Abstract: Provided is an EV charging station comprising a housing, one storage battery, a substantially flat panel, an array of photovoltaic modules and a control unit. The housing receives electric power from a power grid. The substantially flat panel is attached to the housing. The array of photovoltaic modules are affixed to the flat panel and converts solar energy from sun light into electrical energy, and transfer the electrical energy to the storage battery in the housing. The control unit receives a first signal indicating the power grid is overloaded and not available to the EV charging station; in response to receiving the first signal, determining whether the storage battery is charged; and in response to the determination that the storage battery is charged, switching the EV charging station to a charge mode where the storage battery is used, instead of the power grid, to charge an EV.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically parking and wirelessly charging a vehicle are described. A database including parking and charging availability information can be searched based at least in part on the request, location information and model information of the vehicle. An available parking space is determined based on the results of the search, and information. The parking space may be equipped with a pad configured to wireless charge a vehicle parked in the parking space. When information indicating that the vehicle has been parked in the parking space, a parking status indicating such can be transmitted to a control device associated with the parking space. The vehicle can then be automatically and wirelessly charged by the control device through the parking space.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provide for stabilizing the front upper body of an automobile. Some embodiments operate in context of an electric car, or other electric vehicle. For example, the front body of an automobile can include a right front wheelhouse and a left front wheelhouse, coupled with a right front suspension assembly and a left front suspension assembly, respectively. The front body can also include a plenum, which can include a large panel situated behind the vehicle dashboard. A stabilization assembly can include a cross-rail to tie the right and left front wheelhouses together, thereby stabilizing lateral and/or other vibrations across the left and right front suspension assemblies. The stabilization assembly can also include a plenum tie-rail to tie both front wheelhouses to the plenum, which can improve stiffness of the upper plenum and can improve front-impact crash performance.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate contactless car sharing. A user device may be configured to request using a vehicle at a desired time. The request can be transmitted to a computer server associated with a car sharing service provider. The computer server may request the user device to transmit a number of keep-alive messages before the vehicle is dispatched to the pickup location, and another number of keep-alive messages while the vehicle is being dispatched to the pickup location. In some embodiments, after the vehicle has arrived at the pickup location, the computer server may request the user device to generate another request for accessing the vehicle at the pickup location.

Abstract: Embodiments can facilitate contactless vehicle sharing. This may include configure a certificate server to receive from a first user device a first request for a certificate. The first user can be authenticated by the certificate server. In response to the first user being authenticated, the certificate for the first user can be issued by the certificate server. Information regarding registration and/or the certificate for the first user can be distributed to a computer server associated with a contactless car sharing service provider. A second request can be received from the computer server to authenticate a third request from the first user for using a vehicle as received by the computer server. The third request can include the certificate for the first user and the second request can include information regarding the third request. The third request can be authenticated by the certificate server using the certificate.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate wireless charging of the EV by using a charging method that employs higher voltages with higher power transmission rate than induction wireless charging. A few charging methods satisfying such criteria are provided: including microwave and laser charging. Components may be designed to facilitate charging of EVs using such methods. For example, components may be designed to create a vacuum between a power transmitter fixed to parking spot and a power receiver fixed to the EV. The microwave or laser may be transmitted through this vacuum.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for methods and systems implementing the methods for maneuvering a driving apparatus. The methods may include detecting a first object and a second object. The methods may include detecting distance and/or angle information of the first and/or second objects. The method may further include detecting instruction and/or information provided by the first and/or second objects. The methods may include making a maneuver judgment to maneuver the driving apparatus based on the first and/or second objects such that the driving apparatus may avoid the first and/or second objects, and/or may follow or utilize instruction and/or information provided by the first and/or second objects.

Abstract: Methods for facilitating driverless driving may include receiving a first obstacle parameter of a first obstacle and a second obstacle parameter of a second obstacle detected by one or more sensors of a driving apparatus. The second obstacle parameter may be detected within a first predetermined period of time from detecting the first obstacle parameter. The method may further include receiving one or more maneuvering adjustments to the operation of the driving apparatus. The maneuvering adjustments may be made after detecting the first obstacle parameter but before an end of a second predetermined period of time from detecting the second obstacle parameter. The method may also include associating the maneuvering adjustments with the first obstacle parameter and the second obstacle parameter. The method may further include training a neural network based on the association of the maneuvering adjustments with the first obstacle parameter and the second obstacle parameter.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for methods and systems for facilitating traveling or operation of one or more driving apparatuses. The methods and systems may be implemented in one or more processors configured to execute programmed components. The methods may include receiving a first operating parameter of a first driving apparatus from the first driving apparatus via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network. The methods may also include receiving a first driving condition from the UAV network. The methods may further include generating a first instruction for adjusting the operation of the first driving apparatus based on at least one of the first operating parameter or the first driving condition. The methods may also include transmitting the first instruction to the first driving apparatus via the UAV network.

Abstract: A method for monitoring physical conditions of an operator of a driving apparatus is described. The method includes obtaining an identity of the operator, acquiring signals indicating a physical condition of the operator, and determining whether the physical condition as indicated by the signals has breached a predetermined threshold. Further, when it is determined that the physical condition as indicated by the signals has breached a predetermined threshold, the method includes generating a first status indicating the operator suffers an abnormal physical condition, obtaining a current location of the driving apparatus, generating a first notification based on the first status, the first notification indicating the identity of the operator and the current location of the driving apparatus, the first notification describing the first user suffers the abnormal physical condition, and transmitting the first notification to a data receiver in a healthcare facility.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate handling of charging parking interactions between electric vehicles (EVs) and parking structures having charging parking spaces. For example, a parking deck has a large number of parking spaces on multiple levels, and is accessible by one or more entrances. Some of the parking spaces in the parking deck are charging parking spaces that each include a EV charging subsystem in communication with a charging parking controller. Upon entering the parking deck, an EV can request charging parking (charging while parking) during a charging parking timeframe. The charging parking controller can compute an interaction schedule of EV parking and/or charging resources of the parking structure according to the charging parking timeframe and can facilitate automatic or manual execution of the scheduled interaction between the requesting EV and the parking structure.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for facilitating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network. The UAV network in accordance with the disclosure can comprise multiple UAVs, ground processing stations, and/or any other components. A particular UAV in the network can carry payloads consisting of optical image sensors, processing devices, communication systems, and/or any other components. An individual UAV in the network can comprise photovoltaic cells capable of absorbing solar energy. Embodiments are provided for converting the solar energy to electricity for providing power to payloads aboard the UAV and as well as charging a battery aboard the UAV. In certain embodiments, the UAV can fly up to 65,000 feet and can cover as much as 500 km in range. One motivation of the present disclosure is to “outsource” some or entire information processing by an UAV to existing infrastructure, such as the ground processing station.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for facilitating communications with a vehicle through an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV can be configured to track vehicles traveling in an area covered by the UAV. An identification of the vehicle can be acquired after the vehicle is tracked by the UAV. The vehicle identification can be used to determine communication capability of the vehicle. Based on the determined communication capability of the vehicle, a communication request can be initiated by the UAV. The vehicle can determine either accept the communication request from the UAV or turn it down. If the vehicle accepts the communication request from the UAV, information intended for the vehicle, for example from another vehicle, can be forwarded to the vehicle by the UAV.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for facilitating a wide-view video conference through a UAV network. For facilitating the wide-view video conference, UAVs can be employed to capture and transmit video data at locations of parties involved in the wide-view video conference. One or more UAVs in the UAV network can be instructed to locate the party's location and zoom-in onto the party's location. In some examples, the UAV(s) can be equipped with a 360 degree video camera such that a wide-area covered by the 360 degree video can be captured. The video data can be transmitted to a video data processing center in real-time or substantially in real-time. The video data transmission by the given UAV to the video data processing center can be through a UAV network. The video stream can be output at a location of a given party in the video conference.

Abstract: Embodiments facilitate charging of electric vehicles (EVs) in an EV charging network. The EV charging network can include an EV charging server in communication with a power grid and with a number of geographically distributed EV charging stations electrically coupled with the power grid, receiving station capacity information and grid capacity information therefrom, respectively. In response to receiving an EV charging request, the EV charging server can: compute a charging timeframe; identify one or more EV charging stations as available for charging the requesting EV during the charging timeframe as a function of the station capacity information, and as having at least a threshold associated power delivery capacity for charging the requesting EV during the charging timeframe as a function of the grid capacity information; and communicate an EV charging response via the communication network to direct the requesting EV to the identified EV charging station(s).

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically parking a vehicle are described including receiving a request from a user to park a vehicle. A database including parking availability information is searched based at least in part on the request and location information associated with the user. An available parking space is determined based on the results of the search, and information related to the available parking space is sent to the user. When confirmation is received from the user indicating that that the vehicle is to be parked in the available parking space, a status of the available parking space is changed to unavailable, and guidance information related to the available space to the user. The vehicle then autonomously navigates to the parking space using the guidance information.