Portable power solutions
The system includes a device activation module and a system monitoring module in resources accessible to the system operator over the wide area network. In one embodiment, the method operates to process collateral received by the resources from a client device possessed by a user interested in activating a charging output included in a charger selected by the user from the plurality of portable chargers. Further, if the collateral is accepted, an authorization is wirelessly communicated from the device activation module to the client device, a device activation signal wirelessly communicated from the client device following a receipt of the authorization is received by the charger selected by the user, and the charging output included in the charger selected by the user is activated following a receipt of the device activation signal.
1. A system for remote monitoring and management of chargers provided in a portable, hand-held form factor, the monitoring and management functionality accessible to a system operator over a wide area network, the system comprising:
a plurality of portable chargers each including an internal battery, a wireless charging output coupled to the internal battery and a plug-in DC charging output coupled to the internal battery, respectively; and
resources accessible to the system operator over the wide area network to allow the system operator to monitor and manage an operation of the plurality of portable chargers, the resources including:
a device activation module configured to permit users to activate a charger selected from the plurality of portable chargers following a receipt of collateral provided by the user via a client device, the device activation resulting in charging power being made available at both the wireless charging output and the plug-in DC charging output; and
a system monitoring module configured to provide the system operator with information concerning an operational status of each of the plurality of portable chargers included in the plurality of portable chargers, the operational status including at least one of: usage statistics for each of the respective portable chargers, a projected life of the internal battery included in each of the respective portable chargers, and a current charge status of the internal battery included in each of the respective portable chargers.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the client device is a first wireless communication device,
wherein the system further comprises a second wireless communication device configured to wirelessly couple to the plurality of portable chargers, and
wherein the second wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly communicate the information concerning the operational status to the system monitoring module.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device activation module is configured to communicate a device activation signal to activate the charger selected from the plurality of portable chargers following a receipt of collateral provided by the user via a client device.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the respective portable chargers included in the plurality of portable chargers includes an AC charging output coupled to the internal battery.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the AC charging output is configured to provide AC charging power rated at 75 Watts or greater.
6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the device activation module is configured to maintain the charger selected from the plurality of chargers in an off-state pending an acceptance of the collateral provided by the user.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the device activation module is configurable by the system operator to accept collateral of a pre-determined type selected by the system operator.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the pre-determined type of collateral includes at least one of: a monetary payment, an interaction by the user with content hosted on the resources and delivered to the client device, an authenticated identity of the user, and payment-account information of the user.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the resources include a user management module configured to allow an account to be established for each of a plurality of users, each account uniquely identifying one of the plurality of user, respectively, and
wherein the user management module is accessible to the system operator to establish one or more permissions for each of the plurality of users, the permissions established by the system operator based on conditions including at least one of: acceptance of a user identity, an identification of a geographic location of the plurality of portable chargers accessible to the respective user, and a venue accessible to the respective user.
10. A system for remote monitoring and management of chargers provided in a portable, hand-held form factor, the monitoring and management functionality accessible to a system operator over a wide area network, the system comprising:
a plurality of portable chargers each including an internal battery and a charging output coupled to the internal battery; and
resources accessible to the system operator over the wide area network to allow the system operator to monitor and manage an operation of the plurality of portable chargers, the resources including:
a device activation module configured to permit users to activate a charger selected from the plurality of portable chargers following a receipt of collateral provided by the user via a client device, the device activation resulting in charging power being made available at the charging output; and
a system monitoring module configured to provide the system operator with information concerning an operational status of each of the plurality of portable chargers included in the plurality of portable chargers, the operational status including at least one of: usage statistics for each of the respective portable chargers, a projected life of the internal battery included in each of the respective portable chargers, and a current charge status of the internal battery included in each of the respective portable chargers.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the client device is a first wireless communication device,
wherein the system further comprises a second wireless communication device configured to wirelessly couple to the plurality of portable chargers, and
wherein the second wireless communication device is configured to wirelessly communicate the information concerning the operational status to the system monitoring module.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the device activation module is configured to communicate a device activation signal to activate the charger selected from the plurality of portable chargers following a receipt of collateral provided by the user via a client device.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the charging output includes an AC charging output coupled to the internal battery.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the AC charging output is configured to provide AC charging power rated at 75 Watts or greater.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the device activation module is configured to maintain the charger selected from the plurality of chargers in an off-state pending an acceptance of the collateral provided by the user.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the device activation module is configurable to accept collateral of a pre-determined type.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the pre-determined type of collateral includes at least one of: a monetary payment, an interaction by the user with content hosted on the resources and delivered to the client device, an authenticated identity of the user, and payment-account information of the user.
18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the resources include a user management module configured to allow an account to be established for each of a plurality of users, each account uniquely identifying one of the plurality of user, respectively, and
wherein the user management module is configurable to establish one or more permissions for each of the plurality of users, the permissions established based on conditions including at least one of: acceptance of a user identity, an identification of a geographic location of the plurality of portable chargers accessible to the respective user, and a venue accessible to the respective user.
19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the device activation module is configured to communicate a device activation signal to the client device, and
wherein the charger selected from the plurality of chargers is configured to provide power at the charging output when the device activation signal is received from the client device.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the charging output includes at least two of an AC charging output coupled to the internal battery, a plug-in DC charging output coupled to the internal battery and a wireless charging output coupled to the internal battery.