Electric vehicle charging stations with touch screen user interface
AssigneeOptimization Technologies, Inc.
InventorsDexter Turner, James B. Wakeen, Richard L. Knight, Martin D. Dill, Gerhard Gross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are representative embodiments of methods, apparatus, and systems for using and operating electric vehicle charging stations (“EVCSs”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”) having a touch screen. The touch screen display device can be used, for example, to facilitate user interface with the EVCS/EVSE. The touch screen display apparatus can provide a quick and efficient means for a user to input a wide variety of information. Also disclosed herein are representative embodiments of a network communication system for EVCSs or EVSE.
Claims42
A method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the facilitating a transaction between the user and the EVCS or EVSE comprises:
- displaying on the display device graphical depictions of available ones of the one or more charging ports;
- and
- receiving data through the touch screen interface indicating that the user touched a selected one of the graphical depictions, the selected one of the graphical depictions corresponding to the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVSE or EVSE through which the charging operation is provided.
A method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the facilitating a transaction between the user and the EVCS or EVSE comprises:
- displaying on the display device graphical depictions of two or more available methods of authorizing the charging operation;
- and
- receiving data through the touch screen interface indicating that the user touched a selected one of the graphical depictions.
A method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the facilitating a transaction between the user and the EVCS or EVSE comprises:
- detecting that the electric vehicle is not connected to the one of the one or more charging ports;
- and
- displaying on the display device pictorial instructions for connecting the electric vehicle to the one of the one or more charging ports.
A method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the controlling the charging operation comprises receiving a message from a remote computer indicating that the user is authorized to use the EVCS or EVSE, the received message including a portion of the message that indicates a priority level of the message.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by the computer processor cause the computer process to perform a method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), the method comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the facilitating a transaction between the user and the EVCS or EVSE comprises:
- displaying on the display device graphical depictions of available ones of the one or more charging ports;
- and
- receiving data through the touch screen interface indicating that the user touched a selected one of the graphical depictions, the selected one of the graphical depictions corresponding to the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVSE or EVSE through which the charging operation is provided.
An electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”) comprising:
- two or more charging ports configured to be coupled to an electric vehicle and to charge one or more batteries of the electric vehicle;
- a display device, the display device having a touch screen interface;
- a computer processor, the computer processor being programmed to:
- cause a user interface screen to be displayed on the display device, the user interface screen prompting the user to select one of the two or more charging ports;
- and
- receive data from the touch screen interface indicating user selection of a selected one of the two or more charging ports.
A method, comprising:
- using computing hardware, controlling transmission of messages from a server to one or more EVCSs or EVSE, wherein the controlling comprises:
- assigning message priority levels to multiple messages, each of the assigned message priority levels being one of multiple available message priority levels, and
- controlling transmission of the messages such that messages assigned to a higher message priority level are transmitted sooner than message assigned to a lower message priority level.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by the computer processor cause the computer process to perform a method, the method comprising:
- controlling transmission of messages from a server to one or more EVCSs or EVSE, wherein the controlling comprises:
- assigning message priority levels to multiple messages, each of the assigned message priority levels being one of multiple available message priority levels, and
- controlling transmission of the messages such that messages assigned to a higher message priority level are transmitted sooner than message assigned to a lower message priority level.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by the computer processor cause the computer process to perform a method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), the method comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the facilitating a transaction between the user and the EVCS or EVSE comprises:
- displaying on the display device graphical depictions of two or more available methods of authorizing the charging operation;
- and
- receiving data through the touch screen interface indicating that the user touched a selected one of the graphical depictions.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by the computer processor cause the computer process to perform a method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), the method comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the facilitating a transaction between the user and the EVCS or EVSE comprises:
- detecting that the electric vehicle is not connected to the one of the one or more charging ports;
- and
- displaying on the display device pictorial instructions for connecting the electric vehicle to the one of the one or more charging ports.
One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which when executed by the computer processor cause the computer process to perform a method of operating an electric vehicle charging station (“EVCS”) or electric vehicle supply equipment (“EVSE”), the method comprising:
- displaying a user interface on a display device of the EVCS or EVSE;
- receiving an indication of user interaction with the EVCS or EVSE, the user interaction being received via a touch screen interface associated with the display device;
- facilitating a transaction between a user and the EVCS or EVSE by which the user indicates that one or more electric vehicle batteries of an electric vehicle are to be charged via one of one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE;
- and
- controlling a charging operation that provides an electric charge to the one or more electric vehicle batteries of the electric vehicle via the one of the one or more charging ports of the EVCS or EVSE,
- wherein the controlling the charging operation comprises receiving a message from a remote computer indicating that the user is authorized to use the EVCS or EVSE, the received message including a portion of the message that indicates a priority level of the message.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.