Vehicle Battery Pack and Battery Exchange System
The vehicle battery pack exchange system shown here charges renters for the time use interval, the energy needed to recharge the battery pack, and the battery wear their use has caused. Data on battery wear accelerating stress parameters such as current, voltage, temperature, and state of charge is collected for battery packs rented to vehicle users. Wear rates are estimated from the collected data. Then either users are charged for the wear they cause or wear is limited to some predetermined wear rate and users are charged a predetermined battery wear fee. In either embodiment drivers are displayed information to adapt their driving to battery wear rates. Renters are charged for battery pack usage time, energy supplied by the rental station, and battery wear providing battery owners a secure return on their investment. This system accommodates both short term and sustained long term rentals. Long term rental of a single battery pack for local use gives convenience and low costs while short term rentals provide unlimited range via swapping exhausted packs for recharged units during extended travel.
1 . A battery exchange system for exchanging battery packs in an electric vehicle configured to operate with multiple, interchangeable battery packs, the battery exchange system comprising:
a power rack to store one or more available battery packs;
a user interface to receive user input indicating one or more battery packs being returned and a number of replacement battery packs to replace the returned battery packs;
a battery pack handler for exchanging the selected battery packs being returned with the indicated number of replacement battery packs selected from the available battery packs in the power rack;
a battery pack interface for connecting to each of the returned battery packs; and
processing circuits configured to:
obtain, via the battery pack interface, battery wear information stored in each returned battery pack, the battery wear information comprising information indicative of battery wear during a usage period; and
determine a battery wear cost for the usage period based on the battery wear information.
2 . The battery exchange system of claim 1 wherein the usage period comprises a plurality of measurement intervals and wherein the battery wear information comprises an amount of battery wear, battery wear rate, or both, for each of two or more of the measurement intervals.
3 . The battery exchange system of claim 2 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
determine a battery wear cost for each of the two or more measurement intervals based on the amount of battery wear, battery wear rate, or both, for each of the two or more measurement intervals; and
sum the battery wear cost for each of the two or more measurement intervals to obtain the battery wear cost for the usage period.
4 . The battery exchange system of claim 1 wherein the battery wear information comprises an amount of battery wear, battery wear cost, or both, for the usage period.
5 . The battery exchange system of claim 1 further comprising a battery charging circuit for recharging the returned battery pack.
6 . The battery exchange system of claim 5 further wherein the processing circuits are further configured to determine an initial state of charge of the returned battery pack at the start of the usage period and an amount of charge needed to restore the returned battery to the initial state of charge.
7 . The battery exchange system of claim 6 wherein the processing circuits are further configured determine an energy cost for the amount of charge needed to restore the returned battery to the initial state of charge.
8 . The battery exchange system of claim 7 wherein the processing circuits are further configured to determine a usage fee based on the battery wear cost for the usage period and the energy cost.
9 . A method of exchanging one or more battery packs in a vehicle configured for use with multiple, interchangeable battery packs, the method comprising:
receiving user input indicating of one or more battery packs being returned and a number of replacement battery packs to replace the returned battery packs exchanging the selected battery packs being returned with the indicated number of replacement battery packs selected from one or more available battery packs;
retrieving battery wear information stored in each returned battery pack, the battery wear information comprising information indicative of battery wear during a usage period; and
determining a battery wear cost for the usage period based on the battery wear information.
10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the usage period comprises a plurality of measurement intervals and the battery wear information comprises an amount of battery wear, battery wear rate, or both, for each of two or more of the measurement intervals.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the method further comprises:
determining a battery wear cost for each of the two or more measurement intervals based on the amount of battery wear, battery wear rate, or both, for each of the two or more measurement intervals; and
summing the battery wear cost for each of the two or more measurement intervals to obtain the battery wear cost for the usage period.
12 . The method of claim 9 wherein the battery wear information comprises an amount of battery wear, battery wear cost, or both, for the usage period.
13 . The method of claim 9 further comprising recharging the returned battery pack.
14 . The method of claim 13 further comprising determining an initial state of charge of the returned battery pack at the start of the usage period and an amount of charge needed to restore the returned battery to the initial state of charge.
15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising determining an energy cost for the amount of charge needed to restore the returned battery to the initial state of charge.
16 . The method of claim 15 further comprising determining a usage fee based on the battery wear cost for the usage period and the energy cost.
17 . (canceled)