METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINDING AND ACCESSING A VEHICLE FUELING STATION, INCLUDING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION

• US 20120191242A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dejanetworks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Inventors: Outwater, Christopher Scott, Redmann, William Gibbens
• Granted Patent: US 9,646,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• 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 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• 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 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• 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 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 : RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 : Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 : involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 : Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 : With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 : involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/215 : the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 : in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 : with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 : the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/26 : Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 : Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 : using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 : using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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 control system and method are provided for a station to dispense fuel to a vehicle, including an electric vehicle, without requiring dedicated access to a communications network, with the advantage that authorization for fleet vehicles or individuals can be obtained from an access management system, using a portable, wireless device, such as a smart phone or a dashboard appliance. The authorization is wirelessly relayed to the station by the wireless device, to enable the dispensing of fuel. Subsequently, a log comprising the transaction is provided to the access management system, through the same or a different wireless, mobile computing device. The log may also report status and other events, such as load shedding.

Claims

1. A method for the control of dispensing, as of fuel or electrical energy, to vehicles, the method comprising:

a) accepting a first data, with a first station, from a first wireless, mobile computing device, the first data representative of at least a certificate, the certificate created by an access management system and representing an authorization for dispensing;

b) dispensing to a vehicle, with the first station, in response to the first data;

c) making a record in a memory of the first station, the record comprising a second data representing at least a portion of the certificate;

d) providing a third data, with the first station, to a second wireless, mobile computing device, the third data representative of at least a portion of the record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) accepting a fourth data, with the first station, from a third wireless, mobile computing device, the fourth data representative of at least an acknowledgment of the record, the acknowledgment created by the access management system and representing receipt by the access management system of the third data; and

,

f) deleting the record from the memory, in response to the fourth data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and fourth data comprises a corresponding digital signature by the access management system and wherein accepting data having the corresponding digital signature further comprises validating the signature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and fourth data comprises a corresponding encrypted portion by the access management system and wherein accepting data having the corresponding encrypted portion further comprises decrypting the encrypted portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless, mobile computing device is a smart phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless, mobile computing device is a dashboard appliance in the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data is further representative of at least one of a current date, a duration of the dispensing, and a quantity dispensed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is further representative of a device address of the first station, the method further comprising:

e) responding to a wireless search for the device address by the first wireless, mobile computing device, with a visible indicator associated with the first station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) responding to a wireless search for any station by the first wireless, mobile computing device, with a visible indicator associated with and signaling the availability of the first station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of d) providing third data, and e) accepting fourth data, is further through a second station, wherein the first station has communication with the second station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the third data is further representative of a status of the first station.

12. A first station, for dispensing fuel or electricity to vehicles, comprising:

a processor;

a communication module connected to the processor to provide wireless communication;

a dispensing element, controllably enabled by the processor, for dispensing at least one of fuel and electricity; and

,

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory containing executable instructions, which when executed by the processor perform a process of;

a) accepting a first data, through the communication module, from a first wireless, mobile computing device, the first data representative of at least a certificate, the certificate created by an access management system and representing an authorization for dispensing;

b) dispensing to a vehicle, with the dispensing element, in response to the first data;

c) making a record in the memory, the record comprising a second data representing at least a portion of the certificate;

d) providing a third data, through the communication module, to a second wireless, mobile computing device, the third data representative of at least a portion of the record.

13. The station of claim 12, wherein the process further comprises:

e) accepting a fourth data, through the communication module, from a third wireless, mobile computing device, the fourth data representative of at least an acknowledgment of the record, the acknowledgment created by the access management system and representing receipt by the access management system of the third data; and

,

f) deleting the record from the memory, in response to the fourth data.

14. The station of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first and fourth data comprises a corresponding digital signature by the access management system and wherein accepting data having the corresponding digital signature further comprises validating the signature.

15. The station of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first and fourth data comprises a corresponding encrypted portion by the access management system and wherein accepting data having the corresponding encrypted portion further comprises decrypting the encrypted portion.

16. The station of claim 12, wherein the communication module comprises a data transceiver in an ISM radio band.

17. The station of claim 12, wherein the communication module comprises a data transceiver in a 2.4 GHz radio band.

18. The station of claim 12, wherein the second data is further representative of at least one of a current date, a duration of the dispensing, and a quantity dispensed.

19. The station of claim 12 further comprising:

a visible indicator; and

,

wherein the first data is further representative of a device address of the communication module; and

,

the process further comprises;

e) responding to a wireless search for the device address by the first wireless, mobile computing device, with the indicator.

20. The station of claim 12, further comprising:

a visible indicator; and

,

wherein the process further comprises;

e) responding to a wireless search for any station by the first wireless, mobile computing device, by signaling availability with the indicator.

21. The station of claim 12, wherein at least one of d) providing third data, and e) accepting fourth data, is further through a second station, wherein the communication module has communication with the second station.

22. The station of claim 12, wherein the third data is further representative of a status of the first station.