Authentication and pairing of a mobile device to an external power source

• US 9,256,897 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marlin, Eli, Seibert, Cristina
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US14/660,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/53 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/54 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/55 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• 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: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• 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

A mobile device communicates with an authenticator affiliated with a recharging facility, to identify itself. To confirm that the mobile device is connected to the correct facility, the authenticator instructs the mobile device to draw electrical charge according to an identifiable pattern. Upon detecting a charge being drawn according to that pattern, the authenticator has confirmation that the identified device is connected to the facility, and permits the charging to proceed. The amount of electricity drawn during the charging procedure can be metered, and then billed to a party associated with the identified mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for managing a charging session with a mobile device, comprising:

a mobile device; and

a wireless communication network comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a charging device and configured to communicate between the associated charging device and the mobile device, wherein

the mobile device is configured to

send a broadcast message to one or more of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network requesting a charging session,

receive an instruction from one of the plurality of nodes in the network to initiate a unique load pattern associated with the mobile device, in response to the broadcast message, and

draw a charge in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of charging devices, wherein each charging device is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes of the wireless communication network.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each charging device is configured to receive an authentication signal from the mobile device and respectively authenticate the mobile device based on the received authentication signal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein each charging device is configured to supply power to the mobile device from a power source based on the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the broadcast message includes an authentication signal,

each node of the plurality of nodes is configured to authenticate the mobile device using the authentication signal, and

the instruction is sent to the mobile device from the one of the plurality of nodes subsequent to authentication of the mobile device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a back office system configured to associate the charge drawn by the mobile device with an account associated with the mobile device.

7. A system for managing a charging session with a mobile device, comprising:

a mobile device; and

a wireless communication network comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a charging device and configured to communicate between the associated charging device and the mobile device, wherein

the mobile device is configured to

send a broadcast message to one or more of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network requesting a charging session,

receive a corresponding instruction from at least two of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network to initiate a corresponding unique load pattern respectively associated with a corresponding one of the at least two nodes,

select one of the received instructions for execution, and

draw a charge in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the selected instruction.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of charging devices, wherein each charging device is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes of the wireless communication network.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each charging device is configured to receive an authentication signal from the mobile device and respectively authenticate the mobile device based on the received authentication signal.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each charging device is configured to supply power to the mobile device from a power source based on the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein

the broadcast message includes an authentication signal,

each node of the plurality of nodes is configured to authenticate the mobile device using the authentication signal, and

the corresponding instructions are sent to the mobile device from the at least two of the plurality of nodes subsequent to corresponding authentication of the mobile device by the at least two nodes, respectively.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a back office system configured to associate the charge drawn by the mobile device with an account associated with the mobile device.

13. A method for managing a charging session with a mobile device, comprising:

sending, from a mobile device, a broadcast message requesting a charging session to at least one node among a plurality of nodes of a wireless communication network, wherein each node is associated with a charging device and is configured to communicate between the associated charging device and the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device, an instruction from one of the plurality of nodes in the network to initiate a unique load pattern associated with the mobile device, in response to the broadcast message; and

drawing a charge at the mobile device in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of charging devices are respectively associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes, and

wherein the method comprises:

receiving, by each charging device associated with a corresponding one of the nodes, an authentication signal from the mobile device; and

authenticating, by each charging device, the mobile device based on the received authentication signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the charge drawn by the mobile device is supplied from the charging device associated with the one of the plurality of nodes.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein

the broadcast message includes an authentication signal,

the plurality of nodes respectively authenticate the mobile device using the authentication signal, and

the instruction is sent to the mobile device from the one of the plurality of nodes subsequent to authentication of the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

associating, by a back office system, the charge drawn by the mobile device with an account associated with the mobile device.

18. A method for managing a charging session with a mobile device, comprising:

sending, from a mobile device, a broadcast message requesting a charging session to at least one node among a plurality of nodes of a wireless communication network, wherein each node is associated with a charging device and is configured to communicate between the associated charging device and the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device, a corresponding instruction from at least two of the plurality of nodes in the network to initiate a corresponding unique load pattern respectively associated with a corresponding one of the at least two nodes;

selecting, by the mobile device, one of the received instructions for execution; and

drawing a charge at the mobile device in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the selected instruction.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by each charging device associated with a corresponding one of the nodes, an authentication signal from the mobile device; and

authenticating, by each charging device, the mobile device based on the received authentication signal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the charge drawn by the mobile device is supplied from the charging device associated with the one of the plurality of nodes.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein

the broadcast message includes an authentication signal,

the plurality of nodes respectively authenticate the mobile device using the authentication signal, and

the corresponding instructions are sent to the mobile device from the at least two of the plurality of nodes subsequent to corresponding authentication of the mobile device by the at least two nodes, respectively.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

associating, by a back office system, the charge drawn by the mobile device with an account associated with the mobile device.

23. A mobile device, comprising:

a network interface configured to establish a communication session with a wireless communication network comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a charging device and configured to communicate between the associated charging device and the mobile device;

a transceiver configured to

send a broadcast message to one or more of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network requesting a charging session, and

receive an instruction from one of the plurality of nodes in the network to initiate a unique load pattern associated with the mobile device, in response to the broadcast message; and

a controller configured to draw a charge in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein

each charging device is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes of the network,

the transceiver is configured to transmit an authentication signal to the corresponding charging devices respectively associated with the plurality of nodes, and

the controller is configured to draw the charge in accordance with the unique load pattern from the charging device associated with the one of the plurality of nodes upon being authenticated by the charging device associated with the one of the plurality of nodes.

25. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the charge drawn by the controller of the mobile device is supplied by a charging device respectively associated with the one of the plurality of nodes and is based on the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

26. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein

the broadcast message includes an authentication signal,

the plurality of nodes are configured to respectively authenticate the mobile device using the authentication signal, and

the instruction is sent to the mobile device from the one of the plurality of nodes subsequent to authentication of the mobile device.

27. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein a back office system connected to the network is configured to associate the charge drawn by the controller of the mobile device with an account associated with the mobile device.

28. A mobile device, comprising:

a network interface configured to establish a communication session with a wireless communication network comprised of a plurality of nodes, each node being associated with a charging device and configured to communicate between the associated charging device and the mobile device;

a transceiver configured to

send a broadcast message to one or more of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network requesting a charging session, and

receive a corresponding instruction from at least two of the plurality of nodes in the wireless communication network to initiate a corresponding unique load pattern respectively associated with a corresponding one of the at least two nodes; and

a controller configured to

select one of the received instructions for execution, and

draw a charge in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the selected instruction.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein

each charging device is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of nodes of the network,

the transceiver is configured to transmit an authentication signal to the corresponding charging devices respectively associated with the plurality of nodes, and

the controller is configured to draw the charge in accordance with the unique load pattern corresponding to the selected instruction from the charging device associated with one of the plurality of nodes from which the selected instruction was received, upon being authenticated by the charging device associated with the one of the plurality of nodes.

30. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the charge drawn by the controller of the mobile device is supplied by a charging device respectively associated with one of the plurality of nodes from which the selected instruction was received, and the charge drawn by the controller is based on the unique load pattern corresponding to the received instruction.

31. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein

the broadcast message includes an authentication signal,

each node of the plurality of nodes is configured to authenticate the mobile device using the authentication signal, and

the instruction is sent to the mobile device from the one of the plurality of nodes subsequent to the authentication of the mobile device.

32. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein a back office system of the network is configured to associate the charge drawn by the controller of the mobile device with an account associated with the mobile device.