METHOD TO FACILITATE OPPORTUNITY CHARGING OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20100274690A1
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Tate, Edward D. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 90/14 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
• 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 electrically charging a high-voltage battery of a subject vehicle includes resolving a geographic location of the subject vehicle at a remote charging site, electrically charging the high-voltage battery through a connection of the subject vehicle to an electric power outlet at the remote charging site, monitoring cumulative electric power flow to the high-voltage battery of the subject vehicle, communicating the cumulative electric power flow to a central server, and reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between an owner of the subject vehicle and an owner of the remote charging site.

Claims

1. Method for electrically charging a high-voltage battery of a subject vehicle, the method comprising:

resolving a geographic location of the subject vehicle at a remote charging site;

electrically charging the high-voltage battery through a connection of the subject vehicle to an electric power outlet at the remote charging site;

monitoring cumulative electric power flow to the high-voltage battery of the subject vehicle;

communicating the cumulative electric power flow to a central server; and

reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between an owner of the subject vehicle and an owner of the remote charging site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein resolving the geographic location of the subject vehicle at the remote charging site comprises using a global positioning system to resolve the geographic location of the subject vehicle at the remote charging site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein using the global positioning system to resolve the geographic location of the subject vehicle at the remote charging site comprises using the global positioning system to resolve the geographic location of the subject vehicle at the electric power outlet at the remote charging site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the cumulative electric power flow to the central server comprises communicating the cumulative electric power flow from a monitoring controller associated with the remote charging site to the central server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising unlocking the electric power outlet at the remote charging site to electrically charge the high-voltage battery, and locking the electric power outlet at the remote charging site subsequent to electrically charging the high-voltage battery.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between the owner of the subject vehicle and the owner of the remote charging site comprises using the central server to reconcile billing between a utility billing system associated with a first electrical energy supplier corresponding to the owner of the subject vehicle and a utility billing system associated with a second electrical energy supplier corresponding to the owner of the remote charging site.

7. Method for electrically charging a high-voltage battery of a subject vehicle, the method comprising:

resolving a geographic location of the subject vehicle at the electric power outlet at the remote charging site;

electrically charging the high-voltage battery through a connection of the subject vehicle to an electric power outlet at the remote charging site;

monitoring cumulative electric power flow to the high-voltage battery of the subject vehicle;

communicating the cumulative electric power flow from the monitoring controller to a central server via a network system; and

reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between an owner of the subject vehicle and an owner of the remote charging site.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein communicating the cumulative electric power flow from the monitoring controller to the central server via the network system comprises communicating the cumulative electric power flow from a monitoring controller associated with the remote charging site to the central server via the network system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between the owner of the subject vehicle and the owner of the remote charging site comprises using the central server to reconcile billing between a utility billing system associated with a first electrical energy supplier corresponding to the owner of the subject vehicle and a utility billing system associated with a second electrical energy supplier corresponding to the owner of the remote charging site.

10. Method for electrically charging a high-voltage battery of a subject vehicle, the method comprising:

resolving a geographic location of the subject vehicle at one of a plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site;

wirelessly communicating subject vehicle identification information comprising subject vehicle owner to a central server;

identifying at the central server an owner of the one of the plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site;

providing from the central server an authorization to unlock the one of the plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site to permit electrical charging of the high-voltage battery of the subject vehicle;

electrically charging the high-voltage battery through a connection of the subject vehicle to the one of the plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site;

monitoring through the remote charging site a cumulative electric power flow to the high-voltage battery of the subject vehicle;

communicating from the remote charging site the cumulative electric power flow to the central server; and

reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between the owner of the one of the plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site and the owner of the subject vehicle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein reconciling billing for the cumulative electric power flow between the owner of the one of the plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site and the owner of the subject vehicle comprises reconciling billing between a utility billing system associated with a first electrical energy supplier corresponding to the owner of the subject vehicle and a utility billing system associated with a second electrical energy supplier corresponding to the owner of the one of the plurality of electric power outlets located at the remote charging site.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein wirelessly communicating subject vehicle identification information comprises communicating directly to the central server through a wireless telecommunications system located onboard the subject vehicle.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein wirelessly communicating subject vehicle identification information comprises communicating from a wireless telecommunications system located onboard the subject vehicle through a handheld device to the central server.