Patents by Inventor Nathan Bowman Littrell

Nathan Bowman Littrell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11603008
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Publication number: 20200055415
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 10486541
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: General Electri Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Publication number: 20170043676
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 9505317
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 9396462
    Abstract: A vehicle charging station for use with a system for transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle is configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle and determine a preferred electrical charging power provider based on the identifier. Vehicle charging station is further configured to determine an account associated with the preferred provider and with the identifier, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 9172274
    Abstract: A power distribution system includes a plurality of node devices and a computer communicatively coupled to the node devices. The computer includes a memory area configured to store at least one operating parameter of each of the node devices, and a processor that is programmed to determine a desired operating limitation of the power distribution system to be optimized, calculate an effect on the operating limitation based on a modification of the operating parameter of at least one of the node devices, and transmit a command to the node device to cause the node device to modify the operating parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Bowman Littrell, James Joseph Schmid
  • Patent number: 9030153
    Abstract: A method for delivering energy to an electric vehicle includes coupling the electric vehicle to an energy delivery point, delivering energy to the electric vehicle, determining a parking cost, and determining transaction costs based on at least one of an amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle and the parking cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 8716887
    Abstract: An electrical system includes at least one power port and at least one monitoring and control device that is coupled to the power port. The monitoring and control device includes a load control module configured to control an amount of electrical power transmitted to at least one electrical load. The load control module is further configured to receive a power control command from a power system and to transmit a power control acknowledgement to the power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Matthew Thomson, Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 8706312
    Abstract: A charging device includes a power delivery system configured to supply power to at least one load coupled to the charging device. The charging device also includes a processor coupled to the power delivery system, and the processor is programmed to transmit a charging request to a remote device. The charging request includes an amount of power requested to be supplied to the at least one load. The processor is programmed to receive data related to a loading of a power distribution device, wherein the power distribution device is configured to supply power to the charging device. The processor is further programmed to selectively activate the power delivery system to supply power to the at least one load based on the data received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 8698648
    Abstract: A method for communicating utility data includes receiving a voice signal and a data signal via a utility network, combining the voice signal and the data signal to form a communication signal, and transmitting the communication signal to a plurality of utility asset controllers and handheld devices via the utility network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Bowman Littrell, Kenneth James Caird, Lincoln Mamoru Fujita
  • Patent number: 8583551
    Abstract: A method for delivering energy to an electric vehicle is provided, wherein the electric vehicle is associated with a customer account. The method includes identifying the electric vehicle at an energy delivery point, and determining a current balance of the customer account, wherein the current balance includes at least a portion of a prepayment amount based on a predetermined amount of energy to be delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point. The method also includes delivering energy to the electric vehicle, metering an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle, and determining a transaction amount based on the actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathan Bowman Littrell, Richard Dale Slates
  • Publication number: 20130048746
    Abstract: A method for controlling an irrigation system is described. The method includes receiving, via a communication interface, a control signal from a utility. The method also includes determining whether or not to base operation of the irrigation system at least in part on the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Publication number: 20120330671
    Abstract: A system for implementing congestion pricing in a power distribution network includes a monitoring and control engine configured to receive an actual power consumption value for a node in the power distribution network and a congestion engine coupled to the monitoring and control engine configured to determine that a power consumption value exceeds a capacity related set point of the node. The system further includes a pricing calculator that establishes a congestion price for power to be applied while the actual power consumption value exceeds the set point of the node and a credit calculator that provides credits to consumers coupled to the node that consume power at a rate below a threshold while the actual power consumption value exceeds the set point of the node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jiyuan Fan, Jason Wayne Black, Bernard Jacques Lecours, Nathan Bowman Littrell, Rajesh Tyagi
  • Publication number: 20120323388
    Abstract: A power distribution system includes a plurality of node devices and a computer communicatively coupled to the node devices. The computer includes a memory area configured to store at least one operating parameter of each of the node devices, and a processor that is programmed to determine a desired operating limitation of the power distribution system to be optimized, calculate an effect on the operating limitation based on a modification of the operating parameter of at least one of the node devices, and transmit a command to the node device to cause the node device to modify the operating parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventors: Nathan Bowman Littrell, James Joseph Schmid
  • Publication number: 20120310433
    Abstract: A charging device includes a power delivery system configured to supply power to at least one load coupled to the charging device. The charging device also includes a processor coupled to the power delivery system, and the processor is programmed to transmit a charging request to a remote device. The charging request includes an amount of power requested to be supplied to the at least one load. The processor is programmed to receive data related to a loading of a power distribution device, wherein the power distribution device is configured to supply power to the charging device. The processor is further programmed to selectively activate the power delivery system to supply power to the at least one load based on the data received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Patent number: 8315930
    Abstract: A method for delivering energy to an electric vehicle includes coupling the electric vehicle to an energy delivery point via a connector, receiving a unique identifier of the electric vehicle via the connector, determining an account associated with the identifier, delivering an amount of energy to the electric vehicle via the connector, and determining a transaction amount based on the amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle by the energy delivery point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Publication number: 20120246040
    Abstract: A system includes a meter for monitoring energy consumed by an energy consumer and a first computer coupled to the meter. The first computer receives a plurality of measurements representative of energy consumed during a billing period. The system also includes a second computer that generates a signal representative of a critical peak pricing rate for energy consumed during a critical peak pricing event, and a third computer coupled to the first computer and to the second computer. The third computer calculates a first consumption amount representative of energy consumed during the critical peak pricing event, calculates a second consumption amount representative of energy consumed other than during the critical peak pricing event, and generates a bill including a variable pricing rate for the second consumption amount and the critical peak pricing rate for the first consumption amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Publication number: 20120246041
    Abstract: A system includes a first computer configured to transmit a load control request to a device associated with an energy consumer. The system also includes a second computer configured to receive a notification representative of an override of the load control request, and determine a penalty to be imposed upon the customer based on the notification received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell
  • Publication number: 20120245749
    Abstract: A system includes a first computer including an energy distribution network model. The first computer identifies a plurality of energy consumers associated with an energy distribution constraint within the energy distribution network. The system also includes a second computer configured to receive data from the first computer. The second computer is also configured to identify a plurality of customers subscribed to a demand response program and identify a subset of the plurality of energy consumers that are associated with the plurality of customers. The second computer is further configured to identify a device associated with each energy consumer of the subset of energy consumers and cause a demand response request to be transmitted to at least one identified device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Inventor: Nathan Bowman Littrell