Transceiver and charging component for a power aggregation system

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for a power aggregation system. In one implementation, a system includes a transceiver device physically coupled to an electric resource, the transceiver device being configured to provide information about the electric resource to a charging component. Additionally, such a system may include a charging component, the charging component being coupled to the electric resource via a charging medium and communicatively coupled to the transceiver device. The charging component may also be configured to receive the electric resource information from the transceiver and, in response, effectuate charge control management of the electric resource.

1 . A system, comprising:
 a transceiver device, physically coupled to an electric resource, to provide information about the electric resource; and   a charging component, physically coupled to the electric resource via a charging medium and communicatively coupled to the transceiver device, to receive the information about the electric resource from the transceiver and, in response, effectuate charge control management of the electric resource.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver device is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag containing an electric resource identifier or a device that connects to a data port of the electric resource. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the charging component is:
 an intelligent plug device that is physically connected to the charging medium and an outlet of a power grid,   a charging station, or   another external control system.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the electric resource includes at least one of an electric resource identifier, a state of charge of the electric resource, and/or a time since a last charge. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein effectuating charge control management comprises starting, stopping, or level-setting, by the charging component, a flow of power between a power grid and the electric resource. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electric resource is a mobile electric vehicle that is connectable to a power grid. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver device is communicatively coupled to the charging component via the charging medium, a separate conductor, or a wireless connection. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 obtaining information about an electric resource via a data port of the electric resource; and   providing the information to a charging component that is coupled to the electric resource via a charging medium and to a power grid via an outlet of the power grid and is able effectuate charge control management based at least in part on the provided information.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the charging component is one of a plurality of geographically dispersed charging components, and the providing includes providing the information to the one of the charging components that the electric resource is coupled to. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising providing security for the information provided to the charging component, the charging component being specifically paired with the transceiver device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving charging commands from the charging component or flow control server; and   providing the charging commands to the electric resource, the electric resource having charge control management capabilities.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the electric resource is a mobile electric vehicle that is connectable to a power grid and the data port is an OBD-II connector of the electric vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the providing comprises providing the information to the charging component via the charging medium, a separate conductor, or a wireless connection. 
     
     
         14 . A charging component, comprising:
 a computer readable medium having a plurality of programming instructions which, when executed, perform operations including
 receiving information about an electric resource that is connectable to the charging component via a charging medium, 
 providing the information to a flow control server, and 
 in response, receiving one or more commands from the flow control server to cause the charging component to effectuate charge control management of the electric resource. 
   
     
     
         15 . The charging component of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, effectuate charge control management based at least in part on the received commands, and the effectuating includes starting, stopping, or level-setting a flow of power between a power grid and the electric resource. 
     
     
         16 . The charging component of  claim 14 , wherein the charging component is portable and may be physically coupled to any of a plurality of power grid outlets and/or charging stations. 
     
     
         17 . The charging component of  claim 14 , wherein the information is entered by a user associated with the electric resource. 
     
     
         18 . The charging component of  claim 14 , wherein the information is entered by the user via swiping a credit card or other identifier of the user through a reader associated with the charging component. 
     
     
         19 . The charging component of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, estimate a state of charge of the electric resource based at least in part on a charging current flowing to the electric resource. 
     
     
         20 . The charging component of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, estimate a state of charge of the electric resource based at least in part on a duration of time since the electric resource was last coupled to the charging component via the charging medium.