METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PARKING LOT METERING USING ACTIVATION CODES

• US 20120319651A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Inventors: Outwater, Chris, Redmann, William Gibbens
• Granted Patent: US 10,000,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 53/63 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 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• 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: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• 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 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow multi-space meters and gated parking systems to separately manage and control electric vehicle charging stations located in conjunction with parking spaces. Control is implemented by the meters or other management systems providing codes, for example by printing them on a parking pass or receipt. When entered into the electric vehicle charging station, the code initiates a predetermined interval of charging, or an interval of charging selected by the patron during a transaction with the meter. The code is typically a multi-digit number, and may be encrypted to resist fraud. Data representative of the receipt, including the code, may be made available from an online server and delivered to a parking patron'"'"'s smartphone or other portable device, whereby parking and vehicle charging may be obtained without first visiting a parking management kiosk and then returning to the vehicle to initiate charging.

Claims

1. A system for charging electric vehicles comprising:

a charger for an electric vehicle;

a keypad for a user to enter a code;

a processor having communication with said keypad, said processor having software to validate said code;

a timer,

said timer enabling said charger for an interval, said timer being started by said processor in response to said code being validate by the software.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said interval has a predetermined duration.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said software determines the duration of said interval from said code, said processor further able to set said timer for said duration in response to said code;

whereby said charging circuit is enabled for substantially the interval indicated by said code.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said code indicates a duration for said interval;

whereby said charging circuit is enabled for substantially the duration indicated by said code.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said timer comprises a clock and said code indicates a time for said interval to end,

whereby said charging circuit is enabled until substantially the time indicated by the code.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said code comprises a sequence of digits.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said code is at least partially one of encrypted, signed, and checksummed.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a pay-and-display parking kiosk having a printer, and wherein said code is printed by the kiosk.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said keypad, processor, and charger is associated with a parking space ID and the software only validates said code when said code indicates the parking space ID.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a pay-by-space parking kiosk having a printer, wherein said code is printed by the kiosk.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a remote server, wherein said code is provided by the remote system to said user on one of a cell phone, PDA, or smartphone.

12. A method for charging electric vehicles comprising the steps of:

a) providing a charger for an electric vehicle;

b) automatically accepting a code with a keypad when said code is entered by a user;

c) automatically authenticating said code with a processor having software for authenticating the code, said processor receiving said code from said keypad; and

,

d) automatically enabling the charger for an interval in response to successful authentication in step c).

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said interval has a predetermined duration.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the duration of said interval is determined from the code with said software.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said codes comprises a sequence of digits.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said code is at least partially one of encrypted, signed, and checksummed.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein at least one of said keypad, processor, and charger is associated with a parking space ID and the authentication in step c) is successful only if said code indicates the parking space ID.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein said codes is provided to said user on one of a cell phone, PDA, or smartphone.