METHODS FOR PROVIDING ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITH ACCESS TO EXCHANGEABLE BATTERIES AND METHODS FOR LOCATING, ACCESSING AND RESERVING BATTERIES

摘要

Electric vehicles that use replaceable and exchangeable batteries, applications for communicating with a service that provides access to kiosks of batteries, and methods and systems for finding charged batteries, reserving batteries, and paying for use of the batteries, are disclosed. One example is a method for receiving, by a server, a request from a user associated with user account to locate batteries usable to power an electric vehicle. The request is for a geographic location and the user account is associated with a service that enables access to exchange batteries have reduced charge for batteries that have increased charge. The sever processing information regarding an inventory of available batteries at each of a plurality of kiosks, and each of the kiosks is at a respective kiosk location and each kiosk having receptacle slots for storing and charging batteries. The method also includes sending, by the server, data identifying at least one kiosk location proximate to the geographic location. The data including at least one battery available for exchange at the at least one kiosk location and options for reserving said at least one battery available for exchange.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a server, a request from a user associated with user account to locate batteries usable to power an electric vehicle, the request being for a geographic location and the user account is associated with a service that enables access to exchange batteries having reduced charge for batteries having increased charge at a plurality of kiosks; accessing, by the server, information regarding an inventory of available batteries at each of the plurality of kiosks, each of the kiosks being at a respective kiosk location and each kiosk having receptacle slots for one or more of holding, charging and/or dispensing batteries; sending, by the server, data identifying at least one kiosk location proximate to the geographic location, the data including identification of at least one battery available for exchange at the at least one kiosk location and options for reserving said at least one battery available for exchange; receiving, by the server, a request to reserve the at least one battery available for exchange at the at least one kiosk location, the request to reserve being associated to the user account of the user; and receiving, by the server, data indicative that the reserved at least one battery has been dispensed by the at least one kiosk and at least one reduced charge battery was received by the at least one kiosk to complete an exchange of the at least one battery at the at least one kiosk.