Granted Patent B2

US 12,420,656 · App. 17/750,319 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Inventors: Norman Lu (Fairview, TX); Maximilian Parness (Takoma Park, MD)

Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

B60L53/63B60L53/14B60L53/68B60L55/00

Abstract

Claims (67)

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a first vehicle, an outage of an electrical grid in an area based on electrical grid data received by the first vehicle from a charging station coupled to the electrical grid in the area;

in response to the outage being identified, requesting a second vehicle to provide electricity to a location of the outage by the first vehicle;

receiving, by the first vehicle, sensor data from the second vehicle in the area; and

identifying the location of the outage in the area by the first vehicle using the electrical grid data and the sensor data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

predicting the outage of the electrical grid;

sending the second vehicle to the location; and

in response to the outage, connecting the second vehicle to an electrical power converter at the location, wherein the electrical power converter provides power from the second vehicle to one or more of the electrical grid or the location.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving by the first vehicle a signal from a light-sensing device of the second vehicle that indicates a decrease in a light intensity level at the location; and

based on the detected decrease, determining that the outage of the electrical grid exists at the location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the outage further comprises:

determining, by a plurality of vehicles each connected to a corresponding charging station of a plurality of charging stations, that at least one of the plurality of charging stations is not receiving an electrical charge from the electrical grid;

reporting, by at least one of the plurality of vehicles, that the at least one of the plurality of charging stations is not receiving the electrical charge; and

identifying the outage based on a minimum number of the plurality of charging stations not receiving the electrical charge.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying an electrical storage device that contains stored electricity, wherein the electrical storage device is located away from the location;

directing the first vehicle to the electrical storage device; and

charging, by the first vehicle, a battery at the electrical storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

uncoupling the first vehicle from the charging station in response to the second vehicle being proximate to the location; and

vacating, by the first vehicle, a space proximate to the charging station in response to the second vehicle being at the charging station.

7. A system comprising:

a first vehicle comprising a processor that executes instructions stored in a memory to configure the processor to:

identify an outage of an electrical grid in an area based on electrical grid data received from a charging station coupled to the electrical grid in the area;

in response to the outage being identified, request a second vehicle to provide electricity to a location of the outage;

receive sensor data from the second vehicle in the area; and

identify the location of the outage in the area using the electrical grid data and the sensor data.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

predict the outage of the electrical grid;

send the second vehicle to the location; and

in response to the outage, connect the second vehicle to an electrical power converter at the location, wherein the electrical power converter provides power from the second vehicle to one or more of the electrical grid or the location.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a signal from a light sensor of the second vehicle indicating a decrease in a light intensity level at the location; and

based on the detected decrease, determine that the outage of the electrical grid exists at the location.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein when the processor identifies the outage, the processor is further configured to:

determine, by a plurality of vehicles each connected to an analogous charge station of a plurality of charge stations, that at least one of the plurality of charge stations does not receive an electrical charge from the electrical grid;

report, by at least one of the plurality of vehicles, that the at least one of the plurality of charge stations does not receive the electrical charge; and

identify the outage based on a minimum number of the plurality of charging stations not receiving the electrical charge.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify an electrical storage device that contains stored electricity, wherein the electrical storage device is located away from the location;

direct the first vehicle to the electrical storage device; and

control the first vehicle to charge a battery at the electrical storage device.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the first vehicle to uncouple from the charging station in response to the second vehicle being proximate to the location; and

control the first vehicle to vacate a space proximate to the charging station in response to the second vehicle being at the charging station.

13. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first vehicle, cause the processor to perform:

identifying an outage of an electrical grid in an area based on electrical grid data received from a charging station coupled to the electrical grid in the area;

in response to the outage being identified, requesting a second vehicle to provide electricity to a location of the outage;

receiving sensor data from the second vehicle in the area; and

identifying the location of the outage in the area using the electrical grid data and the sensor data.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

predicting the outage of the electrical grid;

sending the second vehicle to the location; and

in response to the outage, connecting the second vehicle to an electrical power converter at the location, wherein the electrical power converter provides power from the second vehicle to one or more of the electrical grid or the location.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

receiving a signal from a light-sensing device of the second vehicle that indicates a decrease in a light intensity level at the location; and

based on the detected decrease level, determining that the outage of the electrical grid exists at the location.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the identifying of the outage further comprises:

determining, by a plurality of vehicles each connected to a corresponding charging station of a plurality of charging stations, that at least one of the plurality of charging stations is not receiving an electrical charge from the electrical grid;

reporting, by at least one of the plurality of vehicles, that the at least one of the plurality of charging stations is not receiving the electrical charge; and

identifying the outage based on a minimum number of the plurality of charging stations not receiving the electrical charge.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform:

identifying an electrical storage device that contains stored electricity, wherein the electrical storage device is located away from the location;

directing the first vehicle to the electrical storage device; and

controlling the first vehicle to charge a battery at the electrical storage device.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (20)