Patent ID: 8266075

Claim:
An electric vehicle charging transaction interface comprising: a principal identification component, wherein the principal identification component identifies a set of principals associated with the electric vehicle charging transaction, wherein a principal in the set of principals is an entity having an interest in the electric vehicle charging transaction; an energy transaction planner, wherein the energy transaction planner generates an energy transaction plan using electric vehicle charging information, wherein the electric vehicle charging information is received from a set of sources; an execution engine, wherein the execution engine initiates a charging phase of the electric vehicle charging transaction for an electric vehicle connected to a charging station in accordance with the energy transaction plan, wherein the charging phase comprises at least one of charging the electric vehicle with electricity, storing electricity in an electric storage mechanism associated with the electric vehicle, and removing electricity from the electric storage mechanism to de-charge the electric vehicle; a vehicle preference service, wherein the electric vehicle charging information comprises a set of preferences, wherein the set of preferences comprises a subset of preferences for each principal in the set of principals, wherein a preference in the set of preferences specifies a parameter of the charging transaction that is to be minimized, maximized, or optimized, and wherein the vehicle preference service sends the set of preferences to the energy transaction planner to form the electric vehicle charging information; and an energy transaction broker, wherein the energy transaction broker settles financial obligations of a subset of principals in the set of principals in accordance with the energy transaction plan in response to completion of the charging phase.