Method and Process of billing for goods leveraging a single connection action

• US 20110099111A1
• Filed: 10/24/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward Butler, John C. Thomas, Paul S. Levy
• Original Assignee: Edward Butler, John C. Thomas, Paul S. Levy
• Inventors: Thomas, John C., Levy, Paul S., Butler, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/605,319
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099111A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/63
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

A method and system provided for a single-action with which the customer places an order and receives goods by the single action of connecting an electrical vehicle (EV) to a charging station according to the business terms associated with this invention, the affiliated organizations that purchase or support the operation of the invention participate in a business “franchise” operation whereby all affiliated organizations increase their revenues as the volume of EV charging events increases.

Claims

1. A method of placing an order for an item comprising:

a. Under control of a client system, in response to a single-action being performed, sending a request to order an electric vehicle charge event along with a unique identifier of the vehicle owner in combination with the connected charging service Vendor ID and vendor'"'"'s unit unique public key to the server system.

b. Under control of the connected charging service vendor system, in response to a single-action being performed, sending its unique Vendor ID, prevailing electricity rates, billing policies, and public key to the server system via the connection enabled by the electric vehicle

c. Under the control of a single-action ordering component of the server system receiving the request;

retrieving additional information previously stored for the purchaser identified by the identifier in the received request in combination with the unique identifier of the charging service vendor and public key;

generating a secure authentication message to start the electric vehicle charge event to the charge station and transmitting billing related information to the charge station as needed via the connection to the electric vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the single-action is connecting the charging station to the electrical vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a user of the client system does not need to explicitly identify themselves when connection the electric vehicle.

4. A client system for ordering an item comprising:

a. an identifier that identifies a customer;

b. a single-action ordering component that in response to performance of only a single-action, sends a request to a server system to order an electric vehicle charge event and vendor ID so that the server system can locate additional information needed to complete the order and so that the server system can fulfill the generated order to complete purchase of the charge event.

5. The client system of claim 4 wherein the predefined single-action is the connecting of the charging station to the electrical vehicle.

6. A server system for generating an order comprising:

a. a data storage medium storing information for a plurality of users;

b. a receiving component for receiving requests to order an electric vehicle charge event, a request including an indication of one of the plurality of users, the request being sent in response to only a single action being performed; and

c. an order placement component that retrieves from the data storage medium information for the indicated electric vehicle owner and electric vehicle charge service provider and that uses the retrieved information to place an order for the indicated user for the item; and

d. an order fulfillment component that completes a purchase of the charge event in accordance with the order placed by the single-action ordering component which specifies amount of electricity consumed as well as prevailing rates and billing policies.

7. The server system of claim 6 wherein the request is sent by a client system in response to a single-action (connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station) is performed.

8. A method for ordering an item using a client system, the method comprising:

a. displaying information identifying the state of electric vehicle battery charge and electricity rates and policy information and displaying an indication of a single-action that is to be performed to order a charge event (connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station); and

b. in response to only the indicated single-action being performed, sending to a server system a request to order an electric vehicle charge event

c. whereby authentication is sent to the vendor to fulfill the order to complete a purchase of the item.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the server system uses a client identifier sent along with the request to identify additional information needed to generate an authentication for the electric vehicle charge event.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the server system uses a vendor identifier database identifies the charging services vendor system.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the client system and server system communicate via the Internet or any network communication link.

12. The method of claim 8 including the act of sending from the server system to the client system a confirmation that the order was generated.

13. The method of claim 8 including the act of sending from the client system to the vendor charging station system a confirmation that the order was generated.

14. The method of claim 8 including the act of sending from the server system to the client system a packet of data that enables the update of software and/or data, as well as electricity rate and policy data, electronically stored on the vendor charging station.

15. The method of claim 8 including the act of sending from the client system to the vendor charging station a packet of data that enables the update of software and/or data, as well as electricity rate and policy data, electronically stored on the vendor charging station.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein the single-action is connecting the changing station to the electrical vehicle.

17. A client system for transmitting billing information related to fulfillment of a fulfilled electric vehicle charging order comprising:

a. an identifier that identifies a customer (electric vehicle owner);

b. a single-action ordering component that in response to a sequence of events initiated by a single-action sends a packet of billing information (including customer identifier, charging station vendor identifier, and data related to the electric vehicle charging event) to a server system to implement billing of the customer for the charge event.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the predefined single-action is connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station and the sequence of events initiated by this single-action is the complete charging of the electric vehicle'"'"'s batteries or the disconnection of the electric vehicle from the charging station.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the client system transmits a packet of billing information (including customer identifier, charging station vendor identifier, and data related to the electric vehicle charging event) to a server system to implement billing of the customer for the charge event.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the client system recognizes if the communication link with the server system has been temporarily disconnected and continues to send the packet of billing information until the connection is restored and the packet is successfully transmitted to the to the server system

21. A server system for implementing billing of fulfilled electric vehicle charging orders comprising:

a. a data storage medium storing information for a plurality of electric vehicle owners, charging services vendors, EV manufacturers, and other affiliated organizations, including the unique affiliations that exists between manufacturers and owners of electric vehicles;

b. a receiving component for receiving electricity rate information (including static rates, time of use rate schedules, and dynamic price signals) and charging policy information (including any restrictions or conditions placed on charging events) from the source of this information (e.g. electric power utilities, electric charge service providers, and other entities).

c. a receiving component for receiving a billing information packet related to an electric vehicle charge event (including electric vehicle owner identifier, charging station vendor identifier, and data related to the electric vehicle charging event) being received in response to a sequence of events initiated by single-action being performed;

d. a billing fulfillment component that retrieves from the data storage medium information for the indicated electric vehicle owner and uses the retrieved information to calculate a service fee (as a percentage of the billing generated by the charging event and/or on a per transaction basis) automatically withdraw funds (equal to the billed value of the charging event plus the service fee) from a designated EV owner'"'"'s account (or charge the EV owner'"'"'s designated credit account) via a pre-arranged agreement, and

e. a franchise bonus fulfillment component that retrieves from the data storage medium information for affiliated organizations (the vendor of charging services, the manufacturer of the EV, and other organizations) and uses the retrieved information to calculate bonus payments (as a percentage of the above mentioned service fee) and disperse said “

bonus”

payments to these affiliated organizations (either immediately or accumulated and paid on a billing schedule as defined with these organizations). and

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the server system uses a client identifier sent along with the request to identify additional information needed to calculate billing for an electric vehicle charge event.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the server system uses a vendor identifier database identifies the owner operator of the electric vehicle charging station (i.e. the charging service vendor) and/or the affiliated electric service utility that provides electric service to this vendor.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the server system communicate via the Internet or any network communication link.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the server system automatically withdraws funds (equal to the billed value of the charging event plus the service fee) from a designated EV owner'"'"'s account (or charges the EV owner'"'"'s designated credit account) via a pre-arranged agreement.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the server system automatically disperses “

bonus”

payments to affiliated organizations (either immediately or accumulated and paid on a billing schedule as defined with these organizations).

27. The method of claim 21 including the act of sending from the server system to the client system a confirmation that billing for the vehicle charging transaction has been completed.

28. The method of claim 21 including the act of sending from the server system to the vehicle charging services vendor, EV manufacturer, or other affiliated organizations a transaction record of the electric vehicle charging event for billing auditing purposes.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein the single-action is disconnecting the electrical vehicle from the changing station and the sequence of events initiated by this single-action is the complete charging of the electric vehicle'"'"'s batteries or the disconnection of the electric vehicle from the charging station.