Managing incentives for electric vehicle charging transactions

• US 7,991,665 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graphite Charging Company LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Mara, Melissa Wiltsey, Williamson, Paul Stuart, Hafner, James Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton; Lalita M
• Application Number:
  US12/139,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.13, 705/14.14, 705/14.11, 705/35, 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/52 drive range estimation, e.g. of estimation of available travel distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/54 Energy consumption estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/58 Departure time prediction
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/32 of electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• 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 55/00 Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 8/003 Converting light into electric energy, e.g. by using photo-voltaic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 : based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 : dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/12 : Billing, invoicing, buying or selling transactions or other related activities, e.g. cost or usage evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 : Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for automatically managing incentives associated with an electric vehicle charging transaction is provided. Incentives are received from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service. Applicable incentives are selected from the received incentives based on an identification of an electric vehicle, a charging station, and a set of principals associated with the electric vehicle charging transaction, by the incentive service. A set of selected incentives is identified from the received incentives for utilization in the electric vehicle charging transaction. The set of selected incentives is sent to an energy transaction planner, wherein the energy transaction planner incorporates the set of selected incentives into an energy transaction plan that is used to control the electric vehicle charging transaction.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of automatically managing incentives associated with an electric vehicle charging transaction, the computer implemented method comprising:

determining, by a vendor, a particular period of time, wherein total usage of electricity supplied by an electrical power grid to all recipients of electricity connected to the power grid at a particular period of time is anticipated to be a particular amount during the particular period of time;

providing, by the vendor, a particular incentive to encourage a vehicle principal to connect an electric vehicle to a changing station during the particular period of time;

receiving incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service, wherein the particular incentive is included in the received incentives;

selecting applicable incentives from the received incentives based on an identification of the electric vehicle, the charging station, and a set of principals associated with a charging transaction for the electric vehicle, by the incentive service, wherein the vehicle principal is included in the set of principals;

identifying a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the charging transaction; and

sending the set of selected incentives to an energy transaction planner, wherein the energy transaction planner incorporates the set of selected incentives into an energy transaction plan that is used to control the electric vehicle charging transaction.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the electric vehicle charging transaction further comprises:

presenting the received incentives to a subset of principals in the set of principals with a request for a selection of incentives to be used in the electric vehicle charging transaction; and

receiving input from the subset of principals identifying selected incentives from the received incentives to form the set of selected incentives, wherein incentives in the set of selected incentives are used in the charging transaction and incentives in the received incentives that are not included in the set of selected incentives are not used in the charging transaction.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein identifying a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the charging transaction for the electric vehicle further comprises:

retrieving preferences for a subset of principals in the set of principals and a past history of incentive selections by the subset of principals; and

analyzing the received incentives by the incentive service using the preferences and the past history to identify incentives that would be selected by the subset of principals to form the set of selected incentives, wherein the set of selected incentives are identified automatically by the incentive service identified automatically by the incentive service without an express selection of incentives by the subset of principals.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service further comprising:

receiving information describing an incentive that is provided on a non-electronic format, wherein the information is entered manually by a user at a user input/output interface to form an electronic incentive offer; and

sending the electronic incentive offer to the incentive service to form the received incentives.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service further comprising:

receiving information describing an incentive from an electronic source in an electronic format.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the electronic source is selected from the group consisting of an email server, a web server, a data storage device, and a text message server.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the particular amount of electricity supplied by the electrical power grid is anticipated to be a peak amount of electricity.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein an incentive is selected from a group consisting of a coupon, a rebate, a benefit, a reward, a gift card, cash back, and a discount.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

discharging, from the electric vehicle, electricity stored in the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle is connected to the charging station, wherein the electric vehicle supplies the electricity discharged from the electric vehicle to the power grid.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer usable medium including computer usable program code for automatically managing incentives associated with an electric vehicle charging transaction, said computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for determining, by a vendor, a particular period of time, wherein total usage of electricity supplied by an electrical power grid to all recipients of electricity connected to the power grid at a particular period of time is anticipated to be a particular amount during the particular period of time;

computer usable program code for providing, by the vendor, a particular incentive to encourage a vehicle principal to connect an electric vehicle to a changing station during the particular period of time;

computer usable program code for receiving incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service, wherein the particular incentive is included in the received incentives;

computer usable program code for selecting applicable incentives from the received incentives based on an identification of the electric vehicle, the charging station, and a set of principals associated with an charging transaction for the electric vehicle, by the incentive service, wherein the vehicle principal is included in the set of principals;

computer usable program code for identifying a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the charging transaction; and

computer usable program code for sending the set of selected incentives to an energy transaction planner, wherein the energy transaction planner incorporates the set of selected incentives into an energy transaction plan that is used to control the electric vehicle charging transaction.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein identifying a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the electric vehicle charging transaction further comprises:

computer usable program code for presenting the received incentives to a subset of principals in the set of principals with a request for a selection of incentives to be used in the electric vehicle charging transaction; and

computer usable program code for receiving input from the subset of principals identifying selected incentives from the received incentives to form the set of selected incentives, wherein incentives in the set of selected incentives are used in the charging transaction and incentives in the received incentives that are not included in the set of selected incentives are not used in the charging transaction.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein identifying a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the charging transaction for the electric vehicle further comprises:

computer usable program code for retrieving preferences for a subset of principals in the set of principals and a past history of incentive selections by the subset of principals; and

computer usable program code for analyzing the received incentives by the incentive service using the preferences and the past history to identify incentives that would be selected by the subset of principals to form the set of selected incentives, wherein the set of selected incentives are identified automatically by the incentive service without an express selection of incentives by the subset of principals.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein receiving incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving information describing an incentive that is provided on a non-electronic format, wherein the information is entered manually by a user at a user input/output interface to form an electronic incentive offer; and

computer usable program code for sending the electronic incentive offer to the incentive service to form the received incentives.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein receiving incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving information describing an incentive from an electronic source in an electronic format.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the electronic source is selected from the group consisting of an email server, a web server, a data storage device, and a text message server.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the particular amount of electricity supplied by the electrical power grid is anticipated to be a peak amount of electricity.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein an incentive is selected from a group consisting of a coupon, a rebate, a reward, a gift card, cash back, and a discount.

18. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising:

computer usable program code for discharging, from the electric vehicle, electricity stored in the electric vehicle when the electric vehicle is connected to the charging station, wherein the electric vehicle supplies the electricity discharged from the electric vehicle to the power grid.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system coupled to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes computer usable program code; and

a processing unit coupled to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer usable program code to determine, by a vendor, a particular period of time, wherein total usage of electricity supplied by an electrical power grid to all recipients of electricity connected to the power grid at a particular period of time is anticipated to be a particular amount during the particular period of time;

provide, by the vendor, a particular incentive to encourage a vehicle principal to connect an electric vehicle to a changing station during the particular period of time;

receive incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service, wherein the particular incentive is included in the received incentives;

select applicable incentives from the received incentives based on an identification of the electric vehicle, the charging station, and a set of principals associated with a charging transaction for the electric vehicle, by the incentive service, wherein the vehicle principal is included in the set of principals;

identify a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the charging transaction; and

send the set of selected incentives to an energy transaction planner, wherein the energy transaction planner incorporates the set of selected incentives into an energy transaction plan that is used to control the charging transaction for the electric vehicle.

20. A data processing system comprising:

a vendor determining a particular period of time, wherein total usage of electricity supplied by an electrical power grid to all recipients of electricity connected to the power grid at a particular period of time is anticipated to be a particular amount during the particular period of time;

the vendor providing a particular incentive to encourage a vehicle principal to connect an electric vehicle to a changing station during the particular period of time;

an incentive service, wherein the incentive service receives incentives from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service, wherein the particular incentive is included in the received incentives;

selects applicable incentives from the received incentives based on an identification of electric vehicle, charging station, and a set of principals associated with a charging transaction for the electric vehicle, by the incentive service, wherein the vehicle principal is included in the set of principals; and

wherein the incentive service further comprises;

an incentive selection component, wherein the incentive selection component identifies a set of selected incentives from the received incentives for utilization in the charging transaction, wherein the set of selected incentives are incorporated into an energy transaction plan that is used to control the electric vehicle charging transaction and resolve financial obligations of a set of principals.