Modular docking and energy management system for scooters or bicycles

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a modular system for energy management and distribution, and for docking of personal electric vehicles, such as electric scooters and bicycles. The system includes one or more core devices having a polygonal frame. The edges of each frame are fitted with universal ports configured to couple with various external modules, including docking modules for various types of vehicles, to accommodate the demands of installation space. The core devices have their own internal battery modules coupled to the power supply grid and implement smart charging protocols to store and discharge energy in an optimal manner from the battery modules to the connected external modules. Thus, the system provides a versatile solution to the complex demands of urban environments, both in terms of efficient and adaptable physical storage and changing power demands.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Non-provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 669,996, filed February 11, 2022.

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of public docking and energy storage and distribution systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a modular docking, charging, and smart energy management system. [Background technology]

[0003] The use of personal electric vehicles is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, a trend that shows no signs of slowing, as small electric vehicles such as e-scooters and bicycles offer an energy-efficient and convenient means of transportation through crowded environments such as large cities.

[0004] With this increased usage, the storage of these vehicles becomes increasingly a logistical problem, along with the ability to provide suitable charging points. Each type of vehicle requires a large number of docking stations installed throughout the city to meet the needs of users in a practical manner, but these stations are costly, take up a lot of space, and require dedicated areas that occupy expensive real estate.

[0005] Contributing to these issues is that current docking station solutions are rigid in design, in that they can only accommodate a specific brand or type of vehicle and require an area of ​​a suitable shape and size to be installed in. What is needed is a more versatile type of docking station that can be tailored to the space in which it is installed and the storage demands of that space, allowing different vehicle types to dock in a consistent, space-efficient manner.

[0006] A related problem is the complexity and inconsistency of electricity supply lines in urban grids: fluctuating energy prices and demand can all too easily lead to exorbitant charging costs and, in emergencies, can cause grid failures if the demand and resulting load on the grid is too high.

[0007] It is within this context that the present invention is provided. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present disclosure provides a modular system for energy management and distribution, and for docking of personal electric vehicles, such as electric scooters and electric bicycles. The system includes one or more core devices having a polygonal frame. The edges of each frame are fitted with universal ports configured to couple with various external modules, including docking modules for various types of vehicles, to accommodate the demands of installation space. The core devices have their own internal battery modules coupled to the power supply grid and implement smart charging protocols to store and discharge energy from the battery modules to the connected external modules in an optimal manner. The system thus provides a versatile solution to the complex demands of urban environments, both in terms of efficient and adaptable physical storage and changing power demands.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a docking and energy management system is provided. The system includes at least one core device, each core device of the system includes a frame having a polygonal profile with a plurality of straight edges of equal length; a set of one or more anchoring elements configured to fix the frame to the ground; a battery module disposed in the frame and coupled to a power grid power source; a controller coupled to the battery module, the controller configured to control charging of the battery module from the power grid and distribution of energy stored in the battery module to one or more external modules; a plurality of ports, each port corresponding to a respective edge of the frame and configured to securely couple to an external module via a universal coupling mechanism, thereby connecting the coupled external module to the battery module and the controller of the core device; and one or more protection panels removably coupled to the frame and configured to protect unused ports.

[0010] The system also includes a plurality of external modules including at least one docking module configured to dock and charge the personal electric vehicle when coupled to a port of the core device.

[0011] In some embodiments, the system includes a cluster of two or more core devices coupled to each other via connectors that facilitate energy exchange between battery modules of the coupled core devices as controlled by respective controllers.

[0012] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external devices to coordinate charging of its respective battery module and distribution of energy from the battery modules to one or more external modules and / or to balance power grid loads.

[0013] Additionally, the controller may interface with the cloud network architecture to coordinate the operation of one or more of the external modules.

[0014] In some embodiments, the one or more docking modules each include a powered assembly, a locking mechanism, and at least one wheel sensor, and the controller is configured to operate the docking module to perform the assisted docking operation in response to detection from the wheel sensor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the one or more docking modules include a scooter docking module.

[0016] They may also include bicycle docking modules and / or electric vehicle charging modules.

[0017] In some embodiments, the one or more external modules include a display module including a touch screen interface configured to display one or more indications or commands received from the controller when coupled to a respective port of the core device.

[0018] In some embodiments, the one or more external modules include a charger module including multiple charging docks for the electric vehicle's fuel cell batteries to facilitate exchange of used fuel cells with charged fuel cells, each charging dock including a locking mechanism operated by the core device controller.

[0019] In some embodiments, the controller is configured to monitor any external modules coupled to the port for charging device or docked device status, errors, and battery levels.

[0020] In some embodiments, each core device further comprises a removable top cover.

[0021] Additionally, each core device may further include a utility chamber disposed within the frame beneath the top lid, the utility chamber configured to hold personal vehicle maintenance products and accessories.

[0022] In such an embodiment, the utility chamber may be attached to a motorized assembly controlled by a core device controller, the controller being configured to operate the actuator to raise the utility chamber toward the top end of the frame in response to detecting that the top cover has been removed.

[0023] In some embodiments, one or more of the protective panels include a decorative design.

[0024] In some embodiments, the polygonal profile is one of a hexagonal, triangular, or square profile.

[0025] Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary configuration of a core device of the disclosed system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary core device with the exterior protective panel removed and the utility chamber being raised by the powered assembly. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary core device with a scooter docking module attached to one of its ports. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary core device with a bike docking module attached to one of its ports. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates an isometric view of a pair of exemplary core devices coupled by a set of connectors. [Figure 6] 6 shows the coupled core device of FIG. 5 with the protective panel of the core device removed. [Figure 7] 13 illustrates an alternative configuration in which a pair of core devices are connected by adjacent edges. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary core device with a scooter module and a bicycle module installed in adjacent ports. [Figure 9] An isometric view of a set of three core devices coupled into a cluster, where a pair of adjacent core devices have display modules installed in their ports and a third core device has a set of bicycle modules installed in its ports. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Common reference numerals are used to denote like elements throughout the figures and detailed description. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the above figures are examples, and that other architectures, modes of operation, sequences of operation, and elements / functions may be provided and implemented without departing from the characteristics and features of the invention as set forth in the claims.

[0028] The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the present invention. These embodiments are provided to illustrate aspects of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the present invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, and is limited only by the claims.

[0029] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all of these specific details. For purposes of clarity, technical matters known in the art related to the present invention have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

[0030] definition The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any combination of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural as well as the singular, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, as used herein, it will be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0031] The terms "about" and "approximately" are generally intended to mean an acceptable degree of error or variation for the quantity measured given the nature or precision of the measurement. Typical and exemplary degrees of error or variation are within 20 percent (%), preferably within 10%, and more preferably within 5% of a given value or range of values. Numerical quantities given herein are approximate unless otherwise stated, i.e., the term "about" or "approximately" can be inferred when not expressly stated.

[0032] When a feature or element is referred to as being "on" another feature or element, it will be understood that it may be directly on the other feature or element, or that intervening features and / or elements may also be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being "directly on" another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements. Also, when a feature or element is referred to as being "connected," "attached," or "coupled" to another feature or element, it will be understood that it may be directly connected, attached, or coupled to the other feature or element, or that intervening features or elements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being "directly connected," "directly attached," or "directly coupled" to another feature or element, there are no intervening features or elements. Although described or illustrated with respect to one embodiment, the features and elements so described or illustrated may be applicable to other embodiments.

[0033] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0034] Spatially relative terms such as "under," "below," "lower," "over," "upper," etc. may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to other elements or features when the device is in a correct orientation.

[0035] In this specification, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various features or elements, but these features or elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one feature or element from another feature or element. Thus, a first feature or element described below can be referred to as a second feature or element, and similarly, a second feature or element described below can be referred to as a first feature or element without departing from the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0036] This disclosure provides a novel design of a personal electric vehicle docking station that utilizes polygonal supersymmetry and universal modular port connections to dock and charge vehicles in a space-efficient and environmentally adaptable manner. Equipped with an on-board battery module for smart charging and power distribution, the station can function as a grid balancing system, facilitating much more cost-efficient energy utilization. The smart controller that regulates charging and power distribution can also communicate with a cloud network architecture to perform various operations in controlling external modules attached to the core device.

[0037] 1 and 2, first and second isometric views of an example configuration of a core device 100 of the disclosed system are shown. Figure 1 shows the device 100 with protective panels 104 installed, and Figure 2 shows it with them removed.

[0038] As can be seen, the core device 100 includes a frame 102 with a polygonal profile or cross-section, in this case a hexagonal profile or cross-section. This may also be more compact, taking the shape of a triangle or a square, or expanded into a multi-sided polygon. Each side of the polygon includes an identical port configured to receive an external module, which is covered by a removable protective panel 104 when not in use. The protective panel 104 may include a design, such as an advertising design. In this example, the top of the core device 100 also includes a removable lid 106. The frame 102 of the core device 100 is anchored to the ground by a set of anchoring elements 108 to prevent theft.

[0039] Internally, the core device 100 includes a battery module 110. The battery module is coupled to and configured to draw power from a power supply grid, store power for distribution to external modules attached to ports, and in an emergency, can feed power back to the grid for load balancing. Coupled to the battery module 110 is a controller 112. The controller is a processing device that monitors and controls the charging of the battery module and the distribution of energy to the external modules, as well as controlling the external modules and collecting data regarding their operation. The controller 112 is wireless enabled and can communicate with user devices and other core modules via a cloud network architecture to implement various features.

[0040] In this example, the core device 100 also includes a utility chamber 114. The utility chamber is located under the removable lid 106 and includes a hollow space 116 for storing various accessories and products, such as vehicle maintenance and cleaning supplies / tools. The utility chamber 114 is attached to a set of motorized actuators 118 operated by the controller 112. The controller can be configured to receive commands via the cloud network or detect when the lid 106 has been opened and, in response, cause the actuators 118 to raise the utility chamber 114 from the core device 100 as shown to allow easy access to the stored products.

[0041] A key advantage of the disclosed system is that each port / edge of the core module 100 is equipped with a universal dock that can securely couple external modules to both the controller 112 and the battery module 110 depending on the needs of the environment.

[0042] 3 and 4, an isometric view of an exemplary core device 100 is shown with a scooter docking module 120 installed in one of its ports and a bicycle docking module 128 installed in one of its ports. Each docking module is installed with a scooter vehicle 200 and a bicycle 300. It is highly advantageous to be able to dock different types of vehicles to the same core device depending on demand.

[0043] In each case, the protective panel for that port is removed and the module 120 / 128 is locked into place in the port, providing access to the power distributed by the battery module 110 and allowing the controller 112 to control and monitor its operation.

[0044] For a docking module such as that shown, the external module generally includes a front wheel clamp 126, a locking mechanism 122, and a rear wheel clamp 124. The module also includes a motorized assembly powered by the module's connection to the battery module and controlled by the controller, which together with the clamping and locking mechanisms facilitate an assisted docking process to raise the docked personal electric vehicle to a vertical position as shown. This provides a more space-efficient storage arrangement for the docked vehicle than prior art solutions and eliminates the need for the user to lift the vehicle using their own strength. To aid in this end, the docking module may include a wheel sensor to detect when the front wheel of a horizontal vehicle is in place ready to dock, which will cause the controller to initiate the assisted docking process of clamping the front wheel and lifting it via the motorized assembly.

[0045] The above operations can be controlled by a user interfacing with an app or platform via a cloud network to reserve space on a docking station and entering or scanning a code on the station or user device.

[0046] As mentioned above, a key advantage of the disclosed modular docking system is its versatility. Some spaces may require multiple vehicle spaces or other modular functions, as described below. To facilitate this, multiple core devices 100 may be coupled together, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0047] The core devices are coupled edge-to-edge by connectors, such as top connector 132 and bottom connector 134. This type of modular connectivity allows clusters of core devices 100 to be positioned in a shape that fits into tight spaces but can expand in any direction as needed.

[0048] 6 and 7, two example configurations of connected core devices 100 are shown with protective panels 104 removed. As can be seen, the core devices can have separate frames 102 and be connected only via connections 136, as shown in FIG. 6, or the frames 102 can be connected along a shared edge, as shown in FIG.

[0049] Connections 136 couple the battery modules 110 of each core device to one another, allowing power to be freely distributed back and forth between them as energy demands for each external module shift. These power exchanges are controlled by controllers 112, and in the case of a cluster of core devices coordinating with one another, one controller 112 can act as a "master" and the remaining controllers of the core devices in the cluster can act as "slaves."

[0050] Referring to FIG. 8, an isometric view of an exemplary core device 100 is shown with two different modules, a scooter docking module 120 and a bicycle docking module 128, attached to adjacent ports.

[0051] As can be seen, the storage provided by the core device 100 takes up an absolute minimum in terms of physical space footprint once a vehicle is docked, and can therefore be installed in various areas of dense urban environments, which would not be possible with prior art solutions.

[0052] Docking modules are not the only type of external module that can be installed on a core device. In fact, the core device 100 effectively provides a versatile power source for public spaces that can effectively power any type of operation. Because power distribution is controlled by a smart controller that can be configured to draw power from the power supply grid only when optimal and distribute power from the battery module when grid power is expensive, modules can be created that couple to the core and perform any type of motorized operation more efficiently.

[0053] An example of another type of module that may be utilized is a removable display module that includes a touch screen interface and is configured to display one or more indications or commands received from the controller when coupled to a respective port of the core device.

[0054] Referring to FIG. 9, an isometric view of a set of three core devices 100 coupled in a cluster is shown, where a pair of adjacent core devices 100 have display modules 138 installed in their ports, and a third core device 100 has a set of bicycle modules 128 with a docked bicycle 300 installed in its port.

[0055] This example begins to show the true versatility of the disclosed system, which can be expanded in any direction to utilize the space in an optimal way and functional modules can be installed according to demand.

[0056] The core device's controller can monitor various parameters associated with each connected external module, including the charging status of docked devices, errors in their operation, and so on.

[0057] Although not shown, another exemplary type of external module that may be installed in the core device is a charger module that includes multiple charging docks for the electric vehicle's fuel cell batteries to facilitate exchange of used fuel cells for charged fuel cells, each charging dock including a locking mechanism operated by the core device controller.

[0058] The controller described herein can be any suitable type of computer. The computer can be a uniprocessor or a multiprocessor machine. Thus, the computer can include one or more processors, and thus the computer system described above can also include one or more processors. Examples of processors include sequential state machines, microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphic processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, systems on chips (SoCs), baseband processors, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), gate logic, programmable control boards (PCBs), and other suitable hardware configured to perform various functions described throughout this disclosure.

[0059] Further, a computer may include one or more memories. Thus, the computer system described above may include one or more memories. The memory may include memory storage devices or addressable storage media, which may include, by way of example, random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), hard disks, floppy disks, laser disk players, digital video disks, compact disks, video tapes, audio tapes, magnetic recording tracks, magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memories, optical memory storage, quantum mechanical storage, electronic networks, and / or other devices or technologies used to store electronic content, such as programs and data. In particular, the one or more memories may store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the procedures and techniques described herein. The one or more processors may be operatively associated with the one or more memories such that the computer-executable instructions may be provided to the one or more processors for execution. For example, one or more processors may be operatively associated with one or more memories via one or more buses. Additionally, a computer may have or be operatively associated with input devices (e.g., a keyboard, keypad, controller, mouse, microphone, touch screen, sensor) and output devices (e.g., a computer screen, printer, or speaker).

[0060] The computer may advantageously be equipped with a network communications device, such as a network interface card, modem, or other network connection device suitable for connecting to one or more networks.

[0061] The computer may advantageously include control logic, or program logic, or other board configurations representing data and instructions, which cause the computer to operate in a particular, predefined manner as described herein. In particular, the computer program, when executed, enables the control processor to execute and / or cause the execution of the features of the present disclosure. The control logic may advantageously be implemented as one or more modules. The modules may advantageously be configured to reside on the computer memory and execute on one or more processors. Modules include, but are not limited to, software or hardware components that perform specific tasks. Thus, modules may include components such as, by way of example, software components, processes, functions, subroutines, procedures, attributes, class components, task components, object-oriented software components, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, and / or the like.

[0062] Control logic traditionally involves the manipulation of digital bits by a processor and the maintenance of those bits in a memory storage device that resides in one or more of the memory storage devices. Such memory storage devices can impose a physical organization on the collection of stored data bits, typically stored by specific electrical or magnetic storage cells.

[0063] The control logic typically executes a series of computer-implemented steps. These steps typically require manipulation of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. It is conventional for those skilled in the art to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, text, terms, numbers, files, or the like. However, it should be noted that these and some other terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities for computer operations, and that these terms are merely conventional labels applied to the physical quantities present within and during the operation of a computer, based on designed relationships between these physical quantities and the symbolic values ​​they represent.

[0064] It is to be understood that operations in a computer are often referred to in terms such as adding, comparing, moving, searching, and the like, which are often associated with manual operations performed by a human operator. It is to be understood that the involvement of a human operator may not be necessary or even desirable. The operations described herein are machine operations performed in conjunction with a human operator or user who interacts with one or more computers.

[0065] It should also be understood that the programs, modules, processes, methods, etc. described herein are merely example implementations and are not related to or limited to any particular computer, apparatus, or computer language. Rather, various types of general-purpose computing machines or devices may be used with programs constructed according to some teachings described herein. In some embodiments, very specialized computing machines with specific functions may be required. Similarly, it may prove advantageous to construct dedicated apparatus for performing the method steps described herein with a dedicated computer system having hardwired logic, or with a program stored in a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), as an example.

[0066] In some embodiments, the functionality of the computer system may be implemented primarily in hardware, for example using hardware components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Hardware circuit implementations will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art. In yet other embodiments, the functionality of the computer system may be implemented using a combination of both general purpose hardware and software.

[0067] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Furthermore, terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in this specification.

[0068] The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive. Although a particular configuration of the system and method has been described in a particular way with reference to the illustrated embodiments, it is understood that the invention can be applied to a wide variety of solutions that fall within the scope and spirit of the claims. There are many alternative ways of implementing the invention.

[0069] It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention, and reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A docking and energy management system comprising: At least one core device, each core device of the system comprising: A frame having a polygonal profile with a plurality of straight edges of equal length; a set of one or more anchoring elements configured to secure the frame to the ground; a battery module disposed within the frame and coupled to a power grid source; a controller coupled to the battery module and configured to control charging of the battery module from the power grid and distribution of energy stored in the battery module to one or more external modules; a plurality of ports, each port corresponding to a respective edge of the frame and configured to securely couple to an external module via a universal coupling mechanism, thereby connecting the coupled external module to the battery module and the controller of the core device; and one or more protection panels removably coupled to the frame and configured to protect unused ports; At least one core device including: a plurality of external modules, including at least one docking module configured to dock and charge the personal electric vehicle when coupled to a port of the core device; A docking and energy management system, including:

2. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the system includes a cluster of two or more core devices coupled to each other via connectors that facilitate energy exchange between the battery modules of the coupled core devices as controlled by respective controllers.

3. 10. The docking and energy management system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more external devices to coordinate charging of its respective battery module and distribution of energy from the battery modules to the one or more external modules and / or to balance power grid loads.

4. The docking and energy management system of claim 3 , wherein the controller interfaces with a cloud network architecture to coordinate the operation of one or more of the external modules.

5. 2. The docking and energy management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more docking modules each include an electrical assembly, a locking mechanism, and at least one wheel sensor, and the controller is configured to operate the docking modules to perform an assisted docking operation in response to detection from the wheel sensors.

6. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more docking modules include a scooter docking module.

7. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more docking modules include a bicycle docking module.

8. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more docking modules include an electric vehicle charging module.

9. 2. The docking and energy management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more external modules include a display module including a touch screen interface configured to display one or more indications or commands received from the controller when coupled to a respective port of the core device.

10. 2. The docking and energy management system of claim 1, wherein the one or more external modules include a charger module including a plurality of charging docks for fuel cell batteries of an electric vehicle to facilitate exchange of used fuel cells with charged fuel cells, each charging dock including a locking mechanism operated by the core device controller.

11. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to monitor any external modules coupled to a port for charging device or docked device status, errors, and battery levels.

12. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein each core device further comprises a removable top cover.

13. 13. The docking and energy management system of claim 12, wherein each core device further includes a utility chamber disposed within the frame beneath the top lid, the utility chamber configured to hold personal vehicle maintenance products and accessories.

14. 14. The docking and energy management system of claim 13, wherein the utility chamber is attached to a motorized assembly controlled by the core device controller, the controller configured to operate the actuator to raise the utility chamber toward a top end of the frame in response to detecting that the top cover has been removed.

15. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more protective panels comprise a decorative design.

16. The docking and energy management system of claim 1 , wherein the polygonal profile is one of a hexagonal, triangular, or square profile.

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