1. A battery-based grid energy storage for balancing the load of a power grid comprises:
a battery array;
a bi-directional inverter system configured to charge the battery array using power from the power grid, or conversely, to transmit power from the battery array to the power grid;
a monitor system configured to detect the load, frequency and phase of the power grid, and control the bi-directional inverter system to charge the battery array using power from the power grid, or conversely, transmit power from the battery array to the power grid in accordance with the frequency and phase of the power grid.
2. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1 further comprises a transformer, wherein
the transformer is configured to transform high voltage electric power of the power grid into low voltage electric power, wherein the low voltage electric power is supplied to the bi-directional inverter system to charge the battery array; and
the transformer is configured to transform low voltage electric power of the bi-directional inverter system into high voltage electric power, wherein the high voltage electric power is transmitted to the power grid.
3. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system performs the following steps in an averaging mode:
controlling the bi-directional inverter system to discharge the battery array when the present time is in a discharging time period;
controlling the bi-directional inverter system to charge the battery array when the present time is in a charging time period; and
switching the bi-directional inverter system to a stand-by mode before entering the next time period, when the battery array completes discharging before the discharging time period ends, or when the battery array completes charging before the charging time period ends.
4. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system performs the following steps in a peak value cutting mode:
detecting the load in the power grid;
controlling the bi-directional inverter system to discharge the battery array when the present time is in a discharging time period, and the load of the power grid is above a predefined discharging threshold;
controlling the bi-directional inverter system to charge the battery array when the present time is in a charging time period, and the load of the power grid is below a predefined charging threshold;
switching the bi-directional inverter system to a stand-by mode before entering next time period, when the battery array completes discharging before the discharging time period ends, or when the battery array completes charging before the charging time period ends.
5. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 4, wherein the predefined discharging threshold is 80% of the power grid capacity, and the predefined charging threshold is 60% of the power grid capacity.
6. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 5, wherein the discharging time period and charging time period are determined by factors including at least a unit price of the electric power, wherein
a time period is set to be the discharging time period when the unit price of the electric power of the time period is higher than a predefined value; and
a time period is set to be the charging time period when the unit price of the electric power of the time period is lower than a predefined value.
7. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 3, wherein the discharging time period and charging time period are determined by factors including at least a unit price of the electric power, wherein
a time period is set to be the discharging time period when the unit price of the electric power of the time period is higher than a predefined value; and
a time period is set to be the charging time period when the unit price of the electric power of the time period is lower than a predefined value.
8. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 4, wherein the discharging time period and charging time period are determined by factors including at least a unit price of the electric power, wherein
a time period is set to be the discharging time period when the unit price of the electric power of the time period is higher than a predefined value; and
a time period is set to be the charging time period when the unit price of the electric power of the time period is lower than a predefined value.
9. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system performs the following step in a compulsory charging mode:
controlling the bi-directional inverter system to charge the battery array until charging completes or it switches to a different mode.
10. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system performs the following step in a compulsory discharging mode:
controlling the bi-directional inverter system to discharge the battery array until discharging completes or it switches to a different mode.
11. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, further comprises an electric and relay protection system, wherein the electric and relay protection system is used to protect the transformer.
12. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 2, further comprises an electric and relay protection system, wherein the electric and relay protection system is used to protect the transformer.
13. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system further detects the electric energy storage level of the battery array, and controls the bi-directional inverter system based on the detected electric energy storage level so as to keep the battery array within a predetermined electric energy storage range.
14. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 2, wherein the monitor system further detects the electric energy storage level of the battery array, and controls the bi-directional inverter system based on the detected electric energy storage level so as to keep the battery array within a predetermined electric energy storage range.
15. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system further detects the temperature of the battery array, and controls the bi-directional inverter system based on the detected temperature so as to keep the battery array within a predetermined temperature range.
16. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 2, wherein the monitor system further detects the temperature of the battery array, and controls the bi-directional inverter system based on the detected temperature so as to keep the battery array within a predetermined temperature range.
17. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system further detects the load of the power grid, and adjusts the charging power of the battery array based on to the detected load of the power grid to protect the power grid from overload.
18. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 2, wherein the monitor system further detects the load of the power grid, and adjusts the charging power of the battery array based on to the detected load of the power grid to protect the power grid from overload.
19. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 1, wherein the monitor system further detects the load of the power grid, and adjusts the discharging power of the battery array based on the detected load of the power grid such that the power grid after receiving the electric power from the battery array does not exceed its capacity.
20. The battery-based grid energy storage in claim 2, wherein the monitor system further detects the load of the power grid, and adjusts the discharging power of the battery array based on the detected load of the power grid such that the power grid after receiving the electric power from the battery array does not exceed its capacity.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A toothbrush, comprising:
a body with a speaker, the bottom of the body configured to rest against a support surface when the toothbrush is oriented in a standing position; and
the speaker configured to output an audio signal through an opening on the body of the toothbrush, the speaker and the opening are angled at an acute angle relative to the support surface and with respect to the bottom of the body to prevent water from contacting the speaker when the toothbrush is in the standing position.
2. The toothbrush of claim 1, comprising wherein the speaker is located adjacent to the bottom of the body.
3. A toothbrush, comprising:
a body configured to store an audio component, the audio component configured to be removably housed within a cavity of the body; and
the audio component configured to operate as a microphone to receive an audio signal in a first mode of operation and to operate as a speaker to output the audio signal through the body of the toothbrush in a second mode of operation.
4. The toothbrush of claim 3, further comprising:
a memory configured to store the audio signal, the memory being located within the body of the toothbrush.
5. The toothbrush of claim 3, further comprising an operation mode button configured to activate a processor to change operation of the audio component between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.
6. A toothbrush, comprising:
a storage unit including an output for transmitting a stored audio signal and a power source, wherein the storage unit is configured to be removably housed within a cavity of a body;
an oral care region attached to the body, a portion of the body being configured for gripping by a user, the oral care region including tooth cleaning elements configured to move when powered by the power source; and
a single operation mode button configured to change a mode of operation of the toothbrush,
wherein in a first mode of operation, the tooth cleaning elements are powered by the power supply and the stored audio signal is transmitted through the output,
wherein in a second mode of operation, the tooth cleaning elements are not powered and the stored audio signal is transmitted through the output.
7. The toothbrush of claim 6, wherein the single operation mode button is configured to change the mode of operation of the toothbrush based upon how long the single operation mode button is depressed.
8. The toothbrush of claim 6, wherein the single operation mode button is configured to change the mode of operation of the toothbrush based upon how many times the single operation mode button is depressed.
9. The toothbrush of claim 6, the single operation mode button including a plurality of depressible locations, wherein the single operation mode button is configured to change the mode of operation of the toothbrush based upon a location of depression on the single operation mode button of the plurality of depressible locations.
10. The toothbrush of claim 9, wherein depression of the single operation mode button at a first location of the plurality of depressible locations operates the toothbrush in the first mode of operation, and depression of the single operation mode button at a second location of the plurality of depressible locations operates the toothbrush in the second mode of operation, the first and second locations being different.
11. The toothbrush of claim 6, wherein in a third mode of operation, the tooth cleaning elements are powered by the power supply and the stored audio signal is not transmitted through the output.