SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING AND BILLING USING A WIRELESS VEHICLE COMMUNCIATION SERVICE

• US 20100161481A1
• 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: Littrell, Nathan Bowman
• Granted Patent: US 9,505,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• 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 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/04 in which the quantity mechanism is set forward automatically by the insertion of a coin
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/08 with means for varying the tariff or changing the price
• 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: 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle, said vehicle charging station configured to:

communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider;

electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector;

receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection;

deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector; and

meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.

2. A vehicle charging station in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to transmit the identifier to a server to determine the account associated with the identifier.

3. A vehicle charging station in accordance with claim 2, wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to determine a present balance of the account.

4. A vehicle charging station in accordance with claim 3, wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to deny access to electrical charging power if the present balance of the account is less than a predetermined amount.

5. A vehicle charging station in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to transmit, to a server, the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle to determine a transaction amount.

6. A vehicle charging station in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to compare the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered with a metered value determined by the electric vehicle.

7. A vehicle charging station in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vehicle charging station is coupled to at least one visual display, said at least one visual display is attached to at least one of the electric vehicle and the vehicle charging station, said vehicle charging station is further configured to output to the at least one display at least one of a quantity of electrical charging power delivered, a monetary value of the quantity of electrical charging power delivered, and a quantity of electrical charging power remaining to be delivered.

8. A vehicle charging system for use with charging an electric vehicle, said system comprising:

a vehicle charging station configured to;

communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider;

electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector;

receive a unique identifier of the electric vehicle via the network connection; and

deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector; and

a server system coupled to said vehicle charging station, said server system configured to;

determine an account associated with the identifier; and

determine a transaction amount based on the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle by said vehicle charging station.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said vehicle charging station is configured to transmit the identifier to said server system via the network connection.

10. A system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said server system comprises a database and a computer coupled to said database, said computer is configured to:

access said database;

search for the identifier in said database; and

determine the account based on the search results.

11. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said vehicle charging station comprises a meter configured to determine a quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said meter is further configured to transmit the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to said server system.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said server system is configured to determine the transaction amount based on the quantity of electrical charging power delivered.

14. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said server system is configured to deduct the transaction amount from the account.

15. A method for charging an electric vehicle, said method comprising:

communicatively coupling a vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider;

electrically coupling the vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle via a connector;

receiving a unique identifier of the electric vehicle via the network connection;

determining an account associated with the identifier;

delivering a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector; and

determining a transaction amount based on the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle at the vehicle charging station.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein determining an account comprises:

accessing a database;

searching for the identifier in the database; and

determining the account based on the search results.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein determining an account further comprises transmitting the identifier from the vehicle charging station to a server coupled to the database.

18. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein determining a transaction amount comprises metering the quantity of electrical charging power delivered by the vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein metering the quantity of electrical charging power delivered comprises metering, by at least one of the vehicle charging station and the electric vehicle, the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.

20. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising deducting the transaction amount from the account.