METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PARKING LOT MANAGEMENT

• US 20110131083A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Inventors: Outwater, Chris, Redmann, William Gibbens
• Application Number:
  US12/957,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131083A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for associating a parking lot parking entry event and a parking lot electric vehicle charging event allow a single payment to be calculated for parking and electric vehicle charging. An admittance identification associated with a parking lot entry event is read using an electric vehicle charging control device of a parking lot. A parking lot charging event is stored with the admittance identification on a storage device of the parking lot using the electric vehicle charging control device. The parking lot entry event and the parking lot charging event associated with the admittance identification are read from the storage device using a payment device of the parking lot. A single payment for parking and electric vehicle charging for the admittance identification is then calculated from the parking lot entry event and the parking lot charging event using the payment device.

Claims

1. A method for associating a parking lot parking entry event and a parking lot electric vehicle charging event, the method comprising:

reading an admittance identification associated with a parking lot entry event using an electric vehicle charging control device of a parking lot; and

storing a parking lot charging event with the admittance identification on a storage device of the parking lot using the electric vehicle charging control device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the admittance identification comprises a parking ticket issued by a ticket dispenser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the admittance identification comprises a reusable identification recognized by a ticket dispenser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parking lot charging event comprises a plugin event or a plugout event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parking lot charging event comprises a controlled electric vehicle parking area entry event or a controlled electric vehicle parking area exit event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle charging control device comprises an electric vehicle charging kiosk.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle charging control device comprises a controlled electric vehicle parking area entry reader or a controlled electric vehicle parking area exit reader.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises a parking ticket.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises a database in communication with the electric vehicle charging control device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a payment authorization for the admittance identification and storing the payment authorization as an authorization event with the admittance identification using the electric vehicle charging control device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading from the storage device the parking lot entry event and the parking lot charging event associated with the admittance identification using a payment device of the parking lot and calculating a single payment for parking and electric vehicle charging for the admittance identification from the parking lot entry event and the parking lot charging event using the payment device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the payment device comprises one of an automated payment kiosk, a credit card resolution service, automated exit kiosk, or a parking lot point-of-sale device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a parking lot validation event with the admittance identification on the storage device using a validator.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising reading from the storage device the parking lot entry event, the parking lot validation event, and the parking lot charging event associated with the admittance identification using a payment device of the parking lot and calculating a single payment for parking and electric vehicle charging for the admittance identification from the parking lot entry event, the parking lot validation event, and the parking lot charging event using the payment device.

15. A system for associating a parking lot parking entry event and a parking lot electric vehicle charging event, the method comprising:

a storage device of a parking lot; and

an electric vehicle charging control device of a parking lot that reads an admittance identification associated with a parking lot entry event and stores a parking lot charging event with the admittance identification on the storage device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the electric vehicle charging control device comprises an electric vehicle charging kiosk.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the electric vehicle charging control device comprises a controlled electric vehicle parking area entry reader or a controlled electric vehicle parking area exit reader.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the storage device comprises a parking ticket.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the storage device comprises a database in communication with the electric vehicle charging control device.

20. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory and tangible computer-readable storage medium whose contents include a program with instructions being executed on a processor of an electric vehicle charging control device of a parking lot so as to perform a method for associating a parking lot parking entry event and a parking lot electric vehicle charging event, the method comprising:

providing a system, wherein the system comprises one or more distinct software modules, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a read module and a store module;

reading an admittance identification associated with a parking lot entry event using the read module; and

storing a parking lot charging event with the admittance identification on a storage device of the parking lot using the store module.