# US 11,897,358 B2 · Renewable energy credit management system and method for use with electric vehicles

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- Number: US 11,897,358 B2
- Document ID: US11897358B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/533,257
- Filed: 2021-11-23
- Published: 2023-05-25
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2021-11-23
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Robert M. Uyeki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897358B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- B60L 50/60: using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75)
- B60L 53/51: Photovoltaic means
- B60L 53/52: Wind-driven generators
- B60L 53/63: in response to network capacity
- B60L 53/64: Optimising energy costs, e.g. responding to electricity rates
- B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
- B60L 53/67: Controlling two or more charging stations
- B60L 53/68: Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
- B60L 55/00: Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
- G06Q 20/06: Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
- G06Q 20/145: {Payments according to the detected use or quantity}
- G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing}
- G06Q 30/018: Certifying business or products
- G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions
- G06Q 40/04: Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- G07F 15/005: {dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles (electrical charging as such, B60L50/00)}
- G07F 15/008: {Rewarding for providing delivery of electricity to the network}
- H02J 3/008: Circuit arrangements for power supply or distribution technologies responsive to energy trading
- H02J 3/322: {the battery being on-board an electric or hybrid vehicle, e.g. vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G], power aggregation, use of the battery for network load balancing, coordinated or cooperative battery charging}
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

## Abstract

Systems and methods for tracking and managing the transfer of renewable energy and credits associated with the renewable energy are disclosed, particularly in the context of a V2G framework. A server may receive information about an electric vehicle's charging and discharging states. When the electric vehicle is known to have obtained a charge from a renewable source, the transfer of any energy associated with that charge to a recipient may also trigger the transfer of renewable energy credits (RECs) to the recipient. The server maintains an accounting of the movement of RECs, and may also facilitate compensation to electric vehicle owners for their return of clean energy to a third party.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for managing the transfer of renewable energy credits (RECs), the method comprising:
receiving, at a server, first electric discharging information for a first electric vehicle indicating the first electric vehicle has, at a first time, discharged a first amount of renewable energy to a recipient via a first energy transfer station;
transmitting, from the server, data about the first electric discharging information to an electronic device associated with an energy regulatory authority that validates an authenticity of the received electric discharging information and issues tradeable certificates in the form of renewable energy credits (RECs) to an entity that adopts innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during production and transportation based on their sustainable development activity;
receiving, at the server, first REC information from the electronic device, the first REC information calculated based on the first amount that was discharged;
transmitting, from the server, the first REC information to the recipient of the first amount of renewable energy;
storing registration information for a first consumer, the registration information including a location of the first consumer, wherein the first consumer is a utility company, and the first energy transfer station is configured to return energy to an electric grid managed by the utility company;
receiving geolocation data from the first electric vehicle around the first time;
determining an identity of the recipient corresponds to the first consumer based on the received geolocation data;
automatically generating a request for payment from the utility company to an account associated with the first electric vehicle;
automatically initiating, at the server, on behalf of the first consumer, a first payment amount to an account associated with the first electric vehicle for an attribute of renewability associated with the first amount of renewable energy; and
automatically initiating, at the server, and on behalf of the first consumer, a second payment amount to the account associated with the first electric vehicle for electricity provided by the first amount of renewable energy.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the server, second electric charging information for the first electric vehicle indicating the first electric vehicle had, at a second time earlier than the first time, received a second amount of renewable energy that was greater than the first amount of renewable energy.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
accessing, via the server, a member accounts data repository which includes a member account associated with the recipient of the first amount of renewable energy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the first energy transfer station is configured to supply energy directly to a building associated with the first consumer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1,
wherein the server comprises an aggregator that manages a charge and discharge of batteries of multiple electric vehicles.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
creating, by the server and when the first electric vehicle connects to the first energy transfer station, a transfer record identifying an amount of electricity stored in a battery of the first electric vehicle and whether any portion of the amount originated from a renewable source.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising
generating, by the server, a record for the energy regulatory authority that certifies the first amount of energy delivered from the first electric vehicle to the recipient is clean.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first payment amount is calculated based on the first REC information.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the server manages compensation between parties for any renewable energy discharged and any renewable energy credits associated with that charge.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to
generate, by the server, a record for the energy regulatory authority that certifies the first amount of energy delivered from the first electric vehicle to the recipient is clean.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the first payment amount is calculated based on the first REC credit information.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the server manages compensation between parties for renewable energy discharged and the renewable energy credits associated with that charge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first payment is based on one of an exchange of digital money, monetary points, and redeemable points.

### Claim 14

A system for managing the transfer of renewable energy credits (RECs), the system comprising a processor and machine-readable media including instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive, at a server, first electric discharging information for a first electric vehicle indicating the first electric vehicle has, at a first time, discharged a first amount of renewable energy to a recipient via a first energy transfer station;
transmit, from the server, data about the first electric discharging information to an electronic device associated with an energy regulatory authority that validates an authenticity of the received electric discharging information and issues tradeable certificates in the form of renewable energy credits (RECs) to an entity that adopts innovative solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during production and transportation based on their sustainable development activity;
receive, at the server, first REC information from the electronic device, the first REC information calculated based on the first amount that was discharged;
transmit, from the server, the first REC information to the recipient of the first amount of renewable energy;
store registration information for a first consumer, the registration information including a location of the first consumer, wherein the first consumer is a utility company, and the first energy transfer station is configured to return energy to an electric grid managed by the utility company;
receive geolocation data from the first electric vehicle around the first time;
determine an identity of the recipient corresponds to the first consumer based on the received geolocation data;
automatically generate a request for payment from the utility company to an account associated with the first electric vehicle;
automatically initiate, at the server, on behalf of the first consumer, a first payment amount to an account associated with the first electric vehicle for an attribute of renewability associated with the first amount of renewable energy; and
automatically initiate, at the server, and on behalf of the first consumer, a second payment amount to the account associated with the first electric vehicle for electricity provided by the first amount of renewable energy.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to receive, at the server, second electric charging information for the first electric vehicle indicating the first electric vehicle had, at a second time earlier than the first time, received a second amount of renewable energy that was greater than the first amount of renewable energy.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to
access, via the server, a member accounts data repository which includes a member account associated with the recipient of the first amount of renewable energy.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the first energy transfer station is configured to supply energy directly to a building associated with the first consumer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14,
wherein the server comprises an aggregator that manages a charge and discharge of batteries of multiple electric vehicles.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to
create, by the server and when the first electric vehicle connects to the first energy transfer station, a transfer record identifying an amount of electricity stored in a battery of the first electric vehicle and whether any portion of the amount originated from a renewable source.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the first payment is based on one of an exchange of digital money, monetary points, and redeemable points.