# US 2014/0191718 A1 · Secure authentication for fueling of vehicles

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- Number: US 2014/0191718 A1
- Document ID: US20140191718A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/149,018
- Filed: 2014-01-07
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09
- Inventors: Stacey Reineccius; Franklin Gobar; John C. Sellers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191718A1

## CPC

- B60L 53/65: involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
- B60L 53/16: Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/305: {Communication interfaces}
- B60L 53/31: Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60L 53/665: {Methods related to measuring, billing or payment}
- B60L 2240/70: Interactions with external data bases, e.g. traffic centres
- B60L 2240/80: Time limits
- B60L 2250/16: by display
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- Y02T 90/167: Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
- Y04S 30/14: Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing
- 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
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for refueling a vehicle are discussed herein. According to one embodiment, a vehicle charging station includes a power distribution interface, a receiver component, and an authorization component. The power distribution interface is configured to electrically couple with and provide electrical power to a power receiving interface of a vehicle. The power distribution interface includes a power cable extending from the vehicle charging station and the power cable includes an outlet plug. The receiver component is configured to receive identification information that uniquely identifies the vehicle from an identification component of the vehicle. The receiver component is configured to communicate with the identification component to allow electrical communication between the identification component and the receiver component when the power receiving interface is electrically coupled to the power distribution interface. The authorization component is configured to allow flow of electrical power to the vehicle in response to authorization based on the received identification information.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle charging station comprising:
a power distribution interface for electrically coupling with and providing electrical power to a power receiving interface of a vehicle, the power distribution interface comprising a power cable extending from the vehicle charging station, the power cable comprising an outlet plug;
a receiver component for receiving identification information from an identification component of the vehicle, the identification information uniquely identifying the vehicle, wherein the receiver component is configured to communicate with the identification component when the power receiving interface is electrically coupled to the power distribution interface; and
an authorization component configured to allow flow of electrical power to the vehicle in response to authorization based on the received identification information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the outlet plug complies with a vehicle recharging standard.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the receiver component comprises a tag reader configured to receive the identification information over a wired connection.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the wired connection comprises a wired connection including at least a portion of a conductor corresponding to a vehicle recharging standard.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the wired connection comprises a wired connection over at least a portion of a proximity line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The vehicle charging station of claim 3, wherein the power distribution interface complies with a first vehicle recharging standard and the power receiving interface complies with a second vehicle recharging standard, wherein the wired connection comprises an electrical connection between the power distribution interface and a the power receiving interface via an adapter configured to couple between the power distribution interface and the power receiving interface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the receiver component comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag reader and wherein the receiver component receives the identification information from the identification component comprising an RFID tag.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the receiver component receives the identification information in response to providing a valid passcode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging station of claim 1, wherein the receiver component is positioned to align with the identification component of the vehicle when the power distribution interface is electrically coupled to the power receiving interface, wherein alignment of the receiver component with the identification component allows electromagnetic communication between the identification component and the receiver component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle charging station of claim 1, further comprising an indicator light for indicating one or more of a charge status and an authorization status for the vehicle.

### Claim 11

A vehicle fueling interface comprising:
a fuel receiving interface integrated with a body of a vehicle for coupling with and receiving fuel from a distribution interface of a fuel distribution station; and
an identification component on the fuel receiving interface for providing identification information to the fuel distribution station, the identification information uniquely identifying a vehicle, wherein the identification component is permanently affixed to the vehicle and wherein the identification component is not removable from the vehicle without damaging the identification component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 11, wherein the identification component self destructs in response to removal from the vehicle.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 12, wherein the identification component self destructing comprises mechanically destroying the identification component.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 12, wherein the identification component self destructing comprises electronically destroying the identification information.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 11, wherein the fuel receiving interface comprises a power receiving interface and the distribution interface comprises a power distribution interface, and wherein receiving fuel comprises receiving electrical energy from the power distribution interface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 15, wherein the power receiving interface comprises a vehicle inlet, the vehicle inlet comprising a conductor configured to physically mate with an outlet plug of the power distribution interface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 16, wherein the identification component is mounted on the vehicle inlet.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 17, wherein the identification component comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 17, wherein the identification component comprises a tag configured to provide the identification information over a wired connection.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 19, wherein the wired connection comprises the conductor configured to physically mate with the outlet plug, wherein the tag is configured to provide the identification information to the receiver component via the conductor.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 16, wherein the vehicle inlet complies with a vehicle recharging standard comprising one or more of a society of automotive engineers (SAE) J1772 standard, a CHadeMO standard, an SAE Combo standard, and a Tesla standard.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 16, wherein the vehicle inlet is located on a body of the vehicle.

### Claim 23 (depends on 16)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 16, wherein the outlet plug is on a power cable extending from the fuel distribution station, the outlet plug configured to mate with the vehicle inlet.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 16, wherein the identification component is configured to provide the identification information in response to receiving a valid passcode.

### Claim 25 (depends on 16)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 16, wherein the identification component is mounted on the vehicle inlet and is not removable from the vehicle inlet without damaging the identification component.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 25, wherein the identification component self-destructs in response to removal from the vehicle inlet.

### Claim 27 (depends on 15)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 15, wherein the identification component is positioned to align with a receiver component of the fuel distribution station when the power receiving interface is electrically coupled to the power distribution interface, wherein alignment of the identification component with the receiver component allows electrical communication between the identification component and the receiver component.

### Claim 28 (depends on 15)

The vehicle fueling interface of claim 15, wherein the power receiving interface comprises a first wireless power coupling configured to wirelessly receive power from a second wireless power coupling of the power distribution interface.