Granted Patent B2

US 12,296,721 · App. 18/079,841 · Granted May 13, 2025

Inventor: John Cronin (Wilmington, DE)

Assignee: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

B60L8/003B60L53/00H02J7/0063H02J7/00712H02J7/345H02J7/35

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. A system for energy management, the system comprising:

a solar cell that generates energy in response to the solar cell receiving light;

an energy controller that that includes a processor with access to a memory, wherein the energy controller predicts an optimal time period for charging an energy storage unit based on discharge information tracking discharging of the energy storage unit over time and based on planned route of a vehicle, wherein the energy controller avoids a discharge time period to predict the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit, wherein the discharge time period is associated with an anticipated discharge rate of the energy storage unit exceeding an average discharge rate associated with the vehicle;

trickle charging circuitry that provides the energy to the energy storage unit during the optimal time period and avoids providing energy to the energy storage unit during the discharge time period; and

the energy storage unit, wherein the energy storage unit stores the energy, wherein the energy storage unit discharges the energy to power at least one component, wherein the at least one component includes a propulsion mechanism of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge information tracking discharging of the energy storage unit over time includes movement information tracking movement of the vehicle over time.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the planned route is associated with a scheduled trip.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge time period is associated with the vehicle driving along an uphill portion of the planned route.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the energy controller identifies the uphill portion of the planned route.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy controller identifies a scheduled event to be reached by the vehicle using the propulsion mechanism, wherein the scheduled event is associated with the planned route and a scheduled time, and wherein the energy controller predicts the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit based on the discharge information, the planned route, and the scheduled time.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy controller predicts the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit based on the discharge information, the planned route, and charge information tracking charging of the energy storage unit over time.

8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a charge management database that stores the charge information tracking charging of the energy storage unit over time.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a charge management database that stores the discharge information tracking discharging of the energy storage unit over time.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy controller processes the discharge information and the planned route using a trained machine learning model to predict the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy controller processes the discharge information, the planned route, and charge information tracking the charging of the energy storage unit over time using a trained machine learning model to predict the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the energy controller updates the trained machine learning model based on training data, wherein the training data includes the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge time period is associated with the vehicle accelerating along the planned route.

14. A method for energy management, the method comprising:

generating energy using a solar cell in response to the solar cell receiving light;

predicting an optimal time period for charging an energy storage unit based on discharge information tracking discharging of the energy storage unit over time and based on planned route of a vehicle, wherein predicting the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit includes avoiding a discharge time period, wherein the discharge time period is associated with an anticipated discharge rate of the energy storage unit exceeding an average discharge rate associated with the vehicle;

providing the energy to the energy storage unit during the optimal time period and avoiding provision of energy to the energy storage unit during the discharge time period;

storing the energy in the energy storage unit; and

discharging the energy from the energy storage unit to power at least one component, wherein the at least one component includes a propulsion mechanism of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the discharge information tracking discharging of the energy storage unit over time includes movement information tracking movement of the vehicle over time.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the planned route is associated with a scheduled trip.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein predicting the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit is based on the discharge information, the planned route, and charge information tracking charging of the energy storage unit over time.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein predicting the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit includes processing the discharge information and the planned route using a trained machine learning model to predict the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

updating the trained machine learning model based on training data, wherein the training data includes the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, wherein the program is executable by a processor to perform a method of energy management, the method comprising:

generating energy using a solar cell in response to the solar cell receiving light;

predicting an optimal time period for charging an energy storage unit based on discharge information tracking discharging of the energy storage unit over time and based on planned route of a vehicle, wherein predicting the optimal time period for charging the energy storage unit includes avoiding a discharge time period, wherein the discharge time period is associated with an anticipated discharge rate of the energy storage unit exceeding an average discharge rate associated with the vehicle;

providing the energy to the energy storage unit during the optimal time period and avoiding provision of energy to the energy storage unit during the discharge time period;

storing the energy in the energy storage unit; and

discharging the energy from the energy storage unit to power at least one component, wherein the at least one component includes a propulsion mechanism of the vehicle.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (252)