IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,620,271
Granted Patent B2
US 12,620,271 · App. 18/323,165 · Granted May 5, 2026

System for determining power source location and availability

Inventor: Jose Tapia (Bothell, WA)
Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
G07C5/008B60L58/12G07C5/02H04L67/12H04L67/53B60L53/63B60L2240/62B60L2250/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,620,271
App. No.
18/323,165
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A network may be configured to monitor the usage and location of mobile devices, such as electric vehicles, and to report the usage and location data to a third-party utility system. The network may also allow owners of the mobile devices to register their devices such that proximate third-party utility systems may utilize the storage capacity of their mobile devices, the electric vehicles, during peak production and to access stored charge during periods of excess consumption.

Claims (68)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices and via a communication network connected to a plurality of mobile devices, connectivity data associated with a mobile device, the connectivity data indicating an extent of connection to the communication network by the mobile device;

determining, by the one or more computing devices and based at least in part on the connectivity data, usage data associated with the mobile device, the usage data associated with access of the mobile device by a user of the mobile device;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, availability data for the mobile device based at least in part on the usage data, the availability data including a period of time during which the mobile device is not in use; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices and to a third-party utility system, the availability data, wherein the availability data is utilized to at least one of:

cause power to be directed to the mobile device based at least in part on at least one of a proximity of the mobile device to a region, availability capacity, or known availability; or

access or consume available stored capacity or stored power on the mobile device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a registration request for the mobile device prior to generating the availability data of the mobile device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving location data associated with the mobile device, the location data associated with access of the mobile device by the user of the mobile device;

determining storage device map data based at least in part on the location data, the storage device map data including a location of the mobile device during the period of time; and

providing the storage device map data to the third-party utility system with the availability data, wherein the availability data and the storage device map data are provided to the third-party utility system as one or more overlays to a network.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

modifying the period of time based at least in part on a buffer or threshold prior to providing the availability data to the third-party utility system.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring a charge level of the mobile device during the period of time;

receiving utility usage data associated with the mobile device from the third-party utility system;

verifying the utility usage data based at least in part on the charge level; and

providing a notification to a user equipment associated with the mobile device, the notification indicating the utility usage data.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the availability data for the mobile device further comprises:

determining a usage trend associated with the user of the mobile device based at least in part on the usage data; and

determining the availability data based at least in part on the usage trend.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the availability data for the mobile device further comprises:

inputting the usage data into one or more machine learned models trained on usage data of a plurality of devices having a class in common with the mobile device; and

receiving the availability data as an output of the one or more machine learned models.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is an electric vehicle.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the availability data comprises:

determining, by the one or more computing devices and via the communication network, that the mobile device has been idle or has an activity level below a first threshold activity level for a second threshold amount of time; and

determining, based at least in part on determining that the mobile device has been idle or has the activity level below the first threshold activity level for the second threshold amount of time, that the mobile device has not been in use for the period of time.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, based at least in part on the availability data, at least one of:

reducing one or more periods of time that individual mobile devices are available to the third-party utility system;

reducing a total consumable charge of the individual mobile devices that are available to the third-party utility system; or

reducing a portion of availability capacity of the individual mobile devices that are available to the third-party utility system.

11 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving usage data associated with a mobile device, the usage data associated with access of the mobile device by a user of the mobile device;

determining availability data for the mobile device based at least in part on the usage data, the availability data including a period of time during which the mobile device is not in use;

receiving location data associated with the mobile device, the location data associated with access of the mobile device by the user of the mobile device; and

determining storage device map data based at least in part on the location data, the storage device map data including a location of the mobile device during the period of time; and

providing to a third-party utility system the availability data and the storage device map data, wherein the availability data is utilized to at least one of:

cause power to be directed to the mobile device based at least in part on at least one of a proximity of the mobile device to a region, availability capacity, or known availability; or

access or consume available stored capacity or stored power on the mobile device.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the availability data and the storage device map data are adjusted by the system based on a current season, weather, time of day, day of a week, or demographic data associated with the user.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the availability data for the mobile device further comprises:

determining a usage trend associated with the user of the mobile device based at least in part on the usage data; and

determining the availability data based at least in part on the usage trend.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the storage device map data further comprises assigning a region to the mobile device during the period of time.

15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein determining the storage device map data further comprises assigning a third-party utility system to the mobile device based at least in part on a determined distance between the mobile device and components of the third-party utility system during the period of time.

16 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising modifying the period of time based at least in part on a buffer or threshold prior to providing the availability data to the third-party utility system.

17 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving location data associated with a mobile device, the location data associated with access of the mobile device by a user of the mobile device;

determining storage device map data based at least in part on the location data, the storage device map data including a location of the mobile device during a period of time; and

providing to a third-party utility system the storage device map data, wherein the storage device map is utilized to at least one of:

cause power to be directed to the mobile device based at least in part on at least one of a proximity of the mobile device to a region, availability capacity, or known availability; or

access or consume available stored capacity or stored power on the mobile device.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving usage data associated with the mobile device, the usage data associated with access of the mobile device by the user of the mobile device;

determining availability data for the mobile device based at least in part on the usage data, the availability data including a period of time during which the mobile device is not in use; and

providing to a third-party utility system the availability data with the storage device map data, wherein determining the availability data for the mobile device comprises:

determining a usage trend associated with the user of the mobile device based at least in part on the usage data; and

determining the availability data based at least in part on the usage trend.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , further comprising:

monitoring a charge level of the mobile device during the period of time;

receiving utility usage data associated with the mobile device from the third-party utility system;

verifying the utility usage data based at least in part on the charge level; and

providing a notification to a user equipment associated with the mobile device, the notification indicating the utility usage data.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , further comprising receiving a registration request for the mobile device prior to generating the storage device map data of the mobile device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2023
From: TAPIA, JOSE
To: T-MOBILE USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 063752/0661 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240395077A1 · Nov 28, 2024
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