System and method for electric vehicle charging and billing using a wireless vehicle communication service

• US 9,505,317 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Littrell, Nathan Bowman
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US12/341,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,899 Days
• Field of Search: 705/412, 320/109, 340/932
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/70 Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
• 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 2270/36 of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/005 dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles electrical charging as such, B60L50/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/04 in which the quantity mechanism is set forward automatically by the insertion of a coin
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/08 with means for varying the tariff or changing the price
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 : for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• 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 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A vehicle charging station for use in transmitting charging power to an electric vehicle for use in charging the vehicle is configured to communicatively couple to the electric vehicle via a network connection to a wireless network provider and electrically couple to the electric vehicle via a connector. Vehicle charging station is further configured to receive a unique identifier from the electric vehicle via the network connection, deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector, and meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging system for use with charging an electric vehicle that includes a vehicle communications module, said system comprising:

a vehicle charging station comprising a meter and a connector, said vehicle charging station configured to;

communicatively couple to a first network that is communicatively coupled to a second network that is configured to communicatively couple wirelessly to the vehicle communications module; and

electrically couple to the electric vehicle via said connector; and

a server system communicatively coupled to said vehicle charging station through the first network, said server system configured to be communicatively coupled to the electric vehicle through the vehicle communications module that is connected to the second network that is connected to the first network, and said server system configured to;

receive a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle from the first network, the unique identifier transmitted from the vehicle communications module to the second network and subsequently routed from the second network, through the first network, to said server system;

determine an account associated with the unique identifier;

determine whether to approve service to the electric vehicle based on the account; and

transmit an approval to said vehicle charging station upon a determination to approve service, wherein the approval is transmitted from said server system to the first network, and wherein the approval is further routed from the first network to the vehicle charging station;

wherein said vehicle charging station is further configured to;

receive the approval from said server system;

deliver a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector based on the approval; and

meter the quantity of electrical charging power delivered by said vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle using said meter; and

wherein said server system is further configured to;

determine a transaction amount based on the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle by said vehicle charging station; and

compare the transaction amount to a balance of the account.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said server system comprises a database and a computer coupled to said database, said computer is configured to:

access said database;

search for the identifier in said database; and

determine the account based on results of the searching.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said meter is further configured to transmit a numerical representation of the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered to said server system.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said server system is configured to deduct the transaction amount from the account.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said server system is further configured to:

determine a current balance of the account; and

determine whether the current balance exceeds a predetermined amount.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said server system is further configured to transmit a request to a user to add additional funds to the account upon a determination that the current balance does not exceed the predetermined amount.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said server system is further configured to:

determine whether a stolen car report is associated with the electric vehicle; and

transmit a denial of service instruction to said vehicle charging station upon a determination that an associated stolen car report exists.

8. A method for charging an electric vehicle that includes a vehicle communications module, said method comprising:

communicatively coupling a vehicle charging station and a server system to a first network that is communicatively coupled to a second network that is configured to communicatively couple wirelessly to the vehicle communications module;

electrically coupling the vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle via a connector;

receiving, at the server system, a unique identifier associated with the electric vehicle from the vehicle communications module through the first network, the unique identifier transmitted from the vehicle communications module to the second network and subsequently routed from the second network, through the first network, to the server system;

determining, by the server system, an account associated with the unique identifier;

determining, by the server system, whether to approve service to the electric vehicle based on the account;

transmitting, from the server system, an approval to the vehicle charging station based on the determination whether to approve service, wherein the approval is transmitted from the server system to the first network, and wherein the approval is further routed from the first network to the vehicle charging station;

receiving, at the vehicle charging station, the approval;

delivering, by the vehicle charging station, a quantity of electrical charging power to the electric vehicle via the connector based on the approval;

metering, by the vehicle charging station, the quantity of electrical charging power delivered by the vehicle charging station to the electric vehicle;

determining, by the server system, a transaction amount based on the metered quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle at the vehicle charging station; and

comparing, by the server system, the transaction amount to a balance of the account.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein determining an account further comprises:

accessing said database;

searching for the identifier in the database; and

determining the account based on results of the searching.

10. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein metering the quantity of electrical charging power delivered comprises metering, by at least one of the vehicle charging station and the electric vehicle, the quantity of electrical charging power delivered to the electric vehicle.

11. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising deducting the transaction amount from the account.

12. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein determining whether to approve service to the electric vehicle comprises:

determining a current balance of the account; and

determining whether the current balance exceeds a predetermined amount.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising transmitting a request to a user to add additional funds to the account upon a determination that the current balance does not exceed the predetermined amount.