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

摘要

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.

主权项

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; andelectrically 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; andtransmit 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; andmeter 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; andcompare the transaction amount to a balance of the account.