Patent ID: 8912753

Claim:
A remote command center, associated with a telematics service provider, for directing the recharging and billing of a plurality of distinctly identified plug-in vehicles, the remote command center comprising: a communication system configured to transmit charge authorizations to recharge each of the plurality of plug-in vehicles and to receive data related to power consumption from each of the plurality of plug-in vehicles, and to receive power generation data from a utility company, wherein each of the plurality of plug-in vehicles includes a vehicle data communications system for communicating with a remote command center over a data communication network; a controller communicatively coupled to the communication system and configured to receive the data related to power consumption and to direct the charge authorizations based thereon, and to direct billing of user or vehicle accounts based on recharging of a corresponding vehicle, wherein directing the billing of a particular user or vehicle account includes: determining whether a plug-in vehicle associated with the particular user or vehicle account is being recharged at a remote location; billing the particular user or vehicle account for recharging costs only if the plug-in vehicle is determined as being recharged at a remote location; consolidating the recharging costs with telematics service-related costs for telematics services provided to the plug-in vehicle by the remote command center in a consolidated bill; and debiting the user or vehicle account for the consolidated costs based on the consolidated bill; and a database communicatively coupled to the controller, the database configured to store the data related to power consumption during particular recharging of individual vehicles of the plurality of plug-in vehicles in association with corresponding user or vehicle accounts.