Electric vehicle charging station mobile device payment system

• US 9,436,944 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opconnect LLC
• Original Assignee: Optimization Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Turner, Dexter
• Primary Examiner(s): Berona, Kimberly
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING JR., JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US14/014,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations

Abstract

Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for a mobile device payment system for electric vehicle charging stations (“EVCSs”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”). This system can be used to control the access to EVCS or EVSE and to ensure proper billing for the use of EVCS or EVSE.

Claims

1. A method for charging an electric vehicle at an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) through use of a mobile device operated by a user, comprising;

executing, by computing hardware in the mobile device, a mobile device application on the mobile device configured to;

a) authenticate the user to the mobile device application;

b) read encoded charging session data that is being displayed on a display screen of an electronic display device of the EVCS or EVSE using an image sensor on the mobile device, wherein the encoded charging session data being displayed on the display screen of the electronic display device of the EVCS or EVSE includes encoded data for a unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, a unique charging session identification number, and a charging session start date and time;

c) decode the encoded charging session data, the decoded charging session data including the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, the unique charging session identification number, and the charging session start date and time;

d) combine the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE and the unique charging session identification number and the charging session start date and time with user identification data identifying the user of the mobile device application to form a dataset;

e) transmit the dataset to a remote server; and

f) receive a response from the remote server, the response indicating that a vehicle charging operation for the user is authorized at the EVCS or EVSE;

receiving, by the EVCS or EVSE, an indication from the remote server that the vehicle charging operation is authorized at the EVCS or EVSE; and

performing, by the EVCS or EVSE, the vehicle charging operation for an electric vehicle at the EVCS or EVSE in response to the indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded charging session data is encoded in a QR code, barcode, or alphanumeric code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoded charging session data is displayed as a result of the user making a selection via a touch screen interface at the EVCS or EVSE to use the mobile device application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by computing hardware at the remote server;

receiving the dataset transmitted from the mobile device;

determining whether to authorize a charging operation at the charging station for the user, wherein the determining is based at least in part on the received data; and

causing the EVCS or EVSE to charge the electric vehicle at the EVCS or EVSE by transmitting to the EVCS or EVSE an indication that the charging operation is authorized.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the computing hardware at the remote server;

receiving completed charging session data from the charging station; and

computing a cost for the charging session based at least in part on the received completed charging session data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the completed charging session data comprises one or more of the unique charging session identification number, a charging session end date and time, or an indication of the energy consumed during the charging session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step to authenticate is performed by receiving a login identification and a password from the user.

8. A system for performing an electric vehicle charging operation through use of a mobile device, comprising:

an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) comprising;

an electronic display device having an electronic display screen;

an electric current control board; and

one or more electrical connectors connected to the electric current control board and configured to provide an electrical coupling to an electric vehicle,

wherein the EVCS or EVSE is programmed and configured to display encoded charging session data on the display screen of the electronic display device, the encoded charging session data including encoded data for a unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, a unique charging session identification number, and a charging session start date and time; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for a mobile device application configured to cause a computer processor of the mobile device to perform a method, the method comprising;

authenticating a user to use the mobile device application on the mobile device;

reading the encoded charging session data that is being displayed on the display screen of the electronic display device of the EVCS or EVSE using an image sensor on the mobile device, wherein the encoded charging session data that is displayed on the display screen of the electronic display device of the EVCS or EVSE includes the encoded data for the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, the unique charging session identification number, and the charging session start date and time;

decoding the encoded charging session data, wherein the decoded charging session data includes the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, the unique charging session identification number, and the charging session start date and time;

combining the decoded charging session data with user identification data identifying the user of the mobile device application to form a dataset;

transmitting the dataset to a remote server; and

receiving a response from the remote server, wherein the response indicates that a vehicle charging operation for the user is authorized at the EVCS or EVSE,

wherein the EVCS or EVSE is configured to deliver an electrical charge to one or more batteries of the electric vehicle via a respective one of the electrical connectors of the EVCS or EVSE on the remote server indicating that the vehicle charging operation is authorized at the EVCS or EVSE.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the encoded charging session data is displayed as a result of the user making a selection via a touch screen interface at the EVCS or EVSE to use the mobile device application.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the authenticating is performed by receiving a login identification and a password from the user.

11. A system comprising:

an internet-connected mobile device comprising;

a computer processor;

an image sensor; and

a database storing mobile device user identification data; and

an electric vehicle charging station (“

EVCS”

) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“

EVSE”

) comprising;

an electronic display device having a display screen; and

one or more electrical connectors configured to provide an electrical coupling to an electric vehicle,

wherein the mobile device is configured to;

read encoded charging session data from the display screen of the EVCS or EVSE via the image sensor on the mobile device, wherein the charging session data includes a unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE and at least one of (a) a unique charging session identification number, or (b) a charging session start date and time;

access said database on the mobile device that includes said mobile device user identification data; and

wirelessly transmit the charging session data and the user identification data to a remote server, wherein the transmitted charging session data is transmitted includes the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE and the at least one of (a) the unique charging session identification number, or (b) the charging session start date and time; and

wherein the EVCS or EVSE is configured to;

upon receiving an indication from the remote server that a vehicle charging operation is authorized at the EVCS or EVSE based on the charging session data and the user identification data, perform the vehicle charging operation for an electric vehicle by supplying an electric current to the electric vehicle via the one or more electrical connectors.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the encoded charging session data is encoded in a QR code or barcode.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is further programmed and configured to, prior to reading the encoded charging session data, authenticate a user by receiving a login identification and a password from the user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the charging session data includes each of the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, the unique charging session identification number, and the charging session start date and time;

and

wherein the charging session data transmitted includes the unique identification of the EVCS or EVSE, the unique charging session identification number, and the charging session start date and time.