ACCOUNTING SYSTEM AND EV CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20140249976A1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Saida, Toshiyuki, Sugimura, Tsuyoshi
• Application Number:
  US14/277,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20140249976A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• 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: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• 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: 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: 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

According to an embodiment, an accounting system includes a charging device configured to charge a battery, an EMS server configured to be communicable with the charging device and a vehicle, accounting management module for executing authentication between user information in a user information database, which stores the user information including a user ID and a billing destination, and information which is received, and an AMI configured to connect the accounting management module and the EMS server. The EMS server is configured to receive the user ID and a charging power amount from the charging device, to transmit them to the accounting management module, and to transmit the user ID and a used power amount by the charging to the accounting management module.

Claims

1. An accounting system comprising:

a charging device configured to charge a battery mounted on a vehicle by a contact method or a non-contact method;

an energy management system configured to be communicable with the charging device and the vehicle;

accounting management module configured to execute authentication between user information in a user information database, which stores the user information including a user ID and a billing destination associated with the user ID, and information which is received; and

a smart meter network configured to communicably connect the accounting management module and the energy management system,

wherein the energy management system is configured to receive the user ID and a charging power amount from the charging device, to transmit the user ID of the vehicle and the charging power amount to the accounting management module via the smart meter network, and to transmit, when a notification of permission of charging has been received from the accounting management module and the battery of the vehicle has been charged by the charging device, the user ID of the vehicle and a used power amount by the charging to the accounting management module from the charging device via the smart meter network, and

the accounting management module is configured to request payment of a charge corresponding to the used power amount, together with an electric power charge of a user of the vehicle.

2. The accounting system of claim 1, further comprising a first input/output module which is mounted on the vehicle and is communicable with the energy management system via the charging device.

3. The accounting system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second input/output module which is mounted on the vehicle and is communicable by a wireless communication method; and

an automatic relay device configured to mutually change a communication method of the second input/output module and a communication method of the energy management system.

4. The accounting system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle is capable of registering a user ID which is registered in an electric power company of the user, and

the energy management system is capable of registering a user ID of the vehicle which can be charged by the charging device, and determines whether charging is permissible or not, by collating, when the user ID and the charging power amount have been received from the vehicle, the registered user ID and the received user ID.

5. The accounting system of claim 1, further comprising a settlement device configured to settle, in cash or by card, a charge corresponding to a power amount used for charging the battery of the vehicle by the charging device,

wherein the energy management system is configured to receive the user ID and the charging power amount from the charging device, to transmit the user ID of the vehicle and the charging power amount to the accounting management module via the smart meter network, and to transmit, when a notification of non-permission of charging has been received from the accounting management module, a charge corresponding to the used power amount to the settlement device.

6. The accounting system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a terminal for insertion of a recording medium in which a user ID registered in an electric power company of the user is recorded, and the user ID recorded in the recording medium is registered when the recording medium is inserted in the terminal.

7. The accounting system of claim 1, wherein the charge corresponding to the used power amount includes an electric power charge and an additional charge.

8. An EV charging system comprising charging equipment, power distribution equipment configured to distribute power to the charging equipment, a first vehicle which is not using the charging equipment and sends a charging request including a vehicle ID for identifying a vehicle, request power amount information indicative of a power amount requested from the charging equipment, and vehicle position information indicative of a present position of the vehicle, a second vehicle which is indicative of a vehicle that is using the charging equipment, and a central data center which is communicable with the first vehicle and the power distribution equipment,

wherein the charging equipment comprises:

supply module configured to supply power, which is distributed from the power distribution equipment, to the second vehicle; and

first sending module configured to send, upon accepting an input of in-vehicle device control unit information which is sent from the second vehicle and includes at least request power amount information indicative of a power amount that is necessary until completion of charging of the second vehicle, the in-vehicle device control unit information, the input of which has been accepted, to the power distribution equipment,

the power distribution equipment comprises;

first storage module configured to store the in-vehicle device control unit information;

write module configured to write, upon accepting an input of the in-vehicle device control unit information sent from the charging equipment, the in-vehicle device control unit information, the input of which has been accepted, in the first storage module; and

second sending module configured to send to the central data center the stored in-vehicle device control unit information and maximum power amount information indicative of a maximum value of a power amount which can be distributed to the charging equipment, and

the central data center comprises;

second storage module configured to store equipment information in which an equipment ID for identifying the charging equipment, equipment position information indicative of a position of the charging equipment, and vehicle maximum number information indicative of a maximum number of vehicles, which can be parked at the charging equipment, are associated;

first detection module configured to detect, upon accepting an input of the charging request sent from the first vehicle, equipment information in which a position indicated by the equipment position information is closest to a position indicated by the vehicle position information, from the vehicle position information included in the charging request the input of which has been accepted, and the equipment position information in the stored equipment information;

determination module configured to determine, upon accepting an input of the in-vehicle device control unit information and the maximum power amount information sent from the power distribution equipment, whether the charging equipment can supply power to the first vehicle, based on the in-vehicle device control unit information and the maximum power amount information the input of which has been accepted, and the detected equipment information; and

third sending module configured to send the detected equipment information to the first vehicle, when a determination result by the determination module indicates that power supply is permissible.

9. The EV charging system of claim 8, wherein the determination module comprises:

first determination module configured to execute, upon accepting the input of the in-vehicle device control unit information and the maximum power amount information sent from the power distribution equipment, a subtraction between the power amount indicated by the maximum power amount information the input of which has been accepted, and the sum of power amounts indicated by necessary power amount information in the in-vehicle device control unit information the input of which has been accepted, and thereafter determining whether a value calculated as a result of the subtraction is larger than a power amount indicated by the request power amount information in the charging request the input of which has been accepted;

second determination module configured to determine, when a determination result by the first determination module is indicative of “

larger”

, whether a number of in-vehicle device control unit information pieces, the input of which has been accepted, is smaller than a number indicated by the vehicle maximum number information in the detected equipment information; and

means for assuming, when a determination result by the second determination module is indicative of “

smaller”

, that the charging equipment can supply power to the first vehicle.

10. The EV charging system of claim 8, wherein the central data center further comprises:

second detection module configured to detect, when the determination result by the determination module is indicative of “

No”

, equipment information in which the position indicated by the equipment position information is n-th (n≧

2) closest to the position indicated by the vehicle position information, from the vehicle position information included the input of which has been accepted, and the equipment position information in the stored equipment information.

11. The EV charging system of claim 8, wherein the first vehicle comprises display module configured to display, when the first vehicle has accepted an input of the equipment information sent from the central data center, the equipment information the input of which has been accepted, on a display device.

12. The EV charging system of claim 8, wherein the first sending module comprises module configured to send the in-vehicle device control unit information, the input of which has been accepted, to the power distribution equipment, after converting an in-vehicle communication protocol used in the in-vehicle device control unit information, the input of which has been accepted, to a communication protocol for the power distribution equipment.

13. The EV charging system of claim 8, wherein the second sending module comprises fourth sending module configured to send the in-vehicle device control unit information to the charging equipment, after converting an in-vehicle communication protocol used in the in-vehicle device control unit information to a communication protocol for the power distribution equipment.