Electric vehicle charging station host definable pricing

Abstract

An electric vehicle charging station network includes multiple electric vehicle charging stations belonging to multiple charging station hosts. Each host controls one or more charging stations. A charging station network server provides an interface that allows each of the hosts to define one or more pricing specifications for charging electric vehicles on one or more of their electric vehicle charging stations belonging to that host. The pricing specifications are applied to the charging stations such that a cost of charging electric vehicles using those charging stations is calculated according to the pricing specifications.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electric vehicle charging station network, comprising:
 a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations belonging to a plurality of charging station hosts, wherein each host controls one or more of the plurality of electric vehicle charging stations; and   a charging station network server that provides an interface that allows each of the plurality of hosts to define one or more pricing specifications for charging electric vehicles on one or more electric vehicle charging stations belonging to that host.   
     
     
         2 . The electric vehicle charging station network of  claim 1 , wherein the charging station network server further communicates the one or more pricing specifications to appropriate ones of the electric vehicle charging stations, wherein the plurality of electric vehicle charging stations displays the pricing according to received pricing specifications. 
     
     
         3 . The electric vehicle charging station network of  claim 1 , wherein the interface allows each host to define the one or more pricing specifications based on one or more of time of day and date. 
     
     
         4 . The electric vehicle charging station network of  claim 1 , wherein the interface allows each host to define the one or more pricing specifications based on identity of vehicle operators using the electric vehicle charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         5 . The electric vehicle charging station network of  claim 4 , wherein the interface allows each host to specify, for each of the electric vehicle charging stations belonging to that host, restricted access status of that electric vehicle charging station based on one or more of time of day and date. 
     
     
         6 . The electric vehicle charging station network of  claim 4 , wherein the interface allows each host to exclude one or more vehicle operators from paying for charging service. 
     
     
         7 . The electric vehicle charging station network of  claim 6 , wherein the exclusion is based on one or more of time of day and date. 
     
     
         8 . A method for electric vehicle charging station host definable pricing, comprising:
 providing an interface that includes a set of one or more input controls to allow each of a plurality of charging station hosts to define one or more pricing specifications for charging electric vehicles at one or more charging stations, wherein each host controls one or more charging stations;   receiving input through the set of input controls from one of the plurality of hosts, the input defining a pricing specification for one or more charging stations belonging to that host; and   applying the pricing specification defined by the input such that a cost of charging electric vehicles using the one or more charging stations is calculated according to the pricing specification.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more input controls to allow each host to define a price for one or more charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more input controls to allow each host to define a price for one or more of per charging session, per an amount of time, and per an amount of energy consumed for one or more charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more controls to allow each host to define one or more prices for one or more time of days for one or more charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more controls to allow each host to define one or more prices for one or more charging stations belonging to that host based on one or more access identifiers. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the interface further includes one or more input controls to allow each host to define one or more of its charging stations as operating in restricted mode. 
     
     
         14 . A machine-readable storage medium that provides instructions that, when executed by a processor, will cause said processor to perform operations, comprising:
 providing an interface that includes a set of one or more input controls to allow each of a plurality of charging station hosts to define one or more pricing specifications for charging electric vehicles at one or more charging stations, wherein each host controls one or more charging stations;   receiving input through the set of input controls from one of the plurality of hosts, the input defining a pricing specification for one or more charging stations belonging to that host; and   applying the pricing specification defined by the input such that a cost of charging electric vehicles using the one or more charging stations is calculated according to the pricing specification.   
     
     
         15 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more input controls to allow each host to define a price for one or more charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more input controls to allow each host to define a price for one or more of per charging session, per an amount of time, and per an amount of energy consumed for one or more charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more controls to allow each host to define one or more prices for one or more time of days for one or more charging stations belonging to that host. 
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the set of one or more input controls includes one or more controls to allow each host to define one or more prices for one or more charging stations belonging to that host based on one or more access identifiers. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the interface further includes one or more input controls to allow each host to define one or more of its charging stations as operating in restricted mode.