Patent ID: 8710798

Claim:
A method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), comprising: with computing hardware at the EVCS or EVSE, receiving an indication at the EVCS or EVSE of a parking space at which a user of the EVCS or EVSE desires to park; determining if the parking space indicated by the user is associated with an electric vehicle charging port; if the parking space indicated by the user is associated with an electric vehicle charging port, determining whether the user is authorized to use the EVCS or EVSE, and if the user is authorized to use the EVCS or EVSE, controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge via the electric vehicle charging port; and if the parking space indicated by the user is not associated with an electric vehicle charging port, determining whether the user is authorized to use the parking space not associated with the electric vehicle charging port, and providing the user with an indication that the user is authorized to use the parking space not associated with the electric vehicle charging port.