Abstract: Electric vehicles that use replaceable and exchangeable batteries, applications for communicating with a service that provides access to kiosks of batteries, and methods and systems for finding charged batteries, reserving batteries, and paying for use of the batteries, are disclosed. One example is a method for receiving, by a server, a request from a user associated with user account to locate batteries usable to power an electric vehicle. The request is for a geographic location and the user account is associated with a service that enables access to exchange batteries have reduced charge for batteries that have increased charge. The sever processing information regarding an inventory of available batteries at each of a plurality of kiosks, and each of the kiosks is at a respective kiosk location and each kiosk having receptacle slots for storing and charging batteries. The method also includes sending, by the server, data identifying at least one kiosk location proximate to the geographic location.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for providing auxiliary charge to a main battery of an electric vehicle. One system includes an auxiliary battery for holding a plurality of charge units, the auxiliary battery being connectable to the main battery of the electric vehicle, the plurality of charge units being rechargeable and being replaceable from within the auxiliary battery, such that replacing particular ones of the plurality of charge units with charge units with more charge increases a total charge of the auxiliary battery. Kiosks for storing a plurality of charge units. A display in the kiosk for an interface for enabling transactions to provide or receive charge units to customers, and a central processing center that communicates with a plurality of said kiosk over a network and a plurality of vehicles, The plurality of vehicles are provided with access to availability information of charge units at each of said kiosks.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provide a method for processing information associated with a vehicle. An example method includes receiving a plurality of actions set at the vehicle over a period of time. The actions can be received from a server or services of a provider over the Internet. The method includes updating a history profile for a user account of the vehicle for the plurality of actions. The history profile includes meta data for each of the plurality of actions. The method generates confidence scores for each of the plurality of actions in the history profile and generating one or more action recommendations that can be accepted for implementation by the vehicle. For actions having confidence scores that exceed a threshold, the method sends the one or more action recommendations to the user account associated with the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle including one or more computers to interface with electronics of the vehicle to access status data for systems of the vehicle and to make input settings to one or more of the systems. The vehicle includes wireless communication circuitry for providing connection to the Internet and to one or more wireless devices when paired with the vehicle. An occupancy sensor of the vehicle is configured to interface with the one or more computers of the vehicle to identify occupancy of seats of the vehicle. A processor of the one or more computers of the vehicle is configured to execute instructions to receive data from a wireless device that is paired with the vehicle. The data is used to identify a seat in the vehicle that is associated with a passenger. The processor executes instructions to provide data to a user interface accessed by the wireless device to expose a plurality of systems of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle having logic for processing a valet mode of the vehicle. An example of the vehicle includes a display screen of the vehicle. The display screen is configured to render information regarding operational modes of the vehicle, where one of the operational modes includes a valet mode. The vehicle includes an on-board computer including a processor for enabling the valet mode in response to input instructions received during a privileged access for a user account to enable the valet mode. The valet mode is configured to set restrictions upon systems and operation of the vehicle. The systems of the vehicle including functional inputs of the vehicle and the operation of the vehicle including at least a speed restriction. The processor is further configured to cause a notification to be rendered on the display screen to indicate that a recording of use of the vehicle will be made while the vehicle is in the valet mode.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided, for automatically causing content items to shift to or from screens of a vehicle. One example includes a system in a vehicle that includes an on-board computer. The system includes a first display screen of the vehicle and a second display screen of the vehicle. Also provided is a processor of the on-board computer for processing instructions to enable rendering of a graphical user interface (GUI) items on each of the first and second display screens. A first GUI item is displayed on the first display screen and a second GUI item is displayed on the second display screen. The instructions processed by the processor automatically causing the first GUI item to shift from being displayed on the first display screen to being displayed on the second display screen. Wherein the shifting occurs in response to processing a safe driving condition.

Abstract: Electric vehicles that use replaceable and exchangeable batteries, applications for communicating with a service that provides access to kiosks of batteries, and methods and systems for finding charged batteries, reserving batteries, and paying for use of the batteries, are disclosed. One example is a system for managing access to and exchange of batteries for use by electric vehicles. The electric vehicles have receptacle slots for receiving batteries for powering an electric motor of the electric vehicle. The system includes a kiosk having a plurality of receptacle slots for holding a plurality of batteries, and at least one of the plurality of receptacle slots is accessible to enable access of a battery from the kiosk. each receptacle slot having a connection disposed therein that connects to a power source.

Abstract: Electric vehicles that use replaceable and exchangeable batteries, applications for communicating with a service that provides access to kiosks of batteries, and methods and systems for finding charged batteries, reserving batteries, and paying for use of the batteries, are disclosed. One example is a method for receiving, by a server, a request from a user associated with user account to locate batteries usable to power an electric vehicle. The request is for a geographic location and the user account is associated with a service that enables access to exchange batteries have reduced charge for batteries that have increased charge. The sever processing information regarding an inventory of available batteries at each of a plurality of kiosks, and each of the kiosks is at a respective kiosk location and each kiosk having receptacle slots for storing and charging batteries. The method also includes sending, by the server, data identifying at least one kiosk location proximate to the geographic location.

Abstract: Electric vehicles that use replaceable and exchangeable batteries, applications for communicating with a service that provides access to kiosks of batteries, and methods and systems for finding charged batteries, reserving batteries, and paying for use of the batteries, are disclosed. One example is an electric vehicle having an electric motor and at least two receptacle slots formed in the electric vehicle. The receptacle slots having at least one connection to the electric motor and at least two batteries configured for hand-insertion into the receptacle slots to enable electrical engagement of the batteries with the at least one connection when disposed in the receptacle slots and each of the batteries are further configured for hand-removal out of the receptacle slots. The vehicle further includes wireless communication circuitry configured for wireless communication between the electric vehicle and a device when linked for wireless communication with an application of the device.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing charge options to drivers of electric vehicles are provided. One method includes receiving data concerning charge providing availability from charge locations and receiving a request from processing logic of an electric vehicle, the request identifying a desire to obtain charge. The method includes determining a current location of the electric vehicle and determining identification of charge locations in proximity to the electric vehicle. The method further includes determining any sponsored rewards offered by the charge locations and communicating to the electric vehicle a path to one of the charge locations, where the path is identified with a sponsored reward offered at the charge location if the path is selected and charge is obtained. The method can be processed by a server and paths are communicated to vehicles to alert drivers of the electric vehicles of rewards or discounts if charge is obtained from certain locations.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing notifications to wireless hand held devices concerning status conditions of a remote location is provided. The method associates the remote location to a user account, and the user account is configurable with settings of a user having the user account. The server receives the settings over the Internet from a graphical user interface of an application rendered on the hand held personal computer. The method includes receiving, at the server, information from the controller for a change in status condition in at least one of the devices. The method determines that the change in status condition requires a notification and sends the notification to the application of the of the hand held personal computer. The notification is rendered as an icon displayable on a screen of the application. The icon is indicative of one or more notifications for the devices associated with the user account.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for providing auxiliary charge to a main battery of an electric vehicle. One system includes an auxiliary battery for holding a plurality of charge units, the auxiliary battery being connectable to the main battery of the electric vehicle, the plurality of charge units being rechargeable and being replaceable from within the auxiliary battery, such that replacing particular ones of the plurality of charge units with charge units with more charge increases a total charge of the auxiliary battery. Kiosks for storing a plurality of charge units. A display in the kiosk for an interface for enabling transactions to provide or receive charge units to customers, and a central processing center that communicates with a plurality of said kiosk over a network and a plurality of vehicles, The plurality of vehicles are provided with access to availability information of charge units at each of said kiosks.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling an information appliance from a remote location, the information appliance having access to a network and access to receive television programming. The method receives a request from a wireless portable device to access the information appliance, and the request identifies at least a user account. Verifying, based on the user account, whether to grant access to the information appliance from the wireless portable device and providing data to the wireless portable device. At least some of the data used to populate a user interface of the wireless device with information concerning the television programming and selectable options, and receiving selections from the user interface of the wireless portable device. The selections identifying an item of the television programming to record, and communicating instructions to the information appliance to record the item in digital storage buffers associated with the information appliance.

Abstract: Methods are provided to access of home devices over the Internet and to control and/or set states of devices over the Internet. One method includes providing, at a server connected to the Internet, code for enabling access to networked devices at a remote location using a networked computing device. The method can enable receiving a status request to view status of one or more of the networked devices. The method can also enable receiving a control request at the server, via the networked computing device, to operate one or more utility controls at a remote location. The utility controls can be used for any of a variety of purposes. The method is operable for any computing device that has access to the Internet, including wireless hand-held networked devices.

Abstract: Methods are provided to access devices over the Internet and to control and/or set states of devices over the Internet. One method includes providing, at a server connected to the Internet, code for enabling access to networked devices at a remote location using a networked computing device. The method can enable receiving a status request to view status of one or more of the networked devices. The method can also enable receiving a control request at the server, via the networked computing device, to operate one or more utility controls at a remote location. The utility controls can be used for any of a variety of purposes. The method is operable for any computing device that has access to the Internet, including wireless hand-held networked devices.

Abstract: The remote monitoring and controlling of controllable devices is provided by sending control information to and receiving status information from information appliances over a network. A user is able to monitor the information appliances from a remote location, and control the information appliances from the remote location. The remote monitoring and control can be facilitated by graphical user interfaces. The information appliance can be a home lighting system, a home alarm system, a home entertainment system, a water gardening system, a home heating system, a home cooling system, and a television system having recording capabilities.

Abstract: Methods are provided to access devices over the Internet and to control and/or set states of devices over the Internet. One method includes providing, at a server connected to the Internet, code for enabling access to networked devices at a remote location using a networked computing device. The method receives, at the server, user login data via the networked computing device, to identify a user and to provide access to the networked devices. The method enables receiving a status request at the server, via the networked computing device, to view status of one or more of the networked devices. The status includes an update condition for at least one of the networked devices. The method also enables receiving a control request at the server, via the networked computing device, to operate one or more utility controls at the remote location.

Abstract: Methods are provided to access devices over the Internet and to control and/or set states of devices over the Internet. One method includes providing, at a server connected to the Internet, code for enabling access to networked devices at a remote location using a networked computing device. The method receives, at the server, user login data via the networked computing device, to identify a user and to provide access to the networked devices. The method enables receiving a status request at the server, via the networked computing device, to view status of one or more of the networked devices. The status includes an update condition for at least one of the networked devices. The method also enables receiving a control request at the server, via the networked computing device, to operate one or more utility controls at the remote location.

Abstract: A television is provided. The television includes an interface for connecting the television to a network, such as the Internet. The television also includes digital buffers internal to the television for digitally storing digital programming data obtained from a digital provider. The television being accessible through a graphical user interface over the Internet from a remote computing device. The graphical user interface providing a control panel for displaying status and at least one control including a control for playing or recording of certain channels at least partially to the digital buffers that are internal to the television.