Method and system for the authorization of and payment for electric charging of vehicles

• US 7,885,893 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel Alexander
• Original Assignee: Daniel Alexander
• Inventors: Alexander, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gottschalk; Martin A
• Application Number:
  US12/045,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 455/522, 705/40, 705/35, 705/45
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/003 for electricity
• 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

Methods and systems provide power to a mobile recipient and allow the recipient to pay for the power obtained by having it charged to an account other than the account for the location at which the power is provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating payment for providing power to vehicles, comprising:

a. obtaining, at a central computer, validated vehicle identification codes from an account maintainer, wherein each validated vehicle identification code is associated with a unique vehicle capable of being charged with electricity, wherein said electricity powers the vehicle, and with a user account that the account maintainer has pre-authorized to be in good standing for conducting transactions, wherein the account maintainer pays for provision of power to the vehicles, and wherein at least some of the vehicles are equipped with a power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device, including a wired or wireless connection, wherein said power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device is operable to transmit validated vehicle identification codes, to receive at least one valid power-authorization code from a processor at an information exchange point, and to transmit said at least one valid power-authorization code to a processor at a charging station that is permanently or temporarily inaccessible to alternative electronic or electromagnetic communications channels, wherein a contractual arrangement has been made for the charging station to provide power upon transmission by a vehicle of the valid power-authorization code to the processor at the charging station, and wherein at least some of the vehicles are equipped with a transaction-collecting communication device including a wired or wireless connection, wherein said transaction-collecting communication device collects executed-power-provision-transaction billing data from the charging station;

b. transmitting electronically or electromagnetically from the central computer, at least one of the validated vehicle identification codes and at least one valid power-authorization code to at least one information exchange point located at a location that is well-trafficked by said power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device equipped vehicles;

c. the processor of the information exchange point transmitting electronically or electromagnetically at least one valid power-authorization code to the power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device on at least one of the vehicles immediately following the vehicle'"'"'s power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device communicating to the processor of the information exchange point one of the validated vehicle identification codes, wherein the vehicle receiving the valid power-authorization code is enabled to obtain power when it subsequently presents the valid power-authorization code to a charging station;

d. the vehicle power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device transmitting electronically or electromagnetically the at least one valid power-authorization code to the charging station, wherein the charging station is then enabled to provide power to vehicles that subsequently request power from the charging station by electronically or electromagnetically transmitting the valid power-authorization code;

e. the charging station transmitting electronically or electromagnetically the executed-power-provision-transaction billing data to the transaction-collecting communication device of at least one of the vehicles equipped with a transaction collecting communication device; and

then

f. the transaction-collecting communication device transmitting the executed-power-provision-transaction billing data to the processor of at least one information exchange point; and

then

g. receiving electronically or electromagnetically at the central computer, executed-power-provision-transaction billing data from the processor of at least one information exchange point; and

then

h. transmitting electronically or electromagnetically the executed-power-provision-transaction billing data from the central computer to the account maintainer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the power-authorization-code-transmitting devices are integral with at least some of the transaction-collecting communication devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the account maintainer is a third party other than a provider of electric power to the charging station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicles are operated by vehicle operators who live in homes, and wherein the account maintainer is an electric provider that provides electric power to the homes of the vehicle operators but not to the charging station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communications to and from at least one of the vehicles are accomplished by wireless communication.