POWER SUPPLY DEVICE, POWER RECEIVING DEVICE, BILLING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20150006343A1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Tadano, Taro, Washiro, Takanori, Takemura, Kazuyoshi, Hayashi, Kuniya, Soma, Isao, Tanaka, Kayoko, Higano, Satoshi, Serita, Kazutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,546,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• 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: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/02 : for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 1/00 : Amplitude modulation H03C5/00, H03C7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/0115 : comprising only inductors and capacitors H03H7/075, H03H7/09, H03H7/12, H03H7/13 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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

Devices, methods, and programs for billing for electric power. A billing method may include generating billing information for an amount related to electric power transmitted by a power supply device, performing a billing process based on the billing information, and selectively transmitting electric power based on the result of the billing process. A power supply device may include a billing information generating unit, a billing processing unit, and a power control unit. Another billing method may include determining whether billing information has been received, performing a billing process after it is determined that the billing information has been received, transmitting a response signal to a power supply device, and providing notice regarding information related to the billing process. A power receiving device may include a billing processing unit, a power control unit, and a notice control unit.

Claims

1. A power supply device, comprising:

a billing information generating unit for generating billing information for an amount related to electric power transmitted by the power supply device;

a billing processing unit for performing a billing process based on the billing information, wherein performing the billing process includes;

performing communication with a second device, and determining a result of the billing process based on the communication; and

a power control unit for selectively transmitting electric power based on the result of the billing process

2. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein the response signal is provided by load modulation, the power receiving device providing the response signal by performing load modulation based on a signal received from the power supply device.

3. The power supply device of claim 2, further comprising:

a power line communication unit for performing communication with a power receiving device via a power line;

a first filter for blocking a signal of a first frequency, the first filter being connected between the power line communication unit and the power line; and

an authenticating unit for performing authentication on the power receiving device based on the communication with the power receiving device.

4. The power supply device of claim 2, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with a power receiving device, the wireless communication unit comprising an antenna; and

an authenticating unit for performing authentication on the power receiving device based on the communication with the power receiving device.

5. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein:

performing communication with the second device includes;

transmitting a billing process command to the second device, and

receiving a response signal from the second device, the response signal representing the result of the billing process, the second device being a power receiving device; and

selectively transmitting the electric power comprises selectively transmitting the electric power to the power receiving device.

6. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein:

performing communication with the second device includes;

transmitting a billing process command to the second device, and

receiving a response signal from the second device, the response signal representing the result of the billing process, the second device being a billing processing device; and

selectively transmitting the electric power comprises selectively transmitting the electric power to a power receiving device.

7. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein selectively transmitting the electric power to the power receiving device comprises selectively transmitting the electric power to the power receiving device via a power line.

8. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein generating the billing information comprises generating the billing information when the amount related to the electric power transmitted by the power supply device satisfies a set condition.

9. The power supply device of claim 8, wherein the amount related to the electric power comprises an amount of power supply time that elapses after the power control unit begins transmitting the electric power, and the set condition comprises a predetermined time.

10. The power supply device of claim 8, wherein the amount related to the electric power comprises an amount of electric power that the power control unit supplies after the power control unit begins transmitting the electric power, and the set condition comprises a predetermined amount of electric power.

11. The power supply device of claim 8, wherein the amount related to the electric power comprises a cost of an amount of electric power that the power control unit supplies after the power control unit begins transmitting the electric power, and the set condition comprises a predetermined price.

12. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein the billing information corresponds to a power supply mode of the power supply device.

13. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein:

when a total amount of electric power supplied is less than the predetermined value, the billing information corresponds to a first unit price of electric power; and

when the total amount of electric power supplied is not less than the predetermined value, the billing information corresponds to a second unit price of electric power.

14. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein selectively transmitting the electric power comprises transmitting the electric power when the billing process is completed, and not transmitting the electric power when the billing process is not completed.

15. The power supply device of claim 14, wherein:

performing the billing process comprises determining whether there is an unpaid shortage when the billing process is not completed.

16. The power supply device of claim 1, wherein generating the billing information comprises acquiring price information, and wherein the billing information corresponds to a price of electric power represented by the price information.

17. A power receiving device, comprising:

a billing processing unit for;

determining whether billing information has been received, the billing information being for an amount related to electric power received from a power supply device; and

after it is determined that the billing information has been received, performing a billing process;

a power control unit for causing transmission of a response signal to the power supply device, the response signal being based on the billing process; and

a notice control unit for providing notice regarding information related to the billing process.

18. The power receiving device of claim 17, wherein the response signal represents a result of the billing process.

19. The power receiving device of claim 18, wherein causing transmission of the response signal comprises causing load modulation based on a signal received from the power supply device.

20. The power receiving device of claim 19, further comprising:

a power line communication unit for performing communication with the power supply device via a power line, the power line communication unit being connected to the power line by a first filter,

wherein performing the communication with the power supply device includes transmitting a response signal to the power supply device by performing load modulation based on a signal received from the power supply device.

21. The power receiving device of claim 19, further comprising:

a wireless communication unit for performing wireless communication with the power supply device using an antenna,

wherein performing the wireless communication with the power supply device includes transmitting a response signal to the power supply device by performing load modulation based on a signal received from the power supply device.

22. The power receiving device of claim 17, wherein the information related to the billing process comprises information on a configurable power supply mode.

23. The power receiving device of claim 17, wherein the information related to the billing process comprises information on a price of electric power.

24. The power receiving device of claim 17, wherein performing the billing process comprises:

generating a billing process command based on the billing information; and

processing an electronic value based on the generated billing process command.

25. The power receiving device of any of claim 17, wherein:

the power receiving device further comprises a communication unit; and

performing the billing process comprises performing communication with an external billing process device using the communication unit.