Methods and apparatus for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle

A method for charging a battery of an electrically powered vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• providing means for outputting electrical power to a battery of a vehicle;
• coupling the battery to said electrical power outputting means;
• receiving information that is stored within a memory device of the vehicle, the received information including an indicia that is representative of a monetary value;
• verifying a validity of the indicia that is included within the received information by transmitting the indicia to a remote verification means;
• responsive to the received indication, enabling said electrical power outputting means to output the electrical power;
• monitoring said electrical power outputting means to detect a condition wherein the battery is uncoupled from said electrical power outputting means;
• responsive to a detection of the battery being uncoupled, disabling the operation of said electrical power outputting means;
• determining a monetary value of the electrical power that was outputted to the battery of the vehicle;
• and
• transmitting the determined monetary value to a remote accounting means for accounting in accordance with the indicia;
• wherein the step of enabling includes a step of initiating an operation of a timer means, wherein the step of disabling terminates the operation of said timer means, and wherein the step of determining a monetary value takes into account an elapsed time that is indicated by said timer means.

A method for inputting a consumable energy source into a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• coupling the vehicle to a means for inputting a consumable energy source into the vehicle;
• transferring indicia from a memory, located within the vehicle, to the inputting means, the indicia including information for identifying the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle;
• receiving the transferred indicia;
• and
• accounting, in cooperation with the transferred indicia, for an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle.

A method for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source;
• transferring indicia from a memory, located within the vehicle, to the dispensing means;
• receiving the transferred indicia;
• accounting, in accordance with the transferred indicia, for an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle;
• and
• transferring information from the dispensing means to the memory, the transferred information being descriptive of at least an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle.

A method for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source;
• transferring indicia from a memory, located within the vehicle, to the dispensing means;
• receiving the transferred indicia;
• accounting, in accordance with the transferred indicia, for an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle;
• and
• transferring information from a remote site to the memory through the dispensing means.

A method for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source;
• transferring indicia from a memory, located within the vehicle, to the dispensing means;
• receiving the transferred indicia;
• accounting, in cooperation with the transferred indicia, for an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle;
• and, while the vehicle is coupled to the dispensing means,
• transferring a message from a remote site to the memory through the dispensing means.

A method for dispensing a consumable energy source to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source;
• transferring indicia from a memory, located within the vehicle, to the dispensing means;
• receiving the transferred indicia;
• accounting, in cooperation with the transferred indicia, for an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle;
• and, while the vehicle is coupled to the dispensing means,
• transferring a message from the memory to a remote site through the dispensing means.

A system for inputting a consumable energy source into a vehicle, comprising:

• means for inputting a consumable energy source into a vehicle;
• means for coupling the vehicle to the means for inputting the consumable energy source;
• means for transferring indicia from a memory, located within the vehicle, to the inputting means, the indicia including information for identifying the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle;
• means for receiving the transferred indicia;
• and
• means for accounting, in cooperation with the transferred indicia, for an amount of the consumable energy source that is input into the vehicle.

A vehicle, comprising:

• means for coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source to the vehicle;
• memory means within the vehicle;
• and
• means for bidirectionally coupling said memory means to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source for transferring information between said memory means and said means for dispensing the consumable energy source, wherein the transferred information includes information that uniquely identifies the vehicle.

A vehicle comprising:

• means for coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source to the vehicle;
• memory means;
• means for bidirectionally coupling said memory means to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source for transferring information therebetween;
• and
• display means for displaying information received from the means for dispensing the consumable energy source.

A vehicle comprising:

• means for coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source to the vehicle;
• memory means;
• means for bidirectionally coupling said memory means to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source for transferring information therebetween;
• and
• means for generating a hard copy of information received from the means for dispensing the consumable energy source.

A vehicle comprising:

• means for coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source to the vehicle;
• memory means;
• means for bidirectionally coupling said memory means to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source for transferring information therebetween;
• and
• data entry means for entering information into said memory means for transfer to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source.

A vehicle comprising:

• means for coupling the vehicle to a means for dispensing a consumable energy source to the vehicle;
• memory means;
• means for bidirectionally coupling said memory means to the means for dispensing the consumable energy source for transferring information therebetween;
• and
• means for transmitting an acknowledgement signal in response to information received from the means for dispensing the consumable energy source.

A method for delivering a message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• storing a message, the message including information for specifying a destination for the message;
• in response to a vehicle being coupled to a dispenser of a consumable energy source, receiving information from a memory device within the vehicle, the received information identifying the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle;
• comparing the received information to the stored information identifying the destination of the message;
• and
• if the received information is equal to the stored information identifying the destination of the message, transferring the stored message to the vehicle through the dispenser of the consumable energy source.

A system for delivering a message to a vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle that includes a memory device for storing information;
• means for storing a message, the message including information for specifying a destination for the message;
• means for outputting a consumable energy source to the vehicle, said outputting means including means for receiving information from the memory device within the vehicle, the received information identifying the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle;
• means for comparing the received information to the stored information that identifies the destination of the message;
• and
• means, responsive to said comparing means indicating that the received information is equal to the stored information that identifies the destination of the message, for transferring the stored message to the vehicle through said means for outputting the consumable energy source.

A method for delivering an unsolicited message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• storing at least one message at a location that is external to a vehicle;
• in response to the vehicle being coupled to a means for outputting a consumable energy source to the vehicle, transferring the stored at least one message to the vehicle through the outputting means;
• receiving the transferred at least one message within the vehicle;
• and
• presenting the received message in human perceptible form.

A method for delivering an solicited message to an occupant of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• coupling the vehicle to a means for outputting a consumable energy source to the vehicle;
• operating a data entry means for generating a message solicitation request, the message solicitation request being transferred through the outputting means;
• in response to the message solicitation request, transferring at least one solicited message to the vehicle through the outputting means;
• receiving the transferred at least one solicited message within the vehicle;
• and
• presenting the received at least one solicited message in human perceptible form.