System and method for electric vehicle charging and billing using a wireless vehicle communication service
First Claim
1. A vehicle charging system for use with charging an electric vehicle that includes a vehicle communications module, said system comprising:
- a vehicle charging station comprising a meter and a connector, said vehicle charging station configured to;
communicatively couple to a first network that is communicatively coupled to a second network that is configured to communicatively couple wirelessly to the vehicle communications module; and
electrically couple to the electric vehicle via said connector; and
a server system communicatively coupled to said vehicle charging station through the first network, said server system configured to be communicatively coupled to the electric vehicle through the vehicle communications module that is connected to the second network that is connected to the first network, and said server system configured to;
receive a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle from the first network, the unique identifier transmitted from the vehicle communications module to the second network and subsequently routed from the second network, through the first network, to said server system;
determine an account associated with the unique identifier;
determine whether to approve service to the electric vehicle based on the account; and
transmit an approval to said vehicle charging station upon a determination to approve service, wherein the approval is transmitted from said server system to the first network, and wherein the approval is further routed from the first network to the vehicle charging station;
wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to;
receive the approval from said server system;
deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector based on the approval; and
meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered by said vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle using said meter; and
wherein said server system is further configured to;
determine a transaction amount based on the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle by said vehicle charging station; and
compare the transaction amount to a balance of the account.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A vehicle charging system for use with charging an electric vehicle that includes a vehicle communications module, said system comprising:
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a vehicle charging station comprising a meter and a connector, said vehicle charging station configured to; communicatively couple to a first network that is communicatively coupled to a second network that is configured to communicatively couple wirelessly to the vehicle communications module; and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via said connector; and a server system communicatively coupled to said vehicle charging station through the first network, said server system configured to be communicatively coupled to the electric vehicle through the vehicle communications module that is connected to the second network that is connected to the first network, and said server system configured to; receive a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle from the first network, the unique identifier transmitted from the vehicle communications module to the second network and subsequently routed from the second network, through the first network, to said server system; determine an account associated with the unique identifier; determine whether to approve service to the electric vehicle based on the account; and transmit an approval to said vehicle charging station upon a determination to approve service, wherein the approval is transmitted from said server system to the first network, and wherein the approval is further routed from the first network to the vehicle charging station; wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to; receive the approval from said server system; deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector based on the approval; and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered by said vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle using said meter; and wherein said server system is further configured to; determine a transaction amount based on the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle by said vehicle charging station; and compare the transaction amount to a balance of the account. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for charging an electric vehicle that includes a vehicle communications module, said method comprising:
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communicatively coupling a vehicle charging station and a server system to a first network that is communicatively coupled to a second network that is configured to communicatively couple wirelessly to the vehicle communications module; electrically coupling the vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle via a connector; receiving, at the server system, a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle from the vehicle communications module through the first network, the unique identifier transmitted from the vehicle communications module to the second network and subsequently routed from the second network, through the first network, to the server system; determining, by the server system, an account associated with the unique identifier; determining, by the server system, whether to approve service to the electric vehicle based on the account; transmitting, from the server system, an approval to the vehicle charging station based on the determination whether to approve service, wherein the approval is transmitted from the server system to the first network, and wherein the approval is further routed from the first network to the vehicle charging station; receiving, at the vehicle charging station, the approval; delivering, by the vehicle charging station, a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector based on the approval; metering, by the vehicle charging station, the quantity of electrical charging power delivered by the vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle; determining, by the server system, a transaction amount based on the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle at the vehicle charging station; and comparing, by the server system, the transaction amount to a balance of the account. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification