SYSTEM FOR INTERFACING WITH AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION AND METHOD OF USING AND PROVIDING THE SAME

• US 20130127416A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blink Acquisition, LLC (Blink Charging Co.)
• Original Assignee: Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (Intertek Group PLC)
• Inventors: Karner, Donald B., Beauregard, Garrett
• Application Number:
  US13/713,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• 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 2250/14 by input of vehicle departure time
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/20 using propulsion power generated by humans or animals
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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 53/50 : Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 : Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/52 : Wind-driven generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/63 : in response to network capacity
• 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: B60L 55/00 : Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/30 : for monitoring or controlling fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 : Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 : Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 : Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 : Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 : Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 : characterised by the mechanical construction
• 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 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: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 : Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Some embodiments include a system for interfacing with an electric vehicle charging station and method of using and providing the same as disclosed herein. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. ) A system for charging a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle, the system comprising:

an administrative module configured to authenticate a user via radio frequency identification and to administrate payment by the user for using the system to charge the rechargeable energy storage system;

an electricity transmission module configured to make electricity available to charge the rechargeable energy storage system;

a measurement module configured to measure a first measurement of the electricity used to charge the rechargeable energy storage system;

a timing module configured to measure at least one of (a) a second measurement of a first quantity of time during which the electricity is used to charge the rechargeable energy storage system or (b) a third measurement of a second quantity of time during which the electric vehicle occupies a space located adjacent to the electricity transmission module;

a communication module configured to intermediate communication between an operations module, the administrative module, the electricity transmission module, the measurement module, and the timing module; and

an electric vehicle charging station, the electric vehicle charging station comprising the administrative module, the electricity transmission module, the measurement module, the timing module, and the communication module;

wherein;

the operations module is located remotely from the electric vehicle charging station.

2. ) The system of claim 1 wherein:

the electric vehicle charging station comprises a first display and a second display.

3. ) The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of:

the first display comprises a first touch screen display;

or

the second display comprises a second touch screen display.

4. ) The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of:

the first display has a diagonal measurement of less than or equal to approximately 44 centimeters;

or

the second display has a diagonal measurement of greater than or equal to approximately 91 centimeters.

5. ) The system of claim 2 wherein:

the system comprises the operations module.

6. ) The system of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the operations module or the administrative module is configured to calculate an amount of the payment by the user based on at least one of;

(a) the first measurement, (b) the second measurement, (c) the third measurement, (d) permitting the user to charge the rechargeable energy storage system, (e) permitting the electric vehicle to occupy the space located adjacent to the electric vehicle charging station, or (f) a fractional quantity of the rechargeable energy storage system charged.

7. ) The system of claim 6 wherein:

at least one of the administrative module or the operations module is configured;

(a) to receive automatically the amount of the payment by the user from at least one of a revolving account or a checking account of the user, or (b) to provide a bill to the user specifying the amount of the payment by user and to receive the amount of the payment by the user from the user.

8. ) The system of claim 6 wherein:

the system comprises the operations module.

9. ) The system of claim 1 wherein:

the electric vehicle charging station comprises a first display and a second display.

the first display comprises a touch screen display;

the first display has a diagonal measurement of less than or equal to approximately 44 centimeters;

the second display has a diagonal measurement of greater than or equal to approximately 91 centimeters;

the system comprises the operations module;

at least one of the operations module or the administrative module is configured to calculate an amount of the payment by the user based on at least one of;

(a) the first measurement, (b) the second measurement, (c) the third measurement, (d) permitting the user to charge the rechargeable energy storage system, (e) permitting the electric vehicle to occupy the space located adjacent to the electric vehicle charging station, or (f) a fractional quantity of the rechargeable energy storage system charged; and

at least one of the administrative module or the operations module is configured;

(a) to receive automatically the amount of the payment by the user from at least one of a revolving account or a checking account of the user, or (b) to provide a bill to the user specifying the amount of the payment by user and to receive the amount of the payment by the user from the user.

10. ) A method of providing a system for charging a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle, the method comprising:

providing an electric vehicle charging station, wherein providing the electric vehicle charging station comprises;

providing an administrative module configured to authenticate a user via radio frequency identification and to administrate payment by the user for using the system to charge the rechargeable energy storage system;

providing an electricity transmission module configured to make electricity available to charge the rechargeable energy storage system;

providing a measurement module configured to measure a first measurement of the electricity used to charge the rechargeable energy storage system; and

providing a timing module configured to measure at least one of (a) a second measurement of a first quantity of time during which the electricity is used to charge the rechargeable energy storage system or (b) a third measurement of a second quantity of time during which the electric vehicle occupies a space located adjacent to the electricity transmission module;

and

configuring an operations module, the administrative module, the electricity transmission module, the measurement module, and the timing module to communicate with each other, wherein the operations module is located remotely from the electric vehicle charging station.

11. ) The method of claim 10 wherein:

providing the electric vehicle charging station further comprises providing a first display and a second display.

12. ) The method of claim 11 wherein:

providing the first display and the second display comprises providing at least one of a first touch screen display as the first display or a second touch screen display as the second display.

13. ) The method of claim 10 further comprising:

configuring at least one of the operations module or the administrative module to calculate an amount of the payment by the user based on at least one of;

(a) the first measurement, (b) the second measurement, (c) the third measurement, (d) permitting the user to charge the rechargeable energy storage system, (e) permitting the electric vehicle to occupy the space located adjacent to the electric vehicle charging station, or (f) a fractional quantity of the rechargeable energy storage system charged.

14. ) The method of claim 13 wherein:

at least one of the administrative module or the operations module is configured;

(a) to receive automatically the amount of the payment by the user from at least one of a revolving account or a checking account of the user, or (b) to provide a bill to the user specifying the amount of the payment by user and to receive the amount of the payment by the user from the user.

15. ) The system of claim 13 wherein:

the system comprises the operations module.

16. ) A method of operating an electric vehicle charging station to charge a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle, at least part of the method being implemented via execution of computer instructions configured to run at one or more computer processing modules and configured to be stored in one or more non-transitory computer memory storage modules, the method comprising:

receiving radio frequency identification data from a user of the electric vehicle charging station;

providing the radio frequency identification data to an operations module to authenticate an identity of the user, the operations module being located remotely from the electric vehicle charging station and comprising a computer database;

receiving a request from the user to charge the rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle;

making electricity available from the electric vehicle charging station to the rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle after receiving the request;

providing at least one of (a) a first measurement of a quantity of electricity used to charge the rechargeable energy storage system of the electric vehicle, (b) a second measurement of a first quantity of time during which the rechargeable energy storage system is being charged, or (c) a third measurement of a second quantity of time during which the electric vehicle occupies a space located adjacent to the electric vehicle charging station, to the operations module;

providing information received from the user to the operations module; and

administrating payment by the user based on the at least one of;

(a) the first measurement, (b) the second measurement, (c) the third measurement, (d) permitting the user to charge the rechargeable energy storage system, (e) permitting the electric vehicle to occupy the space located adjacent to the electric vehicle charging station, or (f) a fractional quantity of the rechargeable energy storage system charged.

17. ) The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving the information received from the user at a first display of multiple displays of the electric vehicle charging station.

18. ) The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing other information regarding the user from the computer database to the electric vehicle charging station; and

displaying the other information regarding the user at a second display of the multiple displays.

19. ) The method of claim 16 wherein:

providing the first measurement to the operations module comprises measuring the first measurement;

providing the second measurement to the operations module comprises measuring the second measurement; and

providing the third measurement to the operations module comprises measuring the third measurement.

20. ) The method of claim 19 wherein:

administrating the payment by the user comprises calculating an amount of the payment based on the at least one of;

(a) the first measurement, (b) the second measurement, (c) the third measurement, (d) permitting the user to charge the rechargeable energy storage system, (e) permitting the electric vehicle to occupy the space located adjacent to the electric vehicle charging station, or (f) the fractional quantity of the rechargeable energy storage system charged; and

the method further comprises one of;

(a) receiving automatically the amount of the payment from at least one of a revolving account or a checking account of the user, or (b) providing a bill to the user specifying the amount of the payment and receiving the amount of the payment from the user.