Abstract: Detected events such as impacts, accidents, breakdowns, and types of driving behaviors based on feedback from tilt, gravity, accelerometers and/or shock sensors within a portable electrical power storage device such as a battery and/or within a vehicle (e.g., an electric scooter) are communicated to the user's mobile device, dashboard display and/or backend systems over wired and/or wireless communication channels. The communication of the events and types of events are logged and automatically aggregated from multiple vehicles for further analysis to determine various potential system-wide safety issues and to track event history on an individual per-user or individual per-scooter basis or individual per-battery basis. Such event data may also be transferred accordingly via the battery exchange process at the online exchange machine through a memory device attached to the battery that stores the event data.

Abstract: An asset includes a short range transmitter that broadcasts a first signal that includes a unique identifier associated with the asset. Each asset is carried by one of number of mobile devices, and each asset is freely exchangeable between any of the number of mobile devices. Each of at least some of the mobile devices carries a receiver to receive the first signals within reception range of the receiver. Each of at least some of the mobile devices aggregates the received unique identifiers. Each of at least some of the mobile devices carries a transmitter that transmits a second signal that includes data representative of a geolocation of the respective mobile device and data indicative of the unique identifiers received by the respective mobile device to a back-end system. The back-end system uses the data included in the received second signals to track and locate assets within a geographic area.

Abstract: Electrically powered vehicles may be equipped with both mechanical braking systems and regenerative braking systems. Regenerative braking systems improve vehicle efficiency by returning a portion of the energy lost in deceleration to the battery of the electrically powered vehicle. An electrically powered vehicle controller that provides collision avoidance functionality can maximize the energy returned to the battery of the electrically powered vehicle by maximizing the use of regenerative braking for collision avoidance. A first braking mode can include only regenerative braking for objects greater than the minimum regenerative stopping distance. A second braking mode can include composite braking using both mechanical and regenerative braking. The electrically powered vehicle controller determines the maximum regenerative braking level at least based on data provided by battery charge level or battery state sensors.

Abstract: A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To avoid theft and tampering of the portable electrical energy storage devices, by default, each portable electrical energy storage device is locked in and operably connected to the vehicle to which it provides power unless the vehicle comes within the vicinity of a collection, charging and distribution machine or other authorized external device such as that in a service center. Once within the vicinity of a collection, charging and distribution machine or other authorized external device a locking mechanism in the vehicle or within the portable electrical energy storage device unlocks and allows the portable electrical energy storage device to be exchanged or serviced.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for detecting that an electric motor drive vehicle (e.g., an electric scooter or motorbike) is idling based on one or more of sensed parameters indicative of the idling state. These sensed parameters may include one or more of, alone or in any combination, a sensed throttle position, at least one sensed electrical characteristic of a traction electric motor, a power converter, or an electrical storage device of the vehicle, and a sensed rate of rotation of a drive shaft of the traction electric motor or of a wheel drivably coupled to the traction electric motor. Upon detecting that the vehicle is in an idling state, a controller of the vehicle enters into a standby mode. In the standby mode, a relatively small amount of electrical power is supplied to the traction electric motor to cause a vibration of the motor to alert a driver that the vehicle is ON in the standby mode and is ready to be driven.

Abstract: A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To avoid theft and tampering of the portable electrical energy storage devices, by default, each portable electrical energy storage device is locked in and operably connected to the vehicle to which it provides power unless the vehicle comes within the vicinity of a collection, charging and distribution machine or other authorized external device such as that in a service center. Once within the vicinity of a collection, charging and distribution machine or other authorized external device a locking mechanism in the vehicle or within the portable electrical energy storage device unlocks and allows the portable electrical energy storage device to be exchanged or serviced.

Abstract: A vehicle has a security and anti-theft system that senses movement of the vehicle in a forward or backward direction when the vehicle is in a locked state, such as by detecting wheel rotation. Upon this detection, the security system signals the motor to counteract the wheel movement by rotating one or more wheels in the opposite direction of the direction of wheel rotation detected until the wheel rotation is no longer detected. The security and anti-theft system may determine whether the vehicle is in a locked state by detecting whether a key is present and/or by one or more communications received by an external wireless device.

Abstract: An actuatable foot rest system includes a foot rest member pivotably displaceable between a first position to a second position. The actuatable foot rest system may also include a biasing member that biases the foot rest member about the at least one pivotable connection, at least from the first position to the second position. The actuatable foot rest system may further include a remotely actuated retention mechanism that includes an actuator disposed remote from the foot rest member and which maintains the foot rest member in the first position and, when remotely actuated using the actuator, releases the foot rest member from the first position.

Abstract: A vehicle turn signal system causes a turn signal to turn off when a turn is completed or nearly completed based on the orientation of the vehicle changing to turn to a certain degree in a direction indicated by the turn signal. Current heading, position, location and/or or other such information is electronically received from a compass or other device by a turn signal switch controller. When the vehicle has changed direction from the direction the vehicle was traveling at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on, a signal is sent to turn off the turn signal and reset the manual turn signal button or lever.

Abstract: A collection, charging and distribution machine collects, charges and distributes portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, super- or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machine employs electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. The machine determines a first number of devices to be rapidly charged, employing charge from a second number of devices identified to sacrifice charge. Thus, some devices may be concurrently charged via current from the electrical service and current from other devices, to achieve rapid charging of some subset of devices. The devices that sacrifice charge may later be charged. Such may ensure availability of devices for end users.

Abstract: A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). To charge, the machines employ electrical current from an external source, such as the electrical grid or an electrical service of an installation location. By default, each portable electrical energy storage device is disabled from accepting a charge unless it receives authentication information from an authorized collection, charging and distribution machine, other authorized charging device, or other authorized device that transmits the authentication credentials. Also, by default, each portable electrical energy storage device is disabled from releasing energy unless it receives authentication information from an external device to which it will provide power, such as a vehicle or other authorization device.

Abstract: A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collects, charges and distributes portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Vehicle diagnostic data of a vehicle using the portable electrical energy storage device is stored on a diagnostic data storage system of the portable electrical energy storage device during use of a respective portable electrical energy storage device by a respective vehicle. Once the user places the portable electrical energy storage device in the collection, charging and distribution machine, or comes within wireless communications range of a collection, charging and distribution machine, a connection is established between the collection, charging and distribution machine and the portable electrical energy storage device.