Abstract:
This invention is a pay charging station for electric and plugin hybrid vehicles. A vehicle parks at a space with the charging station and uses a credit card, debit card, cash, smart card or network connection to a database like EZ-Pass to pay for the space and the electricity. The station automatically charges the vehicle as long as it is connected to the station. The station automatically stops charging when the vehicle is fully charged. The customer only pays for the space and the electricity consumed. If the charging circuit is broken the customer must reinsert the smart card or credit card to restart charging. Sufficient funds are removed from the payment method on initiation of charging. Any money not used for charging is returned to the funding account upon the user reinserting the smart card, credit card or debit card, or cash change is returned if cash was the method of payment.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is related to, and claims priority from, U.S. provisional application 61/054,194 filed on May 19, 2008 by Michael A. Paluszek and Pradeep Bhatta entitled “A PAY CHARGING STATION FOR ELECTRIC AND PLUG IN HYBRID VEHICLES”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to charging of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and particularly to a charging station for charging such vehicles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are growing in number and will likely be the dominant form of road transportation within 50 years. A limitation of all electric vehicles is range as there are currently no convenient ways to recharge an electric or plug-in hybrid car. In the case of the latter vehicle it means that the vehicle must use gas thus increasing the operating cost per mile. Thus it is desirable for recharging stations to be established so that an electric or plug-in hybrid car can recharge at intermediate points in a trip. Recharging stations at locations where cars are commonly parked will also be beneficial. 
         [0004]    There are two areas related to this invention. One is pay meters, such as those for parking. The other is recharge stations. Parking meters have existed for many years. At one time all meters required users to deposit coins. As the price of parking increased this became inconvenient. Two methods have been developed to solve this problem. One is the smart card meter. This meter uses a card with a digital computer and memory, containing information about the amount of money remaining in the card. 
         [0005]    When a user inserts the card in a meter it deducts the desired amount to pay for the parking. A user can do this when they park. In a garage the user inserts the card into a kiosk on entry and then on departure to complete the transaction. This type of system is used in Princeton, N.J. An alternative is a credit card parking meter. These meters have been installed in Sacramento, Calif. A user inserts a credit card and charges the desired parking duration. This eliminates the need to carry another card or to refill a smart card but requires that the meter have a network connection to validate the card. 
         [0006]    Recharging electric cars is a well-established technology. U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,802 issued Jun. 19, 1979 to Rose II describes the process. Tesla motors is establishing three charging stations for its Tesla electric roadster. U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,999 issued Jan. 15, 1993 to Hoffman describes a electric vehicle charging station mechanism incorporating linkages. U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,078 issued Feb. 23, 1993 to Langenbahn describes an electrical interconnection between a stationary fixture and a vehicle. The present invention improves on both recharging and pay meters. The improvement on pay meters is that it provides several ways to pay for the electricity. It can use cash, credit cards, smart cards, and online accounts which are accessed using EZ-Pass or a unique vehicle identification tied to the online account. This makes it much more convenient for the customer than any existing method. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An aspect of the present invention provides a pay charging station for electric and plugin hybrid vehicles. A vehicle parks at a space with the charging station and uses a credit card, debit card, cash or smart card to pay for the space and the electricity. The station automatically charges the vehicle as long as it is connected to the station. The station automatically stops charging when the vehicle is fully charged. The customer only pays for the space and the electricity consumed. If the charging circuit is broken the customer must reinsert the smart card or credit card to restart charging. Sufficient funds are removed from the smart card on initiation of charging. Any money not used for charging is put back onto the smart card if the user reinserts it prior to leaving. 
         [0008]    Another aspect of the present invention includes a pay charging station for electric and plugin hybrid vehicles, which includes a case for containing and protecting components of the charging station, a display for presenting status information to a user, a smart card reader and associated smart card input slot, a credit or debit card reader and associated credit or debit card input slot, a paper money collector and associated paper money input slot, a coin collector and associated coin input slot, the coin collector further connected to a button for the user to request return of change, and to a coin return chute, a keypad for the user to input information, the keypad being in communication with a computer processor and associated memory, the processor operatively in communication with the display, the smart card reader, the credit or debit card reader, the paper money collector, the coin collector, the button and the keypad, and a plug system for charging an electric or plugin hybrid vehicle. Typically, the processor and memory are configured to accept payment information from the smart card reader, the credit or debit card reader, the paper money collector, the coin collector, or the keypad and button. When necessary, the processor communicates via a communication interface with a network to authorize charges, and when payment has been made, provide charging power to the plug system for charging the electric or hybrid vehicle. 
         [0009]    In other aspects of the invention, the pay charging station may allow for only some types of payment. For example, some embodiments may allow for only credit or debit card payment, or only smart card payment. Moreover, alternative payment mechanisms may also or alternatively be employed, such as payment over an Internet website wherein the user would key in a payment confirmation code, or wherein the vehicle itself would communicate a payment authorization code itself via a wired or wireless connection with the processor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating the pay station, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the network, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a first part of a flowchart showing system operation, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a second part of a flowchart showing system operation; in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one having ordinary skill in the art, that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the present invention. Furthermore, reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. 
         [0015]    Although every reasonable attempt is made in the accompanying drawings to represent the various elements of the embodiments in relative scale, it is not always possible to do so with the limitations of two-dimensional paper. Accordingly, in order to properly represent the relationships of various features among each other in the depicted embodiments and to properly demonstrate the invention in a reasonably simplified fashion, it is necessary at times to deviate from absolute scale in the attached drawings. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would fully appreciate and acknowledge any such scale deviations as not limiting the enablement of the disclosed embodiments. 
         [0016]    The present invention advantageously provides for a charging station for electric and plugin hybrid vehicles which allows any or all of an assortment of payment types. 
         [0017]    An embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0018]    A case,  12 , holds all of the electronics and mechanisms of the charging station  10 . The case is hardened to prevent vandalism and to prevent theft of stored cash. It is also weatherproofed for use outdoors. Case hardening is a well-established technology as shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,119, issued on Mar. 1, 2008 to Karst. 
         [0019]    The user views a display  14  that presents status information to the user. It tells the user what kind of credit card has been inserted. The display may display alphanumeric, graphical information or a combination of both. If the user has an online account it tells them the amount of money stored in the account. If they are using a smart card with money stored on the card it tells them how much money is left. If they are using cash it tells them how much cash they have entered. It also displays the state of charge of the vehicle and the expected time to charge fully. Other status information can also be displayed. 
         [0020]    Users may employ smart cards, credit cards, cash, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment of the invention, a smart card slot  16  is also provided. If the user inserts a smart card into the smart card slot  16 , the charge station will attempt to use that card. When using a smart card the station will deduct enough money to fully charge the vehicle. After charging the user may reinsert the card to be credited for any unused funds. If the smart card is for an online account, the station charges up to the amount remaining in the online account. The online account can be replenished by electronic funds transfer or credit card. 
         [0021]    Users who choose to use a credit card will insert it in the credit/debit card slot  18 . When a credit card is entered and withdrawn the station checks the validity of the card. It is possible for an embodiment to use a single slot in place of both the smart card slot  16  and the credit/debit card slot  18 . An example of such a device is the IDTECH SPT3-8xx and SPT3-5xx series Hybrid mag stripe and smart card reader. 
         [0022]    A keypad  19  for entering information is also provided. It is used for entering debit card Personal Identity Number (PIN)s and for entering a password for getting change back when the user returns to the car after charging is complete. At that time the user enters the password and change is returned. 
         [0023]    Cash may be inserted using paper money slot  20 . As bills are entered they are scanned and the stored amount incremented. Bill acceptors are well known technology and many bill acceptors are commercially available. An example is the Coinco BillPro. Coins are input using coin slot  22 . As coins are entered the amount stored is incremented. Change is returned via change return slot  24  after charging. Change is returned when charging is stopped or by pushing the return change button  25 . Hitting this button stops charging if it has started and returns any unused funds. 
         [0024]    The various input slots  16 ,  18 ,  20 ,  22 ,  24  keypad  19 , display  14  and coin return button  25  are each in operational communication with a computer processor and associated memory (neither depicted). The computer processor and mamory are configured with software for accepting input from and directing the actions of these various components in fulfillment of the operating processes necessary to enable the described functioning of the present invention, for example, as this functioning is described in  FIGS. 3 and 4  herein. In an embodiment of the invention, the processor and associated memory may be in further communication with external systems or databases, potentially, but not exclusively via an Internet website. 
         [0025]    Communications with the processor may be wireless or wired. A wired communications line  26  for Ethernet which connects the station to a local area network is optionally employed. The network is used for testing the station and for communicating online accounts and credit card charges. It can be used interchangeably with 34. Wireless technology is well established. Bluetooth (IEEE 802.15.1), WiFi (IEEE 802.11a,b,g,n) and ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4) are possible candidates. 
         [0026]    Power is provided via the power line  28  at the appropriate frequency, voltage and current. The power input can be configured to accept a range of voltages (110 to 220 V) and frequencies (50 to 60 Hz.) 
         [0027]    In an embodiment of the invention, the connector to the car is through a flexible cable  30 , such as in a plug, cable and retraction system. The plug is retracted when released from the vehicle. The retractor may be powered or a simple tension reel. The power delivery cable is protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter  31  (GFCI). The GFCI may be monitored and reset by a central pay station. Ground fault circuit interrupter technology is well-established. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,574 issued on Aug. 16, 2005 to Gao, which describes one type of GFCI system. 
         [0028]    The box may be mounted on a pedestal  32 . The system may also be wall mounted. Other mounting options are possible and would depend on the location and layout of the installation location. 
         [0029]    Communication with the satellites and a central station can be via is a wireless communications line  34  for Ethernet, which connects the station to a local area network. The network is used for testing the station and for communicating online accounts and credit card charges. It can be used interchangeably with a wired connection  26 . 
         [0030]    The central Kiosk can control satellite stations that deliver the power to the automobile. An exemplary wireless satellite power connection  35  is also depicted in  FIG. 1 . The satellite connector consists of a current sensor, relay, processor and wireless hardware. It is controlled by the Kiosk. Any number of satellite power connectors may be used. If more than one Kiosk is used, then a given wireless connector may be controlled by any Kiosk. 
         [0031]    The Kiosk uses an Internet modem  38  to connect to the Internet. The vehicle  40  may be an electric or plugin hybrid vehicle. 
         [0032]    A wireless connection  42  to the Internet router can replace the wired connection in an embodiment of the invention. 
         [0033]    A wireless connection  44  can be provided between the vehicle and the pay charging station. This connection  44  may be to a wireless node on the vehicle or a device such as an EZ-Pass box. EZ-Pass is a technology used in the northeast United States for automobile tolls. It consists of an RF device in a car that responds to an external RF signal. The box in the automobile does not require any other power. 
         [0034]    The AC connection  46  also carry communications signals between the Kiosk and the automobile. The AC connection  46  may also be the signal path for the data from the vehicle. Power line communication or power line carrier (PLC), also known as Power line Digital Subscriber Line (PDSL), mains communication, power line telecom (PLT), or power line networking (PLN), is a system for carrying data on a conductor also used for electric power transmission. The technology is commercially available from numerous vendors. For example, power line communication is enabled by power line modems such as the Texas Instruments TMS320F2808. 
         [0035]    An online account server  48  may be used to process the payments. For example, the online account server  48  may be on the Internet. It also may represent credit card servers and EZ-Pass servers. 
         [0036]      FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show the operation of the system in an embodiment of the present invention. The operation is shown in the flow chart. 
         [0037]    A car enters a space served by the charger in Block  52 . The charger antenna has a narrow focus or field-of-view, so it only sees the space. It also only locks onto vehicles that are not moving. If it does not detect wireless, which can be either an EZ-Pass or wireless transmitter in the vehicle, it does nothing. The keypad is used to enter PIN numbers or any other alphanumeric user inputs in Block  54 . 
         [0038]    If wireless is detected the charger connects to the Internet and looks for a valid account in Block  56 . This can be an online account for recharger or EZ-Pass. If a valid account is found, control passes to Block  64 . 
         [0039]    If no wireless signal is detected, the charger waits for an AC connection in Block  58 . This happens when the user plugs in their car. In Block  60  the charger attempts to read an identification number through the AC connection. The car sends the identification number through the AC connection. The identification number is modulated onto the AC and a filter on the charger side demodulates the signal. If an identification number is found it goes to Block  62  and repeats the same process described above. If the account is valid it control passes to to Block  64 , which checks for a valid account and transfers to the charging block. 
         [0040]    If no online account is found then the charger waits for a payment form in Block  66 . It automatically detects the form of the payment when a credit card, cash, smart card or debit card is entered. The charger identifies the type of payment in Block  68  and processes a credit card in Block  70 . 
         [0041]    Cash is processed in Block  72  by reading in the denominations of bills or coins entered. As soon as any cash is entered it starts the charging process. The total entered is accumulated in memory. When cash is used the user can enter a PIN. This PIN needs to be entered to get change back. 
         [0042]    Smart cards are processed in Block  74  by reading the memory cell on the card. Change is returned in Block  76  when the change return button is the selected input. 
         [0043]    A debit card is processed in Block  78 . This block passes to Block  88  which checks for a valid PIN. 
         [0044]    The validity of the credit card is determined in Block  80 . The maximum amount of money available for charging is stored in Block  82 . Block  84  checks to see if this is the first insertion of the smart card. If it is the 1st insertion it transfers the entire balance to the charging account. If it is the 2nd insertion it passes to Block  86 . Block  86  refunds unused money to the smart card. Block  88  checks for a valid debit card PIN. Block  90  checks to see if the available amount is greater than $0. Block  92  transfers to the charging flowchart. Block  94  displays all error messages to the display. Block  96  is the transfer point from the payment processing flowchart. Block  98  measures the state of the charge. This may be provided through the wireless connection or through the AC circuit data communications. It can also be measured by the charging station. Block  100  measures the connection impedance. This and the state of charge are used to verify that if a disconnect occurs the same car is then reconnected. Block  102  displays the status of the charging process to the display. Several blocks send their output to this display block. Block  104  is the transfer point from the payment final processing blocks. 
         [0045]    The charge process begins at Block  106 . This is just closing the AC circuit. Block  108  checks to see if the car is fully charged. Block  110  checks to see if the stored amount is exceeded. Block  112  stops the charging by opening the charging circuit. Block  114  checks to see if the car is disconnected. Block  116  stops the charging by opening the charging circuit. Block  118  checks for a disconnect. Block  120  rewinds the cable automatically by turning on the rewind motor. Block  122  selects the next block based on the type of payment from information obtained earlier. Block  124  returns change if cash was used. This is done when the same PIN is entered that was entered when cash is used. Block  126  charges the credit card. Block  128  debits the debit card and Block  130  sends the payment information to the display. 
         [0046]    Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.