Patent Application
20130041851
The present invention relates generally to the data processing field, and more particularly, relates to a method, computer program product, and an intelligent circuit breaker for implementing authentication, direct energy metering, and user billing for an electric vehicle owner.
With the proliferation of electric vehicles that require charging the need arises for the ability to deliver and bill for metered electricity. Technology exists in the form of new point of sale charging systems that are expensive and labor intensive to install.
A need exists for an efficient and effective mechanism to rapidly and economically provide pay charging access points for electric vehicles at minimum cost and infrastructure modification.
As used in the following description and claims, the term electric vehicle should be broadly understood to generally include various electric devices requiring charging.
Principal aspects of the present invention are to provide a method, computer program product, and an intelligent circuit breaker for implementing authentication, direct energy metering, and user billing for an electric vehicle owner. Other important aspects of the present invention are to provide such method, computer program product, and intelligent circuit breaker substantially without negative effects and that overcome many of the disadvantages of prior art arrangements.
In brief, a method, computer program product, and an intelligent circuit breaker are provided for implementing authentication, direct energy metering, and user billing for an electric vehicle owner. The intelligent circuit breaker is configured to be received within a conventional circuit breaker power panel without requiring infrastructure modification of the power panel. The intelligent circuit breaker communicates with an electric vehicle and a billing service, establishing user authentication, enables charging, performs direct electrical energy metering, and sends billing information to the billing service.
In accordance with features of the invention, the intelligent circuit breaker enables rapidly, efficiently and effectively providing pay charging access points for electric vehicles at minimal cost and with minimal infrastructure modification.
In accordance with features of the invention, the intelligent circuit breaker functions as a single replacement circuit breaker without requiring additional infrastructure changes within the circuit breaker power panel. The intelligent circuit breaker is capable of metering power supplied, and has billing capability, and customer authentication capability.
The present invention together with the above and other objects and advantages may best be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:
In the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate example embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
In accordance with features of the invention, a method, computer program product, and an intelligent circuit breaker are provided for implementing authentication, direct energy metering, and user billing for an electric vehicle owner.
Having reference now to the drawings, in
System 100 includes an electric vehicle 106 including an electric vehicle (EV) on board charger 108 and an EV intelligent 2-way communication, authentication, heartbeat module 110. The electric vehicle 106 and the intelligent circuit breaker 102 communicate over a line power and 2-way communication bus, as shown. The line power and 2-way communication bus comprises existing conventional power line infrastructure, including a power cable connecting the circuit breaker 102 within the power panel 104 to an outlet connected to the electric vehicle 106. The intelligent circuit breaker 102 is connected to utility power or grid power 112 as indicated at line labeled LINE POWER, and is connected via the Internet to a subscriber billing service and consumer authentication service 114.
In accordance with features of the invention, the intelligent circuit breaker 102 enables rapidly and economically providing pay charging access points for electric vehicles at minimum cost and infrastructure modification. The intelligent circuit breaker 102 is configured with the appropriate form factor to be used in existing power panels 108. The intelligent circuit breaker 102 functions as a single replacement circuit breaker without requiring additional infrastructure changes. The intelligent circuit breaker 102 is capable of directly metering electrical energy power supplied, and has billing capability and customer authentication capability.
Referring to
Referring to
As indicated at a block 306, the EV owner plugs vehicle into outlet; the circuit breaker 102 recognizes the connection with the user attaching to the power outlet, establishes communication, obtains vehicle unique identifier or user ID from in car module, authenticates user with the database of registered users; and grants access upon verification of user status, and begins charging. The circuit breaker 102 establishes charging and likewise the capacity for vehicle to supply excess power to grid (net-metering) as indicated at a block 308. The circuit breaker 102 recognizes charging complete via EV module communicating complete, connection lost, or charging cycle complete per charging profile and bills the user via subscribed billing service as indicated at a block 310.
Referring now to
A sequence of program instructions or a logical assembly of one or more interrelated modules defined by the recorded program means 404, 406, 408, 410, direct the hardware and software embedded system modules 200 for carrying out the methods of the preferred embodiment.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the details of the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing, these details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.
