LIGHT ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING AND CHARGING STATIONS AND SMART CHARGING SYSTEMS FOR THE VEHICLE BATTERIES
A universal charging system is disclosed. In one example embodiment, the universal charging system includes a charging adapter configured to be mounted on a light electric vehicle (LEV), a charging station, and a processor configured to control charging of the LEV. The charging adapter may have electrical contacts for docking with a charging station and a charging interface for supplying power from the charging station to a battery of the LEV. The charging station may have at least one docking unit for receiving the charging adapter of the LEV. The at least one docking unit may have further electrical contacts for connecting to the charging adapter of the LEV.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/983,591, filed Aug. 3, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/523,369, filed Jul. 26, 2019, which claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/703,607, filed Jul. 26, 2018, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/828,313, filed Apr. 2, 2019. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to light electric vehicles (LEVs) such as electric bicycles and electric scooters and more particularly to charging systems and apparatuses for the LEVs.
BACKGROUNDLEVs such as electric bicycles and electric scooters have become a very popular mode of transportation, particularly when used as short term rentals. While the usefulness of LEVs vehicles is widespread, the vehicles are battery powered, and as such, require that their batteries remain charged to maintain the utility of the vehicle. Accordingly, systems, methods, and apparatuses to store LEVs and to recharge their batteries when the charge runs out are essential to maintaining the utility of the vehicles.
As a result of utilizing the teachings of the present disclosure, various LEV brands can be plugged into a single charging system, including both public and private LEVs. For example, private users may access charging systems built for public LEVs to recharge their personal LEVs.
Existing methods for fleet charging LEVs are expensive, unreliable, generate traffic, provide little ability for quality control, and regularly take vehicles completely out of service for indeterminate periods of time. For example, in-field battery swaps require the user or fleet operator to have an extra battery. Many LEVs have the battery built into the frame and as such they are not made to be removed and replaced. Batteries in LEVs that are designed to be removable can be exchanged for fully charged batteries, but this requires the user to carry a large and heavy battery to various and perhaps widespread locations, or for a fleet operator to locate a discharged vehicle, travel to the location, and change the battery pack. These are costly and inconvenient procedures.
Individual owners and riders of LEVs carrying alternating current (AC)/direct current (DC) chargers need access to a power supply, typically an AC outlet, to plug in their chargers away from home, which greatly limits the available options. In many instances, wall outlets are simply not accessible at or near outdoor LEV parking spaces. Quite often, LEVs are not allowed in or are considered inappropriate for indoor environments for charging. Fleet operators also have a difficult time with having users carry AC/DC chargers because this approach would require a charger to be issued to everyone renting a vehicle.
Replacing LEVs in the field also presents a significant logistics challenge and is unreliable and unpredictable. Thus, the existing methods of charging depleted LEV batteries are labor intensive, expensive, and put the burden of planning for recharging on the LEV user or the LEV fleet operator.
Charge hubs that are connected to city power supplies and are configured to service only one make/brand of LEV manufacturer are costly and inefficient. Such limited charging solutions are not feasible for general use due to the diverse types of LEVs available in the marketplace. Because such charge hub methods are brand-specific, scalability for multi-brand charging becomes impossible. In addition, the ability of charge hubs to be used by private individuals who desire to use their own LEVs in the public domain for quick-charge applications for mobility in lieu of automobile or ride-hailing services is severely limited. Moreover, the need to be in communication with the subject city's electric grid drastically limits the geographic locations where such charging stations can be placed.
SUMMARYThis summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
According to one approach of the present disclosure, a universal charging system is provided. The universal charging system may include a charging adapter configured to be mounted on a LEV, a charging station, and a processor configured to control charging of the LEV. The charging adapter may have electrical contacts for docking with a charging station and a charging interface for supplying power from the charging station to a battery of the LEV. The charging station may have at least one docking unit for receiving the charging adapter of the LEV. The at least one docking unit may have further electrical contacts for connecting to the charging adapter of the LEV.
According to another approach of the present disclosure, a LEV docking station is provided. The LEV docking station may have a plurality of docking bays. Each of the plurality of docking bays may include a docking unit and a wheel block. The docking unit may include at least a docking member configured to reversibly receive a LEV. The wheel block may be configured to align the LEV in the docking unit and limit a movement of the LEV after the LEV is docked with the docking unit.
According to another approach of the present disclosure, a system for controlling charging of one or more LEVs at a LEV docking station is provided. The system may include a processor in communication with one or more docking units of the LEV docking station and a memory unit in communication with the processor and configured to store instructions executable by the processor. The processor may be configured to determine a presence of a LEV connected to one of the one or more docking units and identify parameters associated with the LEV. The processor may be configured to determine a charge voltage of the LEV based on the parameters. The processor may be further configured to develop a charging profile for the LEV based on the charge voltage and the parameters. The processor may be further configured to instruct the one of the one or more docking units to supply power to the LEV based on the charging profile.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features will be set forth in part in the detailed description section of this disclosure, which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of this specification and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation of the example embodiments. The objects and advantages of the concepts may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies, instrumentalities, and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and which the accompanying drawings illustrate.
The following detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show illustrations in accordance with exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments, which are also referred to herein as “examples,” are described in enough detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter. The embodiments can be combined, other embodiments can be utilized, or structural, logical, and electrical changes can be made without departing from the scope of what is claimed. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. In this document, the terms “a” and “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive “or,” such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated.
The present disclosure provides systems, devices, and methods for charging and/or docking LEVs. The systems, devices, and methods of the present disclosure allow individuals and fleet operators to use the LEVs in both high density urban environments and suburban mixed-use communities. In certain aspects, the present disclosure provides for a universal charging system that includes a charging adapter configured to be mounted on LEVs and a charging station deployed in public and private locations. The charging adapter may include a universal charge adaptor configured to be retrofit onto existing LEVs to enable charging by various charging stations. Such charging stations may be geographically positioned as part of one or more different charging networks to allow convenient and on-the-go charging. The universal charging system with charging stations can be configured to provide alternative and/or hybrid power solutions that may incorporate multiple energy sources (e.g., connected to an electric grid of a city, or solar power with or without on-site battery storage). This approach is superior to conventional methods for repowering LEVs, which may require in-field battery swaps, carrying a manufacturer-supplied AC/DC charger, having AC wall power access, or using public charging hubs that run off of city power and are dedicated to charging one make/brand of a LEV manufacturer. Other conventional systems require using designated workers that locate, retrieve, charge, and replace LEVs in the field regularly.
In an example embodiment, the charging adapter may include a charging interface suitable for adapting a diverse array of LEVs to use the universal charging system. By standardizing the charging interface, all LEVs can be adapted to use the universal charging system. In some embodiments, the charging station may be deployed in public and private locations to provide charging access everywhere. In some embodiments, in locations lacking a built-in power supply, the charging station may be powered using solar or wind as a completely off-grid unattended charging station. In some embodiments, the charging station may be connected to a communication network, such as a cellular network, and may optionally report a charge status and/or vehicle identification (ID) for each LEV being charged by reading a unique ID chip located in each charging adapter. The ID chip may store a unique identifier, which can be read by a processor of the charging station, stored in a backend database, and further used for cross-referencing information related to the LEVs based on the unique identifiers. In some embodiments, a power source of the charging station is regulated and compliant, and commonality with connectors of the charging adapter may ensure that the LEVs have proper electrical treatment during charging. Moreover, in some embodiments, the charging station may be equipped with a locking mechanism that may be activated upon request by a vehicle owner to sequester a LEV during the recharging cycle to insure a complete recharge when the LEV is docked, thus reducing or eliminating partial charging.
One advantage of the present disclosure is that it provides a universal charging system that can generate power using alternative energy sources instead of relying on conventional city owned or other power sources. In some embodiments, the universal charging system has the ability to run with an uninterruptible power system (UPS) and/or battery storage power in the event alternative energy is insufficient. At scale, the innovation of adapting an alternative energy source to power LEVs may have a tremendous advantage to the power grid requirements that may be increasingly taxed as electric vehicles scale over fossil fuel powered vehicles in the broader market.
Another advantage of the present disclosure is that it enables all types of LEVs to charge using a single type of charging station by retrofitting a charging adapter to existing vehicles. Conventional charging methods use manufacturer-provided power supplies that are proprietary and that require a user to plug into an AC wall outlet. In contrast, LEVs with a charging adapter according to the present disclosure can dock and charge in universal LEV charging stations everywhere. Users and fleet operators may no longer need to carry extra hardware to ensure LEVs remain charged. LEVs may not need to be brought inside to charge by a wall outlet. In-field battery swaps may become unnecessary, as will locating and retrieving the LEVs themselves. Users may dock LEVs in charging stations and the LEVs may always be charged for use. The charging stations can also include various features, such as automatic and/or user selectable locking mechanisms for securing the LEV during charging.
Still another advantage of the present disclosure is that charging adapters and/or docking units may allow operators to comply with local regulations regarding such docking solutions. Accordingly, in contrast to the conventional charging solutions, the present disclosure provides charging solutions that are well suited to both private users of LEVs and fleet operators. For example, deploying a vehicle retrofitted with a universal charging adapter and charging stations may allow for the provisioning of a charging ecosystem that is adaptable to a wide variety of LEVs while facilitating consistency and uniformity of the charging equipment and parameters.
Referring now to the drawings,
Once the charging adapter 105 is installed on the LEV 115, the LEV 115 can dock directly into the docking unit 125 of the charging station 110 without the need for plugging in cables or locating a wall outlet.
The charging adapter 105 may include electrical contacts 22 for docking with the charging station 110 and a charging interface (shown as charging interface 135 in
The charging adapter 105 may be injection molded or machined and electrical contacts may be assembled into a housing of the charging adapter 105. All electrical contacts may be wired into an integrated circuit. Once all components of the charging adapter 105 are assembled, an industrial-strength, non-removable adhesive may be applied to seal all components and wires inside the housing of the charging adapter 105.
The charging station 110 may include at least one docking unit 125 for receiving the charging adapter 105 of the LEV 115.
The docking station 110 may further include a processor (not shown) configured to control charging of the LEV 115 and a battery storage (not shown) for storing power to be supplied to the LEV 115. In an example embodiment, the docking station 110 may further optionally include one or more of a power inverter, a cellular radio, and a GPS locator.
The charging adapter 105 of the LEV 115 may further include an ID chip associated with the LEV. The ID chip may store an identifier associated with the LEV. The processor of the docking station 110 may be configured to store the identifier to a memory unit of the docking station 110.
In an example embodiment, the locking mechanism may be incorporated into the docking unit 125. When the locking mechanism is employed, the locking mechanism may enable the charging station to lock the LEV 115 during the recharge process which can last, for example, as long as 5 hours, depending on the LEV type and state of discharge. By locking the LEV 115 during the charging process, the universal charging system can insure that each time the LEV 115 is docked into the charging station, the LEV 115 is charged completely.
The charging station may optionally have an indicator configured to show a charge status of the LEV. The indicator, such as LEDs, may enhance the user experience by providing charge status feedback.
The charging station may have various options for power sources to supply the power to the LEVs. The charging station may obtain power from solar, wind, electrical grid, liquid or gas fuel generators, or other sources. Specifically, the docking unit 125 may be configured to connect to one or more power sources. The power sources may include an electric grid, a solar power source, a self-generating power source, a battery storage, and so forth.
In an example embodiment, the charging station 110 may further include a backend platform in communication with the processor. The backend platform may include an administrative panel, a customer portal, and a user portal. The backend platform may include a charge management platform having advanced reservation and scheduling capabilities as well as advanced charge management capabilities. Connectivity and charge status monitoring of individual LEVs or fleet charging LEVs may be accessed by users of LEVs or operators of the backend platform through mobile applications running on user devices.
When a user desires to engage the LEV with the wheel block 2005, the user can first place the front wheel of the LEV in front of an edge 2135 of the straight part 2105 of the wheel block 2005. Then, the user can push the handle bar of the LEV in order to advance the front wheel of the LEV forward. The force applied to the handle bar causes the front wheel to move over the projection 2115 and enter the first recess 2120 of the straight part 2105. Upon placing the front wheel into the first recess 2120, the user can move the handle bar of the LEV left (or right, e.g., the curved part 2110 can be turned to the right with respect to the straight part 2105) and simultaneously push the handle bar of the LEV to advance the front wheel of the LEV and have the front wheel pass from the first recess 2120 to the second recess 2125. In an example embodiment, the second recess 2125 may have a greater depth than the first recess 2120. Placing the front wheel of the LEV into the second recess 2125 of the wheel block 2005 can limit the movement of the front wheel. Furthermore, placing the front wheel of the LEV into the wheel block 2005 causes alignment of the LEV in the docking unit 125. Specifically, as shown in
The docking unit 125 of the LEV docking station 2500 may further include a processor and one or more sensors in communication with the processor. In an example embodiment, the LEV docking station 2500 may include a power board having a controller board. The controller board may enable a capacity expansion, i.e., adding multiple charge heads. The controller board is shown in detail in
The one or more sensors may be configured to read one or more parameters associated with the LEV. The one or more parameters may be selected from a group comprising: a charge state of the LEV, a rate of a charge, a voltage, a current, a time, and so forth. The rate of charge may allow for determination of voltage and current present in the LEV. The LEV docking station 2000 may further include a boost convertor. The boost convertor may be configured to take an input voltage and boost the input voltage to a predetermined level based on the one or more parameters associated with the LEV to be charged.
The processor 3010 may be configured to determine/calculate a charge voltage of the LEV based on the parameters. The processor 3010 may be configured to develop a charging profile for the LEV based on the charge voltage and the parameters. The processor 3010 may be further configured to instruct the one of the one or more docking units to supply power to the LEV based on the charging profile. Based on the charge voltage and the parameters, the processor may measure how much power it takes to completely charge the LEV.
In an example embodiment, the processor 3010 may be further configured to determine a failure of a battery of the LEV. Based on the determination, the processor 3010 may stop supplying the power to the LEV. The processor 3010 may further notify a user associated with the LEV of the failure, e.g., by sending a notification to an application running on a user device associated with the user. The application may be in communication with the system 3000. The system 3000 may further include one or more of hardware control, communication control, and charge control. The system 3000 may act as a backend platform having one or more of an administrative panel, customer portal, and user portal.
In an example embodiment, the processor 3010 can be further configured to determine whether there are empty docking units for parking LEVs and notify the user of the availability/unavailability of the docking units. Furthermore, the processor 3010 may determine whether the docking units have sufficient power for charging LEVs and provide the information to the user via an application running on a user device.
In an example embodiment, the processor 3010 may be further configured to determine that a plurality of LEVs are connected to the one or more docking units. Based on the determination, the processor 3010 may determine a charge level of each of the plurality of LEVs. The processor 3010 may further determine a charge state of one or more power sources associated with the one or more docking units. Based on the charge level and the charge state, the processor 3010 may selectively supply a higher level of power to one or more of the LEVs having a lower charge level and selectively supply a lower level of power to one or more of the LEVs having a higher charge level. The processor 3010 may determine parameters associated with each of the plurality of LEVs. The higher level of power and the lower level of power may be determined for the one or more of the LEVs based on the parameters associated with each of the plurality of LEVs. The parameters associated with each of the plurality of LEVs may include one of more of the following: a battery temperature, a voltage, a current, a battery age, a rate at which the LEV consumes power, and so forth.
Therefore, the processor 3010 may perform smart power management of the LEV and load balancing for the batteries being charged by distributing power to at least charged LEVs. The smart power management performed by the system 3000 is also referred to herein as “throttling.” The power is distributed based on various parameters, such as a temperature, voltage, current, and time (age of batteries, as the batteries lose power as they age), and rate at which the LEV takes power. When LEVs are close to full charge, power may be reduced to those LEVs.
The purpose of supplying the lower or higher power is to optimize performance of the storage batteries in the charging system and/or optimize the efficiency of charge delivery to the LEVs. Specifically, the supply of power available in the battery storage of the charging system to the LEV may be smartly balanced among the LEVs. For example, if the battery storage is a solar powered system and it has been cloudy for a few days, the charging system may not be fully regenerating the storage batteries. Hence, the charging system may not have enough power to change the LEVs completely and may need to throttle back (i.e., reduce) the amount of the power that the charging system provides to LEVs, but may still balance the supplying of power among the LEVs to increase the charge level of each of the LEVs connected.
The computer system 3300 may include a processor or multiple processors 3302, a hard disk drive 3304, a main memory 3306 and a static memory 3308, which communicate with each other via a bus 3310. The computer system 3300 may also include a network interface device 3312. The hard disk drive 3304 may include a computer-readable medium 3320, which stores one or more sets of instructions 3322 embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 3322 can also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 3306 and/or within the processors 3302 during execution thereof by the computer system 3300. The main memory 3306 and the processors 3302 also constitute machine-readable media.
While the computer-readable medium 3320 is shown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present application, or that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media. Such media can also include, without limitation, hard disks, floppy disks, NAND or NOR flash memory, digital video disks, Random Access Memory, Read-Only Memory, and the like.
The example embodiments described herein may be implemented in an operating environment comprising software installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.
Thus, universal charging systems, LEV docking stations, and systems for controlling charging of one or more LEVs at a LEV docking station have been described. Although embodiments have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes can be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
Claims
1. A universal charging system comprising:
- at least one charging adapter configured to couple to at least one light electric vehicle (LEV), the at least one charging adapter comprising: electrical contacts for docking with a charging station; and a charging interface for supplying power from the charging station to a battery of the at least one LEV; and
- the charging station comprising: at least one docking unit for receiving the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV, the at least one docking unit having further electrical contacts for connecting to the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV; and a processor for controlling charging of the at least one LEV, wherein the processor is configured to: determine, upon the receiving the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV by the at least one docking unit, at least a charge state associated with the charging station; and selectively supply the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV based on the charge state.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selectively supplying the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV based on the charge state includes:
- determining one or more LEVs of the at least one LEV having a higher charge level;
- determining one or more LEVs of the at least one LEV having a lower charge level;
- supplying a higher power to the one or more LEVs having the lower charge level; and
- supplying a lower power to the one or more LEVs having the higher charge level.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one docking unit further comprises one or more sensors in communication with the processor.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to read one or more parameters associated with the at least one LEV, the one or more parameters being selected from a group comprising a charge level of the at least one LEV, a charge state of the at least one LEV, a rate of charge, a voltage, a current, a type of the battery, and a time.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one docking unit is configured to connect to one or more power sources, the one or more power sources being selected from an electric grid, a solar power source, a self-generating power source, and a battery storage.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the charge state associated with the charging station includes a charge state of the one or more power sources.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the charge state associated with the charging station is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the selectively supplying the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV is based on the determining that the charge state is below the predetermined threshold.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the least one charging adapter includes:
- a collar configured to enclose a headtube of the at least one LEV; and
- a charging adapter plate connected to the collar;
- wherein the electrical contacts are placed on the charging adapter plate.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one docking unit includes:
- a contact block; and
- a locking unit configured to lock the at least one LEV into the at least one docking unit, wherein the locking unit includes: a locking arm; a tension arm; a lock actuator; and an actuator mounting bracket.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one docking unit further comprises spring roller grippers configured to grip the at least one charging adapter associated with the at least one LEV.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling to the at least one LEV includes coupling the at least one charging adapter to a charging port of the at least one LEV.
12. A universal charging system comprising a plurality of docking bays, each of the plurality of docking bays comprising:
- at least one charging adapter configured to couple to at least one light electric vehicle (LEV), the at least one charging adapter comprising: electrical contacts for docking with a charging station; and a charging interface for supplying power from the charging station to a battery of the at least one LEV; and
- the charging station comprising: at least one docking unit for receiving the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV, the at least one docking unit having further electrical contacts for connecting to the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV; and a processor for controlling charging of the at least one LEV, wherein the processor is configured to: determine, upon the receiving the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV by the at least one docking unit, at least a charge state associated with the charging station; and selectively supply the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV based on the charge state.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the selectively supplying the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV based on the charge state includes:
- determining one or more LEVs of the at least one LEV having a higher charge level;
- determining one or more LEVs of the at least one LEV having a lower charge level;
- supplying a higher power to the one or more LEVs having the lower charge level; and
- supplying a lower power to the one or more LEVs having the higher charge level.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the charging station further comprises a backend platform in communication with the processor, the backend platform being configured to monitor at least connectivity of the at least one LEV to the plurality of docking bays and a charge status of the at least one LEV.
15. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one docking unit is configured to connect to one or more power sources, the one or more power sources being selected from an electric grid, a solar power source, a self-generating power source, and a battery storage.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the charge state associated with the charging station includes a charge state of the one or more power sources.
17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the charge state associated with the charging station is below a predetermined threshold, wherein the selectively supplying the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV is based on the determining that the charge state is below the predetermined threshold.
18. The system of claim 12, wherein the least one charging adapter includes:
- a collar configured to enclose a headtube of the at least one LEV; and
- a charging adapter plate connected to the collar;
- wherein the electrical contacts are placed on the charging adapter plate.
19. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one docking unit includes:
- a contact block; and
- a locking unit configured to lock the at least one LEV into the at least one docking unit, wherein the locking unit includes: a locking arm; a tension arm; a lock actuator; and an actuator mounting bracket.
20. A universal charging system comprising:
- at least one charging adapter configured to couple to at least one light electric vehicle (LEV), the at least one charging adapter comprising: electrical contacts for docking with a charging station; and a charging interface for supplying power from the charging station to a battery of the at least one LEV; and
- the charging station comprising: at least one docking unit for receiving the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV, the at least one docking unit having further electrical contacts for connecting to the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV, the at least one docking unit being configured to connect to one or more power sources; and a processor for controlling charging of the at least one LEV, wherein the processor is configured to: determine, upon the receiving the at least one charging adapter of the at least one LEV by the at least one docking unit, at least a charge state associated with the charging station, wherein the charge state associated with the charging station includes a charge state of the one or more power sources; and selectively supply the power from the charging station to the battery of the at least one LEV based on the charge state.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 12, 2021
Publication Date: Jun 10, 2021
Inventors: Keith Edward Moravick (Mountain View, CA), Colin Aidan Roche (San Mateo, CA), Leandro Vera (Hayden, ID), Douglas Ralph Schaller (San Carlos, CA), George Pontis (Vancouver, WA)
Application Number: 17/174,723