COMBINATION ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER AND POINT OF SALE DEVICE

• US 20120116575A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Prosser Group LLC
• Original Assignee: The Prosser Group LLC
• Inventors: Shao, Victor, Prosser, Ronald D.
• Application Number:
  US12/939,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116575A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/006 to power outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/72 Charging station selection relying on external data
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• 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 53/63 in response to network capacity
• 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: B60L 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 : Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• 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 10/126 : the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) that includes an electric vehicle charger adapted to provide electrical power to a vehicle; a network device adapted to communicate with a wireless network; and a point of sale device coupled to the electric vehicle charger and the network device. The point of sale device is adapted to facilitate consumer purchases of the electrical power and items other than the electrical power. The point of sale device includes: a user interface including a touch screen display, a credit card reader, a bar code reader, and a magnetic card reader, and a printer; a processor; and an application for execution on the processor to implement a method. The method includes: receiving a request from a consumer via the user interface; processing the request; and outputting a status of the request via the user interface.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle charging station comprising:

an electric vehicle charger adapted to provide electrical power to a vehicle;

a network device adapted to communicate with a wireless network; and

a point of sale device coupled to the electric vehicle charger and the network device, the point of sale device adapted to facilitate consumer purchases of the electrical power and items other than the electrical power, the point of sale device comprising;

a user interface comprising a touch screen display, a credit card reader, a bar code reader, and a magnetic card reader, and a printer;

a processor; and

an application for execution on the processor to implement a method comprising;

receiving a request from a consumer via the user interface;

processing the request; and

outputting a status of the request via the user interface.

2. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to purchase the electrical power, and the processing the request comprises sending a command to the electric vehicle charger to initiate providing the vehicle with the electrical power and charging the purchase to a utility account or a credit card account.

3. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to purchase an item other than the electrical power and the processing the request comprises charging the purchase to a utility account or to a credit card account.

4. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for electrical power and the processing the request comprises sending a command to the electric vehicle charger to initiate providing the vehicle with the electrical power, the electrical power provided at no cost to the consumer.

5. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to access the wireless network.

6. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to be notified of a charging status of the vehicle and contact information for the consumer.

7. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, further comprising printing a coupon on the printer.

8. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a request to honor a coupon scanned by the bar code reader.

9. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving a request from a remote device.

10. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an electrical grid.

11. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an energy storage system.

12. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein a source of the electrical power includes another vehicle.

13. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the point of sale device and the electric vehicle charger are physically separated by a distance.

14. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 13, wherein the electric vehicle charger comprises a display screen.

15. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 14, wherein at a point in time the display screen in the electric vehicle charger displays an advertisement and the touch screen display in the point of sale device display an other advertisement.

16. An electric vehicle charging station comprising:

an electric vehicle charger adapted to provide electrical power to a vehicle;

a network device adapted to communicate with a network; and

a point of sale device coupled to the electric vehicle charger and the network device, the point of sale device adapted to facilitate consumer purchases of the electrical power and items other than the electrical power, the point of sale device comprising;

a user interface comprising an input device and an output device;

a processor; and

an application for execution on the processor to implement a method comprising;

receiving a request from a consumer via the input device;

processing the request; and

outputting a status of the request via the output device.

17. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the processing the request comprises communicating with a host system via the network.

18. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a request to purchase the electrical power, and the processing the request comprises sending a command to the electric vehicle charger to initiate providing the vehicle with the electrical power and charging the purchase to a utility account or a credit card account.

19. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a request to purchase an item other than the electrical power and the processing the request comprises charging the purchase to a utility account or to a credit card account.

20. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the request is a request for electrical power and the processing the request comprises sending a command to the electric vehicle charger to initiate providing the vehicle with the electrical power, the electrical power provided at no cost to the consumer.

21. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a request to access the network.

22. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a request to be notified of a charging status of the vehicle and contact information for the consumer.

23. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, further comprising outputting a coupon from the output device.

24. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the request comprises a request to honor a coupon entered via the input device.

25. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises receiving a request to a remote device.

26. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises outputting the status to a remote device.

27. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen.

28. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the input device comprises at least one of a barcode reader, a magnetic card reader, and a smart card reader.

29. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the output device comprises at least one of a display screen, a printer, and a speaker.

30. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an electrical grid.

31. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an energy storage system.

32. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an other vehicle.

33. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 16, wherein the point of sale device and the electric vehicle charger are physically separated by a distance.

34. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 32, wherein the electric vehicle charger comprises a display screen.

35. The electric vehicle charging station of claim 34, wherein at a point in time the display screen in the electric vehicle charger displays an advertisement and the output device in the point of sale device display an other advertisement.

36. A method for purchasing items at an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS), the method comprising:

receiving an electrical power request from a consumer to provide electrical power to a vehicle, the electrical power request received at the EVCS via a user interface;

providing the electrical power to the vehicle in response to the electrical power request, the providing via an electric vehicle charger;

receiving a purchase request from the consumer to purchase an item other than electrical power, the purchase request received at the EVCS via the user interface;

receiving a specified method of payment for the item from the consumer, the receiving via the user interface;

completing the purchase using the specified method of payment; and

notifying the consumer that the purchase has been completed, the notifying in response to the completing and via the user interface.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

receiving a status notification request;

receiving a contact method from the consumer;

periodically providing status information to the consumer via the contact method.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the method of payment comprises a coupon.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising outputting a coupon via the user interface.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an electrical grid.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an energy storage system.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an other vehicle.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the item is purchased from a seller, and the method further comprises outputting a receipt of the purchase to the consumer, wherein the consumer presents the receipt to the seller in return for the item.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the receipt is a paper receipt.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the receipt is electronic.

46. A computer program product for purchasing items at an electric vehicle charging station, the computer program product comprising:

a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

receiving an electrical power request from a consumer to provide electrical power to a vehicle;

initiating providing the electrical power to the vehicle in response to the electrical power request;

receiving a purchase request from the consumer to purchase an item other than electrical power;

receiving a specified method of payment for the item from the consumer;

completing the purchase using the specified method of payment; and

notifying the consumer that the purchase has been completed, the notifying in response to the completing.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a status notification request;

receiving a contact method from the consumer;

periodically providing status information to the consumer via the contact method.

48. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the method of payment comprises a coupon.

49. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the method further comprises outputting a coupon via the user interface.

50. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an electrical grid.

51. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an energy storage system.

52. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein a source of the electrical power includes an other vehicle.

53. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the item is purchased from a seller, and the method further comprises outputting a receipt of the purchase to the consumer, wherein the consumer presents the receipt to the seller in return for the item.

54. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the receipt is a paper receipt.

55. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the receipt is electronic.