DE102018201672A1 - Method and system for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle at a charging infrastructure - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle at a charging infrastructure (14), comprising the following steps: a) generating a feature assigned to the charging contract of the user by a power supplier (10) (step 100, Step 300); b) encrypted transmission of the feature associated with the load contract of the user from the towing provider into a secure memory of the mobile terminal (12) of the user (step 120, step 320); c) transmitting data from at least the mobile terminal to the charging infrastructure using the feature associated with the user's loading contract (step 140, step 340); d) checking the data received from the charging infrastructure using a feature associated with the charging contract of the user (step 220, step 360); and e) enabling the charging process by the charging infrastructure upon successful verification (step 240, step 380). The invention further relates to a corresponding system for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle to a charging infrastructure (14).

Description

The present invention relates to a method for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle to a charging infrastructure and a corresponding system.

Currently, RFID cards are mainly used for authentication of charging contracts at a charging infrastructure of a charging station. Furthermore, in new types of authentication, such as plug and charge, charging contracts are stored firmly in the vehicle of a user. Another variant of the authentication of charging contracts to a charging infrastructure is a remote activation. Here, for example, a user can trigger an activation via a backend of the charging station operator.

The disadvantage with RFID cards is that they can be easily forgotten, take away extra space in a wallet and are easily transferable, which opens up opportunities for abuse. With Plug and Charge, the safety concept provides for a fixed coupling of a contract to a vehicle. A simple entrainment in a foreign vehicle is therefore not possible. The aforementioned remote activation requires an online connection, which is not always available.

From the DE 10 2009 037 968 A1 In this connection, a method and a device for identifying an electric vehicle with respect to a billing center are known. In this case, the billing center sends a contract key to the electric vehicle after the electric vehicle has initiated a charging process, wherein the contract key is stored on the electric vehicle and a subsequent billing of the charging process takes place via the contract key.

From the DE 10 2009 030 091 A1 For example, a method and apparatus for secure communication between a charging station and an electric vehicle is known. At the time of concluding a contract with an energy supplier, a public contract key and a private contract key are generated, whereby the public contract key is stored in a clearing house.

From the WO 2012/149965 A1 For example, a method and apparatus for providing electrical energy to a vehicle is known. In this case, information of a contract type of a driver of the vehicle is present in a central instance and is taken into account during a charging process of the vehicle.

The object of the present invention is to develop an aforementioned method and a system mentioned in such a way that the most comfortable possible and safe from foreign access charging an electric vehicle by a user is possible.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of patent claim 1 and by a system having the features of patent claim 17.

The present invention is based on the finding that mobile terminals, for example smartphones, already offer the possibility today of storing sensitive information in a secure memory of the mobile terminal protected from foreign access. A stored in a secure memory information can not be read by unauthorized apps and can not be changed by unauthorized access. The possibility of storing sensitive information in a secure memory of a mobile device, for example, is already used to make a payment function with a mobile device or - for the applicant - the so-called Audi connect key with the Audi digitized the conventional car key and him, for example, in the secure storage area of a smartphone transferred. Thus, access to a motor vehicle and starting the motor vehicle can be made possible by means of the smartphone.

For smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy range, the secure storage is also referred to as a safe folder. It allows private data, such as pictures, notes, and applications, to be protected from other people's access even when the smartphone is unlocked. The Secure Folder feature is a separate and secure location. It is not possible to transfer data from the secure folder to other devices using unapproved sharing methods, such as Wi-Fi Direct or USB. In case of unofficial adjustments of the software or the operating system, the function "safe folder" is automatically locked and is no longer visible. Although it is clear to a person skilled in the art what is meant by a secure memory or secure folder, in the following, additional reference is made to Internet addresses, under which further information can be found: www.samsung.com/en/support/skp/faq/ 1126479 or https://praxistipps.chip.de/galaxy-s8-sicherer -ordner-erstellen-undnutzen_93099.

Now, if a user stores his charging power in the secure memory of his mobile device, he can this charging power contract with his mobile device in any Take vehicles and transfer them to a charging infrastructure for verification. In this way, no extra space in the wallet is needed and Abuse options are reliably prevented. A simple entrainment in a foreign vehicle is possible. For an activation no online connection is necessary, but the corresponding transmissions, as will be explained in more detail below, be made by means of near-field communication.

In the method according to the invention, accordingly, in a step a), a feature assigned to the load contract of the user is first generated by a traction current provider. In a subsequent step b) the feature assigned to the load contract of the user is transmitted in encrypted form by the towing provider to a secure memory of the user's mobile terminal. In a following step c), data is transmitted at least from the mobile terminal to the charging infrastructure using the feature associated with the charging contract of the user. In a subsequent step d), the data received from the charging infrastructure is checked using the feature associated with the charging contract and, if the verification is successful, the charging process is enabled by the charging infrastructure in a subsequent step e).

A first public key, also referred to below as a public contract key, relates to the communication between the mobile terminal and the charging infrastructure, while a second public key, also referred to below as the public key, concerns the communication between the mobile terminal and the mobile power provider.

The public device key is preferably exchanged with the mobile power provider by means of an app installed on the mobile terminal before the first charging process.

In the following, two preferred variants of the method according to the invention will be described in more detail. First to the first variant:

Here, in step a), the feature assigned to the load contract of the user is at least one digital certificate, in particular a digital certificate and a private key of the load contract, generated for the user. These are referred to below as a contract certificate and as a private contract key. In the event that the power supplier only generates a digital contract certificate, a key pair already generated in the user's mobile terminal can instead be used instead. For this purpose, the mobile terminal generates in an upstream step in a secure storage area a key pair of private key and public key, in this case as a private contract key and public contract key. The private contract key remains in the secure storage area, whereas the public contract key is sent to the mobile electricity provider. For this purpose, a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) is preferably used. The electricity supplier can now issue a digital contract certificate for the public contract key, i. create the contract certificate mentioned above and send it to the mobile device.

Then, in the subsequent step b), at least the digital contract certificate, in particular the digital contract certificate and the private contract key of the loading contract, is encrypted encrypted with the public device key of the user and transmitted to the mobile terminal using a private device key of the mobile terminal decrypted by the user. For this purpose, the public device key between the mobile terminal and the electricity supplier is already exchanged in an upstream step. This ensures that only the mobile device can decrypt the digital contract certificate or the digital contract certificate and the private contract key of the loading contract. This reliably prevents misuse. The public and private device keys are already generated before the transfer of the public device key, for example, during the installation or the first launch of a corresponding app. Alternatively, a public and a private device key are already present on the mobile terminal from production, so are generated during manufacture.

• c1) Empfangen einer Challenge von der Ladeinfrastruktur durch das mobile Endgerät;
• c2) Signieren der Challenge mit dem privaten Vertragsschlüssel des Ladevertrags durch das mobile Endgerät; und
• c3) Übertragen der signierten Challenge vom mobilen Endgerät an die Ladeinfrastruktur.

Preferably, step c) comprises a sub-step c0), in which the digital contract certificate is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the charging infrastructure. In this context, a challenge-response method is preferably carried out in step c) between the charging infrastructure and the mobile terminal using the private contract key of the charging contract. In this case, step c) preferably furthermore comprises the following substeps:

• c1) receiving a challenge from the charging infrastructure by the mobile terminal;
• c2) signing the challenge with the private contract key of the load contract by the mobile terminal; and
• c3) transmitting the signed challenge from the mobile terminal to the charging infrastructure.

In this context, the Challenge can in a first step from the charging infrastructure to the electric vehicle and in a second step be transferred from the electric vehicle to the mobile terminal and accordingly the signed Challenge in a first step from the mobile device to the electric vehicle and in a second step from the electric vehicle to the charging infrastructure.

In the subsequent step d), the charging infrastructure then checks a signature generated by means of the private contract key and a validity of the digital contract certificate, in particular a validity period of the digital contract certificate.

In a second preferred variant, a token is generated in step a) as the feature assigned to the load contract of the user, in particular according to the OAuth 2.0 standard. While in the first variant using a digital contract certificate as many charging processes can be signed and released - corresponding to a key to open a door - can be initiated by means of a token only a charge - corresponding to a ticket. However, there is the possibility that the user procures several tokens in one process, which he can then use up successively.

Preferably, in step b), a communication channel between the mobile power provider and the mobile terminal, in particular by TLS encryption (Transport Layer Security), encrypted. The procedure for encrypting a communication channel is known to the person skilled in the art, which is why further explanations are omitted here.

Subsequently, in step b), the token continues to be transmitted via the encrypted communication channel from the towing provider to the mobile terminal.

In the subsequent step c), the token is then transferred from the mobile terminal to the charging infrastructure. This then asks in step d) a validity of the token in the electricity provider, in particular an authorization server located there, from.

For both variants, in step c) the data can be transferred in a first step from the mobile terminal to the electric vehicle and in a second step from the electric vehicle to the charging infrastructure.

The transmission between the mobile terminal and the electric vehicle, on the one hand, and the transmission between the electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure, on the other hand, is particularly preferably carried out by near-field communication, wherein preferably at least one transmission method from the following group is used: WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), NFC (Near Field Communication). Alternatively, the transmission between the mobile terminal and the electric vehicle may take place by means of near-field communication or line-bound communication, and the transmission between the electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure may also be by near-field communication or wired, in particular via a charging cable.

Further advantageous embodiments will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The preferred embodiments presented in connection with the method according to the invention and their advantages apply correspondingly, if applicable, to a system according to the invention for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle to a charging structure. This system includes a charging infrastructure, an electricity supplier and a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal has a secure, i. protected from foreign access first memory in which a user's private device key is stored, a control device and a communication device. The traction current provider has a device for generating a feature associated with the charging contract of the user and a transmission device for transmitting this feature in the first memory of the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is designed to transmit data to the charging infrastructure using the feature associated with the charging contract of the user. The charging infrastructure is designed to check the received data using a feature associated with the load contract of the user and to release the load upon successful verification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• 1 in schematischer Darstellung ein Ablaufdiagramm für eine erste Variante des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens; und
• 2 in schematischer Darstellung ein Ablaufdiagramm für eine zweite Variante des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

These show:

• 1 a schematic diagram of a flowchart for a first variant of the method according to the invention; and
• 2 a schematic diagram of a flowchart for a second variant of the method according to the invention.

1 shows a schematic representation of a flowchart for a first embodiment of a method according to the invention. There are actions as they are at or between the instances shown in the embodiment Traction current provider 10 , mobile device 12 and charging infrastructure 14 take place. The charging infrastructure 14 comprises a charging station, in particular with a device for wired or inductive charging, which in the present case comprises at least one control device and a communication device. The electricity supplier 10 preferably comprises a computing device, a memory device, a control device and also a communication device.

First, in one step 100 a characteristic assigned to the load contract of the user by the traction current provider 10 generated. The feature assigned to the user is at least a digital contract certificate, in particular a digital contract certificate and a private key of the loading contract.

In one step 120 the characteristic assigned to the load contract of the user is the power supplier 10 in a secure, especially against foreign access protected memory or memory area of the mobile terminal 12 encrypted transmission of the user. At least the digital contract certificate, in particular the digital contract certificate and the private contract key of the loading contract, are encrypted with a second public device key of the user to the mobile terminal 12 transmitted and in the mobile terminal 12 using a private device key of the mobile terminal 12 decrypted by the user.

In a subsequent step 140 becomes the contract certificate from the mobile terminal 12 sent to the charging infrastructure. Subsequently, a challenge-response procedure between the charging infrastructure 14 and the mobile terminal 12 carried out using the private contract key of the loading contract. This is done in one step 160 a challenge from the charging infrastructure 14 through the mobile terminal 12 receive. In the following step 180 becomes the challenge with the private contract key of the loading contract by the mobile terminal 12 signed and in a subsequent step 200 from the mobile device 12 to the charging infrastructure 14 transfer.

In step 220 be the ones from the charging infrastructure 14 received data using a public contract key of the user from the contract certificate checks, in particular one by means of the private contract key of the mobile terminal 12 the user generated signature and a validity of the digital contract certificate, preferably a validity period of the digital contract certificate. Subsequently, in step 240 upon successful verification of the charging process by the charging infrastructure 14 release. Successful verification here means that the signature could be verified as coming from the user and the digital contract certificate has not yet expired.

2 shows a second embodiment of the method according to the invention, wherein with reference to 1 inserted reference numerals for the same and equivalent elements are maintained.

Here is in one step 300 as the characteristic assigned to the load contract of the user by the traction current provider 10 generates a token, in particular according to the standard OAuth 2.0. In a subsequent step 320 becomes the token of the electricity supplier 10 encrypted in a secure memory of the mobile device 12 of the user. For this purpose, initially a communication channel between the electricity supplier 10 and the mobile terminal 12 , in particular by TLS encryption, encrypted. Subsequently, the token is then transmitted over the encrypted communication channel by the electricity provider 10 to the mobile device 12 transfer.

In step 340 becomes the token from the mobile device 12 to the charging infrastructure 14 transfer. This checks the charging infrastructure 14 received data using an authorization server of the mobile electricity provider, in particular, a validity of the token in the electricity provider 10 queries.

Will in step 360 a validity of the token is determined in step 380 the charging process through the charging infrastructure 14 Approved.

As already mentioned, communication between the electricity supplier 10 and mobile terminal 12 one hand, as well as mobile device 12 and charging infrastructure 14 on the other hand, directly or via the detour of the electric vehicle. The communication between the electricity provider and the mobile terminal or the electric vehicle and the mobile terminal is preferably carried out by near-field communication, while the communication between the mobile terminal 12 and charging infrastructure 14 by near field communication or else by line-bound communication, in particular via a charging cable, can take place.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102009037968 A1 [0004]
• DE 102009030091 A1 [0005]
• WO 2012/149965 A1 [0006]

Claims (17)

A method for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle at a charging infrastructure (14), comprising the steps of: a) generating a feature associated with the load contract of the user by a traction current provider (10) (step 100, step 300); b) encrypted transmission of the user's load contract associated feature from the towing provider (10) to a secure memory of the user's mobile terminal (12) (step 120, step 320); c) transmitting data from at least the mobile terminal (12) to the charging infrastructure (14) using the feature associated with the user's charging contract (step 140, step 340); d) checking the data received from the charging infrastructure (14) under the characteristic associated with the charging contract of the user (step 220, step 360); and e) enabling the charging process by the charging infrastructure (14) upon successful verification (step 240, step 380). Method according to Claim 1 , characterized in that in step a) as the load associated with the user associated feature at least one digital contract certificate, in particular a digital contract certificate and a private contract key of the loading contract, for the user is generated (step 100). Method according to Claim 2 , characterized in that in step b) at least the digital contract certificate, in particular the digital contract certificate and the private contract key of the loading contract, encrypted with a public device key of the user is transmitted to the mobile terminal (12) and in the mobile terminal (12) using a private device key of the user's mobile terminal (12) is decrypted (step 120). Method according to one of Claims 2 or 3 , characterized in that in step c) in a sub-step c0) the digital contract certificate is transmitted from the mobile terminal (12) to the charging infrastructure (14). Method according to one of Claims 2 to 4 characterized in that in step c) a challenge-response procedure is performed between the charging infrastructure (14) and the mobile terminal (12) using the private contract key of the charging contract (step 140, step 160, step 180, step 200) , Method according to Claim 5 characterized in that step c) comprises the substeps of: c1) receiving a challenge from the charging infrastructure (14) by the mobile terminal (12) (step 160); c2) signing the challenge with the private contract key of the load contract by the mobile terminal (12) (step 180); and c3) transmitting the signed challenge from the mobile terminal (12) to the charging infrastructure (14) (step 200). Method according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the challenge is transferred in a first step from the charging infrastructure (14) to the electric vehicle and in a second step from the electric vehicle to the mobile terminal (12), and that the signed challenge in a first step from the mobile terminal ( 12) is transmitted to the electric vehicle and in a second step from the electric vehicle to the charging infrastructure (14). Method according to one of Claims 2 to 7 , characterized in that in step d) by the charging infrastructure (14) a signature generated by means of the private contract key and a validity of the digital contract certificate, in particular a validity period of the digital contract certificate is checked (step 220). Method according to Claim 1 , characterized in that in step a) as the load associated with the user associated feature a token, in particular according to the standard OAuth 2.0, is generated (step 300). Method according to Claim 9 , characterized in that in step b) a communication channel between the mobile power provider and the mobile terminal, in particular by TLS encryption, is encrypted (step 320). Method according to one of Claims 9 or 10 , characterized in that in step b) the token is transmitted via the encrypted communication channel from the electricity provider (10) to the mobile terminal (12) (step 320). Method according to one of Claims 9 to 11 characterized in that in step c) the token is transmitted from the mobile terminal (12) to the charging infrastructure (14) (step 340). Method according to one of Claims 9 to 12 , characterized in that in step d) a validity of the token in the traction current provider (10) is queried (step 360). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in step c) the data are transmitted in a first step from the mobile terminal (12) to the electric vehicle and in a second step from the electric vehicle to the charging infrastructure (14). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission between the mobile terminal (12) and the electric vehicle on the one hand and the transmission between the electric vehicle and the charging infrastructure (14) on the other hand by near field communication. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 14 , characterized in that the transmission between the mobile terminal (12) and the electric vehicle by Nahfeldkommunikation or by wired communication and the transmission between the electric vehicle and charging infrastructure (14) by near-field communication or wired, in particular via a charging cable A system for proving a charging contract of a user for enabling a charging process for charging an electric vehicle at a charging infrastructure (14), comprising: - a charging infrastructure (14); - an electricity supplier (10); and - a mobile terminal (12), wherein the mobile terminal (12) comprises: - a secure, third-party protected first memory in which a user's private key is stored, - a control device, and - a communication device; characterized in that the traction current provider (10) has a device for generating a feature associated with the charging contract of the user and a transmission device for transmitting this feature in the first memory of the mobile terminal (12); wherein the mobile terminal (12) is adapted to transmit data to the charging infrastructure (14) using the feature associated with the charging contract of the user; wherein the charging infrastructure (14) is adapted to check the received data using a feature associated with the load contract of the user and to release the load upon successful verification.

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