Disclosed is an autonomous battery pod. The autonomous battery pod for harnessing kinetic energy of rotating wheels to produce electrical energy while the autonomous battery pod is movably coupled with a train is provided. The autonomous battery pod includes a turbine adapted for producing electrical energy using harnessed kinetic energy through a plurality of extendable wheels connected with the turbine using a plurality of gearbox; and a plurality of batteries electrically coupled with the turbine, adapted for storing produced electrical energy using harnessed kinetic energy through the plurality of extendable wheels connected to the turbine.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for a retail shopping facility to maintain stocked shelves, in part, from obtaining images of the store shelves via cameras mounted onto shopping carts. By one approach, the images obtained from the shopping carts are compared with planogram images to determine where retail products are needed to restock the shelves. In some examples, the shopping cart has a control circuit that determines when to capture electronic images based, in part, upon a sensor mounted onto the shopping cart, instructs the camera to capture the electric image, and stores the captured electronic image in the memory.

This application is directed to methods and systems for providing electrical charge to a vehicle. The system can include a generator configured to generate an electrical output based on a mechanical input responsive to a rotation of a driven mass. The system can include an ultracapacitor module configured to receive energy from the generator. The system can include an energy retainer configured to receive energy from the ultracapacitor module or from the generator. The system can include a traction motor configured to receive energy from the energy retainer or from the ultracapacitor module.

The disclosed device is for storing energy by means of a flywheel. The device comprises a solid rotor having embedded permanent magnets along its outer surface, with flywheels attached at each end. The rotor is suspended by magnetic bearings within a housing. The housing comprises electromagnets that are sequentially charged in order to cause the rotor to spin due to the interaction of the electromagnets with the facing permanent magnets on the rotor. The spinning of the rotor causes the flywheels to spin, which results in the storage of rotational energy. The flywheels, which include magnets, turn through sets of coils on either end of the housing, thereby operating as an electrical generator to convert the flywheel rotational energy into electrical energy output from the device.

An electricity generation system using tire deformation comprises driving mechanisms converting deformation of a tire into a driving force; and an electricity generation mechanism generating electricity using the driving force converted by the driving mechanisms, wherein the driving mechanisms convert only deformation due to expansion after compression of the tire into the driving force.

The disclosure is directed to methods and systems for provisioning mobile electric vehicles with various operational settings data transmitted over the air. A vehicle or its components may operate according to operational settings corresponding to operational settings data included in the vehicle components. A server that is remote to the vehicle may comprise operational settings data and may transmit operational settings data to the vehicle. The server may transmit operational settings data automatically, such as on a periodic basis, in response to a request, such as from a user or from a vehicle component or anytime new or updated operational settings data are available for the vehicle or its components.

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus for generating energy in response to a vehicle wheel rotation. The apparatus may include a first roller comprising a curved roller surface configured to be positioned in substantial physical contact with a first wheel of the vehicle. The first roller may be configured to rotate in response to a rotation of the first wheel. The apparatus may further include a first shaft rotatably couplable to the first roller such that rotation of the first roller causes the first shaft to rotate. The apparatus may further include a first generator operably coupled to the first shaft. The generator may be configured to generate an electrical output based on the rotation of the first shaft and convey the electrical output to an energy storage device or to a motor of the vehicle that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy to rotate one or more wheels of the vehicle.

A human power conversion system incorporates two or more electric machines to aid in the powering of a vehicle through energy conversion. A first electric machine is coupled with the human powered input and acts as a generator when a human power input is not sufficient to produce electrical power that is provided to a second electric machine that propels the vehicle. The vehicle may be a bicycle and the first electric machine may be coupled to the crank. A bi-coupled electric machine including the first and second electric machines with a common rotor or stator may be employed and coupled to the crank and/or the driven wheel. Power produced by the first electric machine may be provided directly to the second machine or may be stored in a battery and used to propel the vehicle or power other electronic components.

Methods and systems for substantially continual electrical power generation for a moving vehicle are disclosed herein. According to the various embodiments discussed herein, the battery range can be increased significantly using a variety of energy sources. The energy sources are configured to facilitate continual electricity generation based on: (i) one or more generators positioned around predetermined vehicle parts; (ii) wind energy created by the motion of the vehicle in relation to the surrounding medium, and (iii) solar energy. The system for continual electrical power generation in a moving vehicle has a generator having a coil-and-magnet arrangement around one or more vehicle components/modified components. The system further has an energy generator for converting solar energy and wind energy into electricity.

A communication device containing a device, which is in the form of a movement module, for mechanically generating a rotational movement, wherein the movement module is provided with a drive rod and a pushbutton (2) for generating a linear movement of the drive rod and also with at least one gear wheel which acts on the drive rod and, in the event of a linear movement of the drive rod, is set in rotational motion, a converter module which is connected to the movement module, wherein the converter module converts the rotational movement which is generated in the movement module into electrical energy, an energy management module, which is connected to the converter module, for providing electrical energy in line with prespecified boundary conditions based on the electrical energy which is provided by the converter module, and a transmission module for transmitting information.