IP Library Granted Patent US 10,984,358
Granted Patent B1
US 10,984,358 · App. 17/079,401 · Granted Apr 20, 2021

Method and system for automatically controlling electrical power supply based on payment status

Inventors: Claudio Vergara (San Francisco, CA); Xavier Helgesen (San Francisco, CA); Joshua Pierce (Chico, CA)
Assignee: Zola Electric Labs Inc.
G06Q10/06315G06Q20/401H02J3/003H02J3/004G06Q50/06H02J2300/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,984,358
App. No.
17/079,401
Granted
Apr 20, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for automatically controlling power supply from an electrical power supply system to a user location based on payment status. The method performed by a central control unit includes determining a payment status of the electrical power supply system at the user location. The payment status is determined based at least on a time credit associated with the electrical power supply system. The method further includes facilitating control of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location based on determining the time credit. The power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is uninterrupted, if the time credit is greater than a predefined threshold value. The power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is disconnected, if the time credit is less than the predefined threshold value.

Claims (43)

1. An electrical power supply system for providing power supply to a user location, the system comprising:

a gateway alternating current (AC) battery comprising at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) and a central control unit, the central control unit configured to at least:

determine a payment status of the electrical power supply system at the user location, the payment status correspond to a payment of at least one of a lease amount, a rental amount and a loan amount associated with the electrical power supply system, wherein the payment status is determined based at least on a time credit associated with the electrical power supply system, and

facilitate control of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location based at least on determining the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system,

wherein the power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is uninterrupted, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is determined to be greater than a predefined threshold value,

wherein the power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is disconnected, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is determined to be less than the predefined threshold value, and

wherein the central control unit is further configured to transmit a first signal to the at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) of the gateway AC battery and at least one expansion AC battery electrically connected to the gateway AC battery, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is less than the predefined threshold value, wherein the first signal prevents the at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) to generate power, thus resulting in disconnection of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central control unit is configured to stop sending a connect signal to a circuit breaker electrically connected to a power receiving port of the gateway AC battery, if the power supply from one or more transmission lines is determined to be interrupted, wherein the absence of the connect signal operates the circuit breaker to a disconnected state from a connected state, thus decoupling the one or more transmission lines from the electrical power supply system.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) of the gateway AC battery and the at least one expansion AC battery operate to supply power from the electrical power supply system to the user location, if the power supply from the one or more transmission lines is interrupted.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the central control unit is configured to transmit the connect signal to the circuit breaker electrically connected to the power receiving port of the gateway AC battery, if the power supply from the one or more transmission lines is determined to be available, wherein the connect signal operates the circuit breaker to the connected state from the disconnected state for coupling the one or more transmission lines to the electrical power supply system to provide power supply to the user location.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the central control unit is configured to monitor one or more parameters of the power supply for coupling the one or more transmission lines to the electrical power supply system, wherein the one or more parameters of the power supply include voltage amplitude, frequency, and phase angle.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central control unit is configured to update the time credit of the electrical power supply system based on successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of a previous payment cycle associated with the electrical power supply system.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the time credit is updated based at least on:

receive a notification indicative of successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of the previous payment cycle from a server system communicably coupled to the central control unit; and

receive a unique dynamic code on an input interface configured on the gateway AC battery by a user of the user location, wherein the unique dynamic code is transmitted by the server system to a user device of the user upon successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of the previous payment cycle.

8. A method performed by a central control unit for automatically controlling power supply from an electrical power supply system to a user location, the method comprising:

determining a payment status of the electrical power supply system at the user location, the payment status correspond to a payment of at least one of a lease amount, a rental amount and a loan amount associated with the electrical power supply system, wherein the payment status is determined based at least on a time credit associated with the electrical power supply system; and

facilitating control of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location based at least on determining the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system,

wherein the power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is uninterrupted, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is determined to be greater than a predefined threshold value,

wherein the power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is disconnected, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is determined to be less than the predefined threshold value, and

wherein a first signal is transmitted to at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) of a gateway AC battery and at least one expansion AC battery, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is less than the predefined threshold value, wherein the first signal prevents the at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) to generate power, thus resulting in disconnection of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a connect signal to a circuit breaker electrically connected to a power receiving port of the gateway AC battery is stopped, if the power supply from one or more transmission lines is determined to be interrupted, wherein the absence of the connect signal operates the circuit breaker to a disconnected state from a connected state, thus decoupling the one or more transmission lines from the electrical power supply system.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) of the gateway AC battery and the at least one expansion AC battery operate to supply power from the electrical power supply system to the user location, if the power supply from the one or more transmission lines is interrupted.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting the connect signal to the circuit breaker electrically connected to the power receiving port of the gateway AC battery, if the power supply from the one or more transmission lines is determined to be available, wherein the connect signal operates the circuit breaker to the connected state from the disconnected state for coupling the one or more transmission lines to the electrical power supply system to provide power supply to the user location.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

monitoring one or more parameters of the power supply for coupling the one or more transmission lines to the electrical power supply system, wherein the one or more parameters of the power supply include voltage amplitude, frequency, and phase angle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the time credit of the electrical power supply system is updated based on successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of a previous payment cycle associated with the electrical power supply system.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the time credit is updated based at least on:

receiving a notification indicative of successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of the previous payment cycle from a server system communicably coupled to the central control unit; and

receiving a unique dynamic code on an input interface configured on the gateway AC battery by a user of the user location, wherein the unique dynamic code is transmitted by the server system to a user device of the user upon successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of the previous payment cycle.

15. A method performed by a central control unit for automatically controlling power supply from an electrical power supply system to a user location, the method comprising:

determining a payment status of the electrical power supply system at the user location, the payment status correspond to a payment of at least one of a lease amount, a rental amount and a loan amount associated with the electrical power supply system, wherein the payment status is determined based at least on a time credit associated with the electrical power supply system; and

facilitating control of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location based at least on determining the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system,

wherein the power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is uninterrupted, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is determined to be greater than a predefined threshold value,

wherein the power supply to the user location from the electrical power supply system is disconnected, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is determined to be less than the predefined threshold value, and

wherein a first signal is transmitted to at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit (PCU) of a gateway AC battery and at least one expansion AC battery, if the time credit associated with the electrical power supply system is less than the predefined threshold value, wherein the first signal prevents the at least one AC-DC power conditioning unit to generate power, thus resulting in disconnection of the power supply from the electrical power supply system to the user location.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein a connect signal to a circuit breaker electrically connected to a power receiving port of the gateway AC battery is stopped, if the power supply from one or more transmission lines is determined to be interrupted, wherein the absence of the connect signal operates the circuit breaker to a disconnected state from a connected state, thus decoupling the one or more transmission lines from the electrical power supply system.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting the connect signal to the circuit breaker electrically connected to the power receiving port of the gateway AC battery, if the power supply from the one or more transmission lines is determined to be available, wherein the connect signal operates the circuit breaker to the connected state from the disconnected state for coupling the one or more transmission lines to the electrical power supply system to provide power supply to the user location.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the time credit of the electrical power supply system is updated based on successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of a previous payment cycle associated with the electrical power supply system, wherein the time credit is updated based at least on:

receiving a notification indicative of successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of the previous payment cycle from a server system communicably coupled to the central control unit; and

receiving a unique dynamic code on an input interface configured on the gateway AC battery by a user of the user location, wherein the unique dynamic code is transmitted by the server system to a user device of the user upon successful payment of the at least one of the lease amount, the rental amount and the loan amount of the previous payment cycle.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2024
From: ZOLA ELECTRIC LABS, INC.; ZOLA ELECTRIC SERVICES LTD; ZOLA ELECTRIC INTERNATIONAL LTD; ZOLA ELECTRIC LTD
To: NEW ISLAND CAPITAL LIQUID ASSETS II LP
Reel/Frame 067117/0236 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2021
From: ZOLA ELECTRIC LABS, INC.; ZOLA ELECTRIC SERVICES LTD; ZOLA ELECTRIC INTERNATIONAL LTD; ZOLA ELECTRIC LTD
To: NEW ISLAND CAPITAL LIQUID ASSETS II LP
Reel/Frame 057616/0115 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2020
From: VERGARA, CLAUDIO; HELGESEN, XAVIER; PIERCE, JOSHUA
To: ZOLA ELECTRIC LABS INC.
Reel/Frame 054157/0800 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 62934515 · Nov 12, 2019