energy storage device; compatibility between the one or more power sources meeting the first standard and the one or more entities meeting the third standard; compatibility between the one or more power users meeting the second standard and the one or more entities meeting the third standard; and safety and / or lifespan diagnostics of the one or more transportable energy storage devices.
[0031] The method further includes the following steps: receiving the location of the power source that meets the first criterion; receiving the idle power required by the power user that meets the second criterion; instructing the entity that meets the third criterion to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device to the location of the power source that meets the first criterion; instructing the power source that meets the first criterion to transfer the idle power required by the power user to the at least one transportable energy storage device; instructing the entity that meets the third criterion to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device storing the idle power to the location of the power user that meets the second criterion; and instructing the power user that meets the second criterion to transfer the idle power from the transportable energy storage device.
[0032] The at least one transportable energy storage device may include safety devices for reducing the fire risk caused by the at least one transportable energy storage device.
[0033] Beneficial effects
[0034] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, effective and accurate management of idle power can be provided, so that excess power generated or stored by power sources is not wasted and power users do not experience power shortages when needed.
[0035] Furthermore, according to at least one embodiment of the invention, significant improvements can be provided over existing methods that do not provide real-time transportation and distribution of idle power for identifying and matching transport entities to provide power as needed.
[0036] Furthermore, according to at least one embodiment of the invention, by identifying available idle electricity and potential recipients of such idle electricity in real time, the ability to sell and resell electricity on demand can be provided.
[0037] Furthermore, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, it is convenient to transport electricity to areas that may not be able to reliably receive electricity through the power grid, or areas that are not connected to the power grid, or areas where the power grid is faulty or has other problems.
[0038] Furthermore, according to at least one embodiment of the present invention, real-time monitoring of energy storage devices used for idle power transmission can be allowed, which can enhance the security of idle power transmission and also allows for preemptive isolation or replacement of energy storage devices identified as defective.
[0039] Furthermore, according to at least one embodiment of the invention, electricity can be recycled to areas where electricity is needed, rather than being left unused or even wasted.
[0040] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other effects not mentioned will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the description of the claims. Attached Figure Description
[0041] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide a further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the accompanying drawings.
[0042] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an implementation of a network for transporting idle electricity, the network including an idle electricity management system, power sources, and electricity users.
[0043] Figure 2This is a diagram illustrating another implementation of a network including an idle power management system for transporting idle power, power sources, and power users.
[0044] Figure 3 This is a block diagram of an implementation of a computer system 100 for managing idle power.
[0045] Figure 4 A block diagram of a system 300 for idle power management is shown.
[0046] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an implementation method for managing idle power.
[0047] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an implementation of a method for matching power sources, power users, and transportation entities for idle power management. Detailed Implementation
[0048] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Before the description, it should be understood that the terminology used in the specification and appended claims should not be construed as limited to its general or dictionary meaning, but rather is interpreted based on the principle of allowing the inventors to appropriately define the terminology for the best interpretation, and on the meaning and concepts corresponding to the technical aspects of the present disclosure.
[0049] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described herein and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of this disclosure and do not represent all the technical ideas of this disclosure, and various equivalents and variations may exist to replace them at the time of filing.
[0050] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” etc., used in the specification and claims, if any, are used to distinguish between similar elements and are not necessarily used to describe a particular order or chronological sequence. It should be understood that such terms are interchangeable where appropriate, allowing the embodiments described herein to operate, for example, in an order different from that shown herein or otherwise described. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “having,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article of manufacture, apparatus, or device that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article of manufacture, apparatus, or device.
[0051] According to certain embodiments of this disclosure, a system and method are provided for managing idle electricity generated by a power source to provide energy allocation and use so that energy is not wasted. According to some aspects, by managing idle electricity, the overall energy efficiency of the power source can be improved by increasing the percentage of total energy generated from the power actually used. Various aspects of this disclosure can also improve the power availability to electricity users in real time to enhance the use of potentially unused electricity. According to some aspects, the system is capable of identifying the source and / or location of idle electricity, determining the electricity user receiving the idle electricity, and providing coordination with entities having transportable energy storage devices to facilitate the physical transport of idle electricity from the power source to the energy user who needs energy.
[0052] According to some embodiments, transportable energy storage devices include batteries capable of receiving idle power from a power source, allowing the batteries to be physically transported to the power user. According to some embodiments, for safety and to determine in real-time the physical location and quantity of transportable energy storage devices available for energy transport, the transportable energy storage devices can be tracked and monitored. According to some embodiments, by monitoring the status of the transportable energy storage devices, if a transportable energy storage device is suspected of having a safety issue or being defective, it can be preemptively isolated and / or replaced.
[0053] refer to Figure 1 A block diagram illustrating an implementation of a system 20 for idle power management, which forms part of an idle power management and distribution network 18, is provided. Figure 1 As shown, network 18 may include one or more power sources 10 capable of providing electricity, such as generators. Network 18 also includes one or more electricity users and / or consumers 14. One or more idle power transport entities 16 are also provided as part of network 18, wherein the idle power transport entities 16 are capable of physically transporting idle power stored in one or more transportable idle power storage devices 12. The idle power management system 20 communicates with any or more of the power sources 10, electricity users 14, one or more idle power transport entities 16, and even one or more transportable idle power storage devices 12, and is capable of receiving and / or providing information to any or more of the power sources 10, electricity users 14, one or more idle power transport entities 16, and even one or more transportable idle power storage devices 12.
[0054] According to one embodiment, power source 10 includes any one or more of a power generation facility, a charging station, and an energy storage facility, as well as other entities capable of providing electricity. Power source 10 can be a large municipal or corporate facility, such as a generator operating on fossil fuels, or using a more sustainable power generation facility, such as solar, wind, or hydropower, or other large-scale power generation. Power source 10 can also be a small or standalone power source, such as a personal generator or a personal solar generator. According to some embodiments, power user 14 can include at least one selected from the group consisting of: personal power users, industrial power users, vehicles, homes, buildings, local or municipal power grids, charging stations, and energy storage facilities, as well as other entities that consume energy. For example, in one embodiment, power user 14 can be a driver of an electric vehicle who needs to recharge their battery, such as from a charging station or other electric vehicle, but who does not have enough remaining battery charge to reach the charging station.
[0055] According to some embodiments, an entity 16 having one or more transportable energy storage devices 12 includes at least one selected from the group consisting of individuals, automobiles, companies, freight carriers, and energy storage facilities. That is, entity 16 can be any entity capable of physically transporting the energy storage device 12 from one physical location to another, such that the energy storage device 12 can be supplied with idle power at one location and delivered to a customer requiring that power at another location. For example, entity 16 can be an entity capable of transporting one or more transportable energy storage devices 12 by loading one or more energy storage devices 12 onto at least one transport device, said transport device including any transport device selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships, and trains.
[0056] According to some embodiments, the transportable energy storage device 12 may include batteries or other devices capable of storing electricity. According to some embodiments, the transportable energy storage device 12 includes a secondary battery capable of being repeatedly charged and discharged to provide storage of electricity from the power source 10 and for delivery to the electricity user 14. For example, according to some embodiments, one or more transportable energy storage devices 12 may include one or more batteries capable of being physically transported by being mounted on a means of transport, including at least one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships, and trains.
[0057] refer to Figure 2An embodiment of network 20 for idle power management and transportation is shown, including a power plant as a power source 10, one or more batteries as energy storage devices 12 capable of transporting idle power, an idle power transportation entity 16 capable of transporting one or more energy storage devices by vehicle or other transportation or delivery methods (as shown), power users 14 at specific locations, and an idle power management system 18 that receives and provides information to other members of network 20. Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the idle power management system is able to provide and receive information related to idle power storage capacity, demand, movement and control, as well as information related to fleet management involving the movement and physical transport of energy storage devices, information related to power demand and use, forecasts of such demand and use, and information related to energy storage devices and their status, such as information related to the lifespan of energy storage devices, the safety and condition of energy storage devices, and the certification of energy storage devices used for energy transport, and other metrics.
[0058] According to some implementations, the idle power management system 18 is able to receive information from other members of the network 20 and provide the information to other members of the network 20, for example, to manage the idle power generated by the power source 10 to ensure that it is provided to the power users 14 who need the generated power.
[0059] Please refer to the attached diagram. Figure 5 A flowchart of a method 500 for managing idle power according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 500 is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. Method 500 can be used in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. In some embodiments, the procedures, processes, and / or activities of method 500 may be performed in the presented order. In other embodiments, the procedures, processes, and / or activities of method 500 may be performed in any suitable order. In other embodiments, one or more of the procedures, processes, and / or activities of method 500 may be combined or skipped.
[0060] In many embodiments, system 18 is adapted to perform method 500 and / or one or more activities of method 500. In these or other embodiments, one or more activities of method 500 may be implemented as one or more computer instructions configured to run on one or more processors and configured to be stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. Such non-transitory computer-readable media may be part of system 18. The processor may be similar to or the same as the processor described below with respect to computer system 100.
[0061] In some implementations, method 500 and other activities within method 500 may include performing associated activities using a distributed network that includes a distributed memory architecture. This distributed architecture can reduce the impact on network and system resources to alleviate congestion in bottlenecks, while still allowing data to be accessed from a central location.
[0062] like Figure 5 As shown, in many embodiments, activity 505 may include receiving idle power availability information from power source 10 in relation to the current or predicted idle power availability at the power source. For example, power source 10 may provide information related to the current power availability at power source 10 or the predicted power availability at a future point in time (e.g., based on expected power output over a future time period and predicted power demand over that time period). In many embodiments, activity 510 may include receiving (i) energy consumption information related to the current or predicted power consumption of the power user 14, and (ii) location information related to the location of the power user. That is, the power user can provide information related to their current power consumption and energy needs, and / or predicted power consumption and / or energy needs over a future time period, such as the amount of power predicted to be required to perform certain operations and tasks and the amount of power predicted to be available to the power user during that future time period. For example, if the electricity users are part of a municipal power grid, they can estimate average electricity / power consumption over future time periods based on past usage, and can also estimate the amount of electricity available to the electricity users during that time period to determine how much more electricity from another power source will be needed than may already be available. Other estimates of current or projected electricity consumption can also be generated by or for the electricity users and provided to system 18. The location information of the electricity users can be provided to system 18 as information to facilitate the physical transfer and delivery of idle electricity to the electricity users at their physical locations.
[0063] In many embodiments, activity 515 may involve receiving idle power transport capacity information from an entity 16 having one or more transportable energy storage devices 12, relating to the ability of the one or more transportable energy storage devices to store idle power. For example, information may be provided regarding the entity's available idle power transport capacity, the number of energy storage devices 12 available for transport, the physical location of one or more energy storage devices, and / or the location of one or more means of transport (e.g., trucks, cars, ships, airplanes) used to transport the energy storage devices. As an example, logistical information regarding the location and route of one or more means of transport may be provided. As another example, the number, energy capacity, location, and condition of one or more energy storage devices may be provided, such as the idle power storage capacity of the energy storage devices, the percentage of available storage capacity, and the physical location of the energy storage devices. As yet another example, information regarding the lifespan of the energy storage devices may be provided, such as information regarding battery safety and whether the battery is nearing the end of its useful life or may otherwise be defective. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, information about the status of the energy storage device (e.g., capacity and safety information) can be provided to the system 18 by the idle power transport entity 16, along with other information related to the entity 16's ability to transport idle power (e.g., location and logistics information). According to yet another embodiment, such as... Figure 1 As shown by the dashed line, the transportable energy storage device 12 itself can directly provide the system 18 with information such as capacity, safety, lifespan, and location.
[0064] In many embodiments, activity 520 may include determining whether power source 10 meets a first criterion based on idle power availability information, either currently having or being predicted to have idle power availability. That is, system 18 may determine that power source 10 is a power source that currently has idle power availability or is expected to have idle power availability in a future time period. In many embodiments, activity 525 may include determining whether power user 14 meets a second criterion based on energy consumption information, either having a current or future need for electricity. That is, system 18 may determine whether power user 14 is a user who currently needs electricity or is expected to need electricity in a future time period. According to some embodiments, activities 520 and 525 may also include determining whether the first and second criteria are met based on whether there is a match in the time period during which excess idle power is expected to be available from the power source and the power user needs said power, for example, in cases where excess power was obtained from the power source at the same time as or shortly before the expected need for electricity by the power user. In a network 20 comprising multiple different power sources 10 and / or multiple power users 14, system 18 is capable of determining from the multiple power sources 10 and multiple power users 14 whether there are multiple matches that satisfy a first criterion and a second criterion. For example, system 18 may be able to determine whether there are any power sources 10 capable of meeting the power consumption needs of one or more power users, and / or whether there are any power users capable of benefiting from the idle power generated by one or more power sources.
[0065] refer to Figure 5 In many implementations, activity 530 may involve determining, based on idle power transport capacity information, whether entity 16 meets a third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power. For example, system 18 may determine whether the entity has sufficient available energy storage / idle power storage capacity, and / or whether the transport vehicle used by the entity is in a suitable geographical location for transporting from power source 10 to power user 14, as well as other parameters. As another example, system 18 may determine whether the third criterion is met by determining whether entity 16 has resources suitable for transporting idle power between power source 10 and power user 14, resources matched based on a first and second criterion, such as sufficient capacity to store idle power to be transported from power source 10 to power user 14 and a location sufficiently close or convenient for transport vehicles to transport idle power between the power source location and the power user location.
[0066] In many embodiments, activity 535 may include providing instructions to one or more of entity 16, power user 14, and power source 10, upon determining that a first criterion, a second criterion, and a third criterion are met, to transfer idle power from the power source to the power user. According to some embodiments, the transfer of idle power from power source 10 to power user 14 occurs via idle power transfer from power source 10 to entity 16 via at least one transportable energy storage device 12. For example, one or more energy storage devices 12 may be physically transported to the location of power source 10, for example, by using one or more transport vehicles of the entity to charge the energy storage devices 12 with idle power from power source 10. According to some embodiments, the transfer of idle power may also include physically transporting at least one transportable energy storage device storing idle power to the location of the power user. For example, one or more energy storage devices 12 storing idle power may be physically transported to the location of the power user, for example, by using one or more transport vehicles of the entity, to provide idle power to the power user. According to some implementations, the transport of idle electricity may also include transporting idle electricity stored in at least one transportable energy storage device to the electricity user at that location, for example by releasing one or more transportable energy storage devices containing idle electricity to the user's energy storage device, or otherwise providing transport of idle electricity to the electricity user. For example, in the case where an electric vehicle owner needs to charge as described above, the method enables the electric vehicle owner to be matched with a power source (e.g., a charging station and a transport entity) to transport the required power from the charging station or other power source to the electric vehicle that needs power.
[0067] According to some embodiments, the transport of idle electricity stored in energy storage devices to users includes all stored idle electricity. In other embodiments, only a portion of the idle electricity suitable for meeting the user's consumption needs is transported, and the remaining idle electricity is reserved for transport to another user. According to some further embodiments, the transfer of idle electricity may include the use of multiple different energy storage devices and / or multiple different transport vehicles. The transported idle electricity may also come from a single power source or multiple power sources, for example, when idle electricity from multiple power sources is needed to meet the consumption needs of one or more users. The transported idle electricity may also be transported only to a single electricity user at a single location, or to multiple electricity users at the same or different locations.
[0068] According to one embodiment of method 500, where multiple power sources and multiple power users are part of network 20, activity 505 may include receiving idle power availability information from the multiple power sources relating to the current or predicted idle power availability at each of the multiple power sources. Activity 510 may include receiving energy consumption information from the multiple power users relating to the current or predicted energy consumption of each of the multiple power users. Activity 520 may include determining, based on the idle power availability information, whether at least one of the multiple power sources meets a first criterion of currently having or being predicted to have idle power availability. Activity 525 may include determining, based on the energy consumption information, whether any one of the multiple power users meets a second criterion of current or future energy needs. Figure 6 As shown, the method may further include activity 605 of matching one or more power sources from a plurality of power sources that meet a first criterion with one or more power users from a plurality of power users that meet a second criterion. If no match exists between a given power source and a given power user, system 18 may search for another match. If a match exists, the method may further include in activity 535 providing instructions to one or more entities, one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, and one or more power users that meet the second criterion, to facilitate the transport of idle power from one or more power sources to one or more matched power users (i.e., via a transport entity).
[0069] According to one embodiment of method 500 where multiple entities having multiple energy storage devices are part of network 20, activity 515 may include receiving idle power transport capacity information from the multiple entities having one or more transportable energy storage devices, relating to the ability of each of the multiple entities to store idle power in one or more transportable energy storage devices. Activity 530 may include determining, based on the idle power transport capacity information, whether at least one of the multiple entities meets a third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power. The method may also include activity 610 of matching one or more entities among the multiple entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources among the multiple power sources that meet the first criterion and with one or more power users among the multiple power users that meet the second criterion, such as... Figure 6As shown. If no match exists between a given transport entity and a power source and a power user, system 18 may search for another match. If a match exists, the method may further include, in activity 535, providing instructions to one or more power sources that meet a first criterion, one or more power users that meet a second criterion, and one or more entities that meet a third criterion, to transfer idle power from one or more power sources to one or more power users via at least one transportable energy storage device of one or more mutually matched entities.
[0070] According to one embodiment, matching one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, and matching one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, includes matching based on at least one of several parameters. According to one embodiment, the parameters used to determine whether a match exists between power sources, power users, and transportation entities may include the proximity of one or more power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users that meet the second criterion. For example, if power sources and power users are geographically too far apart, they may not be considered a match even if other parameters such as the amount of available idle power and the amount of required power are otherwise well matched. Conversely, if power sources and power users are relatively close to each other, they may be a good match.
[0071] According to some implementations, other parameters that can be used to determine matching include whether the amount of electrical energy required by one or more power users meets a second criterion and / or whether the amount of electrical energy available from one or more power sources meets a first criterion. If the required electrical energy corresponds to the available electrical energy, one or more power sources and one or more power users can be matched. If not, if the available electrical energy is insufficient, another power source can be sought as a supplement or alternative; if the amount of idle electricity exceeds the amount required by a given power user, another power user can be sought.
[0072] According to some implementations, the compatibility between one or more power sources that meet a first criterion and one or more power users that meet a second criterion can be a parameter used to determine whether a match exists. For example, if a power user cannot use energy provided in the form delivered by a power source, then there may be no match between the power source and the power user.
[0073] According to some embodiments, parameters for determining a match with a transport entity may include the availability of transport vehicles for one or more transportable energy storage devices, the proximity of one or more entities meeting a third criterion to one or more power sources meeting a first criterion, and / or the proximity of one or more entities meeting the third criterion to one or more power users meeting a second criterion. That is, in some embodiments, matching can be performed if the transport entity has available transport vehicles close to power sources and power users. If the transport entity does not have nearby transport vehicles, matching with different transport entities can be sought. According to some embodiments, parameters for determining a match may be the amount of idle energy that can be stored by at least one transportable energy storage device of one or more entities meeting the third criterion. For example, if one or more transportable energy storage devices of a transport entity cannot accommodate the amount of idle power to be transported, matching with different transport entities can be sought. Relatedly, other parameters that can be used to determine a match may be the compatibility between one or more power sources meeting the first criterion and one or more entities meeting the third criterion, and the compatibility between one or more power users meeting the second criterion and one or more entities meeting the third criterion. For example, if the energy storage provided by a transport entity cannot receive idle electricity in the form of electricity provided by a power source, or cannot deliver electricity in a form suitable for electricity users, it may seek to match with different transport entities.
[0074] According to some embodiments, the parameters used to determine the matching with the transport entity may depend on safety and / or status information of the energy storage device from the transport entity. For example, diagnostic information of the transportable energy storage device may be provided directly from the energy storage device to system 18, or indirectly from the transport entity to the system if the transport entity monitors the energy storage device alone. Safety and / or status information may be sent by a battery monitoring system or a similar system capable of diagnosing defects in the device and obtaining information about the lifespan and capacity of the energy storage device. For example, safety and / or status information may include information about whether the energy storage device is functioning properly, whether there are dangerous conditions in the battery, or whether it is nearing the end of its lifespan due to a reduction in capacity or other characteristics. Status information may also include information such as the current state of charge of the battery, the total capacity of the battery receiving and storing idle power, and charging and discharging protocols and compatibility considerations. According to another embodiment, system 18 can monitor the energy storage device directly or indirectly via information received from the transport entity during any one or more of the processes of picking up idle power from a power source, transporting idle power, and delivering idle power to an electricity user, to continuously assess the status and safety of the energy storage device. For example, if a defect in the energy storage device is detected at some point during the idle power transmission process, system 18 can request to stop at least one of the pickup, transmission, and delivery of idle power. According to another example, if a defect is detected during the idle power transmission process, system 18 can seek a match with a different transport entity. According to yet another embodiment, system 18 can seek a match with a transport entity having at least one transportable energy storage device, which includes safety devices to reduce the fire risk caused by the transportable energy storage device.
[0075] Back to Figure 5 a and Figure 5 b. According to one embodiment of method 500, the activity 535 of providing instructions to facilitate the transport of idle power from a power source to an energy user includes receiving the location of a power source that meets a first criterion, receiving the amount of idle power required by an energy user that meets a second criterion, instructing an entity that meets a third criterion to transport at least one transportable energy storage device to the location of the power source that meets the first criterion, instructing the power source that meets the first criterion to transfer the amount of idle power required by the energy user to at least one transportable energy storage device, instructing the entity that meets the third criterion to transport at least one transportable energy storage device storing idle power to the location of the energy user that meets the second criterion, and instructing the energy user that meets the second criterion to receive the idle power from the transportable energy storage device.
[0076] Reference Figure 3This diagram illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an implementation of a computer system 100, all or part of which may be adapted to (i) implement part or all of one or more implementations of the techniques, methods, and systems described herein, and / or (ii) implement and / or operate one or more implementations of the non-transitory computer-readable media described herein. As an example, different or separate components of the computer system 100 (and its internal components, or one or more elements of the computer system 100) may be adapted to implement part or all of the techniques described herein. The computer system 100 may include a chassis containing one or more circuit boards (not shown), a universal serial bus (USB) port 112, an optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) and / or digital video disc (DVD) drive 116, and a hard disk drive 114. A central processing unit (CPU) 210 is coupled to... Figure 3 The system bus 214 is located in the CPU 210. In various implementations, the architecture of the CPU 210 may be compatible with at least one of a variety of commercially available architecture families.
[0077] Continue to refer to Figure 3System bus 214 is also connected to memory storage cell 208, which includes both read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). The non-volatile portion of memory storage cell 208 or ROM may be encoded with a sequence of boot codes suitable for restoring the system to a functional state after a reset of computer system 100. Additionally, memory storage cell 208 may include microcode such as a Basic Input / Output System (BIOS). In some examples, one or more memory storage cells in the various embodiments disclosed herein may include memory storage cell 208, a USB-equipped electronic device (e.g., an external memory storage cell (not shown) coupled to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port 112), hard disk drive 114, and / or CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray, or other suitable media, such as media configured for use in CD-ROM and / or DVD drives 116. A non-volatile or non-transient memory storage cell refers to a portion of the memory storage cell that functions as non-volatile memory rather than a transient signal. In the same or different examples, one or more memory storage units in the various embodiments disclosed herein may include an operating system, which may be a software program that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer and / or a computer network. The operating system may perform basic tasks such as controlling and allocating memory, prioritizing instruction processing, controlling input and output devices, facilitating networking, and managing files. Exemplary operating systems may include one or more of the following: (i) Microsoft® Windows® operating system (OS) of Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Washington, United States of America); (ii) Mac® OS X of Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California, United States of America); (iii) UNIX® OS; and (iv) Linux® OS. Additional exemplary operating systems may include one of the following: (i) iOS® operating system of Apple Inc. (Cupertino, California, United States of America); (ii) WebOS operating system of LGElectronics (Seoul, South Korea); and (iii) Android developed by Google (Mountainview, California, United States of America). TMOperating system, or (iv) the Windows Mobile™ operating system of Microsoft Corp. (Redmond, Washington, United States of America).
[0078] As used herein, "processor" and / or "processing module" means any type of computing circuitry, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, microcontroller, controller, complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, graphics processor, digital signal processor, or any other type of processor or processing circuitry capable of performing the desired function. In some examples, one or more processors in the various embodiments disclosed herein may comprise CPU 210.
[0079] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, various I / O devices such as disk controller 204, graphics adapter 224, video controller 202, keyboard adapter 226, mouse adapter 206, network adapter 220, and other I / O devices 222 can be connected to system bus 214. Keyboard adapter 226 and mouse adapter 206 are respectively connected to the keyboard and mouse of computer system 100. Although graphics adapter 224 and video controller 202 are... Figure 3 The components are represented as different units, but the video controller 202 may be integrated into the graphics adapter 224, or vice versa in other embodiments. The video controller 202 is adapted to refresh the monitor 106 to display images on the screen 108 of the computer system 100. The disk controller 204 may control the hard disk drive 114, the USB port 112, and the CD-ROM and / or DVD drive 116. In other embodiments, different units may be used to control each of these devices individually.
[0080] In some embodiments, network adapter 220 may include and / or be implemented as a wireless network interface controller card (not shown) that plugs into or connects to an expansion port (not shown) in computer system 100. In other embodiments, the WNIC card may be a wireless network card built into computer system 100. The wireless network adapter may be built into computer system 100 by having wireless communication capabilities integrated into a motherboard chipset (not shown), or implemented via one or more dedicated wireless communication chips (not shown) connected via a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) or the PCI express bus or USB port 112 of computer system 100. In other embodiments, network adapter 220 may include and / or be implemented as a wired network interface controller card (not shown).
[0081] Although many other components of the computer system 100 are not shown, these components and their interconnections are well known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, further details regarding the structure and composition of the computer system 100 and the circuit boards within its chassis are not discussed here.
[0082] when Figure 3 When the computer system 100 is running, program instructions stored on a USB drive in USB port 112, on a CD-ROM or DVD in CD-ROM and / or DVD drive 116, on hard disk drive 114, or in memory storage unit 208 are executed by CPU 210. A portion of the program instructions stored on these devices may be adapted to perform all or at least a portion of the techniques described herein. In various embodiments, the computer system 100 may be reprogrammed with one or more modules, systems, applications, and / or databases (such as those described herein) to convert a general-purpose computer into a special-purpose computer. For illustrative purposes, programs and other executable program components are shown herein as discrete systems; however, it should be understood that such programs and components may reside in different storage components of the computer system 100 at different times and may be executed by CPU 210. Alternatively or additionally, the systems and processes described herein may be implemented in hardware, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) may be programmed to perform one or more systems and processes described herein. For example, one or more programs and / or executable components described herein may be implemented in one or more ASICs.
[0083] While in some embodiments the computer system 100 may be a desktop or laptop computer, there are examples where the computer system 100 may employ different form factors while still having functional elements similar to those described for the computer system 100. In some embodiments, the computer system 100 may include a single computer, a single server, a cluster or collection of computers or servers, or a cloud of computers or servers. Typically, a cluster or collection of servers may be used when the demand for the computer system 100 exceeds the reasonable capacity of a single server or computer. In some embodiments, the computer system 100 may include a portable computer, such as a laptop computer. In some other embodiments, the computer system 100 may include a mobile device, such as a smartphone. In some additional embodiments, the computer system 100 may include an embedded system.
[0084] Figure 4A block diagram of a system 300 that can be used for idle power management according to one embodiment is shown. System 300 is merely exemplary, and the implementation of the system is not limited to the embodiment presented herein. The system can be used in many different embodiments or examples, which are not specifically shown or described herein. In some embodiments, certain elements, modules, or systems of system 300 can perform various programs, processes, and / or activities. In other embodiments, programs, processes, and / or activities can be performed by other suitable elements, modules, or systems of system 300. In some embodiments, system 300 may include an idle power management system 310 (e.g., corresponding to...). Figure 1 and Figure 2 Idle power management system 18) and / or web server 320.
[0085] Therefore, system 300 can typically be implemented in hardware and / or software as described herein. In some implementations, some or all of the hardware and / or software may be conventional, while in these or other implementations, some or all of the hardware and / or software may be customized (e.g., optimized) to implement some or all of the functions of system 300 described herein.
[0086] As described above, the idle power management system 310 and / or web server 320 can each be a computer system (such as computer system 100), and can each be a single computer, a single server, a cluster or collection of computers or servers, or a cloud of computers or servers. In another embodiment, a single computer system can act as the host for the idle power management system 310 and / or web server 320. Additional details regarding the idle power management system 310 and / or web server 320 are described herein.
[0087] In some implementations, web server 320 may communicate data with one or more user devices, such as user device 340, via network 330. User device 340 may be part of system 300 or external to system 300. Network 330 may be the Internet or another suitable network. In some implementations, user device 340 may be used by a user (e.g., user 350). In many implementations, web server 320 may host one or more website and / or mobile application servers. For example, web server 320 may host a website or provide a server that interfaces with applications (e.g., mobile applications) on user device 340 (which may allow users (e.g., 350) to manage idle power), for example by searching for available power sources with idle power and / or power users who need power, as well as transportation entities capable of physically transporting idle power, and other suitable activities, or by interfaceing with and / or configuring idle power management system 310.
[0088] In some embodiments, an internal network not open to the public may be used for communication between the idle power management system 310 within system 300 and the web server 320. Therefore, in some embodiments, the idle power management system 310 (and / or the software used by such a system) may refer to the backend of system 300 operated by the operator and / or administrator of system 300, and the web server 320 (and / or the software used by such a system) may refer to the frontend of system 300, as it may be accessed and / or used by one or more users (e.g., user 350) using user device 340. In these or other embodiments, the operator and / or administrator of system 300 may use the input devices and / or display devices of system 300 to manage system 300, the processor of system 300, and / or the memory storage units of system 300. In some embodiments, the user device (e.g., user device 340) may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, and / or other endpoint devices used by one or more users (e.g., user 350).
[0089] In many implementations, the idle power management system 310 and / or web server 320 may each include one or more input devices (e.g., one or more keyboards, one or more keypads, one or more pointing devices such as computer mice, one or more touch screen displays, microphones, etc.), and / or may each include one or more display devices (e.g., one or more monitors, one or more touch screen displays, projectors, etc.).
[0090] In many embodiments, the idle power management system 310 and / or web server 320 may also be configured to communicate with one or more databases. These databases may include databases containing information about power sources, power users, and transportation entities. The databases may be stored on one or more memory storage units (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable media), which may be similar to or identical to the memory storage units (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable media) described above with respect to computer system 100. Furthermore, in some embodiments, for any particular database among the one or more databases, the particular database may be stored on a single memory storage unit, or the contents of the particular database may be distributed across multiple memory storage units storing the one or more databases, depending on the size of the particular database and / or the storage capacity of the memory storage units.
[0091] Meanwhile, the idle power management system 310, web server 320, and / or one or more databases can be implemented using any suitable wired and / or wireless communication methods. Therefore, system 300 may include any software and / or hardware components configured to implement wired and / or wireless communication.
[0092] In many embodiments, the idle power management system 310 may include a communication system 311, an instruction generation system 312, and a matching system 33. In many embodiments, the system of the idle power management system 310 may be a module (e.g., a software module) of computer instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium operating on one or more processors. In other embodiments, the system of the idle power management system 310 may be implemented in hardware. The idle power management system 310 and / or the web server 320 may each be a computer system, such as the computer system 100 described above, and may be a single computer, a single server, a cluster or collection of computers or servers, or a cloud of computers or servers. In another embodiment, a single computer system may include at least one of the idle power management system 310 and / or the web server 320.
[0093] In many implementations, system 300 ( Figure 4 The idle power management system 310 and / or web server 320 may be adapted to perform method 500 and / or one or more activities of method 500 (including...). Figure 6(The matching activity depicted in the text). In these or other embodiments, one or more activities of method 500 may be implemented as one or more computer instructions configured to run on one or more processors and configured to be stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. Such non-transitory computer-readable media may be part of system 300. The processor may be similar to or the same as the processor described above with respect to computer system 100. As an example, according to some embodiments, activities 505, 510, and 515 may be executed by communication system 311 by receiving communications and information from power sources, power users, and transportation entities. As another example, according to some embodiments, activities 520, 525, and 530 and Figure 6 Activities 600 and 605 can be performed by the matching system 313, for example, by determining whether the first, second, and third criteria are met, and whether a match exists between any of the power source, power user, and transportation entity. As another example, according to certain implementations, Figure 5 Activity 535 and Figure 6 Activity 610 can be executed by instruction generation system 312. Other implementations and configurations of system 300, including idle power management system 3120 and web server 320, may also be provided.
[0094] In many embodiments, the techniques described herein offer practical applications and several technical improvements. In some embodiments, the techniques described herein can provide efficient and accurate management of idle electricity, ensuring that excess electricity generated or stored by power sources is not wasted and that electricity users do not lack the electricity they need. The methods and systems provided herein further offer significant improvements over existing methods that do not provide the identification and matching of transport entities to provide real-time transport and distribution of idle electricity as needed. Embodiments of this disclosure also provide the ability to sell and resell electricity on demand by identifying available idle electricity and potential recipients of such idle electricity in real time. Embodiments of this disclosure also facilitate the transport of electricity to areas that may not be reliably received by the grid, or areas not connected to the grid, or areas with grid failures or other problems. Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure can allow real-time monitoring of energy storage devices used for idle electricity transport, which can enhance the security of idle electricity transport and also allows for the preemption, isolation, or replacement of energy storage devices identified as defective. Another feature of the embodiments of this disclosure provided herein is that electricity can be recycled to areas where it is needed, rather than being left unused or even wasted.
[0095] While the methods described above refer to the flowcharts shown in the illustrations, it should be understood that many other ways can be used to perform the actions associated with these methods. For example, the order of some operations can be changed, and some of the operations described can be optional.
[0096] Furthermore, the methods and systems described herein can be embodied, at least in part, in the form of computer-implemented processes and apparatus for performing these processes. The disclosed methods can also be implemented, at least in part, in the form of a tangible, non-transient machine-readable storage medium encoded with computer program code. For example, the steps of the methods can be implemented in hardware, executable instructions (e.g., software) executed by a processor, or a combination of both. This medium can include, for example, RAM, ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, BD-ROM, hard disk drive, flash memory, or any other non-transient machine-readable storage medium. When the computer program code is loaded into and executed by the computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for performing the methods. The methods can also be implemented, at least in part, in the form of a computer, in which computer program code is loaded or executed, making the computer a dedicated computer for performing the methods. When implemented on a general-purpose processor, computer program code segments configure the processor to create specific logic circuits. Alternatively, the methods can be embodied, at least in part, in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for performing the methods.
[0097] The foregoing content is provided to illustrate, explain, and describe the implementation of these disclosures. Those skilled in the art will recognize and be able to modify and adapt these implementations without departing from the scope or spirit of these disclosures.
Claims
1. A system comprising: One or more processors; as well as One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer instructions. When the computer instructions are executed on the one or more processors, the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: Receive idle power availability information from the power source in relation to the current or predicted idle power availability of the power source; Receive (i) energy consumption information related to the current or predicted energy consumption of the power user and (ii) location information related to the location of the power user from the power user; Receive idle power transport capacity information related to the ability of the one or more transportable energy storage devices to store idle power from an entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices; Based on the idle power availability information, it is determined whether the power source meets a first criterion of currently having or predicting to have idle power availability; A second criterion is used to determine whether the electricity user meets the current or future electricity demand based on the energy consumption information; Based on the idle power transport capacity information, it is determined whether the entity meets the third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; as well as Upon determining that the first, second, and third criteria are met, instructions are provided to one or more of the entity, the electricity user, and the power source to facilitate the transfer of idle electricity from the power source to the electricity user in the following manner: The idle power is transferred from the power source to the entity by at least one transportable energy storage device; The at least one transportable energy storage device storing the idle electricity is physically transported to the location of the electricity user. as well as The idle electricity stored in the at least one transportable energy storage device is transferred to the electricity user at the location.
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The power source includes any one or more of power generation facilities, charging stations, and energy storage facilities.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The electricity user includes at least one selected from the group consisting of personal electricity users, industrial electricity users, vehicles, residences, buildings, regional or municipal power grids, charging stations and electricity storage facilities.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices includes at least one selected from the group consisting of individuals, automobiles, companies, freight transport vehicles and energy storage facilities.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The one or more transportable energy storage devices include one or more batteries that can be physically transported by being mounted on a means of transport, which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships and trains.
6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, When the computer instructions are executed on the one or more processors, they cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: Receive idle power availability information from multiple power sources, relating to the current or predicted idle power availability of each of the multiple power sources; Receive energy consumption information related to the current or predicted energy consumption of each of the multiple energy users; Based on the idle power availability information, determine whether at least one of the plurality of power sources meets the first criterion of currently having or predicting to have idle power availability; Based on the energy consumption information, it is determined whether at least one of the plurality of electricity users meets the second criterion for current or future electricity demand; Match one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; as well as Instructions are provided to one or more of the entity, the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the one or more matched power sources to the one or more power users.
7. The system according to claim 6, wherein, When the computer instructions are executed on the one or more processors, they cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: Receive idle power transport capacity information from multiple entities having one or more transportable energy storage devices, relating to the capacity of each of the multiple entities to store idle power in the one or more transportable energy storage devices. Based on the idle power transport capacity information, it is determined whether at least one of the plurality of entities meets the third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; Match one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; as well as Instructions are provided to the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, and the one or more entities that meet the third criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the one or more matched power sources to the one or more power users via at least one transportable energy storage device of the one or more entities.
8. The system according to claim 7, wherein, Matching one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, and matching one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion includes matching based on at least one of the following: The proximity between one or more power sources that meet the first criterion and one or more power users that meet the second criterion; The amount of electrical energy required by one or more electrical energy users as specified in the second standard; The amount of electricity that can be utilized from one or more power sources that meet the first criterion; Compatibility between the one or more power sources that meet the first standard and the one or more power users that meet the second standard; The availability of transportation vehicles for the one or more transportable energy storage devices; The proximity between the one or more entities that meet the third criterion and the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion; The proximity between the one or more entities that meet the third criterion and the one or more electricity users that meet the second criterion; The amount of idle energy that the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion can store by the at least one transportable energy storage device; Compatibility between one or more power sources that meet the first standard and one or more entities that meet the third standard; Compatibility between the one or more power users that meet the second standard and the one or more entities that meet the third standard; as well as Safety and / or lifespan diagnostics of one or more transportable energy storage devices.
9. The system according to claim 1, wherein, When the computer instructions are executed on the one or more processors, they cause the one or more processors to perform the following actions: Receive the location of the power source that meets the first standard; Receive the idle power required by the power user that meets the second standard; The entity that meets the third criterion is instructed to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device to the location of the power source that meets the first criterion; The power source that meets the first criterion is instructed to transfer the idle power required by the power user to the at least one transportable energy storage device; The entity that meets the third criterion is instructed to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device containing the idle electricity to the location of the electricity user that meets the second criterion; as well as The power user who meets the second criterion is instructed to transfer the idle power from the transportable energy storage device.
10. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The at least one transportable energy storage device includes safety devices for reducing the fire risk caused by the at least one transportable energy storage device.
11. A method, implemented by executing computer instructions configured to run on one or more processors, the method comprising the steps of: Receive idle power availability information from the power source in relation to the current or predicted idle power availability of the power source; Receive (i) energy consumption information related to the current or predicted energy consumption of the power user and (ii) location information related to the location of the power user from the power user; Receive idle power transport capacity information related to the ability of the one or more transportable energy storage devices to store idle power from an entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices; Based on the idle power availability information, it is determined whether the power source meets a first criterion of currently having or predicting to have idle power availability; A second criterion is used to determine whether the electricity user meets the current or future electricity demand based on the energy consumption information; Based on the idle power transport capacity information, it is determined whether the entity meets the third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; as well as Upon determining that the first, second, and third criteria are met, instructions are provided to one or more of the entity, the electricity user, and the power source to facilitate the transfer of idle electricity from the power source to the electricity user in the following manner: The idle power is transferred from the power source to the entity by at least one transportable energy storage device; The at least one transportable energy storage device storing the idle electricity is physically transported to the location of the electricity user. as well as The idle electricity stored in the at least one transportable energy storage device is transferred to the electricity user at the location.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The power source includes any one or more of power generation facilities, charging stations, and energy storage facilities.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The electricity user includes at least one selected from the group consisting of personal electricity users, industrial electricity users, vehicles, residences, buildings, regional or municipal power grids, charging stations and electricity storage facilities.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The entity having one or more transportable energy storage devices includes at least one selected from the group consisting of individuals, automobiles, companies, freight transport vehicles and energy storage facilities.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The one or more transportable energy storage devices include one or more batteries that can be physically transported by being mounted on a means of transport, which includes at least one selected from the group consisting of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, ships and trains.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of: Receive idle power availability information from multiple power sources, relating to the current or predicted idle power availability of each of the multiple power sources; Receive energy consumption information related to the current or predicted energy consumption of each of the multiple energy users; Based on the idle power availability information, determine whether at least one of the plurality of power sources meets the first criterion of currently having or predicting to have idle power availability; Based on the energy consumption information, it is determined whether at least one of the plurality of electricity users meets the second criterion for current or future electricity demand; Match one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; as well as Instructions are provided to one or more of the entity, the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, and the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the one or more matched power sources to the one or more power users.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: Receive idle power transport capacity information from multiple entities having one or more transportable energy storage devices, relating to the capacity of each of the multiple entities to store idle power in the one or more transportable energy storage devices. Based on the idle power transport capacity information, it is determined whether at least one of the plurality of entities meets the third criterion of having at least one transportable energy storage device capable of storing and physically transporting idle power; Match one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion; as well as Instructions are provided to the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion, the one or more power users that meet the second criterion, and the one or more entities that meet the third criterion, the instructions being used to facilitate the transfer of idle power from the one or more matched power sources to the one or more power users via at least one transportable energy storage device of the one or more entities.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein, The steps of matching one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, and matching one or more entities from the plurality of entities that meet the third criterion with one or more power sources from the plurality of power sources that meet the first criterion and with one or more power users from the plurality of power users that meet the second criterion, include matching based on at least one of the following: The proximity between one or more power sources that meet the first criterion and one or more power users that meet the second criterion; To meet the electricity demand of one or more electricity users as described in the second standard; The amount of electricity that can be utilized from one or more power sources that meet the first criterion; Compatibility between the one or more power sources that meet the first standard and the one or more power users that meet the second standard; The availability of transportation vehicles for the one or more transportable energy storage devices; The proximity between the one or more entities that meet the third criterion and the one or more power sources that meet the first criterion; The proximity between the one or more entities that meet the third criterion and the one or more electricity users that meet the second criterion; The amount of idle energy that the one or more entities satisfying the third criterion can store by the at least one transportable energy storage device; Compatibility between the one or more power sources that meet the first standard and the one or more entities that meet the third standard; Compatibility between the one or more power users that meet the second standard and the one or more entities that meet the third standard; as well as Safety and / or lifespan diagnostics of one or more transportable energy storage devices.
19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of: Receive the location of the power source that meets the first standard; Receive the idle power required by the power user that meets the second standard; The entity that meets the third criterion is instructed to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device to the location of the power source that meets the first criterion; The power source that meets the first criterion is instructed to transfer the idle power required by the power user to the at least one transportable energy storage device; The entity that meets the third criterion is instructed to transport the at least one transportable energy storage device containing the idle electricity to the location of the electricity user that meets the second criterion; as well as The power user who meets the second criterion is instructed to transfer the idle power from the transportable energy storage device.
20. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The at least one transportable energy storage device includes safety devices for reducing the fire risk caused by the at least one transportable energy storage device.