SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PREPAID ELECTRIC METERING FOR VEHICLES

• US 20100161479A1
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Slates, Richard Dale, Littrell, Nathan Bowman
• Granted Patent: US 8,583,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 in response to network capacity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/64 Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
• 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 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• 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 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation

Abstract

A method for delivering energy to an electric vehicle is provided, wherein the electric vehicle is associated with a customer account. The method includes identifying the electric vehicle at an energy delivery point, and determining a current balance of the customer account, wherein the current balance includes at least a portion of a prepayment amount based on a predetermined amount of energy to be delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point. The method also includes delivering energy to the electric vehicle, metering an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle, and determining a transaction amount based on the actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point.

Claims

1. A method for delivery energy to an electric vehicle, said method comprising:

identifying the electric vehicle at an energy delivery point, wherein the electric vehicle is associated with a customer account;

determining a current balance of the customer account, wherein the current balance includes at least a portion of a prepayment amount based on a predetermined amount of energy to be delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point;

delivering energy to the electric vehicle;

metering an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle; and

determining a transaction amount based on an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle at the energy delivery point.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising receiving the prepayment amount in response to a bill corresponding to the predetermined amount of energy to be delivered.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein identifying the electric vehicle at an energy delivery point comprises reading a unique identifier from a passive tag embedded in the electric vehicle and associated with the customer account using a scanner.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein identifying the electrical vehicle at an energy delivery point comprises receiving a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle and the customer account via an actively powered wireless link.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein identifying the electric vehicle at an energy delivery point comprises receiving a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle and the customer account via a physical connection between the electric vehicle and the energy delivery point.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising denying service at the energy delivery point if the current account balance is less than a threshold amount.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein if the current balance is less than the transaction amount, said method further comprises crediting the customer account with the difference between the transaction amount and the current balance.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising generating a confirmation of receipt of the delivered energy by a meter within the electric vehicle.

9. A system for providing energy to an electric vehicle, said system comprising:

an energy delivery point configured to receive a unique identifier embedded in the electric vehicle, deliver energy to the electric vehicle, and meter an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle; and

a server coupled to said energy delivery point, said server configured to;

receive the unique identifier from said energy delivery point;

identify the electric vehicle based on the unique identifier, wherein the electric vehicle is associated with a customer account;

determine a current balance of the customer account, wherein the current balance includes at least a portion of a prepayment amount associated with a predetermined amount of energy to be delivered to the electric vehicle by said energy delivery point; and

determine a transaction amount based on the actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said server is configured to receive the prepayment amount in response to a bill corresponding to the predetermined amount of energy to be delivered.

11. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said energy delivery point is configured to receive the unique identifier from the electric vehicle via one of a wireless link and a physical connection.

12. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said server is configured to deny service at said energy delivery point if the current account balance is less than a threshold amount.

13. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said server is configured to credit the customer account with the difference between the transaction amount and the current balance if the current balance is less than the transaction amount.

14. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein a confirmation of receipt of the delivered energy is generated by a meter within the electric vehicle.

15. A controller coupled to an energy delivery point and a database for providing energy to an electric vehicle, said controller programmed to:

receive a unique identifier from the energy delivery point, wherein the unique identifier is acquired by the energy delivery point from the electric vehicle;

identify the electric vehicle based on the unique identifier, wherein the electric vehicle is associated with a customer account;

determine a current balance of the customer account, wherein the current balance includes at least a portion of a prepayment amount associated with a predetermined amount of energy to be delivered to the electric vehicle by the energy delivery point;

receive, from the energy delivery point, an actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle; and

determine a transaction amount based on the actual amount of energy delivered to the electric vehicle.

16. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said controller is further programmed to receive the prepayment amount in response to a bill corresponding to the predetermined amount of energy to be delivered.

17. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said controller is further programmed to determine the customer account associated with the unique identifier using said database.

18. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said controller is further programmed to deny service at the energy delivery point if the current account balance is less than a threshold amount.

19. A computer in accordance with claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to credit the customer account with the difference between the transaction amount and the current balance if the current balance is less than the transaction amount.

20. A computer in accordance with claim 19, wherein said controller is further programmed to adjust a subsequent bill associated with the customer account by including one of a surcharge and an additional billed amount representative of the difference between the transaction amount and the current balance.