System and method of authorizing off-line electric vehicle charging station

• US 10,406,930 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hooker, John Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Dionne
• Application Number:
  US15/826,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20190160957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1058 PIN is checked locally
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A charging system for charging an electric vehicle includes a charging station and a charging network server, with the charging network server in network communication with the charging station and a mobile device application. The charging station and the charging network server include computing devices programmed to: store an authorization code at each of the network server and the charging station for authorizing charging of the electric vehicle when the charging station is off-line from the charging network server, process a charging authorization request at the charging network server sent from the mobile device application, transmit the authorization code from the network server to the mobile device application responsive to the charging authorization request and when the charging station is off-line, and authorize or deny charging of the electric vehicle based on whether an authorization code input to the charging station matches the authorization code stored on the charging station.

Claims

1. A charging system for charging an electrically powered vehicle, the charging system comprising:

a charging station; and

a charging network server remote from the charging station and in network communication with the charging station and with a mobile device application;

wherein each of the charging station and the charging network server comprises a computing device configured to store, process, and receive data for authorizing charging of the electrically powered vehicle, the computing devices programmed to;

store an authorization code at each of the network server and the charging station for authorizing charging of the electrically powered vehicle when the charging station is off-line from the charging network server;

process a charging authorization request at the charging network server sent from the mobile device application;

transmit the authorization code from the network server to the mobile device application responsive to the charging authorization request and when the charging station is determined to be off-line from the charging network server; and

selectively authorize or deny charging of the electrically powered vehicle by the charging station upon inputting of an authorization code to the charging station by a user based on whether the input authorization code matches the authorization code stored on the charging station.

2. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the authorization code comprises one of a numeric code or alphanumeric code.

3. The charging system of claim 2 wherein the charging station comprises a keypad or touchscreen by which the numeric code or alphanumeric code is input to the charging station.

4. The charging system of claim 1 wherein charging of the electrically powered vehicle is authorized when the authorization code input to the charging station matches the authorization code stored on the charging station and charging of the electrically powered vehicle is denied when the authorization code input to the charging station does not match the authorization code stored on the charging station.

5. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is programmed to:

tag a transaction ID to the authorization code at the charging station upon authorizing the charging of the electrically powered vehicle; and

transmit the transaction ID and the authorization code from the charging station back to the network server upon the charging station coming back on-line with the network server.

6. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the charging authorization request comprises charging station identification information and customer account information.

7. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is programmed to:

monitor a status of the authorization code to determine a validity thereof;

monitor for the charging authorization request at the charging network server when it is determined that the authorization code is still valid; and

generate a new authorization code different from the authorization code when it is determined that the authorization code is no longer valid.

8. The charging system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is programmed to transmit an authorization for charging of the electrically powered vehicle from the charging network server to the charging station when it is determined that the charging station is on-line with the network server at the time the charging authorization request is processed.

9. A method for authorizing charging of an electrically powered vehicle from a charging station via a mobile device application, the method comprising:

generating an authorization code at a network server remote from a charging station;

transmitting the authorization code from the network server to the charging station, with the authorization code being stored on each of the network server and the charging station;

processing a mobile device authorization request at the network server sent from a mobile device application, the mobile device authorization request comprising a request for authorizing charging of an electrically powered vehicle from the charging station;

performing a check at the network server to determine if the charging station is currently in network communication with the network server;

sending the authorization code from the network server to the mobile device application when it is determined that the charging station is not currently in network communication with the network server; and

comparing, at the charging station, an authorization code input to the charging station by a customer to the authorization code stored on the charging station, with charging of the electrically powered vehicle being authorized or denied based on the comparison.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining whether the authorization code is still valid at a time subsequent to generation of the authorization code;

monitoring for the mobile device authorization request at the network server when it is determined that the authorization code is still valid; and

generating a new authorization code different from the authorization code when it is determined that the authorization code is no longer valid.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the authorization code is determined to be no longer valid if a pre-determined amount of time passed since the generation of the authorization code or after a use of the authorization code at the charging station to authorize a charging event.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting authorization for charging of the electrically powered vehicle directly from the network server to the charging station when it is determined that the charging station is currently in network communication with the network server.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the authorization code comprises one of a numeric code or alphanumeric code.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising inputting the authorization code to the charging station via a keypad or touchscreen on the charging station, with the charging station then comparing the authorization code input via the keypad or touchscreen to the authorization code stored on the charging station.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

tagging a transaction ID to the authorization code at the charging station upon authorizing the charging of the electrically powered vehicle; and

transmitting the transaction ID and the authorization code from the charging station back to the network server upon network communication between the charging station and the network server being reestablished.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the mobile device authorization request comprises charging station identification information and customer account information.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising acquiring the charging station identification information via scanning of an optical machine-readable code on the charging station with the mobile device application, the optical machine-readable code comprising one of a QR code and a barcode.

18. A charging system for charging an electrically powered vehicle, the charging system comprising:

a charging station; and

a charging network server remote from the charging station and in network communication with the charging station and with a mobile device application;

wherein each of the charging station and the charging network server comprises a computing device configured to store, process, and receive data for authorizing charging of the electrically powered vehicle, the computing devices programmed to;

generate a random numeric or alphanumeric code at the charging station when charging is requested therefrom by a user and when the charging station is off-line from the charging network server, the random numeric or alphanumeric code being displayed to the user;

transmit the random numeric or alphanumeric code from the mobile device application to the charging network server as part of a charging authorization request, with the authorization code being stored on each of the network server and the charging station;

process a charging authorization request at the charging network server sent from the mobile device application that includes the random numeric or alphanumeric code therein, with the charging network server running an algorithm on the random numeric or alphanumeric code included in the charging authorization request to generate an algorithmic output;

transmit the algorithmic output from the charging network server to the mobile device application; and

authorize or deny charging of the electrically powered vehicle at the charging station upon inputting of the algorithmic output into the charging station by the user.

19. The charging system of claim 18 wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

run the algorithm on the random numeric or alphanumeric code at the charging station upon generating the random numeric or alphanumeric code, with an algorithmic output being generated and stored at the charging station that is identical to the algorithmic output generated at the charging network server; and

upon input by the user to the charging station of the algorithmic output transmitted from the charging network server to the mobile device application, compare the algorithmic output input to the charging station to the algorithmic output stored at the charging station; and

authorize charging of the electrically powered vehicle from the charging station if the algorithmic output input to the charging station matches the algorithmic output stored at the charging station;

otherwise deny charging of the electrically powered vehicle from the charging station if the algorithmic output input to the charging station does not match the algorithmic output stored at the charging station.

20. The charging system of claim 18 wherein the algorithmic output comprises a numeric or alphanumeric code.