Patent Publication Number: US-2011071932-A1

Title: Electric Vehicle Network

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/234,591, filed on Sep. 19, 2008, entitled Electric Vehicle Network, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/973,794, filed on Sep. 20, 2007, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosed embodiments relate generally to electric vehicles. In particular, the disclosed embodiments relate to an electric vehicle network and the relationships between a vehicle&#39;s user, a service provider, a power provider, and/or a financial institution. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, planes, boats, etc.) is an integral part of the modern economy. Unfortunately, fossil fuels, like oil, used to power automobiles have numerous drawbacks including: a dependence on limited foreign sources for these fossil fuels, pollution, and climate change. One solution to these problems is to increase the fuel economy of automobiles. Recently, gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles have been introduced, which have fuel economies that are substantially higher than the fuel economy of their traditional non-hybrid counterparts. However, hybrid vehicles do not eliminate the need for fossil fuels. 
     Another solution to these problems is to use clean engine technologies such as engines powered by fuel cells or batteries. However, many of these clean engine technologies are not yet practical. For example, fuel cell vehicle are still in the development stage and are expensive. Similarly, battery technology has not advanced to the point where batteries can power electric vehicles for long distances. Batteries are costly and may add as much as 40% to the cost of a vehicle. Furthermore, batteries can take many hours to recharge. 
     Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a vehicle that addresses the above described drawbacks. 
     SUMMARY 
     In order to overcome the above described drawbacks, some embodiments provide an electric vehicle that includes a battery that can be quickly exchanged. In doing so, a spent (or partially spent) battery can be exchanged for a charged battery. Thus, the long battery recharge time is no longer required by a user of the electric vehicle who is traveling long distances. Furthermore, the cost of the electric vehicle can be substantially reduced because the battery of the electric vehicle is no longer an integral part of the vehicle. Thus, the battery can be owned by a party other than the user of the vehicle. For example, a financial institution or a service provider may own the battery and charge the user based on the battery services (e.g., charging the battery, exchanging the battery, etc.) that are provided. Finally, since the electric vehicle is powered by a battery, the dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels can be eliminated. Furthermore, the energy required to charge the battery can be generated by renewable and/or clean resources (e.g., solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, etc.). 
     Some embodiments provide a network of battery service stations that can exchange and/or charge batteries of a vehicle. The term “battery service station” is used herein to refer to battery exchange stations, which exchange spent (or partially spent) batteries of the vehicle for charged batteries, and/or charge stations, which provide energy to charge the battery of the vehicle. Furthermore, the term “charge spot” can refer to a “charge station.” 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for providing information about battery service stations to vehicles. The vehicle includes an electric motor that drives one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the electric motor receives energy from the battery. In these embodiments, a system including hardware and/or software (e.g., a vehicle operating system) provides an interface between the user and a service provider and between the vehicle and the vehicle-area network. In some embodiments, the vehicle operating system is integrated with the vehicle controller-area network (CAN) and multimedia head unit. The vehicle operating system may provide energy management, navigation, charge management, support service and other media and content services and can integrate network services within the vehicle sending information between the vehicle and the network, multimedia components, and other services. The vehicle operating system can determine a status of a battery of the vehicle. The vehicle operating system then determines a geographic location of the vehicle. The vehicle operating system displays the geographic location of the vehicle relative to battery service stations on a map in the user interface of a positioning system of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle operating system then identifies the battery service stations that the vehicle can reach based on the status of the battery of the vehicle and the geographic location of the vehicle and displays these battery service stations on the map. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for providing information about battery service stations to vehicles. A service provider receives a status of a battery of the vehicle and a geographic location of the vehicle from a vehicle over a data network. Note that a service provider is also referred to as a “service control center.” The vehicle includes an electric motor that drives one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the electric motor receives energy from the battery. The service provider then determines from the status of the battery that the battery needs to be recharged. The service provider determines battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle. The service provider then transmits information about the battery service stations to the vehicle over the data network. 
     In some embodiments, the information about the battery service stations is displayed on a map in a user interface of a positioning system of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, determining from the status of the battery that the battery needs to be recharged includes determining whether a charge level of the battery is below a specified threshold. 
     In some embodiments, the battery service stations are selected from the group consisting of charge stations that recharge the one or more batteries of the vehicle; battery exchange stations that replace a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery; and any combination of the aforementioned battery service stations. 
     In some embodiments, the battery is not owned by the user of the vehicle. In these embodiments, the user of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of: a user that has legal title to the vehicle; and a user that has legal possession of the vehicle as part of a financing agreement for the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, prior to receiving the status of the battery of the vehicle and the geographic location of the vehicle from the vehicle over the data network, the service provider requests the status of the battery of the vehicle from the vehicle over the data network and requests the geographic location of the vehicle from the vehicle over the data network. 
     In some embodiments, the service provider periodically transmits information about battery service stations to the vehicle over the data network. 
     In some embodiments, the service provider receives a selection of a battery service station from the user of the vehicle over the data network and reserves time at the battery service station for the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, determining battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle includes: determining a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel before the battery can no longer power the electric motor of the vehicle and selecting the battery service stations within the maximum distance from the geographic location of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the information of a respective battery service station is selected from the group consisting of: a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are occupied, a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are free, a number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are occupied, a number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are free, a location of the battery service station, and any combination of the aforementioned statuses. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for providing information about battery service stations to vehicles. A vehicle determines a status of a battery of the vehicle and a geographic location of the vehicle. The vehicle includes an electric motor that drives one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the electric motor receives energy from the battery. The vehicle then determines from the status of the battery that the battery needs to be recharged. The vehicle determines battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle. The vehicle then obtains information about the battery service stations at least in part from a service provider over a data network. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle displays the information about the battery service stations on a map in a user interface of a positioning system of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle determines from the status of the battery that the battery needs to be recharged includes determining whether a charge level of the battery is below a specified threshold. 
     In some embodiments, the battery service stations are selected from the group consisting of: charge stations that recharge the one or more batteries of the vehicle, battery exchange stations that replace a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery, and any combination of the aforementioned battery service stations. 
     In some embodiments, the battery is not owned by the user of the vehicle. In these embodiments, the user of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of: a user that has legal title to the vehicle, and a user that has legal possession of the vehicle as part of a financing agreement for the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle obtains information about the battery service stations also includes obtaining information about the battery service stations from a positioning system of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle periodically receives information about battery service stations from the service provider over the data network. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle receives a selection of a battery service station from a user of the vehicle and transmits a request to the service provider to reserve time at the battery service station for the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, determining battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle includes: determining a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel before the battery can no longer power the electric motor of the vehicle; and selecting the battery service stations within the maximum distance from the geographic location of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the information of a respective battery service station is selected from the group consisting of: a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are occupied, a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are free, a number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are occupied, a number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are free, a location of the battery service station, and any combination of the aforementioned statuses. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for monitoring battery service stations in a vehicle-area network. A service provider periodically requests a status of a battery service station over a data network. The service provider receives the status of the battery service station over the data network and updates a database that includes information about battery service stations within the vehicle-area network with the status of the battery service station. 
     In some embodiments, the battery service station is selected from the group consisting of: a charge station that recharges the one or more batteries of the vehicle, a battery exchange station that replaces a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery, and any combination of the aforementioned battery service stations. 
     In some embodiments, the status of the battery service station is selected from the group consisting of a number of charge stations of the battery service station that are occupied, a number of charge stations of the battery service station that are free, a number of battery exchange bays of the battery service station that are occupied, a number of battery exchange bays of the battery service station that are free, a location of the battery service station, and and any combination of the aforementioned statuses. 
     In some embodiments, the service provider distributes at least a portion of the database that includes information about battery service stations to a vehicle in the vehicle-area network over the data network. 
     In some embodiments, the at least a portion of the database that includes information about battery service stations is selected based on selection criteria selected from the group consisting of: a geographic location of the vehicle, a charge level of a battery of the vehicle, and any combination of the aforementioned selection criteria. 
     In some embodiments, periodically requesting the status of the battery service station includes periodically transmitting a query to the battery service station over the data network, wherein the query requests the status of the battery service station. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for reporting a status of a battery service station in a vehicle-area network. A battery service station periodically receives a request for a status of the battery service station from a service provider over a data network. The battery service station determines the status of the battery service station and sends the status of the battery service station to the service provider over the data network. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for providing a vehicle with energy at a battery service station. A battery service station receives a status of a user&#39;s account of the vehicle from a service provider over a data network. The battery service station then determines whether the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing. If the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing, the battery service station provides the vehicle with energy at the battery service station. The battery service station then bills the user&#39;s account for the energy provided at the battery service station. 
     In some embodiments, prior to receiving the status of the user&#39;s account of the vehicle, the battery service station queries the service provider to determine the account status for the user of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, if the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is not in good standing, the battery service station provides options to the user to place the account in good standing. 
     In some embodiments, the options are selected from the group consisting of: subscribing to a monthly service plan, subscribing to a yearly service plan, subscribing to a mileage-based service plan, subscribing to an energy-consumption-based service plan, subscribing to a pay-per-use plan, and any combination of the aforementioned plans. 
     In some embodiments, the battery service station is selected from the group consisting of: a charge station that recharges the one or more batteries of the vehicle, a battery exchange station that replaces a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery, and any combination of the aforementioned battery service stations. 
     In some embodiments, determining whether the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing includes one selected from the group consisting of: determining whether a subscription associated with the account is active, determining whether a funding source associated with the account is valid, determining whether a fee for a subscription associated with the account have been paid, and any combination of the aforementioned operations. 
     In some embodiments, providing the vehicle with energy at the battery service station includes one selected from the group consisting of: providing the vehicle with energy to recharge a battery of the vehicle, and exchanging a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for providing account information associated with a vehicle to facilitate providing the vehicle with energy at a battery service station. A service provider receives a query to determine a status of an account of a user of a vehicle from a battery service station over a data network. The service provider then determines the status of the account of the user and sends the status of the account of the user to the battery service station over the data network. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for providing access to battery service stations in a vehicle-area network. A plurality of subscription options for access to battery service stations in a vehicle-area network is provided to a user of a vehicle. The vehicle includes an electric motor that drives one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the electric motor receives energy from a battery of the vehicle. Furthermore, the battery is not owned by the user of the vehicle. A selection of a subscription option is received from the user. A contract is entered with the user under terms of the subscription option selected by the user. Information about battery service stations in the vehicle-area network is provided to the user of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the plurality of subscription options include: subscribing to a monthly service plan, subscribing to a yearly service plan, subscribing to a mileage-based service plan, subscribing to an energy-consumption-based service plan, subscribing to a pay-per-use plan, and any combination of the aforementioned plans. 
     In some embodiments, access to a battery service station is provided to the user of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the user is billed for the access to the battery service station based on the contract and services provided at the battery service station. 
     In some embodiments, the battery service stations are selected from the group consisting of: charge stations that recharge the one or more batteries of the vehicle, battery exchange stations that replace a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery, and any combination of the aforementioned battery service stations. 
     In some embodiments, the user of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of: a user that has legal title to the vehicle, and a user that has legal possession of the vehicle as part of a financing agreement for the vehicle. 
     Some embodiments provide a method, a computer readable storage medium, and a system for distributing energy in a power network. Energy from one or more power plants is generated. The energy is distributed through a power network. The energy is stored in batteries of vehicles. A respective vehicle includes a respective electric motor that drives one or more wheels of the respective vehicle, wherein the respective electric motor receives energy from a respective battery of the vehicle. The energy stored in the batteries of the vehicles is extracted when energy production from the one or more power plants is below the demand placed on the power network. The energy extracted from the batteries of the vehicles is distributed to the power network. 
     In some embodiments, the one or more power plants is selected from the group consisting of: coal power plants, solar power plants, biofuel power plants, nuclear power plants, wind power plants, wave power plants, geothermal power plants, natural gas power plants, fossil fuel power plants, hydroelectric power plants, and any combination of the aforementioned power plants. 
     In some embodiments, users of vehicles are compensated for the energy extracted from the batteries of the vehicles. 
     In some embodiments, users of vehicles are charged for the energy stored in the batteries of the vehicles. 
     Some embodiments provide a vehicle that includes one or more drive wheels, an electric motor, and a battery. The electric motor is coupled to one or more drive wheels of the vehicle, wherein the electric motor is configured to drive the one or more drive wheels. The battery is electrically and mechanically attached to the vehicle, wherein the battery is configured to provide energy to drive the electric motor. In these embodiments, the battery is not owned by the user of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle is owned by a first party and the battery is owned by a second party. 
     In some embodiments, the user of the vehicle is selected from the group consisting of: a user that has legal title to the vehicle, and a user that has legal possession of the vehicle as part of a financing agreement for the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the first party is selected from the group consisting of: the user of the vehicle, a financial institution, and a service provider. 
     In some embodiments, the second party is selected from the group consisting of: a financial institution and a service provider. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle includes a communications module configured to communicate with a third party. 
     In some embodiments, the third party provides information about battery service stations to the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the owner of the communication module is selected from the group consisting of: a financial institution a service provider. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an electric vehicle network, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of a process for providing information about battery service stations to a user of a vehicle, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of another process for providing information about battery service stations to a user of a vehicle, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of another process for providing information about battery service stations to a user of a vehicle, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a process for monitoring battery service stations in a vehicle-area network, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a process for providing a vehicle with energy at a battery exchange station, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  is a flow diagram of a process for providing a vehicle with energy at a charge station, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram of a process for providing access to battery service stations in a vehicle-area network, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram of a process for distributing energy in a power network, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  is a flow diagram of a process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a service provider, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 11  is a flow diagram of a process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle, a service provider, and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  is a flow diagram of another process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a service provider, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 13  is a flow diagram of another process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle, a service provider, and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 14  is a flow diagram of another process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle, a service provider, and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 15  is a flow diagram of a process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 16  is a flow diagram of another process for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 17  is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 18  is a block diagram illustrating a service provider, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 19  is a block diagram illustrating a battery exchange station, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 20  is a block diagram illustrating a charge station, according to some embodiments. 
         FIG. 21  illustrates an exemplary user interface of a positioning system of a vehicle, according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     Like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Electric Vehicle Network 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an electric vehicle network  100 , according to some embodiments. The electric vehicle network  100  includes a vehicle  102  and a battery  104 . In some embodiments, the battery  104  includes any device capable of storing electric energy such as batteries (e.g., lithium ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, etc.), capacitors, reaction cells (e.g., Zn-air cell), etc. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  includes an electric motor  103  that drives one or more wheels of the vehicle. In these embodiments, the electric motor  103  receives energy from a battery (e.g., the battery  104 ) that is electrically and mechanically attached to the vehicle (shown separate from the vehicle for the ease of explanation). The battery  104  of the vehicle  102  may be charged at a home  130  of a user  110 . Alternatively, the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  may be charged at one or more charge stations  132 . For example, a charge station  132  may be located in a shopping center parking lot. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  can be exchanged for a charged battery at one or more battery exchange stations  134 . Thus, if a user is traveling a distance beyond the range of a single charge of the battery of the vehicle, the spent (or partially spent) battery can be exchanged for a charged battery so that the user can continue with his/her travels without waiting for the battery to be recharged. The term “battery service station” is used herein to refer to battery exchange stations, which exchange spent (or partially spent) batteries of the vehicle for charged batteries, and/or charge stations, which provide energy to charge the battery of the vehicle. Furthermore, the term “charge spot” can refer to a “charge station.” 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  includes a communication module  106 , including hardware and software, that is used to communicate with a service provider  112  of a vehicle-area network. Note that the term “vehicle-area network” is used herein to refer to a network of vehicles, batteries, battery exchange stations, charge stations, and a data network. In some embodiments, the vehicle communication module  106  is owned by the user  110  of the vehicle  102 , a financial institution  114 , and/or the service provider  112 . 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  includes a positioning system  105 . For example, the positioning system can include: a satellite positioning system, a radio tower positioning system, a Wi-Fi positioning system, and any combination of the aforementioned positioning systems. Furthermore, the positioning system  105  may include a navigation system that generates routes and/or guidance between a geographic location and a destination. 
     In some embodiments, the battery is not owned by the user  110  of the vehicle  102 . In these embodiments, the user  110  of the vehicle  102  is a user that has legal title to the vehicle or a user that has legal possession of the vehicle, such as when in possession as part of a financing agreement for the vehicle (e.g., a loan or a lease). 
       FIG. 17  is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle  1700  in accordance with some embodiments. For example, the vehicle  1700  can be the vehicle  102  in  FIG. 1 . The vehicle  1700  typically includes one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s)  1702 , one or more network or other communications interfaces  1704  (e.g., antennas, I/O interfaces, etc.), memory  1710 , a battery control unit that controls the charging of a battery of the vehicle and/or the exchanging of a partially spent battery for a charged battery, a motor control unit  1762  that manages the electric motor  103 , a positioning system  1764  (e.g., the positioning system  105  in  FIG. 1 ), a battery charge sensor that determines the status of the battery  104  as described herein, and one or more communication buses  1709  for interconnecting these components. The communication buses  1709  may include circuitry (sometimes called a chipset) that interconnects and controls communications between system components. The vehicle  1700  optionally may include a user interface  1705  comprising a display device  1706  and input devices  1708  (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch screen, etc.). Memory  1710  includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access solid state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. Memory  1710  may optionally include one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s)  1702 . Memory  1710 , or alternately the non-volatile memory device(s) within memory  1710 , comprises a computer readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory  1710  stores the following programs, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof:
         an operating system  1712  that includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks;   a communication module  1714  (e.g., the vehicle communication module  106 ) that is used for connecting the vehicle  1700  to other computers via the one or more communication network interfaces  1704  (wired or wireless) and one or more communication networks, such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and so on;   a user interface module  1716  that receives commands from the user via the input devices  1708  and generates user interface objects in the display device  1706 ;   a positioning module  1718  that determines the position of the vehicle  1700  using a positioning system as described herein, and that includes a destination  1744  that is selected by the user of the vehicle;   a battery status module  1720  that determines the status of a battery of a vehicle;   a battery control module  1722  that controls the charging of a battery of the vehicle and/or the exchanging of a partially spent battery for a charged battery, wherein the battery control module includes handshaking and encryption functions that are used during communication between the vehicle  1700  and battery service stations and/or the service provider  112 ;   an account module  1724  that manages account information for the user of the vehicle;   a database module  1726  that interfaces with database in the vehicle  1700 ;   battery status database  1740  that includes present and/or historical information about the status of the battery of the vehicle;   a geographic location database  1742  of the vehicle that stores the present location and/or historical locations and addresses;   a battery service station database  1746  that includes information about battery service stations; and   account data  1748  that includes account information for the user of the vehicle.       

     Note that the positioning system  105  (and the positioning system  1764 ), the vehicle communication module  106 , the user interface module  1716 , the positioning module  1718 , the battery status module  1720 , the battery control module  1722 , the account module  1724 , the database module  1726 , the battery status database  1740 , the geographic location database  1742 , and the battery service station database  1746  can be referred to as the “vehicle operating system.” 
     Each of the above identified elements may be stored in one or more of the previously mentioned memory devices, and corresponds to a set of instructions for performing a function described above. The set of instructions can be executed by one or more processors (e.g., the CPUs  1702 ). The above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory  1710  may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory  1710  may store additional modules and data structures not described above. 
     Note that although a single vehicle is discusses herein, the methods and systems can be applied to a plurality of vehicles. 
     In some embodiments, the service provider  112  provides information regarding battery service stations via the vehicle communication module  106 . The service provider  112  also provides access to the battery service stations to the vehicle  102 . The service provider  112  obtains information about the vehicles and/or battery service stations by sending queries through a data network  120  to the vehicle  102 , the charge station  132 , and/or the battery exchange station  134 . For example, the service provider  112  can query the vehicle  102  to determine a geographic location of the vehicle and a status of a battery of the vehicle. Similarly, the service provider  112  can query the charge station  132  (and/or the battery exchange station  134 ) to determine the status of the charge station  132  (and/or the battery exchange station  134 ). The status of a battery service station can include: a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are occupied, a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are free, an estimated time until charge completion for respective vehicles charging at respective charge stations, a number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are occupied, a number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are free, a number of charged batteries available at the respective battery service station, a number of spent batteries at the respective battery service station, types of batteries available at the respective battery service station, an estimated time until a respective spent battery is recharged, an estimated time until a respective exchange bay will become free, a location of the battery service station, and any combination of the aforementioned statuses. The service provider  112  can also send information and/or commands through the data network to the vehicle  102 , the charge station  132 , and/or the battery exchange station  134 . For example, the service provider  112  can send information about a status of an account of a user, the locations of battery service stations, and/or a status of the battery service stations. 
       FIG. 18  is a block diagram illustrating a service provider  1800  in accordance with some embodiments. For example, the service provider  1800  can be the service provider  112  in  FIG. 1 . The service provider  1800  can be a computer system of a service provider. The service provider  1800  typically includes one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s)  1802 , one or more network or other communications interfaces  1804  (e.g., antennas, I/O interfaces, etc.), memory  1810 , a positioning system  1860  that tracks the position of vehicles and battery service stations using a positioning system, and one or more communication buses  1809  for interconnecting these components. The communication buses  1809  are similar to the communication buses  1709  described above. The service provider  1800  optionally may include a user interface  1805  comprising a display device  1806  and input devices  1808  (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch screen, etc.). Memory  1810  includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access solid state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. Memory  1810  may optionally include one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s)  1802 . Memory  1810 , or alternately the non-volatile memory device(s) within memory  1810 , comprises a computer readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory  1810  stores the following programs, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof:
         an operating system  1812  that includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks;   a communication module  1814  that is used for connecting the service provider  1800  to other computing devices via the one or more communication network interfaces  1804  (wired or wireless) and one or more communication networks, such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and so on;   a user interface module  1816  that receives commands from the user via the input devices  1808  and generates user interface objects in the display device  1806 ;   a positioning module  1818  that tracks the position of vehicles and battery service stations using a positioning system as described herein;   a battery status module  1820  that determines the status of a battery of a vehicle;   a battery service station module  1822  that tracks the status of battery service stations;   an account module  1824  that manages account information for the user of the vehicle;   a database module  1826  that interfaces with database in the service provider  1800 ;   a vehicle location database  1840  that includes the present and/or historical locations of vehicles in the vehicle-area network;   a battery status database  1842  that includes the status of batteries in the vehicle-area network;   a battery service station database  1844  that includes the status of battery service stations in the vehicle-area network; and   account data  1846  that includes account information for the user of the vehicle.       

     Each of the above identified elements may be stored in one or more of the previously mentioned memory devices, and corresponds to a set of instructions for performing a function described above. The set of instructions can be executed by one or more processors (e.g., the CPUs  1802 ). The above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory  1810  may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory  1810  may store additional modules and data structures not described above. 
     In some embodiments, the battery exchange station  134  exchanges a spent (or a partially spent) battery (e.g., the battery  104 ) of a vehicle (e.g., the vehicle  102 ) with a charged battery. In these embodiments, instead of charging the battery of the vehicle, the battery is swapped-out for a fully charged battery. After extracting the battery from the vehicle, the battery exchange station  134  may recharge the partially spent battery. Thus, just as a gasoline station can quickly refill the gas tank of a gasoline-powered vehicle, the battery exchange station  134  can quickly swap-out a depleted or partially spent battery of the vehicle for a charged battery. 
       FIG. 19  is a block diagram illustrating a battery exchange station  1900  in accordance with some embodiments. For example, the battery exchange station  1900  can be the battery exchange station  134  in  FIG. 1 . The battery exchange station  1900  can be a computer system of a battery exchange station. The battery exchange station  1900  typically includes one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s)  1902 , one or more network or other communications interfaces  1904  (e.g., antennas, I/O interfaces, etc.), memory  1910 , a battery exchange unit  1960  that exchanges batteries of vehicles, a battery control unit  1962  that manages the charging of spent batteries that are extracted from vehicle, sensors  1964  that determine the status of the battery exchange station  1900 , a positioning module  1966  that determines and/or reports the position of the battery exchange station  1900 , and one or more communication buses  1909  for interconnecting these components. The communication buses  1909  are similar to the communication buses  1709  described above. The battery exchange station  1900  optionally may include a user interface  1905  comprising a display device  1906  and input devices  1908  (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch screen, etc.). Memory  1910  includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access solid state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. Memory  1910  may optionally include one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s)  1902 . Memory  1910 , or alternately the non-volatile memory device(s) within memory  1910 , comprises a computer readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory  1910  stores the following programs, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof:
         an operating system  1912  that includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks;   a communication module  1914  that is used for connecting the battery exchange station  1900  to other computers via the one or more communication network interfaces  1904  (wired or wireless) and one or more communication networks, such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and so on;   a user interface module  1916  that receives commands from the user via the input devices  1908  and generates user interface objects in the display device  1906 ;   a positioning module  1918  that determines (e.g., via a positioning system as described herein, via user input, etc.) and/or reports the position of a battery exchange station using a positioning system as described herein;   a battery status module  1920  that determines the status of batteries located at the battery exchange station;   a battery exchange module  1922  that determines and reports the status of the battery exchange station  1900  and performs operations related to exchange batteries of vehicles as described herein;   an account module  1924  that manages account information of users of vehicles;   a database module  1926  that interfaces with database in the battery exchange station  1900 ;   a battery status database  1940  that includes the status of batteries in the battery exchange station;   a battery exchange database  1942  that includes the status of batteries and/or battery exchange bays in the battery exchange station; and   account data  1944  that includes account information of users of vehicles.       

     Each of the above identified elements may be stored in one or more of the previously mentioned memory devices, and corresponds to a set of instructions for performing a function described above. The set of instructions can be executed by one or more processors (e.g., the CPUs  1902 ). The above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory  1910  may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory  1910  may store additional modules and data structures not described above. 
     In some embodiments, the charge station  132  provides energy to the vehicle to charge the battery  104  of the vehicle  102 . Charge stations can be placed at locations where vehicles may be parked. For example, the charge stations can be located in a parking lots and/or street parking spots. In some embodiments, a charge station can be located at a home of a user (e.g., the home  130 ). In some embodiments, the charge station  132  may charge the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  at different rates. For example, the charge station  132  may charge the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  using a quick-charge mode or a trickle charge mode. 
       FIG. 20  is a block diagram illustrating a charge station  2000  in accordance with some embodiments. For example, the charge station  2000  can be the charge station  132  in  FIG. 1 . The charge station  2000  can be a computer system of a charge station. The charge station  2000  typically includes one or more processing units (CPU&#39;s)  2002 , one or more network or other communications interfaces  2004  (e.g., antennas, I/O interfaces, etc.), memory  2010 , a positioning system  2060  that determines and/or reports the position of the charge station  2000 , a battery control unit  2062  that charges batteries at the charge station  2000 , sensors  2064  that determine the status of the charge station  2000 , and one or more communication buses  2009  for interconnecting these components. The communication buses  2009  are similar to the communication buses  1709  described above. The charge station  2000  optionally may include a user interface  2005  comprising a display device  2006  and input devices  2008  (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch screen, etc.). Memory  2010  includes high-speed random access memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM or other random access solid state memory devices; and may include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storage devices. Memory  2010  may optionally include one or more storage devices remotely located from the CPU(s)  2002 . Memory  2010 , or alternately the non-volatile memory device(s) within memory  2010 , comprises a computer readable storage medium. In some embodiments, memory  2010  stores the following programs, modules and data structures, or a subset thereof:
         an operating system  2012  that includes procedures for handling various basic system services and for performing hardware dependent tasks;   a communication module  2014  that is used for connecting the charge station  2000  to other computers via the one or more communication network interfaces  2004  (wired or wireless) and one or more communication networks, such as the Internet, other wide area networks, local area networks, metropolitan area networks, and so on;   a user interface module  2016  that receives commands from the user via the input devices  2008  and generates user interface objects in the display device  2006 ;   a positioning module  2018  that determines (e.g., via a positioning system as described herein, via user input, etc.) and/or reports the position of a battery exchange station using a positioning system as described herein;   a battery control module  2020  that determines and reports the status of the charge station  2000  and that performs operations related to charging batteries at a charge station as described herein; and   an account module  2022  that manages account information of users of vehicles.       

     Each of the above identified elements may be stored in one or more of the previously mentioned memory devices, and corresponds to a set of instructions for performing a function described above. The set of instructions can be executed by one or more processors (e.g., the CPUs  2002 ). The above identified modules or programs (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory  2010  may store a subset of the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore, memory  2010  may store additional modules and data structures not described above. 
     Although  FIGS. 17-20  each show a respective computer system,  FIGS. 17-20  are intended more as functional description of the various features which may be present in a set of computer systems than as a structural schematic of the embodiments described herein. In practice, and as recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, items shown separately could be combined and some items could be separated. For example, some items shown separately in  FIGS. 17-20  could be implemented on single computer systems and single items could be implemented by one or more computer systems. The actual number of computer systems used to implement a respective computer system and how features are allocated among them will vary from one implementation to another, and may depend in part on the amount of data traffic that the system must handle during peak usage periods as well as during average usage periods. 
     The electric vehicle network  100  shown in  FIG. 1  also includes the data network  120  and a power network  140 . 
     The data network  120  may include any type of wired or wireless communication network capable of coupling together computing nodes. This includes, but is not limited to, a local area network, a wide area network, or a combination of networks. In some embodiments, the data network  120  is a wireless data network including: a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, a WiMAX network, an EDGE network, a GPRS network, an EV-DO network, an RTT network, a HSPA network, a UTMS network, a Flash-OFDM network, an iBurst network, and any combination of the aforementioned networks. In some embodiments, the data network  120  includes the Internet. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the data network  120  is coupled to the vehicle  102 , the service provider  112 , the charge station  132 , and the battery exchange station  134 . Note that for the sake of clarity, only one vehicle, one battery, one charge station and one battery exchange station is illustrated, but the electric vehicle network  100  may include any number of vehicles, batteries, charge stations, and/or battery exchange stations, etc. Furthermore, the electric vehicle network  100  may include zero or more charge stations and/or battery exchange stations. For example, the electric vehicle network  100  may only include charge stations. On the other hand, the electric vehicle network  100  may only include battery exchange stations. In some embodiments, any of the vehicle  102 , the service provider  112 , the charge station  132 , and/or the battery exchange station  134  includes a communication module that can be used to communicate with each other through the data network  120 . 
     The power network  140  can include power generators  156 , power transmission lines, power substations, transformers, etc., which facilitate the generation and transmission. The power generators  156  may include any type of energy generation plants, such as wind-powered plants  150 , fossil-fuel powered plants  152 , solar powered plants  154 , biofuel powered plants, nuclear powered plants, wave powered plants, geothermal powered plants, natural gas powered plants, hydroelectric powered plants, and a combination of the aforementioned power plants or the like. The energy generated by the one or more power generators  156  may be distributed through the power network  140  to homes  130 , charge stations  132 , and/or battery exchange stations  134 . The power network  140  can also include batteries such as the battery  104  of the vehicle  102 , batteries at battery exchange stations, and/or batteries that are not associated with vehicles. Thus, energy generated by the power generators  156  can be stored in these batteries and extracted when energy demand exceed energy generation. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a number of relationships exist between the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , the user  110 , the service provider  112 , the financial institution  114 , and the power network  140 . In some embodiments, the financial institution  114  may own the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and/or a vehicle-area network. In some embodiments, the service provider  112  owns the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and/or the vehicle-area network. In some embodiments, the user  110  owns the vehicle  102 , but does not own the battery  104 . In some embodiments, the user  110  owns both the vehicle  102  and the battery  104 . In some embodiments, the user does not own either the battery  104  or the vehicle  102 . In these embodiments, the user can lease/rent the vehicle from the service provider  112  and/or the financial institution  114 . These relationships are described in more detail below with respect to  FIGS. 10-16 . 
     Providing Information about Battery Service Stations 
     In the methods described in  FIGS. 2-16 , the respective methods may be governed by instructions that are stored in a computer readable storage medium and that are executed by one or more processors of one or more computer systems. Each of the operations shown in  FIGS. 2-16 , respectively, may correspond to instructions stored in a computer memory or computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium may include a magnetic or optical disk storage device, solid state storage devices such as Flash memory, or other non-volatile memory device or devices. The computer readable instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium are in source code, assembly language code, object code, or other instruction format that is interpreted by one or more processors. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart representing a method  200  for providing information about battery service stations to a user of a vehicle, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the method  200  is performed at the vehicle. The method  200  begins when the battery status module  1720  of the vehicle determines ( 202 ) a status of a battery of the vehicle. In some embodiments, determining the status of the battery of the vehicle includes determining a charge level of the battery, determining an age of the battery, determining the number of charge/discharge cycles of the battery, and a combination of the aforementioned operations. In some embodiments, the vehicle periodically transmits ( 216 ) the status of the battery of the vehicle to a service provider over a data network. 
     The positioning module  1718  of the vehicle then determines ( 204 ) a geographic location of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the positioning system includes: a satellite positioning system, a radio tower positioning system, a Wi-Fi positioning system, and any combination of the aforementioned positioning systems. In some embodiments, the vehicle periodically transmits ( 218 ) the geographic location of the vehicle to a service provider over a data network. 
     The user interface module  1716  of the vehicle then displays ( 206 ) the geographic location of the vehicle relative to battery service stations on a map in the user interface  1705  of the positioning system  1764  of the vehicle. As mentioned above, the battery service stations include: charge stations that recharge the one or more batteries of the vehicle, battery exchange stations that replace a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery, and any combination of the aforementioned battery service stations. For example,  FIG. 21  illustrates an exemplary user interface  2100  of the positioning system  1764  of the vehicle  102 , according to some embodiments. As illustrated in  FIG. 21 , a highlighted area  2102  indicates an area that the vehicle  102  can reach based on the charge status of the battery  104 . The shaded area  2106  indicates areas which the vehicle  102  cannot reach based on the charge status of the battery  104 . A number of charge stations  132  and battery exchange stations  2108  are displayed in the user interface  2100 . 
     The positioning module  1718  in the vehicle identifies ( 208 ) the battery service stations that the vehicle can reach based on the status of the battery of the vehicle and the geographic location of the vehicle. In some embodiments, identifying the battery service stations that the vehicle can reach based on the status of the battery of the vehicle includes: determining ( 212 ) a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel before the battery can no longer power the electric motor of the vehicle and determining ( 214 ) the battery service stations that are within the maximum distance from the geographic location of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the maximum distance includes a specified safety factor (e.g., a 20% margin is added to the maximum distance). In some embodiments, the battery service stations are identified by a service provider and/or the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the positioning system notifies the user of the battery service stations that the vehicle can reach. For example, the user interface  1705  of the positioning system  1764  in the vehicle may display ( 210 ) the battery service stations that the vehicle can reach on the map. 
     In some embodiments, the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle determines ( 224 ) a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel before the battery can no longer power the electric motor of the vehicle and displays ( 226 ) an area of the map that is within the maximum distance of the geographic location of the vehicle. For example, the area that the vehicle can reach can be highlighted, circled, etc. Alternatively or in addition, the area that the vehicle cannot reach may be shaded. 
     The user of the vehicle may then select a particular battery service station from those displayed to have the battery of the vehicle recharged or exchanged. Thus, in some embodiments, the vehicle receives ( 220 ) a selection of a battery service station from a user of the vehicle and reserves ( 222 ) time at the battery service station for the vehicle. The positioning module  1718  of the vehicle may then generate a route from the geographic location of the vehicle to the selected battery service station. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle periodically receives ( 228 ) the status of the one or more battery service stations from the service provider over the data network. The status of a respective battery service station can include: a number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are occupied, the number of charge stations of the respective battery service station that are available or free, an estimated time until charge completion for respective vehicles charging at respective charge stations, the number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are occupied, the number of battery exchange bays of the respective battery service station that are unoccupied or free, the number of charged batteries available at the respective battery service station, whether a suitable/compatible battery is available at the respective battery service station, an estimated time until a respective spent battery is recharged, an estimated time until a respective exchange bay will become free, a location of the battery service station, and any combination of the aforementioned statuses. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart representing a method  300  for providing information about battery service stations to a user of the vehicle  102 , according to some embodiments. The method  300  begins when the service provider  112  receives ( 314 ) a status of a battery of the vehicle  102  and a geographic location of the vehicle  102  from the vehicle  102  over the data network  120 . 
     In some embodiments, prior to receiving the status of the battery of the vehicle  102  and the geographic location of the vehicle  102  from the vehicle  102  over the data network  120 , the service provider  112  requests ( 306 ) the status of the battery of the vehicle  102  and/or the geographic location from the vehicle  102  over the data network  120 . The vehicle  102  receives ( 308 ) the request for the status of the battery and/or the geographic location of the vehicle  102 . The battery status module  1720  of the vehicle  102  then determines ( 310 ) the status of the battery and/or the positioning module  1718  determines the geographic location of the vehicle (e.g., using the positioning systems described above). The vehicle  102  then sends ( 312 ) the status of the battery and/or the geographic location of the vehicle  102  to the service provider  112 . 
     In some embodiments, the battery status module  1820  of the service provider  112  updates ( 316 ) the battery status database  1842 , which includes information about the status of batteries, with the status of the battery and/or the positioning module  1818  of the service provider  112  updates the vehicle location database  1840 , which includes the geographic locations of vehicles within a vehicle-area network, with the geographic location of the vehicle  102 . 
     The battery status module  1820  of the service provider  112  then determines from the status of the battery that the battery needs to be recharged. For example, the battery status module  1820  of the service provider  112  can determine ( 318 ) whether a charge level of the battery is below a specified threshold. If the battery does not need to be recharged ( 320 , No), the service provider  112  waits ( 342 ) a specified time period before the method returns to step  306 . If the battery needs to be recharged ( 320 , Yes), the positioning module  1818  of the service provider  112  determines ( 322 ) suitable battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle  102 . In some embodiments, determining battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle includes: determining a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel before the battery can no longer power the electric motor of the vehicle, and selecting the battery service stations within the maximum distance from the geographic location of the vehicle. 
     The service provider  112  then transmits ( 324 ) information about the battery service stations to the vehicle  102  over the data network  120 . In some embodiments, the service provider  112  periodically transmits information about battery service stations to the vehicle  102  over the data network  120 . The vehicle  102  receives ( 326 ) the information about the battery service stations from the service provider  112  and displays ( 328 ) the information about the battery service stations to the user on the user interface  1705  of the positioning system  1764 . In some embodiments, the information about the battery service stations is displayed on a map in a user interface  1705  of the positioning system  1764  of the vehicle  102 . 
     The vehicle  102  can then receive ( 330 ) a selection of a battery service station from the user of the vehicle  102 . The vehicle  102  transmits ( 332 ) a request to the service provider  112  to reserve time at the battery service station for the vehicle  102 . The service provider  112  receives ( 334 ) a selection of a battery service station from the user of the vehicle  102  over the data network and reserves ( 336 ) a time slot or time at the battery service station for the vehicle  102 . 
     The vehicle  102  then generates ( 338 ) a route to the selected battery service station and displays ( 340 ) the route to the user. In some embodiments, the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102  guides the user to the selected battery service station. For example, visual and/or audio route guidance can be provided by the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart representing a method  400  for providing information about battery service stations to a user of a vehicle, according to some embodiments. The method  400  begins when the battery status module  1720  of the vehicle  102  determines ( 406 ) a status of a battery of the vehicle and the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102  determines a geographic location of the vehicle. 
     The battery status module  1720  of the vehicle  102  then determines from the status of the battery that the battery needs to be recharged. For example, the battery status module  1720  of the vehicle  102  can determine ( 408 ) whether a charge level of the battery is below a specified threshold. If the battery does not need to be recharged ( 410 , No), the vehicle  102  waits a specified time period ( 412 ) before the method  400  returns to step  406 . If the battery needs to be recharged ( 410 , Yes), the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102  determines ( 414 ) battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle  102 . In some embodiments, determining battery service stations based at least in part on the status of the battery and the geographic location of the vehicle includes: determining a maximum distance that the vehicle can travel before the battery can no longer power the electric motor of the vehicle, and selecting the battery service stations within the maximum distance from the geographic location of the vehicle. 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  obtains ( 416  and  432 ) information about the battery service stations at least in part from the service provider  112  over the data network  120 . In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  periodically receives information about battery service stations from the service provider  112  over the data network  120 . In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  also obtains information about the battery service stations from the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102 . The vehicle  102  displays ( 418 ) the information about the battery service stations on a map in the user interface  1705  of the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102 . 
     In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  then receives ( 420 ) a selection of a battery service station from the user of the vehicle  102  and transmit ( 422 ) a request to the service provider  112  to reserve ( 422 ) a time slot or time at the battery service station for the vehicle. The service provider  112  receives ( 424 ) the request to reserve time at the battery service station for the vehicle  102  and reserves ( 426 ) time at the battery service station for the vehicle  102 . 
     The positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102  may generate ( 428 ) a route to the selected battery service station and displays ( 430 ) the route to the user on the user interface  1705  of the positioning system  1764  of the vehicle  102 . In some embodiments, the vehicle  102  guides the user to the selected battery service station. For example, visual and/or audio route guidance can be provided by the positioning module  1718  of the vehicle  102 . 
     Monitoring Battery Service Stations 
     In order to provide information about battery service stations to vehicles in a vehicle-area network, some embodiments monitor the status of battery service stations. The method  500  begins when the battery service station module  1822  of the service provider  112  periodically requests ( 508 ) a status of a battery service station over the data network  120 . In some embodiments, periodically requesting the status of the battery service station includes periodically transmitting a query to the battery service station over the data network, wherein the query requests the status of the battery service station. The battery service station periodically receives ( 510 ) the request for the status of the battery service station and determines ( 512 ) the status of the battery service station. For example, the battery exchange module  1922  can determine the status of the battery exchange station  134 . Similarly, the battery control module  2020  can determine the status of the charge station  132 . The battery service station then sends ( 514 ) the status of the battery service station  514  to the service provider  112 . In some embodiments, the battery service station may periodically send the status of the battery service station without a request from the service provider  112 . 
     The service provider  112  receives ( 516 ) the status of the battery service station over the data network  120  and updates ( 518 ) the battery status database  1842  that includes information about battery service stations within the vehicle-area network with the status of the battery service station. 
     In some embodiments, the service provider  112  distributes ( 520 ) at least a portion of the battery service station database  1844  database that includes information about battery service stations to the vehicle  102  in the vehicle-area network over the data network  120 . In some embodiments, the at least a portion of the database that includes information about battery service stations is selected based on: a geographic location of the vehicle, a charge level of a battery of the vehicle, and any combination of the aforementioned selection criteria. Furthermore, the service provider  112  may distribute ( 522 ) the whole battery service station database  1844  or only new or updated information. The vehicle  102  receives ( 522 ) the at least a portion of the battery service station database  1844 . 
     Providing Energy to Vehicles at a Battery Service Station 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart representing a method  600  for providing a vehicle with energy at a battery exchange station, according to some embodiments. The method  600  begins when the vehicle  102  requests ( 608 ) a charged battery from a battery exchange station  134 . The battery exchange station  134  receives ( 610 ) the request for a charged battery and queries ( 612 ) a service provider  602  to determine an account status of the user  110  of the vehicle  102 . The service provider  112  receives ( 614 ) the query to determine the account status of the user  110  of the vehicle  102  and the account module  1824  of the service provider  112  determines ( 616 ) the account status of the user  110  of the vehicle  102 . The service provider  112  then sends ( 618 ) the account status to the battery exchange station  134 . 
     The battery exchange station  134  receives ( 620 ) the status of the account of the user  110  of the vehicle  102  from the service provider  112  over the data network  120 . The account module  1924  of the battery exchange station  134  then determines ( 622 ) whether the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing. In some embodiments, determining whether the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing includes: determining whether a subscription associated with the account is active, determining whether a funding source associated with the account is valid, determining whether a fee for a subscription associated with the account have been, and any combination of the aforementioned operations. 
     If the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing ( 624 , Yes), the battery control module  1722  of the vehicle  102  releases ( 628 ) the partially spent battery from the vehicle  102  and the battery exchange module  1922  of the battery exchange station  134  extracts ( 626 ) the partially spent battery from the vehicle  102 . The battery exchange module  1922  of the battery exchange station  134  installs ( 630  and  632 ) a charged battery in the vehicle  102  and the account module  1924  of the battery exchange station  134  bills ( 630 ) the user&#39;s account for the service provided at the battery exchange station  604 . In some embodiments, when released from the vehicle  102 , the battery  104  is located on an adapter that includes an interfacing face to the battery exchange unit  1960  and an interfacing face to the battery  104 . The face interfacing the battery  104  may be unique per battery pack type. The face interfacing the battery exchange unit  1960  devices may be common to all adapters. 
     If the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is not in good standing ( 624 , No), the battery exchange station  134  provides ( 634 ) options to the user to place the account in good standing and the method returns to step  612 . In some embodiments, the options include: subscribing to a monthly service plan, subscribing to a yearly service plan, subscribing to a mileage-based service plan, subscribing to an energy-consumption-based service plan, subscribing to a pay-per-use plan, and any combination of the aforementioned plans. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart representing a method  700  for providing a vehicle with energy at a battery service station, according to some embodiments. The method  700  begins when a vehicle  102  requests ( 708 ) energy from a charge station  132 . The charge station  132  receives ( 710 ) the request for energy and the account module  2022  of the charge station  132  queries ( 712 ) the service provider  112  to determine an account status of the user of the vehicle. The service provider  112  receives ( 714 ) the query to determine the account status of the user  110  of the vehicle  102  and the account module  1824  of the service provider  112  determines ( 716 ) the account status of the user of the vehicle. The service provider  112  then sends ( 718 ) the account status to the charge station  132 . 
     The charge station  132  receives ( 720 ) the status of the user&#39;s account of the vehicle  102  from the service provider  112  over the data network  120 . The account module  2022  of the charge station  132  then determines ( 722 ) whether the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing. In some embodiments, determining whether the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing includes: determining whether a subscription associated with the account is active, determining whether a funding source associated with the account is valid, determining whether a fee for a subscription associated with the account have been, and any combination of the aforementioned operations. 
     If the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is in good standing ( 724 , Yes), the battery control module  2020  of the charge station  132  provides ( 726  and  728 ) energy to the vehicle  102  and bills ( 726 ) the user&#39;s account for the service provided at the charge station  132 . 
     If the status of the account indicates that the user&#39;s account is not in good standing ( 724 , No), the charge station  132  provides ( 730 ) options to the user to place the account in good standing and the method returns to step  712 . In some embodiments, the options include: subscribing to a monthly service plan, subscribing to a yearly service plan, subscribing to a mileage-based service plan, subscribing to an energy-consumption-based service plan, subscribing to a pay-per-use plan, and any combination of the aforementioned plans. 
     Note that “providing the vehicle with energy” can refer to recharging a battery of a vehicle and/or exchanging a spent battery of the vehicle with a charged battery. 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart representing a method  800  for providing access to battery service stations in a vehicle-area network, according to some embodiments. The method  800  begins when a plurality of subscription options for access to battery service stations in a vehicle-area network is provided ( 802 ) to the user  110  of the vehicle  102 . In some embodiments, the plurality of subscription options include: subscribing to a monthly service plan, subscribing to a yearly service plan, subscribing to a mileage-based service plan, subscribing to an energy-consumption-based service plan, subscribing to a pay-per-use plan, and any combination of the aforementioned plans. 
     A selection of a subscription option is then received ( 804 ) from the user  110 . A contract with the user  110  is entered ( 806 ) under terms of the subscription option selected by the user  110 . Information about battery service stations in the vehicle-area network is provided ( 808 ) to the user  110  of the vehicle  102 . 
     The user  110  of the vehicle  102  can then be provided ( 810 ) with access to a battery service station. The user is then billed ( 812 ) for the access to the battery service station based on the contract and services provided at the battery service station. 
     Distributing Energy in a Power Network 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart representing a method  900  for distributing energy in a power network, according to some embodiments. The method  900  begins when the power generators  156  generate ( 908 ) energy from one or more power plants. 
     The energy is then distributed ( 910 ) through the power network  140 . The vehicle  102  may then receive ( 912 ) the energy from the power network  140 . The vehicle  102  charges ( 914 ) the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  using the energy. In doing so, the vehicle  102  stores energy in the battery  104  of the vehicle  102 . In some embodiments, the user  110  of the vehicle  102  is charged for the energy stored in the battery  104  of the vehicle  102 . 
     The vehicle  102  provides ( 916 ) energy stored in the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  when energy production from the one or more power plants is below the demand placed on the power network and provides ( 918 ) the energy extracted from the battery to the power network  140 . The energy extracted from the battery  104  of the vehicle  102  (or in some embodiments, batteries of a plurality of vehicles) is then distributed ( 920 ) to the power network  140 . In some embodiments, the user  110  of the vehicle  102  is compensated ( 922 ) for the energy extracted from the battery  104  of the vehicle  102 . 
     Note that the process described in  FIG. 9  can also be applied to batteries that are located at battery exchange stations and/or batteries not associated with vehicles. 
     Relationships Between Users, Service Providers, and Financial Institutions 
       FIGS. 10-16  describe a number of relationships between users, service providers, and financial institutions, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the financial institution can take on the role and/or the services provided by the service provider as described above, or vice versa. In some embodiments, a financial institution owns the battery service stations and/or the vehicle-area network. In some embodiments, a service provider owns the battery service stations and/or the vehicle-area network. 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart representing a method  1000  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a service provider, according to some embodiments. The method  1000  begins when the user  110  enters ( 1006  and  1008 ) into a contract with the service provider  112  to obtain the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and/or access to vehicle-area network services. The service provider  112  provides ( 1010 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1012 ) the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and/or access to the vehicle-area network services. Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 10 , the service provider  112  owns the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  110  can then periodically request ( 1014 ), and the service provider  112  can periodically provide ( 1016 ), the vehicle-area network services. 
       FIG. 11  is a flowchart representing a method  1100  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle, a service provider, and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. The method  1100  begins when the user  110  enters ( 1108  and  1110 ) into a contract with the financial institution  114  to finance the vehicle  102  and the battery  104 . For example, the financing can include a loan or a lease. The financial institution  114  provides ( 1112 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1114 ) financing for the vehicle  102  and the battery  104 . 
     In some embodiments, the financial institution  114  provides ( 1118 ) and the user  110  obtains ( 1116 ) the vehicle  102  and the battery  104 . Alternatively, the user  110  can obtain the vehicle  102  and the battery  104  from a third party (e.g., a car dealer). 
     The user  110  enters into a contract with the service provider  112  to obtain ( 1120  and  1122 ) access to vehicle-area network services. The service provider  112  then provides ( 1124 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1126 ) access to the vehicle-area network services. 
     Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 11 , the financial institution  114  owns the vehicle  102  and the battery  104 , and the service provider  112  owns the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  110  can then periodically request ( 1128 ) and the service provider  112  can periodically provide ( 1130 ) access to the vehicle-area network services. 
       FIG. 12  is a flowchart representing a method  1200  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a service provider, according to some embodiments. The method  1200  begins when the user  110  obtains ( 1208 ) the vehicle  102 . For example, the user  110  can obtain the vehicle  102  from a third party (e.g., a car dealer). The user  110  enters ( 1210  and  1212 ) into a contract with the service provider  112  to obtain the battery  104  and/or access to vehicle-area network services. The service provider  112  provides ( 1214 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1216 ) the battery  104  and/or access to the vehicle-area network services. 
     Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 12 , the user  110  owns the vehicle  102  and the service provider owns the battery  104  and the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  110  can then periodically request ( 1218 ) and the service provider  112  can periodically provide ( 1220 ) the vehicle-area network services. 
       FIG. 13  is a flowchart representing a method  1300  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle, a service provider, and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. The method  1300  begins when the user  110  obtains ( 1308 ) a vehicle. For example, the user  110  can obtain a vehicle from a third party (e.g., a car dealer). The user  110  enters ( 1310  and  1312 ) into a contract with the financial institution  114  to finance the battery  104 . For example, the financing can include a loan or a lease. The financial institution  114  provides ( 1314 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1316 ) financing for the battery. 
     In some embodiments, the financial institution  114  provides ( 1320 ) and the user  110  obtains ( 1320 ) the battery  104 . Alternatively, the user  110  can obtain the battery from a third party. 
     The user  110  enters ( 1322  and  1324 ) into a contract with the service provider  112  to obtain access to vehicle-area network services. The service provider  112  provides ( 1424 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1326 ) access to the vehicle-area network services. 
     Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 13 , the user  110  owns the vehicle  102 , the financial institution  114  owns the battery  104 , and the service provider  112  owns the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  1302  can then periodically request and the service provider  1304  can periodically provide access to the vehicle-area network services ( 1330  and  1332 ). 
       FIG. 14  is a flowchart representing a method  1400  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle, a service provider, and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. The method  1400  begins when the user  110  enters ( 1408  and  1410 ) into a contract with the financial institution  114  to finance the vehicle  102 . For example, the financing can include a loan or a lease. The financial institution  114  provides ( 1412 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1414 ) financing for the vehicle  102 . 
     In some embodiments, the financial institution  114  provides ( 1418 ) and the user  110  obtains ( 1416 ) the vehicle. Alternatively, the user  110  can obtain the vehicle  102  from a third party. 
     The user  110  enters ( 1420  and  1422 ) into a contract with the service provider  112  to obtain a battery and access to vehicle-area network services. The service provider  112  provides ( 1424 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1426 ) the battery  104  and access to the vehicle-area network services. 
     Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 14 , the financial institution  114  owns the vehicle  102 , the service provider  112  owns the battery  104  and the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  110  can then periodically request ( 1428 ) and the service provider  112  can periodically provide ( 1430 ) access to the vehicle-area network services. 
       FIG. 15  is a flowchart representing a method  1500  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. The method  1500  begins when the user  110  enters ( 1508  and  1510 ) into a contract with the financial institution  114  to obtain the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and/or access to vehicle-area network services. The financial institution  114  provides ( 1512 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1514 ) the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and/or access to the vehicle-area network services. 
     Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 15 , the financial institution  114  owns the vehicle  102 , the battery  104 , and the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  110  can then periodically request ( 1514 ) and the financial institution  114  can periodically provide ( 1516 ) the vehicle-area network services. 
       FIG. 16  is a flowchart representing a method  1600  for establishing a relationship between a user of a vehicle and a financial institution, according to some embodiments. The method  1600  begins when the user  110  obtains ( 1608 ) the vehicle  102 . For example, the user  110  can obtain the vehicle  102  from a third party (e.g., a car dealer). The user  110  enters ( 1610  and  1612 ) into a contract with the financial institution  114  to obtain the battery  104  and/or access to vehicle-area network services. The financial institution  114  provides ( 1614 ) and the user  110  receives ( 1616 ) the battery  104  and/or access to the vehicle-area network services. 
     Thus, in the relationship described in  FIG. 16 , the user  110  owns the vehicle  102  and the financial institution  114  owns the battery  104  and the vehicle-area network services. 
     The user  110  can then periodically request ( 1618 ) and the financial institution  114  can periodically provide ( 1620 ) the vehicle-area network services. 
     Each of the methods described herein may be governed by instructions that are stored in a computer readable storage medium and that are executed by one or more processors of one or more computer system. Each of the operations shown in  FIGS. 2-16  may correspond to instructions stored in a computer memory or computer readable storage medium. 
     The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.