Patent ID: 7885893
Filing Date: 2011-02-08
Classification: B60L,G06Q,G07F,Y02T,Y04S

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating payment for providing power to vehicles, comprising: a. obtaining, at a central computer, validated vehicle identification codes from an account maintainer, wherein each validated vehicle identification code is associated with a unique vehicle capable of being charged with electricity, wherein said electricity powers the vehicle, and with a user account that the account maintainer has pre-authorized to be in good standing for conducting transactions, wherein the account maintainer pays for provision of power to the vehicles, and wherein at least some of the vehicles are equipped with a power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device, including a wired or wireless connection, wherein said power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device is operable to transmit validated vehicle identification codes, to receive at least one valid power-authorization code from a processor at an information exchange point, and to transmit said at least one valid power-authorization code to a processor at a charging station that is permanently or temporarily inaccessible to alternative electronic or electromagnetic communications channels, wherein a contractual arrangement has been made for the charging station to provide power upon transmission by a vehicle of the valid power-authorization code to the processor at the charging station, and wherein at least some of the vehicles are equipped with a transaction-collecting communication device including a wired or wireless connection, wherein said transaction-collecting communication device collects executed-power-provision-transaction billing data from the charging station; b. transmitting electronically or electromagnetically from the central computer, at least one of the validated vehicle identification codes and at least one valid power-authorization code to at least one information exchange point located at a location that is well-trafficked by said power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device equipped vehicles; c. the processor of the information exchange point transmitting electronically or electromagnetically at least one valid power-authorization code to the power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device on at least one of the vehicles immediately following the vehicle's power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device communicating to the processor of the information exchange point one of the validated vehicle identification codes, wherein the vehicle receiving the valid power-authorization code is enabled to obtain power when it subsequently presents the valid power-authorization code to a charging station; d. the vehicle power-authorization-code-transmitting communication device transmitting electronically or electromagnetically the at least one valid power-authorization code to the charging station, wherein the charging station is then enabled to provide power to vehicles that subsequently request power from the charging station by electronically or electromagnetically transmitting the valid power-authorization code; e. the charging station transmitting electronically or electromagnetically the executed-power-provision-transaction billing data to the transaction-collecting communication device of at least one of the vehicles equipped with a transaction collecting communication device; and then f. the transaction-collecting communication device transmitting the executed-power-provision-transaction billing data to the processor of at least one information exchange point; and then g. receiving electronically or electromagnetically at the central computer, executed-power-provision-transaction billing data from the processor of at least one information exchange point; and then h. transmitting electronically or electromagnetically the executed-power-provision-transaction billing data from the central computer to the account maintainer.