Charging fee payment system and target apparatus used in the same

• US 10,026,068 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kanayama, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, AKIBA KANELLE
• Application Number:
  US13/762,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 705 11, 705 711, 705 744
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0021 Access to services on a time-basis

Abstract

A charging fee payment system is used for a payment process for a payment of a charging fee to charge a target apparatus with a charging apparatus. The target apparatus includes a memory, a controller, and a communication section. When the charging apparatus does not have a function to communicate with an external server that performs the payment process, the memory stores an unique ID code of the charging apparatus and electricity usage data indicative of the amount of electricity used by the charging apparatus to charge the target apparatus. The controller allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the memory. When the communication section becomes able to communicate with the external server, the communication section sends the ID code and the electricity usage data stored in the memory to the external server.

Claims

1. A charging fee payment system used for a payment process for a payment of a charging fee to charge a target apparatus with a charging apparatus, wherein

the target apparatus includes a memory section, a charging allowing section, and a communication section,

when the charging apparatus has no communication with an external server that performs the payment process, the memory section receives and stores an unique identification (ID) code assigned to the charging apparatus and stores an amount of electricity used to charge the target apparatus,

the charging allowing section allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the memory section or the external server,

when the communication section becomes enable to communicate with the external server that performs the payment process, the communication section reads the ID code and the used amount of electricity from the memory and sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used, and

upon receiving the ID code and the amount of electricity used the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the communication section or the charging apparatus, wherein the target apparatus is an electric vehicle having a rechargeable battery, and the charging apparatus is a charging station configured to charge the battery, the charging apparatus is located outside the vehicle, and when a predetermined condition is met in an unsent state where the ID code and the electric usage data stored in the memory section remain unsent to the external server, a controller prohibits the target apparatus from being charged with the charging apparatus, the target apparatus further includes a report section configured to notify a user of the target apparatus that the charging fee remains unpaid, while the controller maintains the charging allowing section to allow the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus, before the predetermined condition is met in the unsent state.

2. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the predetermined condition is met when the amount of electricity indicated by the electric usage data stored in the memory section reaches a predetermined amount in the unsent state, when the number of times the target apparatus is charged reaches a predetermined number in the unsent state, or when a predetermined time period elapses in the unsent state.

3. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

when the charging apparatus has the communication function to communicate with the external server, the communication section of the target apparatus communicates with the external server through the charging apparatus.

4. The charging fee payment system according to claim 3, wherein

when the electric usage data remains stored in the memory, the controller allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus after sending the ID code and the electric usage data to the external server though the communication section.

5. The charging fee payment system according to claim 3, wherein

the charging apparatus sends the ID code to the target apparatus,

the target apparatus receives the ID code through the communication section, and

the memory section stores the ID code.

6. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the target apparatus includes a position detector, an input section, and a verification section,

the position detector detects a current position of the target apparatus,

the input section is operable by a user and allows the user to input the ID code in the target apparatus,

the verification section determines whether the charging apparatus having the inputted ID code is located at a position corresponding to the current position detected by the position detector, and

when the verification section determines that the charging apparatus having the inputted ID code is located at the position, the memory section stores the inputted ID code.

7. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the target apparatus further includes an encryption section configured to encrypt the ID code and the electric usage data, and

the memory section stores the ID code and the electric usage data encrypted by the encryption section.

8. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the memory section is a non-volatile memory.

17. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the charging apparatus has a communication device to communicate with the external server,

when the charging apparatus is able to communicate with the external server, the communication device of the charging apparatus directly sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the external server, the charging allowing section allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the external server, and the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the charging apparatus,

when the charging apparatus fails to communicate with the external server, the communication device of the charging apparatus sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the memory section of the target apparatus, the charging allowing section allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the memory section, and the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the communication section of the target apparatus, and

the charging apparatus is always able to charge the target apparatus irrespective of a communication status between the communication device of the charging apparatus and the external server.

18. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication section sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the external server only when the charging apparatus fails to communicate with the external server, and

the charging apparatus directly sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the external server when the charging apparatus is able to communicate with the external server.

19. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

the charging apparatus has no communication device to communicate with the external server,

the charging apparatus sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the memory section of the target apparatus,

the charging allowing section allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the memory section, and

the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the communication section of the target apparatus.

22. The charging fee payment system according to claim 1, wherein

when a determination section (S100) determines that the charging apparatus does not have a communication function to communicate with the external server that performs the payment process, the memory section stores an unique identification (ID) code of the charging apparatus and electricity usage data indicative of the amount of electricity used by the charging apparatus to charge the target apparatus.

9. A target apparatus used in a charging fee payment system for a payment process for a payment of a charging fee to charge the target apparatus with a charging apparatus, the target apparatus comprising;

a memory section configured to receive and store an unique identification (ID) code assigned to the charging apparatus and an amount of electricity used to charge the target apparatus when the charging apparatus has no communication with an external server that performs the payment process;

a charging allowing section configured to allow the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the memory section or the external server,

a communication section configured to read the ID code and the amount of electricity used from the memory and configured to send the ID code and the amount of electricity used, when the communication section becomes enable to communicate with the external server, wherein

resulting from receiving the ID code and the amount of electricity used the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the communication section or the charging apparatus, and

when a predetermined condition is met in an unsent state where the ID code and the electric usage data stored in the memory section remain unsent to the external server, the controller prohibits the target apparatus from being charged with the charging apparatus, the target apparatus further includes a report section configured to notify a user of the target apparatus that the charging fee remains unpaid, while the controller maintains the charging allowing section to allow the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus, before the predetermined condition is met in the unsent state, and the target apparatus is an electric vehicle having a rechargeable battery, and the charging apparatus is a charging station configured to charge the battery, the charging apparatus is located outside the vehicle.

10. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the predetermined condition is met when the amount of electricity indicated by the electric usage data stored in the memory section reaches a predetermined amount in the unsent state, when the number of times the target apparatus is charged reaches a predetermined number in the unsent state, or when a predetermined time period elapses in the unsent state.

11. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when the charging apparatus has the communication function to communicate with the external server, the communication section of the target apparatus communicates with the external server through the charging apparatus.

12. The target apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

when the electric usage data remains stored in the memory, the controller allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus after sending the ID code and the electric usage data to the external server though the communication section.

13. The target apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the charging apparatus sends the ID code to the target apparatus,

the target apparatus receives the ID code through the communication section, and

the memory section stores the ID code.

14. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the target apparatus includes a position detector, an input section, and a verification section,

the position detector detects a current position of the target apparatus,

the input section is operable by a user and allows the user to input the ID code in the target apparatus,

the verification section determines whether the charging apparatus having the inputted ID code is located at a position corresponding to the current position detected by the position detector, and

when the verification section determines that the charging apparatus having the inputted ID code is located at the position, the memory section stores the inputted ID code.

15. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the target apparatus further includes an encryption section configured to encrypt the ID code and the electric usage data, and

the memory section stores the ID code and the electric usage data encrypted by the encryption section.

16. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the memory section is a non-volatile memory.

20. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the charging apparatus has a communication device to communicate with the external server,

when the charging apparatus is able to communicate with the external server, the communication device of the charging apparatus directly sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the external server, the charging allowing section allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the external server, and the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the communication device of the charging apparatus,

when the charging apparatus fails to communicate with the external server, the communication device of the charging apparatus sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the memory section of the target apparatus, the charging allowing section allows the target apparatus to be charged with the charging apparatus on a condition that the ID code remains stored in the memory section, and the external server performs the payment process based on the ID code and the amount of electricity used sent from the communication section of the target apparatus, and

the charging apparatus is always able to charge the target apparatus irrespective of a communication status between the communication device of the charging apparatus and the external server.

21. The target apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the communication section sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the external server only when the charging apparatus fails to communicate with the external server, and

the charging apparatus directly sends the ID code and the amount of electricity used to the external server when the charging apparatus is able to communicate with the external server.