Systems and methods for determining battery dispensing time of battery pack(s)

Abstract

Embodiments herein disclose method for determining dispensing time for a battery pack. The method comprises receiving by a controller, at least one parameter from at least one of a sensor and a vehicle for the battery pack. The method further comprises determining by the controller a first time period for at least one of a heating and a cooling of the battery pack from the received parameters. The method further comprises determining by the controller a second time period for completing charging of the battery pack in each of a charging mode. The method further comprises generating by the controller an output comprising a battery dispensing time of a fully charged and a stable battery pack.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY DISPENSING TIME OF BATTERY PACK(S)CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONThis application is based on and derives the benefit of Indian Provisional Application IN202341065059, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments disclosed herein relate to battery charging and swapping stations, and more particularly to determining battery dispensing times of one or more battery packs present in a battery charging and swapping station.BACKGROUND

[0002] Portable and swappable battery packs are used in electric vehicles for swapping of discharged battery packs with the replenished battery packs. The issue associated with the present-day battery charging and swapping stations is that a user may not get to know the time associated with the dispensing or charging of battery packs from the battery charging and swapping station. As the user comes to the battery charging and swapping stations for swapping, there are times when the user needs to wait till the required number of battery packs gets charged for dispensing, if there are no battery packs available at the battery charging and swapping stations with sufficient charge for dispensing. The other issue which the users face is that the battery packs may not be available at the request of the user.

[0003] Hence, there is a need in the art for mitigating the drawbacks as mentioned here.OBJECTS

[0004] The principal object of embodiments herein is to disclose systems and methods for determining battery dispensing time of one or more battery packs from a battery charging and swapping station.

[0005] Another object of the embodiments herein is to disclose systems and methods for determining and indicating a time associated with charging and dispensing of one or more battery packs from the battery charging and swapping station.

[0006] Another object of the embodiments herein is to disclose systems and methods for receiving at least one parameter related to the battery charging from at least one of a sensor and a vehicle for a battery pack, determining a first time period for at least one of a heating and a cooling of the battery pack from the received parameters, determining a second time period for completing charging of the battery pack in each of a charging mode, andgenerating an output comprising a battery dispensing time of a fully charged and a stable battery pack.

[0007] Another object of the embodiments herein is to disclose systems and methods for receiving from at least one of a user and a vehicle, a number of battery packs required by the user, wherein the vehicle is in the vicinity of the battery station.

[0008] Another object of the embodiments herein is to disclose systems and methods for indicating on a user interface, a live status of the battery dispensing time.

[0009] Another object of the embodiments herein is to disclose systems and methods for determining a distance and a travel time of the vehicle requesting the required battery packs, to reach the battery station and modifying the battery dispensing time to the battery dispensing time remaining after the vehicle reaching the battery station, based on the distance and the travel time of the vehicle.

[0010] These and other aspects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating at least one embodiment and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0011] Embodiments herein are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the following illustrated drawings. Embodiments herein are illustrated by way of examples in the accompanying drawings, and in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a system 100 for determining battery dispensing time, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;

[0013] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of plurality of battery packs communicating to a control module, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and

[0014] FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart showing a method 300 for determining battery dispensing time, according to embodiments as disclosed herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

[0016] For the purposes of interpreting this specification, the definitions (as defined herein) will apply and whenever appropriate the terms used in singular will also include the plural and vice versa. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purposes of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “comprising”, “having” and “including” are to be construed as open-ended terms unless otherwise noted.

[0017] The words / phrases "exemplary", “example”, “illustration”, “in an instance”, “and the like”, “and so on”, “etc ”, “etcetera”, “e.g.,” , “i.e.,” are merely used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein using the words / phrases "exemplary", “example”, “illustration”, “in an instance”, “and the like”, “and so on”, “etc.”, “etcetera”, “e.g.,” , “i.e.,” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0018] Embodiments herein may be described and illustrated in terms of blocks which carry out a described function or functions. These blocks, which may be referred to herein as managers, units, modules, hardware components or the like, are physically implemented by analog and / or digital circuits such as logic gates, integrated circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory circuits, passive electronic components, active electronic components, optical components, hardwired circuits and the like, and may optionally be driven by a firmware. The circuits may, for example, be embodied in one or more semiconductor chips, or on substrate supports such as printed circuit boards and the like. The circuits constituting a block may be implemented by dedicated hardware, or by a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry), or by a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions of the block and a processor to perform other functions of the block. Each block of the embodiments may be physicallyseparated into two or more interacting and discrete blocks without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Likewise, the blocks of the embodiments may be physically combined into more complex blocks without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0019] It should be noted that elements in the drawings are illustrated for the purposes of this description and ease of understanding and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flowcharts / sequence diagrams illustrate the method in terms of the steps required for understanding of aspects of the embodiments as disclosed herein. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present embodiments so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Furthermore, in terms of the system, one or more components / modules which comprise the system may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present embodiments so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0020] The accompanying drawings are used to help easily understand various technical features and it should be understood that the embodiments presented herein are not limited by the accompanying drawings. As such, the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any modifications, equivalents, and substitutes in addition to those which are particularly set out in the accompanying drawings and the corresponding description. Usage of words such as first, second, third etc., to describe components / elements / steps is for the purposes of this description and should not be construed as sequential ordering / placement / occurrence unless specified otherwise.

[0021] The embodiments herein achieve systems and methods for determining battery dispensing time of one or more battery packs from a battery charging and swapping station. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 3, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.

[0022] Embodiments herein disclose systems and methods for charging and dispensing of one or more battery packs from a battery charging and swapping station (also referred to herein as a station, battery station, swapping station, station, and so on,interchangeably), wherein the system indicates a time associated with charging a number of battery packs required by a user and / or a vehicle. The time associated with charging and dispensing the required number of battery packs is referred herein as a battery dispensing time. The battery dispensing time is the time the battery pack is fully charged and stable, ready to be dispensed.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system 100 for determining the battery dispensing time, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The system 100 includes, but is not limited to, a plurality of battery packs 102, a plurality of sensors 104, a control module 106, a communication network 108, and a user interface 110. The control module 106 may include a controller 112, an input / output (VO) interface(s) 114, a communication module 116, and a data repository 118. The controller 112 may comprise a memory. The one or the plurality of controller 112 may include a processor. The controller 112 may be a general- purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), or the like, a graphics-only processing unit such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), a visual processing unit (VPU), and / or an Al-dedicated processor such as a neural processing unit (NPU). The controller 112 may take the form of a single core processor, multi-core processor (e.g., a dual core processor, triple core processor, quad core processor, etc.), microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, the controller 112 may be external to an apparatus (e.g., server), for example the controller 112 may be a remote controller (e.g., a cloud-based controller). Alternatively, or additionally, the controller 112 may be internal and / or local to the system 100.

[0024] In an embodiment herein, the battery station may receive a request to dispense a number of battery pack(s) 102 having a specific battery capacity through the controller 112 from the user interface 110 from a user or a vehicle. The user or the vehicle may be in the vicinity of the battery station or approaching the battery station. The controller 112 receives the request through the communication module 116. The communication module 116 of the control module 106 is in communication with a plurality of user interfaces 110 through the communication network 108.

[0025] In an embodiment herein, the communication network 108 may be a wired network, a cellular network, or any other wireless communication network. The communication network 108 facilitates communication, that is, the communication network 108 enables transmission and receiving of data from the input and output interfaces such as sensor 104 and the user interface 110 to the . controller 112. The communication network 108also enables communication between the peripheral devices connected with the controller 112 like sensors, display, remote servers, and databases. The communication network 108 can include, but is not limited to multiple communication protocols, such as Bluetooth, 802.1 la / b / g / n, and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications and 3G / 4G / 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) / 5G / 5g+ mobile phone communication protocols.

[0026] In an embodiment herein, the one or more user interfaces 110 may comprise at least one of a display screen, a handheld device, a mobile device, a mobile application, a web application, and an interactive display screen. The user interface 110 may be within the system 100 or the user interface may be remotely located with the user or embedded inside an electric vehicle (not shown).

[0027] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may store the number of batteries requested / required by the user. Further, the controller 112 may check for the number of fully charged and stable batteries in the battery station having the particular battery capacity. If the number of fully charged and stable batteries is greater than or equal to the number of required batteries, then the battery dispensing time may be zero. If the number of fully charged and stable batteries is less than the number of required batteries, then the controller then determines a remaining number of batteries to be fully charged.

[0028] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may receive at least one parameters of the battery pack 102 continuously from the at least one sensors 104. The one or more sensors 104 are connected to the battery pack 102 to sense the at least one parameters of the battery pack 102. The at least one parameters may include, but are not limited to, at least one of a number of charged batteries, a battery capacity, a battery state of charge, a charging mode, a charging current, a battery temperature, a number of batteries charging, and thermal capacity of a battery station for at least one of heating and a cooling the battery pack 102.

[0029] In an embodiment herein, the battery capacity is the measure of the total energy stored in the battery and the battery capacity helps to analyze the performance and efficiency of the batteries. The battery capacity is a measure (typically in Amp-hr) of the charge stored by the battery, and is determined by the mass of active material contained in the battery. The battery capacity represents the maximum amount of energy that can be extracted from the battery under certain specified conditions. However, the actual energy storage capabilities of the battery can vary significantly from the "nominal" rated capacity, as thebattery capacity depends strongly on the age and past history of the battery, the charging or discharging regimes of the battery and the temperature.

[0030] In an embodiment herein, the state of charge is defined as the ratio of the available charge capacity Q(t) and the maximum possible charge that can be stored in the battery, i.e., the nominal capacity Qn. The fully charged battery has SOC 1 or 100% while a fully discharged battery has an SOC of 0 or 0%.

[0031] In an embodiment herein, the charging mode refers to the stage of charging of the battery. The charging modes of the battery includes, but is not limited to a constant voltage (CV) charging method, a constant current (CC) charging method, a mixed constant current / constant voltage (CC / CV) charging method, a constant on time mode and a pulse charging method (CP). In constant voltage (CV) charging, the charger maintains a fixed voltage throughout the charging process. In constant current (CC) charging, the charger provides a fixed current to the battery throughout the charging cycle. The CC / CV method combines both constant current and constant voltage phases during the charging process. In constant on time mode, the charger applies a charging pulse for a fixed duration at regular intervals. Pulse charging involves delivering short bursts of current to the battery at specified intervals.

[0032] In an embodiment herein, the charging current is calculated by the controller 112. The charging current is 10% of the battery capacity (Ah rating) of battery. For example, the charging current for 120Ah Battery = 120 Ah x (10 = 100) = 12 Amperes; but due to losses, 12-14 Amperes may be considered for batteries charging purpose instead of 12 Amperes.

[0033] In an embodiment herein, the battery temperature is related to internal heat production in the battery, which depends on exothermic reactions and dissipative effects due to the current flowing through the internal resistance of the battery. The battery operates best between the temperatures of 20°C to 30°C. As temperature rises in the battery, the chemical reaction is quicker. This permits the battery's output to improve. Although, if the chemical reaction is too fast, then the chemicals may be lost, decreasing the life of the battery. High temperatures of battery may be causing a threat to the battery. Therefore, battery temperature is monitored by the controller 112.

[0034] In an embodiment herein, the thermal capacity of the battery station is the capacity to cool down the batteries in the battery station. Batteries may produce heat during the charging phase. These charged batteries have to be cooled down after the charging is completed. The thermal capacity of the battery station may determine the time periodrequired to cool down the batteries. Effective battery thermal management system is significant for electric vehicle to maintain the properties and lifetime of the battery pack 102. The thermal capacity of the battery station is more an effective cooling method.

[0035] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may receive the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors 104 directly through the communication module 116. In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may receive the one or more parameters from the one or more sensors 104, through the communication module 116 via the communication network 108. The received parameters are then processed to derive the battery dispensing time.

[0036] In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time can depend on the plurality of parameters. The battery must meet dispense criteria to be dispense ready from the station. The dispense criteria may be based on the type of the battery pack 102. For any type of battery pack 102, in an example, if the battery pack 102 reaches 100% SOC, the temperature ranges between 20°C to 30°C, and present in the CE phase is called dispense readiness. Table 1 depicts example dispense criteria.Table 1

[0037] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may determine a first time period for at least one of a heating and a cooling of the battery pack 102 from the received parameters. The controller 112 may analyze the battery capacity, the battery charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature, the number of batteries charging, and thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of heating and a pre-cooling the battery pack 102. The controller 112 may derive a pre-heating and a pre-cooling time of the battery pack 102 based on the analysis of the battery capacity, the battery charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature, the number of batteries charging, and thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of heating and the cooling the battery pack 102. Pre-heatingtime is the period during which the battery pack is warmed up to reach an optimal temperature before charging. Pre-cooling time is the duration during which the battery pack is cooled down to a suitable temperature before charging.

[0038] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may derive a post-heating and a post-cooling of the battery pack 102, based on the analysis of the battery capacity, the battery charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature after the battery is charged, and thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of heating and the cooling the battery pack 102. The controller 112 analyses the parameters by studying the fluctuation in the parameters and derives the first time period by calculating the total time required for cooling the battery post charging based on the battery temperature and time required to cool the battery to the optimal temperature of 20°C to 30°C. In an embodiment, in a battery swapping station, the controller assesses the cooling needs of a lithium-ion battery pack that is at an initial temperature of 45°C after high-speed charging. With an optimal charging range of 20°C to 30°C and a cooling rate of 1°C per minute, the controller first targets 30°C. Calculating the required cooling, it finds that the battery needs to cool by 15°C (from 45°C to 30°C). By dividing this by the cooling rate, the controller determines that it will take 15 minutes to reach the optimal temperature. This analysis ensures the battery is adequately cooled before the next charging cycle, enhancing performance and prolonging battery life.

[0039] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may determine a second time period for completing charging of the battery pack 102 in each of the charging mode from the received parameters. The controller 112 may analyze the number of charged batteries, the battery capacity, the battery state of charge, the charging mode, the charging current, and the number of batteries charging. Upon analyzing and determining the battery capacity, the battery state of charge, the charging mode, and the charging current, the controller 112 calculates the time to fully charge the number of batteries from the current state of charge and from one charging mode to the fully charged state. The controller 112 calculates the time to fully charge the number of batteries keeping the charging current and the battery capacity in account.

[0040] In an embodiment herein, examples for determining the first time period for each of the charging mode is given. For first time period of constant voltage (CV) charging method, a 2.1 kWh battery with a current state of charge of 20% (0.42 kWh), the remaining capacity to charge is 1.68 kWh (2.1 kWh - 0.42 kWh). If the initial charging current is 5 A (approximately 1.2 kW at 12 V), the first phase takes about 1.4 hours (1.68 kWh / 1.2 kW).As the battery nears full charge, the current tapers to 3 A, adding another hour. The total time is approximately 2.4 hours.

[0041] For first time period of constant current (CC) charging method, the same 2.1 kWh battery when at 30% charge (0.63 kWh), the remaining capacity is 1.47 kWh. With a charging current of 8 A (about 1.9 kW), the charging time is roughly 0.8 hours (1.47 kWh / 1.9 kW), resulting in a total time of approximately 0.8 hours.

[0042] For first time period of mixed constant current / constant voltage (CC / CV) charging method, consider a 2.1 kWh battery at 25% charge (0.525 kWh). The remaining capacity to charge is 1.575 kWh. The initial phase at 10 A (about 2.4 kW) charges 1.2 kWh in 0.5 hours. The final 0.375 kWh at a lower current of 4 A takes about 0.1 hours. The total time is approximately 0.6 hours.

[0043] For first time period of constant on time mode, consider the same 1 kWh battery as above at 40% charge (0.84 kWh), the remaining capacity is 1.26 kWh. With a 30- minute cycle at 5 A (approximately 0.6 kW), each cycle charges 0.3 kWh. To fully charge the battery, it requires about 5 cycles, totaling approximately 2.5 hours.

[0044] For first time period of pulse charging method (CP), consider the 2.1 kWh battery at 50% charge (1.05 kWh), the remaining capacity is 1.05 kWh. Each pulse delivers 1.67 A for 10 minutes (approximately 0.2 kW), giving about 0.33 kWh per cycle. It takes about 3 cycles to fully charge, resulting in a total time of approximately 1.5 hours.

[0045] in an embodiment herein, the second time period comprises the time period from a start of charging from the received battery state of charge to the fully charged state of the battery pack 102. The second time period depends on the number of battery pack 102 required.

[0046] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may generate an output comprising the battery dispensing time of the fully charged and stable battery pack 102. The battery dispensing time is the aggregate of the first time period and the second time period based on the received parameters.

[0047] In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 can calculate the time to readiness using the following formula:Batery dispensing time (T)= Pre-Cool / Pre-Heat time(T0) + Time to charge in charging mode 1 (CC) (T1 ) + Time to charge in charging mode 2 (CV) (T2)+ Time to cool / heat (T3)

[0048] This is a dynamic formula for the battery dispensing time calculation. The battery dispensing time can be calculated at pre-defined time intervals. The pre-defined timeinterval is configurable. In an example herein, the battery dispensing time can be calculated every 1 minute. The controller 112 may individually calculate TO, Tl, T2, and T3 and perform an addition to arrive at the time required for the battery pack 102 to be dispense ready.

[0049] The controller 112 may identify the dispensing time of each battery pack 102 at the station for dispensing; i.e., the time required for charging and / or conditioning each battery pack 102. Based on this, the controller 112 may indicate to the user about the tentative waiting period (based on the number of battery pack 102 required by the user), if the required number of battery pack 102 at the station are not ready for dispensing. The controller 112 may indicate through the communication network 108 to the user, on the user interface 110, a live status of the battery dispensing time. The user interface 110 may include, but is not limited to at least one of the display screen, the handheld device, the mobile device, the mobile application, and the web application. The battery dispensing time for the required number of batteries in the station can be intimated to the user.

[0050] In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time of the batteries in the station can be displayed to the user. In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time of the batteries in the station can be displayed to the user in a user device using mobile application connected to the station. In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time of the batteries in the station can be displayed to the user in the vehicle. In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time of the batteries in the station can be displayed to the user on the station itself. In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time of the batteries can be displayed to the user in a web application, which displays the live status of the station.

[0051] In an embodiment herein, the battery dispensing time of the batteries can be used to indicate the battery readiness at the battery station to the user based on the distance of the user from the station. The controller 112 may determine a distance and a travel time of the vehicle requesting the required battery pack 102, to reach the battery station. Based on the distance and the travel time received, the controller 112 may calculate the time to dispense the batteries after the vehicle arrives at the battery station. The controller 112 may modify the battery dispensing time based on the distance and the travel time of the vehicle. The controller 112 may deduct the travel time from the actual battery dispensing time to calculate the time to dispense the batteries after the vehicle arrives at the battery station.

[0052] In an example herein, if the battery pack 102 present at the battery station is quarantined or the dock is quarantined, the controller 112 will consider the battery dispensing time to be 255 minutes. The battery pack 102 is considered to be an indispensable battery, if the current time required for charging or conditioning the battery is less than 255 minutes. In the backup power mode, the battery dispensing time may be 255 minutes for the batteries that are not yet dispense ready. If the charger of a dock is off, the battery dispensing time may be 255 minutes for the battery in the dock. Examples of the reasons for the charger being off can be, but not limited to, dock quarantine, battery pack quarantine, charger faults, battery pack internal faults, battery pack communication loss / address loss, safety faults, Residual Current Operated Circuit Breaker (RCBO) trip, Grid power loss, and so on.

[0053] In an example, if the battery pack 102 is charging at a higher capacity and the battery dispensing time is 30 minutes, the controller 112 can consider the battery dispensing time for other battery pack 102 in the station charging at a lower capacity, in a manner so as to consider how these battery packs 102 can be charged at the higher capacity after the battery pack 102 with the higher charging capacity completes charging. If the battery pack 102 goes to constant on time mode while charging, the controller 112 may calculate the battery dispensing time by calculating the time required to cool down to the charging temperature and then based on the battery charging mode, the controller 112 can calculate the charging rate for the rest of the time.

[0054] In an embodiment herein, the system 100 can be provided with additional modules, such as, but not limited to, a display unit, and at least one user interface. In an embodiment herein, the battery pack 102 stored in the battery charging and swapping station is an intelligent battery pack 102 embedded with electronics and various sensors for checking the parameters associated with the battery pack 102, swapping station and the vehicle.

[0055] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented through at least one software program running on at least one hardware device and performing network management functions to control the network elements. The network elements include blocks which can be at least one of a hardware device, or a combination of hardware device and software module.

[0056] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of plurality of battery pack 102 communicating to the control module, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The control module 106 may be connected to multiple battery packs 102 102. One or more sensors 104 may beconnected with each of the battery pack 102 to collect the battery related parameters. The control module 106 may receive battery related parameters from the sensor(s) 104 through the communication module 116. In an embodiment herein, the communication module 116 may communicate with the sensors 104 through the communication network 108. In an embodiment herein, the communication module 116 may communicate with the sensors 104 through a wired connection.

[0057] FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart showing a method 300 for determining battery dispensing time, according to embodiments as disclosed herein. At step 302, the battery station may receive the request to dispense the number of battery pack 102(s) having a specific battery capacity through the controller 112 from the user interface 110 from the user or vehicle. The user or the vehicle may be in the vicinity of the battery station. The controller 112 receives the request through the communication module 116. The communication module 116 of the control module 106 is in communication with the plurality of user interfaces 110 through the communication network 108. At step 304, the controller 112 may receive at least one parameters of the battery pack 102 continuously from the at least one sensors 104. The at least one parameters may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the number of charged batteries, the battery capacity, the battery state of charge, the charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature, the number of batteries charging, and the thermal capacity of a battery station for at least one of the heating and the cooling the battery pack 102. At step 306, the controller 112 may determine the first time period for at least one of the heating and a cooling of the battery pack 102 from the received parameters. The controller 112 may analyze the battery capacity, the battery charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature, the number of batteries charging, and the thermal capacity of a battery station for at least one of heating and the cooling the battery pack 102. The controller 112 may derive the pre-heating and the pre-cooling time of the battery pack 102 based on the analysis of the battery capacity, the battery charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature, the number of batteries charging, and thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of heating and the cooling the battery pack 102. In an embodiment herein, the controller 112 may derive the post-heating and the post-cooling of the battery pack 102 based on the analysis of the battery capacity, the battery charging mode, the charging current, the battery temperature after the battery is charged, and thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of heating and the cooling the battery pack 102. The controller 112 analyses the parameters by studying the fluctuation in the parameters andderives the first time period by calculating the total time required for cooling the battery post charging based on the battery temperature. At step 308, the controller 112 may determine the second time period for completing charging of the battery pack 102 in each of the charging mode from the received parameters. The controller 112 may analyze the number of charged batteries, the battery capacity, the battery state of charge, the charging mode, the charging current, and the number of batteries charging. Upon analyzing and determining the battery capacity, the battery state of charge, the charging mode, and the charging current, the controller 112 calculates the time to fully charge the number of batteries from the current state of charge and from one charging mode to the fully charged state. At step 310, the controller 112 may generate an output comprising the battery dispensing time of the fully charged and stable battery pack 102. The battery dispensing time is the aggregate of the first time period and the second time period based on the received parameters. At step 312, the controller 112 may indicate to the user about the tentative waiting period (based on the number of battery pack 102s required by the user), if the required number of battery pack 102s at the station are not ready for dispensing.

[0058] The various actions in method 300 may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, some actions listed in FIG. 3 may be omitted.

[0059] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented through at least one software program running on at least one hardware device and performing network management functions to control the network elements. The elements include blocks which can be at least one of a hardware device, or a combination of hardware device and software module.

[0060] The embodiments disclosed herein describe the systems and methods for determining battery dispensing time of battery packs. Therefore, it is understood that the scope of the protection is extended to such a program and in addition to a computer readable means having a message therein, such computer readable storage means contain program code means for implementation of one or more steps of the method, when the program runs on a server or mobile device or any suitable programmable device. The method is implemented in at least one embodiment through or together with a software program written in e.g., Very high speed integrated circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) another programming language, or implemented by one or more VHDL or several software modules being executed on at least one hardware device. The hardware device can be any kind ofportable device that can be programmed. The device may also include means which could be e.g., hardware means like e.g., an ASIC, or a combination of hardware and software means, e.g., an ASIC and an FPGA, or at least one microprocessor and at least one memory with software modules located therein. The method embodiments described herein could be implemented partly in hardware and partly in software. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented on different hardware devices, e.g., using a plurality of CPUs.

[0061] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments and examples disclosed herein can be practiced with modification within the scope of the embodiments as described herein.

Claims

STATEMENT OF CLAIMSWe Claim:

1. A method (300) for determining dispensing time for a battery pack (102) in a battery charging and swapping station, the method comprising: receiving, by a controller (112) in the battery charging and swapping station, at least one parameter from at least one of a sensor (104) associated with the battery pack (102), and a vehicle; determining, by the controller (112), a first time period for at least one of a heating and a cooling of the battery pack (102) from the received parameters; determining, by the controller (112), a second time period for completing charging of the battery pack (102) in each charging mode; and generating, by the controller (112), an output comprising a battery dispensing time of a fully charged and a stable battery pack (102) based on the determined first time period, and the determined second time period.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of a number of charged batteries present in the battery charging and swapping station, capacity of one or more batteries present in the battery charging and swapping station, a state of charge of the one or more batteries present in the battery charging and swapping station, one or more charging modes, a charging current supplied to the batteries charging in the battery charging and swapping station, a battery temperature of the battery before charging, while charging and after completing the charging, a number of batteries charging in the battery charging and swapping station,, and thermal capacity of a battery station for at least one of the heating and the cooling the battery pack.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the method comprises: receiving, by the controller (112), through a communication network (108) from at least one of a user and the vehicle, a number of battery packs required by the user, wherein the vehicle is in the vicinity of the battery charging and swapping station, or the vehicle is approaching the battery charging and swapping station.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charging mode comprises at least one of a constant voltage (CV) charging method, a constant current (CC) charging method, a mixed constant current / constant voltage (CC / CV) charging method, a constant on time mode and a pulse charging method (CP). The method as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the first time period comprises at least one of a pre-heating and a pre-cooling time of the battery pack (102) based on the thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of the heating and the cooling the battery pack (102).

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first time period comprises at least one of a post-heating and a post-cooling of the battery pack (102) based on the thermal capacity of the battery station for at least one of the heating and the cooling the battery pack (102).

6. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second time period comprises a time period from a start of charging from the received battery state of charge to the fully charged state of the battery pack, and wherein the second time period depends on the number of battery packs required.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery dispensing time is the aggregate of the first time period and the second time period based on the received parameters.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery dispensing time is determined dynamically at configurable pre-defined time intervals.

9. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the method comprises: indicating by the controller (112) through the communication network (108) to the user, on a user interface (110), a live status of the battery dispensing time.

10. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the method comprises: determining by the controller (112), a distance and a travel time of the vehicle requesting the required battery packs, to reach the battery station; and modifying by the controller, the battery dispensing time to the battery dispensing time remaining after the vehicle reaching the battery station, based on the determined distance and the travel time of the vehicle.

11. A battery charging and swapping station comprising: at least one sensor (104); a controller (112); a communication module (116); and a communication network (108); wherein the controller (112) is configured to:receive in the battery charging and swapping station, at least one parameter from at least one of a sensor (104) associated with the battery pack (102), and a vehicle; determine a first time period for at least one of heating and a cooling of the battery pack (102) from the received parameters; determine a second time period for completing charging of the battery pack (102) in each of a charging mode; and generate an output comprising a battery dispensing time of a fully charged and a stable battery pack (102) based on the determined first time period, and the determined second time period.

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