A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Locations of collection, charging and distribution machines having available charged portable electrical energy storage devices are communicated to or acquired by a mobile device of a user or a navigation system of a user's vehicle. The locations are indicated on a graphical user interface on a map relative to the user's current location. The user may select particular locations on the map to reserve an available portable electrical energy storage device at a particular collection, charging and distribution machine location. The collection, charging and distribution machine locations displayed may also be based on a physical distance or driving time from the current location of the user mobile device or vehicle.

Methods, systems, charge units, computer readable media, and combinations thereof are provided. One example method includes receiving data, at a server, indicative that a user account has accessed a charging unit for charging an electric vehicle. The charging unit has an indicator that identifies an active charging status while the electric vehicle is connected to the charging unit for charging a battery of the electric vehicle using the charging unit. The charging unit is configured to identify a complete charging status when the electric vehicle is finished charging said battery using the charging unit. The method includes receiving data, at the server, indicative of a status of charge of the electric vehicle during the charging. Sending a notification to a device having access to the user account, regarding said status of charge during the charging of the electric vehicle. The notification identifies a current level of charge of the battery of the electric vehicle and optionally an estimate of a time remaining to finish charging the battery of the electric vehicle. The method includes receiving an instruction, from the device, to maintain the electric vehicle connected to the charging unit for a set period of time after the battery of the electric vehicle is finished charging. The server is configured to sends data to the charge unit to allow the electric vehicle to maintain connected to the charging unit even when the battery of electric vehicle has reached the complete charging status.

A service providing method including transmitting user ID information to a service terminal, receiving first service information from a server, and controlling a user terminal to provide a service using received first service information.

Systems and methods for using wireless beacons in point of purchase (POP) displays to facilitate the delivery of consumer oriented content to mobile devices is disclosed herein. Wireless beacons may be used to broadcast wireless signals from POP displays, where the wireless signals include data packets with unique identifiers for the wireless beacons. A wireless signal from a POP display may be received by a wireless network gateway located at a retail location. The retail location of the wireless network gateway may be known to a remote server. The wireless network gateway may provide the unique identifier in the wireless signal to the remote server. The remote server may assess the location of the POP display based on the unique identifier for the wireless beacon being received from the wireless network gateway.

Systems and methods for using wireless beacons in displays that display consumer products to facilitate the delivery of consumer oriented content to mobile devices is disclosed herein. Wireless beacons may be used to broadcast wireless signals from displays, where the wireless signals include data packets with unique identifiers for the wireless beacons. A first wireless signal from a first display may be received by a mobile device. The mobile device may also receive a second wireless signal from a second display at the same retail location. The mobile device may provide the first and second unique identifiers to a remote server. The remote server may know the location of one of the displays and assess the retail location of the other display based on the receiving both unique identifiers from the same retail location.

An application programming Interface (API) is downloaded to wireless user equipment (UE). The API enables the UE to automatically detect the presence of one or more access points (AP) in a venue and to transmit identification information to the access point to authenticate the UE. The identification/authentication may occur whenever the UE comes within range of any of the APs in the venue. A plurality of venues may be coupled to a Cloud network with the authentication information stored on the Cloud network. In this manner, whenever the UE enters any of the venues, the UE is automatically authenticated when it comes within range of any AP within any of the venues. The venue may use the API to provide advertising to the UE. The Cloud network may aggregate data from a plurality of data sources to provide targeted advertising via the API to the UE.

A system includes a processor configured to load predefined point of interest (POI) parameters, defining when a POI should be displayed and associated with the POI, from a user profile associated with a known vehicle occupant. The processor is also configured to examine an upcoming navigation route and populate a navigation route display with POIs identified by the parameters, based on the parameters associated with a given POI being met by a present set of conditions.

Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for modular vending systems utilizing reloadable product dispensing modules, including, but not limited to, vertical product dispensing modules comprising a vertical conveyor and a mounting structure for releasably engaging with module holder structures of modular vending machines, and a central controller device for communicating with a plurality of modular vending machines.

A computer implemented method is provided. The method includes detecting, by a computer of a charging unit (CU), a connection of a charging connector of the CU to a vehicle charge port of an electric vehicle (EV). The detecting of the connection includes processing a data exchange between electronics of the EV and the computer of the CU. The method includes receiving, by the computer of the CU, charge status of the EV while the charging connector is connected to the CU. The received charge status of the EV changes as charge is provided from the CU to a battery of the EV. The method includes sending a notification by server to a user account that was used to obtain charge for the EV at the CU. The notification provides data for a graphical user interface that shows the charge status of the EV. The method includes receiving instructions from a device associated with the user account, to make payment of a fee or receive a fee charge, to instruct the CU to indicate an in progress or in-use state even when the EV is at a full level of charge while the EV is occupying the CU and is preventing others from access to the CU that is provided for public use of users with user accounts. The method includes sending data by the server to the computer of the CU to display an in progress or in-use state, wherein the server communicates over the internet with the device.

Computer-implemented techniques for allowing a vendor to more easily provide shopping experiences with vendor-specific and context-specific information on different devices used by a customer and vendor personnel. One embodiment provides vendor-specific information using a smart list that is sharable with multiple vendors. The smart list is stored on a server and shared with multiple vendors and identifies items that the customer is considering acquiring. The technique involves receiving input from the customer to share the smart list with a vendor and, based on the input, sharing the smart list from the customer device or server with a vendor device of the vendor. The technique identifies vendor-specific information using an item of the smart list that the customer is considering acquiring and provides the vendor-specific information to the customer or a vender support person.