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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9505317-B2
Application number	US-34187508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2008
Priority date	Dec 22, 2008
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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.

Assignees

• Littrell Nathan Bowman
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Littrell Nathan Bowman

Classifications

• B60L53/65

  involving identification of vehicles or their battery types · CPC title

• B60L53/30

  Constructional details of charging stations · CPC title

• B60L53/31

  Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/64

  Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates · CPC title

• G06Q20/127

  Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation · CPC title