Methods and systems for electric vehicle (EV) charge units and systems for processing connections to charge units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11370313-B2
Application number	US-201916566872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Apr 25, 2011
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

A method is provided, which includes receiving, at a server, a request from a device to find one or more charge units for charging an electric vehicle at a geographic location. The method includes accessing, by the server, a first database to identify charge units that are associated with the geographic location. The method includes accessing, by the server, a second database to identify discounts available at the charge units identified to be associated with the geographic location. One of the identified discounts on one of the charge units is provided by a first merchant having a business location proximate to the one of the charge units. The method includes sending, by the server, data to the device that identifies one or more of the charge units that are associated with the geographic location, the data further including information regarding one or more discounts identified to be available at one or more of the identified charge units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising,
receiving, at a server, a request from a device to find one or more charge units for charging an electric vehicle at a geographic location;
accessing, by the server, a first database to identify charge units that are associated with the geographic location;
accessing, by the server, a second database to identify discounts available at the charge units identified to be associated with the geographic location, wherein one of the identified discounts on one of the charge units is provided by a first merchant having a business location proximate to the one of the charge units; and
sending, by the server, data to the device that identifies one or more of the charge units that are associated with the geographic location, the data further including information regarding one or more discounts identified to be available at one or more of the identified charge units, wherein the method is executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discounts include discounts for goods or services offered by the first merchant at the business location or credit for charge obtained at the charge unit, or a credit for future electric vehicle charge, or goods or services, or a combination thereof;
wherein the discount is applied upon validation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising,
sending, by the server, data to enable access for charging for the electric vehicle at the charge unit and monitoring charge used at the charge unit,
wherein at least one discount is applied for the charge used after charging the electric vehicle and after a validation for the discount is received from the first merchant having the business location proximate to the one of the charge units;
wherein validation is provided upon confirming a purchase at the first merchant, or visiting the first merchant, or interacting with the first merchant via a program.

4. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the request by the device is provided via an application executed on the device, or via a website accessed by the device, or via a user account accessed by the device;
wherein the device is one of a portable device or a device of a vehicle;
wherein the server is provided with access to one or more storage devices that store at least the first and second databases.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified discounts vary over time, wherein discounts increase dynamically by predefined amounts when charge pumps experience less use and reduce dynamically by predefined amounts when the charge pumps experience more use, or are varied based on a setting.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one of the identified discounts is additionally provided by a second merchant, such that the first merchant and the second merchant share the discount provided at the one of the charge units, and wherein the second merchant has a business location proximate to the one of the charge units.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discounts include one or more discounts for,
a goods or a services offered by the first merchant at the business location, or
a credit for charge obtained at the charge unit, or
a credit for future electric vehicle charge, or
a good or service, or
electric charge provided to the electric vehicle; or
a combination of two or more thereof.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said one or more discounts is defined by a setting that is set by or configured for the first merchant using a user interface provided for an account of the first merchant to manage at least one of said charging units.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said setting includes information that defines when and how said one or more discounts will be made available.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a graphical user interface is rendered on the device, the graphical user interface identifying options of said one or more charge units, and for one or more charge units identifying a type of said discount that is available.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising,
processing a reservation for one of said charge units identified as options in the graphical user interface.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the options of said one or more charge units each identify a path to traverse to respective ones of the charge units and associated discount.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein a user account of a user is used by the device when making the request, wherein preferences of the user for types of discounts is processed to present selection ones of the options of said one or more charge units and associated discounts, such that select ones of the options are not presented based on said preferences of the user.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the device is one of a portable device of the user, or is an onboard computer of the electric vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the options of said one or more charge units each identify a path to traverse to respective ones of the charge units and associated discount.

16. A method, comprising,
receiving, at a server, a request from a device to find a one or more charge units for charging an electric vehicle at a geographic location;
accessing, by the server, a first database to identify charge units that are associated with the geographic location;
accessing, by the server, a second database to identify discounts available at the charge units identified to be associated with the geographic location, wherein one or more of the identified discounts on one of the charge units is shared by a first merchant and a second merchant having respective business locations proximate to the one of the charge units; and
sending, by the server, data to the device that identifies one or more of the charge units that are associated with the geographic location, the data further including information regarding identified discounts available at one or more of the identified charge units;
sending, by the server, data to enable access for charging for the electric vehicle at the charge unit and monitoring charge used at the charge unit, wherein at least one of the identified discounts is provided before, during or after the charge is used for charging the electric vehicle;
wherein the request by the device is provided via an application executed on the device, or via a website accessed by the device, or via a user account accessed by the device;
wherein the device is one of a portable device or a vehicle device configured for accessing the internet;
wherein the server is provided with access to one or more storage devices that store at least the first and second databases, wherein the method is executed by a processor.

17. The method of claim 16 ,
wherein the identified discounts include discounts for goods or services offered by the first merchant or the second merchant, or the discounts include providing credit for charge used at the charge unit, or discounts provided via the user account,
wherein the user account is an account managed by a cloud service that provides access to one or more web pages for access by a plurality of users, each of said users being able to access their respective user accounts using a respective device over the internet.

18. Computer readable media having program instructions for processing method, the computer readable media being non-transitory and comprising,
program instructions for receiving, at a server, a request from a device to find one or more charge units for charging an electric vehicle at a geographic location;
program instructions for accessing, by the serve

Assignees

• Emerging Automotive Llc

Inventors

• Penilla Angel A
• Penilla Albert S

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• H02J4/25

  for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system · CPC title

• H02J7/751

  concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/47

  Arrangements for checking compatibility or authentication between one component, e.g. a battery or a battery charger, and another component, e.g. a power source · CPC title