26822results about "Electric devices" patented technology

A tunable frangible battery pack system for use in an electric vehicle is disclosed. The tunable frangible battery pack system includes a two piece clamshell housing. The system also includes a plurality of battery cells arranged within the housing and a collector plate secured to each piece of the housing. The system also includes a wire conductor arranged between each of the battery cells and collector plates to create a frangible disconnect system when the battery pack system and electric vehicle are exposed to a predetermined mechanical or thermal force or event.

The invention generally concerns systems and methods for monitoring and controlling the power consumption of a power-consuming device. The system and method may connect to a power source and a power-consuming device, connecting the power-consuming device to the power source. The power usage of the power-consuming device may then be measured and monitored. This monitoring data may then be stored and optionally sent to a controlling device on a data network. The location of the power-consuming device may also be determined, recorded, and sent to a controlling device. The system may also control the power usage of the power-consuming device. In some cases, a remote server may connect multiple energy monitoring systems in order to gain additional efficiencies and foster a community-based social network.

A business methodology for optimizing energy procurement energy demand (usage) and energy supply for a facility or complex. After ascertaining a baseline model, energy consumption is monitored and adjusted to reflect dynamic economic factors of operations. With the accumulation of data, contract negotiations with energy suppliers may provide further energy savings. Over time and patterns of usage determined further savings and optimization in energy, equipment, staffing and other operational areas are obtained. Remote access provides efficient monitoring of established systems.

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing the control of energy supply and demand. An energy control unit includes one or more algorithms for scheduling the control of energy consumption devices on the basis of variables relating to forecast energy supply and demand. Devices for which energy consumption can be scheduled or deferred are activated during periods of cheapest energy usage. Battery storage and alternative energy sources (e.g., photovoltaic cells) are activated to sell energy to the power grid during periods that are determined to correspond to favorable cost conditions.

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.

A method and apparatus that compensates for a velocity of a motor of fuel cell vehicle when a resolver is determined to have failed is provided. In particular, a wheel velocity sensor is configured to detect a wheel velocity of a driving wheel, and an ABS controller is configured to calculate an average wheel velocity and transmit the calculated average to a fuel cell controller (FCU). The FCU is configured to receive information related to the wheel velocity upon detecting that the resolver has failed, and control driving of the motor based on the data related to the wheel velocity so that the motor may maintain operation.

A system using passive infrared imaging of the face and other body parts of an operator to obtain observables by automatically extracting features from a sequence of images, analyzing the extracted features, and then assessing the results for indicators of performance of a task by the operator in order to provide early warning of potential cognitive or motor impairment and thereby facilitate risk reduction and quality maintenance. The infrared condition monitoring system (IR-CMS) serves to a) assess cognitive and / or physical readiness to perform a particular task; b) provide condition assessment feedback to the subject and his appropriate supervisors; c) activate measures to increase short-term alertness and other readiness factors; d) limit potential risks by restricting the subject's access, responsibility, or authority; and e) facilitate rapid medical treatment, evacuation, quarantine, re-training, or counseling as appropriate. The same condition monitoring and assessment system can also be used during training and simulator exercises to evaluate personnel for assignment.

A system and method manage delivery of energy from a distribution network to one or more sites. Each site has at least one device coupled to the distribution network. The at least one device controllably consumes energy. The system includes a node and a control system. The node is coupled to the at least one device for sensing and controlling energy delivered to the device. A control system is coupled to the node and distribution network for delivery to the node at least one characteristic of the distribution network. The node controls the supply of energy to the device as a function of the at least one characteristic.

A system for electric grid utilization and optimization, comprising a communications interface executing on a network-connected server and adapted to receive information from a plurality of iNodes, the plurality of iNodes comprising a source iNode, a sink iNode, and a plurality of transmission or distribution iNodes, an event database coupled to the communications interface and adapted to receive events from a plurality of iNodes via the communications interface, a modeling server coupled to the communications interface, and a statistics server coupled to the event database and the modeling server, wherein the modeling server, on receiving a request to establish an allocation of at least one of transmission losses, distribution losses, and ancillary services to a specific sink iNode, computes at least one virtual path for flow of electricity between a source iNode and the specific sink iNode and wherein the modeling server further computes, for each transmission or distribution iNode included in the computed virtual path, at least one energy loss and allocates a portion thereof to the specific sink iNode, is disclosed.

Methods and systems are provided for optimizing the control of energy supply and demand. An energy control unit includes one or more algorithms for scheduling the control of energy consumption devices on the basis of variables relating to forecast energy supply and demand. Devices for which energy consumption can be scheduled or deferred are activated during periods of cheapest energy usage. Battery storage and alternative energy sources (e.g., photovoltaic cells) are activated to sell energy to the power grid during periods that are determined to correspond to favorable cost conditions.

One or more embodiments may include a trip planning system for planning a trip based on the charge of an electric vehicle battery. The trip planning system may include one or more computers located remotely from an electric vehicle which may have one or more battery packs for powering the electric vehicle. The computer(s) may be configured to receive geographic parameters defining a trip and a battery charge status of the one or more electric vehicle battery packs. The computer(s) may be further configured to determine that the trip cannot be completed based on the battery charge status. The computer(s) may additionally be configured to present a battery charge requirement for completing the trip.

A multifunction sensor device which provides various transducer functions including means for performing temperature sensing, humidity sensing, ambient light sensing, motion detection, thermostat functions, switching functions, load switching and dimming functions, displaying actual and set temperature values, displaying time of day values and a means to put the device in an on, off or auto mode. The device has utility in environments such as that found in offices, schools, homes, industrial plants or any other type of automated facility in which sensors are utilized for energy monitoring and control, end user convenience or artificial or natural cooling, heating and HVAC control. The device can be used as a switch or dimmer, sensor or thermostat as well as to adjust and control all natural and artificial lighting, temperature and humidity devices. Key elements of the invention include overcoming the difficulty of mounting diverse sensors or transducers within the same device or housing; permitting these various sensors to exist in a single package that can be mounted to a wall in a substantially flush manner; and eliminating the requirement of an air flow channel in the device, thus minimizing any adverse effects on the motion detecting element or sensor as well as providing built in partial hysteresis. The device may include additional transducers or sensors and is constructed such that the temperature and humidity sensors are neither exposed to the flow of air in a room or area nor in an airflow channel whereby a chimney effect may occur. The device can transmit and receive real time data, relative data and actual discrete data in addition to switching and controlling loads locally or remotely. An embodiment utilizing airflow channels to direct air over the temperature and humidity sensors is also disclosed.

Described herein are improved configurations for a wireless power transfer involving photovoltaic panels. Described are methods and designs that use electric energy from a photovoltaic module to energize at least one wireless energy source to produce an oscillating magnetic field for wireless energy transfer. The source may be configured and tuned to present an impedance to a photovoltaic module wherein said impedance enables substantial extraction of energy from said photovoltaic module.

Wireless vehicle charger safety systems and methods use a detection subsystem, a notification subsystem and a management subsystem. The detection subsystem identifies a safety condition. The notification subsystem provides an indication of the safety condition. The management subsystem addresses the safety condition. In particular, undesirable thermal conditions caused by foreign objects between a source resonator and a vehicle resonator are addressed by sensing high temperatures, providing a warning and powering down a vehicle charger, as appropriate for the environment in which the charger is deployed.

A mobile wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply includes a load associated with an electrically powered system that is disposed interior to a vehicle, and a second electromagnetic resonator configured to be coupled to the load and moveable relative to the first electromagnetic resonator, wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator; and wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be tunable during system operation so as to at least one of tune the power provided to the second electromagnetic resonator and tune the power delivered to the load.

A vehicle communication and control system is provided that may be more readily installed in a vehicle and that utilizes minimal additional wiring. According to some of the disclosed embodiments, the electrical components of the “brick” of a communication and control system are integrated into a rearview mirror assembly. Preferably, the microwave antenna for the GPS and the cellular telephone antenna are also integrated into the rearview mirror assembly. Various functions and features of the system are also disclosed.

A method, computer-readable medium, and system for managing a transfer of energy is disclosed.

A system for monitoring utility consumption information, the system including a memory to store utility consumption information and a processor configured by the memory to provide a user interface to enable an user to view the utility consumption information in a time-segmented fashion.

A vehicle powering wireless receiver for use with a first electromagnetic resonator coupled to a power supply. The wireless receiver includes a load configured to power the drive system of a vehicle using electrical power, and a second electromagnetic resonator adapted to be housed upon the vehicle and configured to be coupled to the load, wherein at least one of the first electromagnetic resonator and the second electromagnetic resonator is variable in size, and wherein the second electromagnetic resonator is configured to be wirelessly coupled to the first electromagnetic resonator to provide resonant, non-radiative wireless power to the second electromagnetic resonator from the first electromagnetic resonator.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling the charging of onboard energy storage systems of a plurality of plug-in vehicles using a remote command center. A system for directing the charging of a plurality of remotely located plug-in vehicles is provided. The system includes a communication system configured to transmit charging authorizations to charge each of the plurality of plug-in vehicles and to receive data related to power consumption from each of the plurality of plug-in vehicles. The system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the communication system and configured to receive the data related to power consumption and to direct the charge authorizations based thereon. A database is also included in the system and is communicatively coupled to the controller, with the database configured to store the data related to power consumption.

A system with automatic control of local generation, consumption, storage, buying, and selling of electrical energy is provided. This automation can be governed by optimization criteria and policies established by the administrative entity responsible for the domain benefiting from this invention. The control method, using a data processing computer, implements the optimization criteria and provides near real time directives for the system. The control program estimates energy generation and consumption, monitors voltage and power levels, configures the power circuit and adjusts device specific controls over a network. Depending on a specific situation, the control program can continue to store extra energy, sell energy for a financial gain, maximize sustainable generation to meet social obligations, or increase consumption for extra comfort. This control program optimizes on multiple time granularities under a variable pricing scheme and environmental conditions, with related information including weather forecasts accessed over the Internet.

A method of monitoring energy consumption includes steps of establishing an energy budget for a future time period, receiving device information for a plurality of electrical devices and associating the device information with the energy budget, periodically measuring electrical usage from the plurality of electrical devices, projecting future energy consumption for the future time period based on the measured electrical usage, comparing the projected future energy consumption to the energy budget, and if the projected future energy consumption deviates from the energy budget, automatically generating an alert. The projected future energy consumption can take into account various factors such as energy available from non-grid sources; weather forecasts; battery storage; and historical data. A system employing the method can automatically control devices to bring predicted consumption within the budget.

A vehicular mirror system includes a mirror assembly with a mirror casing and a reflective element with a rearward field of view when the mirror assembly is mounted to a vehicle. The mirror casing includes a mounting portion that is adapted to mount the mirror casing to the vehicle. At least one user-actuatable selector element is provided at the reflective element for access by a driver of the vehicle. The mirror assembly further includes at least one display element that is actuatable to display at least one image in response to the selector element being actuated.

A data logging unit configured for installation in a hybrid vehicle communicates with a user device configured to receive data from the data logging unit and to display selected portions of the data to a user for identification of potential vehicle faults associated with vehicle events reported by the vehicle's driver. The data logging unit has a data logger which communicates with hybrid drive system and other vehicle components to receive hybrid drive system data, and with a vehicle position sensor which detects location to receive vehicle location data. A data log processing module correlates location data with the corresponding vehicle data, and creates a correlated log of drive system data and associated vehicle location information, to allow identification of vehicle data within an event window based on vehicle location at the time of a reported event. Accordingly, a user may make a geographical request and the system will report vehicle data corresponding to the geographical request.

An object is to provide a system for improving convenience for users, by which a portable electronic device or the like can be charged even in a place where utility power is not available. Another object is to provide a system which allows a service provider to easily perform customer management. A wireless power supply system includes a power storage device having a power storage portion, a terminal charging device for wirelessly supplying electric power to the power storage device, and a management server having user information. Electric power can be supplied to specified users by intercommunication of user information between the power storage device and the terminal charging device and between the terminal charging device and the management server.

Electrical appliance energy consumption control methods and electrical energy consumption systems are described. In one aspect, an electrical appliance energy consumption control method includes providing an electrical appliance coupled with a power distribution system, receiving electrical energy within the appliance from the power distribution system, consuming the received electrical energy using a plurality of loads of the appliance, monitoring electrical energy of the power distribution system, and adjusting an amount of consumption of the received electrical energy via one of the loads of the appliance from an initial level of consumption to an other level of consumption different than the initial level of consumption responsive to the monitoring.