SYSTEM FOR COMBINING PAYMENT FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING AND PARKING

• US 20140067493A1
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Opconnect LLC
• Original Assignee: Optimization Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Turner, Dexter
• Application Number:
  US14/065,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/665 Methods related to measuring, billing or payment
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/06 Arrangements for road pricing or congestion charging of vehicles or vehicle users, e.g. automatic toll systems
• 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

Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems relating to a system to use electric vehicle charging stations (“EVCSs”) and electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”). Certain embodiments relate to methods, apparatus, and systems to combine the payment of both vehicle parking and the charging of electric vehicles into a single transaction.

Claims

1. A method of combining payment for a charging session at an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) with payment for parking services, comprising;

by computing hardware,

obtaining a parking session identifier from a unique identifier printed on a parking stub or ticket that is issued to a user upon entry into a parking facility; and

combining the parking session identifier with a charging session identifier generated by the EVSE/EVCS to form a dataset that can be used to process a combined payment for both the charging session and the parking session; and

transmitting the dataset to a back-end EVSE/EVCS server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing the combined payment for both the charging session and the parking once the total cost of the charging session and the parking session are known; and

transmitting the results of the combined payment processing to an exit control device to allow the user to exit the parking facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier of the parking stub or ticket is read or scanned by a camera, magnetic card reader, or barcode reader integrated into the EVCS/EVSE or integrated into an Internet-connected mobile device associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining the parking session identifier with the charging session identifier is performed by a software application running on the EVCS/EVSE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining the parking session identifier with the charging session identifier is performed by a software application on an Internet-connected mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the charging session identifier is obtained by scanning a barcode or alpha-numeric code displayed on the EVCS or EVSE and the parking session identifier is obtained by scanning the unique identifier printed on a parking stub or ticket.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the combining further comprises including user identification data in the dataset, and wherein the method further comprises receiving a response from the back-end EVCS/EVSE server indicating whether the user is authorized to use the EVCS or EVSE.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message from a remote computer indicating that the user has properly paid for the charging session and the parking at the parking facility; and

allowing the user to exit the parking facility.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining further comprises including user identification data in the dataset.

10. A method of combining payment for a charging session at an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) with payment for parking services, comprising;

by computing hardware,

receiving a selection by a user to combine payment for the charging session with payment for a parking session; and

combining a parking session identifier with user identification data and a charging session identifier that is generated by the EVSE/EVCS to form a dataset that can be used to process a combined payment for both the charging session and the parking session.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method of combining payment for a charging session at an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) with payment for a parking session, the method comprising;

obtaining a parking session identifier from a unique identifier of a parking stub or ticket that is issued to a user upon entry into a parking facility; and

combining the parking session identifier with a charging session identifier generated by the EVSE/EVCS to form a dataset that can be used to process a combined payment for both the charging session and the parking session.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the unique identifier of the parking stub or ticket is read or scanned by a camera, magnetic card reader, or barcode reader integrated into the EVCS/EVSE or integrated into an Internet-connected mobile device associated with the user.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the combining the parking session identifier with the charging session identifier is performed by a software application running on the EVCS/EVSE.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the combining the parking session identifier with the charging session identifier is performed by a software application on an Internet-connected mobile device.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the charging session identifier is obtained by scanning a barcode or alpha-numeric code displayed on the EVCS or EVSE.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the combining further comprises including user identification data in the dataset;

and wherein the method further comprises;

transmitting the dataset to a back-end server via wired or wireless communication; and

receiving a response from the back-end server indicating whether the user is authorized to use the EVCS or EVSE.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises receiving a message from a back-end server indicating that the user has properly paid for the charging session and the parking at the parking facility.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the combining further comprises including user identification data in the dataset.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method of combining payment for a charging session at an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) with payment for a parking session, the method comprising;

receiving a selection by a user to combine payment for the charging session with payment for a parking session; and

combining a parking session identifier with user identification data and a charging session identifier that is generated by the EVSE/EVCS to form a dataset that can be used to process a combined payment for both the charging session and the parking session.

20. An electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

), comprising;

one or more charging ports configured to be coupled to an electric vehicle and to charge one or more batteries of the electric vehicle;

a display device;

a magnetic strip reader, camera, or barcode scanner;

a network communication device;

a computer processor, the computer processor being programmed to;

cause a unique charging session code to be generated;

cause a user interface screen to be displayed on the display device, the user interface screen (a) prompting the user to input, read, image, or scan a unique parking session identifier, and (b) prompting the user to input, read, image, or scan payment information,

receive the unique parking session identifier and the payment information from one or more of a touchscreen interface associated with the display apparatus, the magnetic strip reader, the camera, or the barcode scanner, and

transmit the unique charging session code, the unique parking session identifier, and the payment information to a remote server using the network communication device.

21. The EVCS or EVSE of claim 20, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive a response from the remote server, the response indicating whether the user is authorized for charging and parking.

22. The EVCS or EVSE of claim 20, wherein the network communication device comprises one of a wireless radio, a cellular radio, a Wi-Fi radio, or a LAN connection.

23. The EVCS or EVSE of claim 20, wherein the EVCS or EVSE further comprises a radio frequency identification (“

RFID”

) reader, and wherein the payment information can additionally be received from the RFID reader.

24. A parking facility exit control device, wherein the parking facility exit control device comprises:

a network communication device; and

computing hardware configured to;

receive a message from a remote server via the network communication device, the message indicating that payment by a user for charging and parking was properly authorized, and

allow the user to exit the parking facility.