JP2013116041A - System for controlling electrical energy supply to peripheral devices using prepaid airtime - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and method for controlling electrical energy supply to one or more peripheral devices.SOLUTION: A device 10 includes: a first input part 13 operable to receive electrical energy from an electrical energy source 16; a battery 18 operable to store the received electrical energy; at least one output part (14.1-14.5) operable to supply electrical energy to at least one peripheral device 12; and an energy management controller 22 operable to control the supply of electrical energy. The device 10 also includes a communication module 24 operable to detect purchase of prepaid airtime associated with the device 10, with the energy management controller 22 activating the peripheral devices (14.1-14.5) for as long as there is sufficient airtime and deactivating the peripheral devices (14.1-14.5) once the airtime has expired.

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices using prepaid airtime. The term “airtime” as used herein is defined as funds or credits associated with mobile accounts of mobile phone and other communication module subscribers. The fund can be used for mobile communications such as calling, messaging, data services.

  In developing countries such as South Africa, there is an urgent need for affordable, cost-effective, easy-to-maintain electrical energy sources. Traditionally, renewable energy sources that generate electrical energy from other forms of energy, such as solar energy, have played an important role in this regard.

  Such energy sources are needed, especially in poor and / or rural areas, but the usual electrical energy payment mechanism is not very suitable for poor and / or rural areas. However, the concept of prepaid airtime is widely known and understood, and therefore one object of the present invention is to use prepaid airtime to pay for the basic supply of electrical energy for power.

The present invention is an apparatus for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices,
A first input operable to receive electrical energy from an electrical energy source;
A battery capable of storing and storing received electrical energy;
At least one output capable of supplying electrical energy to at least one peripheral device;
An energy management controller operable to control the supply of electrical energy to the at least one peripheral device;
A communication module capable of detecting the purchase of prepaid air time associated with the device, and the energy management controller activates the peripheral device as long as there is sufficient air time, and removes the peripheral device when the air time ends. A first feature is to provide a device that is in an activated state.

  In addition to the configuration of the first feature, the second feature of the present invention is that the first input unit is connected to a solar panel array that generates electrical energy using solar energy.

  The third feature of the present invention is that, in addition to the configuration of the first or second feature, the peripheral device includes a battery charger and a plurality of lights.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of any of the first to third features, the communication module communicates with a remote system via a communication network, and the remote system is configured to pay prepaid air time and The fourth feature is to manage the operation.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fourth feature, the communication network is a mobile telecommunications network, the communication module includes a SIM card that facilitates communication via the network, and the remote system Is a mobile operator system, and a fifth feature is that the device is connected to the mobile operator system.

In addition to the configuration of the fourth or fifth feature, the present invention provides
Measure and log energy usage, especially energy consumed by peripherals and their efficiency;
Log energy supply from the solar panel array (if present) to the energy management controller and battery;
A sixth feature is that the apparatus comprises a log recording module capable of logging the state of the battery (if present); and / or logging ambient temperature and humidity.

  In addition to the configuration of the sixth feature, the seventh feature of the present invention is that the logged information is transmitted to the remote system by the communication module for recording and management.

  In addition to the configuration of any of the fourth to seventh features, the present invention is configured so that when an unauthorized state is detected, the energy management controller is not connected to the device, or at least the output unit thereof, and thus the peripheral device connected thereto. An eighth feature is that the apparatus includes a fraud detector that instructs the operation state.

  In addition to the configuration of the eighth feature, the present invention provides the ninth feature that detection of fraudulent conditions is sent to the remote system by the communication module for recording and, if necessary, corrective action. To do.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to ninth features, the communication module is capable of detecting when the device is out of a network receivable range. If it is outside the network coverage for a long time, the communication module is capable of instructing the energy management controller to deactivate the device, or at least its output, and hence its connected peripherals. Is a tenth feature.

  According to the present invention, in addition to the configuration of any of the first to tenth features, the device includes a light sensor capable of measuring and operating ambient light intensity. If the ambient light intensity is greater than a predetermined amount, the light An eleventh feature is that the sensor is capable of instructing the energy management controller to deactivate the device, or at least its output, particularly peripheral devices connected thereto.

In addition to the configuration of any of the first to eleventh features, the present invention provides
Battery status;
Charging status;
Low energy level;
Low battery power;
Low credit balance;
According to a twelfth feature, the apparatus includes a display capable of displaying at least one of system parameters of network communication status to a user.

The present invention
Receiving electrical energy from an electrical energy source via the first input;
Storing received electrical energy in a battery;
Supplying electrical energy to at least one peripheral device via at least one output;
Controlling the supply of electrical energy to the at least one peripheral device by means of an energy management controller;
Detecting a purchase of prepaid air time associated with the device by means of a communication module;
As long as there is sufficient air time, the energy management controller will bring the peripheral device into operation;
It is a thirteenth feature to provide a method for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices, which comprises disabling the peripheral device when the air time is over.

  The device according to the present invention provides for the acquisition, storage, purchase and supply of electricity at a remote location without the need for wired electricity supply or connection to wired telecommunications. After acquiring and accumulating electricity with photovoltaic cells and batteries, it is possible to purchase using existing mobile phones and other communication module subscriptions, specifically the airtime associated with the subscription. The supply of power from the device is regulated by purchase or other factors.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus capable of controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices using prepaid airtime according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices using prepaid airtime according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

  FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus 10 for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices 12 using prepaid airtime according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a flowchart 100 of a method for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices using prepaid airtime according to the present invention. It will be appreciated that the device 10 can perform other different methods, while the method 100 can be performed on other different devices, an example of which is the device 10 and the The method 100 will be described in detail with reference to both.

  The apparatus 10 includes a first input 13 that receives electrical energy from an electrical energy source 16 and a battery 18 that stores the received electrical energy (at block 102). In one embodiment, the first input unit 13 is connected to a solar panel array 20 that generates electric energy using solar energy.

  The device 10 comprises (at block 104) at least one output 14 for supplying electrical energy to at least one peripheral device 12. In one embodiment, the at least one peripheral device 12 is connected to the battery charger 12.1 connected to the output 14.1 and to the outputs 14.2, 14.3, 14.4 and 14.5, respectively. A plurality of possible lights 12.2, 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5, preferably four lights.

  The apparatus 10 includes an energy management controller 22 that controls the supply of electrical energy to the peripheral device 12 (at block 106). Also, a communication module 24 is provided (at block 108) to detect the purchase of prepaid air time associated with the device 10, and the energy management controller 22 is in the vicinity as long as there is sufficient air time (at block 110). The device 12 is activated and the peripheral device 12 is deactivated when the air time is over (at block 112).

  In one embodiment, the communication module 24 communicates with a remote system 26 via a communication network 28. This remote system 26 manages the payment of prepaid airtime and the operation of the device 10. In particular, the communication network 28 is a GSM network, and the communication module 24 includes a SIM card that facilitates communication. Further, the remote system 26 is a mobile operator system, and the device 10 is integrated into the mobile operator system.

  Conventionally, the remote system 26 can remotely update the firmware of the device 10.

  The device 10 is reliable and robust, e.g., 4 times with half of the available sunlight during the day when the weather is least, during the day when the weather is the least. It is possible to use each of the lights for 5 hours and replenish the daily energy usage after charging two mobile phones. In one version, the battery 18 has sufficient energy storage for 13 consecutive hours of operation using all four lights 12.2-12.5.

In one embodiment, the device 10 is:
Measure and log the time of use, in particular the energy consumed by the peripheral device 12, and its efficiency;
Logging energy supply from the solar panel array 20 to the energy management controller 22 and the battery 18;
Log battery status;
A log recording module 30 is provided for logging ambient temperature and humidity.

  In one version, this logged information is transmitted to the remote system 26 by the communication module 24 for recording and management.

  In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 includes a fraud detector 32 that, when detected, detects that the fraud condition is present, causes the output 14 and thus the peripheral device 12 to be deactivated. To instruct. In one version, the detection of an unauthorized condition is sent by the communication module 24 to the remote system 26 for recording and, if necessary, corrective action.

  In one embodiment, the communication module 24 can detect when the device 10 is out of GSM coverage. If the device 10 is out of GSM coverage for a predetermined time, the communication module 24 instructs the energy management controller 22 to deactivate the output 14 and thus the peripheral device 12.

  The apparatus 10 can include a light sensor 34 that measures ambient light intensity. If the ambient light intensity is greater than a predetermined amount, the light sensor 34 deactivates the output 14.2-14.5, particularly the lights 12.2-12.5 (which causes the user to waste electrical energy). The energy management controller 22 is instructed to prevent this).

  The device 10 may include a display 36 that displays system parameters for battery status, charge status, low energy level, low battery power, low credit balance, and GSM communication status to the user.

  Thus, the device of the present invention has a built-in mobile phone charger and is designed to provide reliable and affordable lights to those in need in each case for a fee.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims.

  For example, the device can include a user interface operable to receive user input.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Apparatus 12 ... Peripheral device 12.1 ... Battery charger 12.2-12.5 ... Light 13 ... 1st input part 14 ... Output part 14.1-14. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 ... Output part 16 ... Electric energy source 18 ... Battery 20 ... Solar panel array 22 ... Energy management controller 24 ... Communication module 26 ... Remote system 28 ... Communication network 30 ... log recording module 32 ... tamper detector 34 ... light sensor 36 ... display 100 ... method

Claims (13)

A device for controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices,
A first input operable to receive electrical energy from an electrical energy source;
A battery capable of storing and storing received electrical energy;
At least one output capable of supplying electrical energy to at least one peripheral device;
An energy management controller operable to control the supply of electrical energy to the at least one peripheral device;
A communication module capable of detecting the purchase of prepaid air time associated with the device, and the energy management controller activates the peripheral device as long as there is sufficient air time, and removes the peripheral device when the air time ends. The device to be activated.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first input is connected to a solar panel array that uses solar energy to generate electrical energy.   The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the peripheral device includes a battery charger and a plurality of lights.   The apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication module is in communication with a remote system via a communication network, the remote system managing prepaid airtime payments and operation of the apparatus.   The communication network is a mobile telecommunications network, the communication module includes a SIM card that facilitates communication over the network, the remote system is a mobile operator system, and the device is the mobile The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the apparatus is coupled to an operator system. Measure and log energy usage, especially energy consumed by peripherals and their efficiency;
Log energy supply from the solar panel array (if present) to the energy management controller and battery;
6. An apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, comprising a logging module operable to log the state of the battery (if present); and / or to log ambient temperature and humidity.   The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the logged information is transmitted to the remote system by the communication module for recording and management.   8. A fraud detector that directs the energy management controller to inactivate the device, or at least its output, and therefore peripherals connected thereto, upon detection of a fraud state. A device according to the above.   9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein detection of an unauthorized condition is sent to the remote system by the communication module for recording and, if necessary, corrective action.   The communication module is capable of detecting when the device is out of the network coverage, and if the device is out of the network coverage for longer than a predetermined time, the communication module sends the energy management controller to the energy management controller. 10. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is operable to instruct the device, or at least its output, and therefore peripheral devices connected thereto, to be inactivated.   A light sensor capable of measuring and operating the ambient light intensity, and if the ambient light intensity is greater than a predetermined amount, the light sensor is connected to the energy management controller to the device, or at least its output, in particular the peripheral connected thereto The device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the device is operable to instruct the device to be in an inoperative state. Battery status;
Charging status;
Low energy level;
Low battery power;
Low credit balance;
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display capable of displaying and operating at least one of system parameters of network communication status to a user. Receiving electrical energy from an electrical energy source via the first input;
Storing received electrical energy in a battery;
Supplying electrical energy to at least one peripheral device via at least one output;
Controlling the supply of electrical energy to the at least one peripheral device by means of an energy management controller;
Detecting a purchase of prepaid air time associated with the device by means of a communication module;
As long as there is sufficient air time, the energy management controller will bring the peripheral device into operation;
A method of controlling the supply of electrical energy to one or more peripheral devices comprising disabling the peripheral device when air time is over.

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