Charging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021049712-A1
Application number	US-201916539316-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2019
Priority date	Aug 13, 2019
Publication date	Feb 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A charging system for a battery powered vehicle may include a memory configured to maintain customer accounts, and a processor configured to receive requests from a first customer at a charging station for an increased rate of charge, transmit the request to at least one other customer at the charging station in response to verification of the customer account associated with the first customer; and instruct the charging station to increase the rate of charge for the first customer and decrease the rate of charge for the at least one other customer in response to the at least one other customer accepting the request.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A charging system for a battery powered vehicle, comprising;
a memory configured to maintain customer accounts; and a processor configured to:
receive a request from a first customer at a charging station for a desired increase in rate of charge;
transmit the request to at least one other customer at the charging station in response to verification of the customer account associated with the first customer; and
instruct the charging station to increase the rate of charge for the first customer and decrease the rate of charge for the at least one other customer in response to the at least one other customer accepting the request.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the request includes the desired increase in rate of charge and a first fee.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first fee with an amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a counteroffer from the at least one other customer.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the counteroffer includes a second fee differing from the first fee.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the second fee with an amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit the counteroffer to the first customer in response to the amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer exceeding the second fee.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an error message in response to a failed verification of the customer account associated with the first customer.

9 . A vehicle, comprising;
a battery configured to charge at a charging station; a user interface configured to receive user input from a first customer; and a processor configured to:
transmit a request to the charging station for a first increased rate of charge and first fee for the first customer; and
receive an acceptance from at least one other customer indicating that the at least one other customer will realize a decreased rate of charge and the first customer will realize the increased rate of charge.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a counteroffer from the at least one other customer.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the counteroffer includes a second increased rate of charge lower than the first increased rate of charge.

12 . A charging system for a battery powered vehicle, comprising;
a memory configured to maintain customer accounts; and a processor configured to:
receive a request from a first customer at a charging station for a desired increase in rate of charge and a first fee;
compare the first fee with an amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer;
transmit, in response to the amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer exceeding the first fee, the request to at least one other customer at the charging station in response to verification of the customer account associated with the first customer; and
instruct the charging station to increase the rate of charge for the first customer and instruct the memory to transfer funds from the customer account associated with the first customer to at least one customer account associated with the at least one other customer in response to the at least one other customer accepting the request.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive a counteroffer from the at least one other customer.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the counteroffer includes a second fee differing from the first fee.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to compare the second fee with an amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the processor if further configured to transmit the counteroffer to the customer in response to the amount of funds in the customer account associated with the first customer exceeding the second fee.

17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first fee is an amount of non-currency tokens.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Devaraj Sujitha Krishna
• Fodale Josh
• Hinh Robert
• Kalinowski Adrian
• Odisho Rafi

Classifications

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• B60L53/67

  Controlling two or more charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T90/167

  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 title

• Y04S30/14

  Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing · CPC title

• B60L53/68

  Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control · CPC title