Networked utility services and vehicle charging stations
Networked utility services handle data-flow in a system to operate electrical vehicle charging stations. In an example, first and second utility companies may operate in first and second respective areas. A user may have a residence in the first area and may have an electric vehicle at a vehicle charging station in the second area. The user may provide identification at the vehicle charging station in the second area, and the user's vehicle may be charged at that location using electricity from the second utility. Data including the user's identification and the electricity consumed in the charging may be sent to the first utility serving the area including the user's residence. The first utility may bill the user for the electricity used to charge the user's vehicle at the remote vehicle charging station. The charging station, both utilities and/or other parties may share in the receipts.
1 . A method for verifying and processing an electric vehicle charging transaction across different networks, wherein the method is performed by a computing device of first utility, comprising:
electronically receiving, over Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) network(s), a request from a vehicle charging station to verify an identity of a user having a vehicle at the vehicle charging station, wherein an electricity meter at a site associated with the user receives electricity from the first utility, wherein the vehicle charging station receives electricity from a second utility different from the first utility, and wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a transaction identifying code and an identification of the user in an encrypted format;
verifying that the user has an account in good standing with the first utility, wherein:
the verifying is based at least in part on one or more alpha-numeric strings presented by the user and representing an identity of the first utility and representing an identity of the electricity meter at the site of the user; and
the verifying is additionally based at least in part on comparing an identification of the user that the user presented to the vehicle charging station and the one or more alpha-numeric strings against information in a file of the account of the user;
electronically sending a transaction approval to the vehicle charging station in response to the verifying, wherein the electronically sending transmits the transaction approval using two AMI networks, and wherein the sending comprises sending one or more of:
a transaction-identifying code;
the identification of the user; and
a measured quantity of electricity in an encrypted format;
receiving consumption information from the vehicle charging station indicating one or more of a quantity of electricity used to charge the vehicle or a cost to charge the vehicle; and
sending an invoice message to the user based at least in part on the consumption information.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing electricity to a second vehicle charging station to charge a second vehicle of a second user, wherein the second user has an account with the second utility; and
receiving compensation for the electricity provided to the second vehicle charging station.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request to verify the identity of the user comprises:
receiving the request over advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network(s).
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying that the user has the account in good standing comprises:
accessing a file of the account of the user, wherein the file of the account of the user comprises data obtained at least in part by the electricity meter at the site of the user.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying that the user has the account in good standing comprises:
accessing a file of the account of the user; and
verifying identification of the user that the user presented to the vehicle charging station against information in the file of the account of the user.
6 . The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
updating a file of the account of the user to include the consumption information.
7 . The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising:
updating a file of the account of the user to indicate one or more vehicles associated with the site; and
verifying that the vehicle at the vehicle charging station is listed within the file of the account of the user.
8 . A first utility, comprising:
a processor of a server of the first utility;
one or more memory devices in communication with the processor;
an electricity meter configured to provide metered electricity to a customer site;
a connection to an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) network to enable communication between the server of the first utility and the electricity meter; and
a software application, wherein the software application is defined in the one or more memory devices and comprises statements executed by the processor to perform actions comprising:
electronically receiving, over Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) network(s), a request from a vehicle charging station to verify an identity of a user having a vehicle at the vehicle charging station, wherein an electricity meter at a site associated with the user receives electricity from the first utility, wherein the vehicle charging station receives electricity from a second utility different from the first utility, and wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a transaction identifying code and an identification of the user in an encrypted format;
verifying that the user has an account in good standing with the first utility, wherein:
the verifying is based at least in part on one or more alpha-numeric strings presented by the user and representing an identity of the first utility and representing an identity of the electricity meter at the site of the user; and
the verifying is additionally based at least in part on comparing an identification of the user that the user presented to the vehicle charging station and the one or more alpha-numeric strings against information in a file of the account of the user;
electronically sending a transaction approval to the vehicle charging station in response to the verifying, wherein the electronically sending transmits the transaction approval across two AMI networks, and wherein the sending comprises sending one or more of;
a transaction-identifying code;
the identification of the user; and
a measured quantity of electricity in an encrypted format;
receiving consumption information from the vehicle charging station indicating one or more of a quantity of electricity used to charge the vehicle or a cost to charge the vehicle; and
sending an invoice message to the user based at least in part on the consumption information.
9 . The first utility of claim 8 , wherein the actions further comprise:
providing electricity to a second vehicle charging station to charge a second vehicle of a second user, wherein the second user has an account with the second utility; and
receiving compensation for the electricity provided to the second vehicle charging station.
10 . The first utility of claim 8 , wherein receiving the request to verify the identity of the user comprises:
receiving the request over the AMI network(s).
11 . The first utility of claim 8 , wherein verifying that the user has the account in good standing comprises:
accessing a file of the account of the user, wherein the file of the account of the user comprises data obtained at least in part by the electricity meter at the site of the user.
12 . The first utility of claim 8 , wherein verifying that the user has the account in good standing comprises:
accessing a file of the account of the user; and
verifying identification of the user that the user presented to the vehicle charging station against information in the file of the account of the user.
13 . The first utility of claim 8 , additionally comprising:
updating a file of the account of the user to include the consumption information.
14 . The first utility of claim 8 , wherein the actions further comprise:
updating a file of the account of the user to indicate one or more vehicles associated with the site; and
verifying that the vehicle at the vehicle charging station is listed within the file of the account of the user.
15 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, configure a computing device of a first utility to perform actions comprising:
electronically receiving, over Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) network(s), a request from a vehicle charging station to verify an identity of a user having a vehicle at the vehicle charging station, wherein an electricity meter at a site associated with the user receives electricity from the first utility, wherein the vehicle charging station receives electricity from a second utility different from the first utility, and wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a transaction identifying code and an identification of the user in an encrypted format;
verifying that the user has an account in good standing with the first utility, wherein:
the verifying is based at least in part on one or more alpha-numeric strings presented by the user and representing an identity of the first utility and representing an identity of the electricity meter at the site of the user; and
the verifying is additionally based at least in part on comparing an identification of the user that the user presented to the vehicle charging station and the one or more alpha-numeric strings against information in a file of the account of the user;
electronically sending a transaction approval to the vehicle charging station in response to the verifying, wherein the electronically sending transmits the transaction approval across two AMI networks, and wherein the sending comprises sending one or more of:
a transaction-identifying code;
the identification of the user; and
a measured quantity of electricity in an encrypted format;
receiving consumption information from the vehicle charging station indicating one or more of a quantity of electricity used to charge the vehicle or a cost to charge the vehicle; and
sending an invoice message to the user based at least in part on the consumption information.
16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
providing electricity to a second vehicle charging station to charge a second vehicle of a second user, wherein the second user has an account with the second utility; and
receiving compensation for the electricity provided to the second vehicle charging station.
17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein
the AMI network(s) assist communications between the first utility and the second utility.
18 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , wherein verifying that the user has the account in good standing comprises:
accessing a file of the account of the user; and
verifying identification of the user that the user presented to the vehicle charging station against information in the file of the account of the user.
19 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , additionally comprising:
updating a file of the account of the user to include the consumption information.
20 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 15 , additionally comprising:
updating a file of the account of the user to indicate new vehicles of one or more residents of the site; and
verifying that the vehicle at the vehicle charging station is listed within the file of the account of the user.