PARKING LOT BUMPER INDUCTIVE CHARGER WITH AUTOMATIC PAYMENT PROCESSING

• US 20130049683A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Farkas
• Original Assignee: Michael Farkas
• Inventors: Farkas, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,836,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/20 by driver identification
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/122 Circuits or methods for driving the primary coil, e.g. supplying electric power to the coil
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/126 Methods for pairing a vehicle and a charging station, e.g. establishing a one-to-one relation between a wireless power transmitter and a wireless power receiver
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• 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: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/003 Load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 : using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 : involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 : involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 : Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00045 : Authentication, i.e. circuits for checking compatibility between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A charging station for an electric vehicle, including payment processing over a communications network, is disclosed. The charging station includes a housing having an elongated shape emulating a parking bumper, including an elongated planar element disposed at an acute angle to a floor and designed to provide a barrier to wheels of the electric vehicle, an inductive charging element, a sensor for detecting a location of the electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station, a radio frequency receiver for receiving a signal including a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle, a network interface controller configured for transmitting the unique identifier to a server and for receiving confirmation of payment for inductive charging provided to the electric vehicle and a processor configured for activating the inductive charging element to provide inductive charging to the electric vehicle responsive to receiving the confirmation of payment.

Claims

1. A charging station for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a housing having an elongated shape emulating a parking bumper, including an elongated planar element disposed at an acute angle to a floor, wherein the elongated planar element is designed to provide a barrier to wheels of the electric vehicle;

an inductive charging element located within the housing;

a sensor located within the housing, the sensor for detecting a location of the electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station;

a radio frequency receiver located within the housing, the receiver for receiving a signal including a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle;

a network interface controller communicatively coupled with a communications network, the network interface controller located within the housing and configured for transmitting the unique identifier to a server and for receiving confirmation of payment for inductive charging provided to the electric vehicle; and

a processor located within the housing, the processor configured for activating the inductive charging element to provide inductive charging to the electric vehicle responsive to receiving the confirmation of payment via the communications network.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a substantially trapezoidal-shaped cross section having a bottom side parallel to the floor, a top side parallel to the floor, and a first lateral side disposed at an acute angle to the bottom side.

3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a substantially wedge-shaped cross section having a bottom side parallel to the floor, a top side parallel to the floor, a first lateral side disposed at an acute angle to a bottom side and a second lateral side perpendicular to the bottom side.

4. The charging station of claim 2, wherein the inductive charging element further comprises an induction coil.

5. The charging station of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor for detecting pressure on the planar element of the charging station due to contact with the wheels of the electric vehicle.

6. The charging station of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic sensor for detecting a location of the electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station.

7. The charging station of claim 4, further comprising a radio frequency transmitter located within the housing, the transmitter for transmitting a signal including data pertaining to the location of the electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station, as the location of the electric vehicle was detected by the sensor.

8. The charging station of claim 7, wherein the network interface controller is further configured for transmitting a charging station identifier to the server via the communications network.

9. The charging station of claim 8, wherein the network interface controller is further configured for receiving from the server a request for confirmation of account debit in association with the unique identifier, via the communications network.

10. The charging station of claim 9, wherein the radio frequency transmitter is further configured for transmitting a signal including the request for confirmation of account debit in association with the unique identifier.

11. The charging station of claim 10, wherein the radio frequency receiver is further configured for receiving a signal including a confirmation of account debit in association with the unique identifier.

12. The charging station of claim 11, wherein the network interface controller is further configured for transmitting to the server the confirmation of account debit in association with the unique identifier.

13. A charging station for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a housing having an elongated shape emulating a parking bumper, including an elongated planar element disposed at an acute angle to a floor, wherein the elongated planar element is designed to provide a barrier to wheels of the electric vehicle;

a fastener for fastening the housing to a floor;

an inductive charging element located within the housing;

a sensor located within the housing, the sensor for detecting a location of an electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station;

a radio frequency transmitter located within the housing, the transmitter for transmitting a signal including data pertaining to the location of the electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station;

a radio frequency receiver located within the housing, the receiver for receiving a signal including a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle;

a network interface controller communicatively coupled with a communications network, the network interface controller located within the housing and configured for transmitting the unique identifier to a server and for receiving confirmation of payment for inductive charging provided to the electric vehicle; and

a processor located within the housing, the processor configured for activating the inductive charging element to provide inductive charging to the electric vehicle responsive to receiving the confirmation of payment.

14. The charging station of claim 13, wherein the housing further comprises a substantially trapezoidal-shaped cross section having a bottom side parallel to the floor, a top side parallel to the floor, and a first lateral side disposed at an acute angle to the bottom side.

15. The charging station of claim 14, wherein the inductive charging element further comprises an induction coil.

16. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor for detecting pressure on the planar element of the charging station due to contact with the wheels of the electric vehicle.

17. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises a magnetic sensor for detecting a location of the electric vehicle in relation to the planar element of the charging station.

18. The charging station of claim 17, wherein the network interface controller is further configured for transmitting a charging station identifier to the server via the communications network.

19. A charging station for an electric vehicle, comprising:

a housing having an elongated shape emulating a parking bumper, including an elongated planar element disposed at an acute angle to a floor, wherein the elongated planar element is designed to provide a barrier to wheels of the electric vehicle;

an inductive charging element located within the housing;

a sensor located within the housing, the sensor for detecting whether the electric vehicle is located in a correct location in relation to the planar element of the charging station;

a radio frequency receiver located within the housing, the receiver for receiving a signal including a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle;

a network interface controller communicatively coupled with a communications network, the network interface controller located within the housing and configured for transmitting the unique identifier to a server and for receiving confirmation of payment for inductive charging provided to the electric vehicle; and

a processor located within the housing, the processor configured for activating the inductive charging element to provide inductive charging to the electric vehicle responsive to detecting that the electric vehicle is located in the correct location in relation to the planar element and responsive to receiving the confirmation of payment via the communications network.