Method and apparatus for finding and accessing a vehicle fueling station, including an electric vehicle charging station

• US 9,646,435 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dejanetworks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Liberty Plugins, Inc.
• Inventors: Outwater, Christopher Scott, Redmann, William Gibbens
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/429,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 700236, 700237
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/622 by satellite navigation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/57 Charging stations without connection to power networks
• 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 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 : RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 : Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 : involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2240/00 : Transportation facility access, e.g. fares, tolls or parking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 : Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 : With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 : involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/215 : the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 : in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 : with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 : the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/26 : Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 : Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 : Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 : using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 : using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 : using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 : for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A control system and method are provided for a station to dispense fuel to a vehicle, including an electric vehicle, without requiring dedicated access to a communications network, with the advantage that authorization for fleet vehicles or individuals can be obtained from an access management system, using a portable, wireless device, such as a smart phone or a dashboard appliance. The authorization is wirelessly relayed to the station by the wireless device, to enable the dispensing of fuel. Subsequently, a log comprising the transaction is provided to the access management system, through the same or a different wireless, mobile computing device. The log may also report status and other events, such as load shedding.

Claims

1. A method for the control of dispensing, as of fuel or electrical energy, to vehicles, the method comprising:

a) accepting a first data, with a first station, from a first mobile computing device of a first patron, the first data representative of at least a certificate, the certificate created by a management system and representing an authorization for dispensing;

b) dispensing to a vehicle, with the first station, in response to the first data;

c) making a record in a memory of the first station, the record comprising a second data representing the dispensing and at least an identifying portion of the certificate;

d) providing a third data, by the first station, to a second mobile computing device of any patron, the third data deliverable by the second mobile computing device to the management system, the third data representative of the record;

e) accepting a fourth data, with the first station, from a third mobile computing device of any patron, the fourth data representative of at least an acknowledgment of the record, the acknowledgment created by the management system and representing receipt by the management system of the third data, wherein e) accepting fourth data is further through a second station and the first station has communication with the second station; and

,

f) deleting the record from the memory, in response to the fourth data.

2. A first station, for dispensing fuel or electricity to vehicles, comprising:

a processor;

a communication module connected to the processor to provide communication with mobile computing devices;

a dispensing element, controllably enabled by the processor, for dispensing at least one of fuel and electricity; and

,

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory containing executable instructions, which when executed by the processor perform a process of;

a) accepting a first data, through the communication module, from a first mobile computing device of a first patron, the first data representative of at least a certificate, the certificate created by a management system and representing an authorization for dispensing;

b) dispensing to a vehicle, with the dispensing element, in response to the first data;

c) making a record in the memory, the record comprising a second data representing the dispensing and at least a portion of the certificate;

d) providing a third data, through the communication module, to a second mobile computing device of any patron, the third data deliverable by the second mobile computing device to the management system, the third data representative of the record;

e) accepting a fourth data, through the communication module, from a third mobile computing device of any patron, the fourth data representative of at least an acknowledgment of the record, the acknowledgment created by the management system and representing receipt by the management system of the third data, wherein e) accepting fourth data is further through a second station and the communication module has communication with the second station; and

,

f) deleting the record from the memory, in response to the fourth data.