US-12620271-B2 - System for determining power source location and availability

US12620271B2US 12620271 B2US12620271 B2US 12620271B2US-12620271-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.

Inventors

Jose Tapia

Assignees

T-MOBILE USA, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230524

Claims (20)

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.

Description

BACKGROUND Production of energy through green or alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind, has been growing at an ever increasing pace. Unfortunately, many of the green energy sources experience high volatility with regards to energy production based on various environmental factors. Often during peak energy generation periods, such as daytime hours for solar and high wind events for wind turbines, access power is generated that is unable to be used or otherwise absorbed by the nearby utility system. In some cases, power storage may be used to store the access power, however, often the power storage devices are at a location distant from the power generation sources resulting in power loss over transmission cables. Additionally, the power storage devices available to the utility system may become full and the utility may again experience loss of access power over the storage capacity of the utility system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical components or features. FIG. 1 is an example block diagram of an architecture for tracking availability and location of batteries associated with a communication network according to some implementations. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process associated with the determining availability data of a power storage device according to some implementations. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process associated with the determining availability data of a power storage device based on a location of the power storage device according to some implementations. FIG. 4 is an example architecture of a network system for tracking mobile power storage devices according to some implementations. FIG. 5 is an example system that may implement the techniques described herein according to some implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Discussed herein is a system for monitoring locations and availability of mobile power storage devices, such as electric vehicle batteries. In some cases, the system may allow owners of mobile power storage devices to register the mobile power storage devices for use by a nearby or proximate power grid of a utility system when the devices (e.g., electric vehicles) associated with the mobile power storage devices are not in use by the owner. Upon registration, the system, discussed herein, may capture or generate location data and/or usage data associated with the mobile power storage device. For example, the electric vehicle (or a device in wireless communication, such as Bluetooth®, with the electric vehicle) may be in further wireless communication with a network for providing cellular, mobile, or data services. In some cases, the network systems may generate usage data and/or track the usage of the mobile power storage device based on a connectivity data associated with the device associated with the mobile power storage device with respect to the network. For example, when the device is actively in communication with the network, the device may be considered in use. In some specific examples, the network may apply one or more thresholds to determine usage data. For example, if the device is idle or has a connectivity or activity level below or equal to a first threshold for a period of time greater than or equal a second threshold, the network system may determine that for the corresponding period of time the mobile power storage device is not in use by the owner. Over time (e.g., days, weeks, months, years, and the like) the network system may determine a usage calendar for the mobile power storage device. The network system may also determine usage trends (such as highly idle or highly used days of the week, weeks of the month, and the like). As an illustrative example, the network system may determine that an owner of an electric vehicle does not utilize the vehicle on Saturdays, between the hours of 9 PM and 4 AM, or the like. In some cases, the system may apply a bounding time frame with respect to the trends, such as if the owner typically does not use the electric vehicle between the hours of 9 PM and 4 AM, the network system may mark the mobile power storage device associated with the vehicle as available from 11 PM to 1 AM by applying a two hour bounding time frame to the hours of availability. In some cases, the network systems may also track a location of the mobile power storage device based on a detected physical position of the mobile power storage device with respect to the network. For example, the network system may determine a location of a mobile power storage device associated with an electric vehicle as the vehicle is being used based on the network connectivity of the vehicle or a user device in communic