Charging assembly for an electric vehicle and operating method for such a charging assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to an operating method for a charging assembly for an electric vehicle, wherein the charging assembly comprises at least one charging station (10), at least one card payment terminal (20) and one administrative unit (30). The method comprises the following steps: - determination of pricing information for a charging operation for an electric vehicle by the administrative unit (30); - transmission of the pricing information concerning the charging operation from the administrative unit (30) to the at least one card payment terminal (20); - display of the pricing information by the at least one card payment terminal (20); - reading of payment information by the card payment terminal (20); - performance of the charging operation by the charging station (10) and detection of an amount of energy transferred during the charging operation by an energy meter (12) of the charging station (10); - generation of at least one first data record, which contains the detected amount of energy, and signing of the at least one first data record by a first signature unit (13) arranged in the charging station (10); - transmission of the signed at least one first data record from the charging station (10) to the administrative unit (30); - generation in the administrative unit (30) of a second data record including the first data record and at least some of the pricing information and signing of the second data record by a second signature unit (32) associated with the administrative unit (30); and - provision of the signed second data record as a receipt. The invention further relates to a charging assembly configured to carry out the method.

Description

[0001] Charging arrangement for an electric vehicle and operating method for such a charging arrangement

[0002] The invention relates to an operating method for a charging system for an electric vehicle, wherein the charging system comprises at least one charging station, at least one payment card terminal, and an administration unit. The invention further relates to a charging system comprising a charging station, a payment card terminal, and an administration unit, which is configured to implement such an operating method.

[0003] Charging stations are used to charge the batteries of electric vehicles. The electric vehicle is connected to the charging station using a suitable charging cable or via an inductive coupling. Electrical energy, usually in the form of direct or alternating current, is then transferred from the charging station to the electric vehicle, and in some cases, to support the energy supply grid, also from the electric vehicle to the charging station. Such charging stations are available as freestanding charging stations or as wall-mounted "wall boxes."

[0004] If charging stations are to be accessible to several people, for example if they are set up in public spaces or in apartment buildings or on company premises, it is necessary to be able to clearly assign the amount of energy delivered or consumed to a user of the charging station. Furthermore, the amount of energy delivered or consumed must be recorded in a comprehensible and legally compliant manner and presented to the user for verification. Legal bases must be observed where appropriate; for example, in Germany the requirements of calibration law must be observed. Finally, payment terms must also be transparently defined in advance. This includes, for example, that a user must be clearly informed of the energy price for the subsequent charging process before the start of a charging process. Conversely, it must be ensured that any subsequently delivered amount of energy is actually paid for by the user at the stated price.This requires, for example, the user to specify a payment method through which a certain amount of money is reserved in advance and thus guaranteed.

[0005] In particular, to fulfill the latter conditions, charging arrangements have become established in the market whereby use of a charging station is only possible after a user has registered in advance with a charging station operator using their payment information and, for example, has an identification card ("charging card") created specifically for this use. However, this approach severely restricts users, as maintaining a charging card for a multitude of different systems that have become established in the market is time-consuming and potentially associated with high monthly base fees. Especially when an electric vehicle is used within a large radius, the situation often arises that an available charging station cannot be used because the appropriate charging card is not available.

[0006] In order to make charging stations usable regardless of prior registration, a charging station for electric vehicles is known from document EP 3 971 023 A1, for example, which includes a payment card terminal with which a credit or debit card can be read. An identification code is then created in the charging station, which includes at least part of a credit card number or debit account number. Furthermore, metered values ​​of the amount of energy supplied during a charging process are measured in the charging station, and based on the metered values ​​and the identification code, a receipt for billing the charging process is created, which is saved and can be downloaded by the user for checking. To achieve increased security, it is further provided that the metered values ​​of the amount of energy and the identification code, if applicable,with additional identification of the charging station and time information on the charging process, to be digitally signed in the charging station so that the billing receipt is tamper-proof for further processing.

[0007] The process is flexible, as it allows charging stations to be used with credit, debit, or giro cards, regardless of prior registration and the creation of a customer account with the charging station operator. However, the process cannot be implemented with already installed charging stations that are not equipped with a payment card terminal.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a charging arrangement and an operating method of the type mentioned above that are flexible in use and that can also be implemented as retrofit solutions with charging stations that do not have an integrated payment card terminal. This object is achieved by an operating method and a charging arrangement having the features of the respective independent claim. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] An operating method according to the invention for a charging arrangement of the type mentioned above comprises the following steps: Price information about a charging process of the electric vehicle is determined by the administration unit and transmitted to the at least one payment card terminal. The price information is then displayed by the at least one payment card terminal so that it can be viewed by the user. Furthermore, payment information is read in by the payment card terminal. The charging process is carried out by the charging station, and an energy quantity transferred during the charging process is recorded by an energy meter of the charging station. Furthermore, at least one first data set containing the recorded energy quantity is created and signed by a first signature unit arranged in the charging station.The signed first data set, at least one, is sent from the charging station to the administration unit, which then creates a second data set containing the first data set and at least parts of the price information. The second data set is signed in the administration unit by a second signature unit assigned to the administration unit. The signed second data set is then provided as a billing receipt.

[0010] To create the billing receipt, and thus in particular to determine a total price for the charging process, two different subcomponents must be available: price information on the one hand and information on the amount of energy used on the other.

[0011] In the method according to the invention, the administration unit has trustworthy price information because it has provided it itself. Information about the amount of energy used, hereinafter also referred to as energy information, is also tamper-proof and therefore trustworthy due to the first signature in the charging station. According to the invention, the billing receipt can therefore be provided in the administration unit in a more tamper-proof manner and at a high level of trust. The second signature, which the administration unit applies, makes the billing receipt available in a tamper-proof manner for further process steps. The high level of trust achieved is thus maintained in further process steps. A single first data set can be generated and signed, which contains the amount of energy used. Alternatively, it can also be provided that two first data sets are generated and, if necessary,be signed separately, one of which comprises a counter value of an energy meter at the beginning of the charging process and another of which comprises the counter value of the energy meter at the end of the charging process.

[0012] In an advantageous embodiment of the operating method, before the price information is determined, the electric vehicle is connected to the at least one charging station, and a message about the connection of the electric vehicle is sent from the at least one charging station to the administration unit. In this way, the electric vehicle is prepared for the charging process, and connecting the electric vehicle initiates the determination of the price information. In alternative embodiments, the determination of the price information can be initiated in another way, for example, by a user input at the charging station or at the payment card terminal.

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment of the operating method, after reading the payment information, it is verified by a request to a payment service provider, and the charging process is only carried out if the payment information is confirmed. Preferably, release information is then sent from the payment card terminal to the administration unit, wherein the release information comprises at least parts of the payment information assigned to the charging process, and wherein the charging station is instructed by the administration unit to start the charging process.

[0014] In a further advantageous embodiment of the operating method, the first signature unit is arranged within the energy meter and accordingly the signature of the energy quantity information takes place directly in the energy meter, which usually complies with calibration law, which further increases the security against manipulation.

[0015] The operating method can advantageously be coordinated by an administration unit located separately from the charging station and the at least one payment card terminal. The charging station can, but need not, include either the payment card terminal or the administration unit. Accordingly, existing charging stations can be easily integrated into a charging arrangement according to the invention. The operating method and the charging arrangement according to the invention are therefore particularly well suited for retrofitting.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the operating method, contact details are provided by the user along with the payment information and are read in. The billing receipt can be transmitted to the user using the contact details. Alternatively or additionally, in connection with the reading of the payment information, the user can be provided with a data address, for example a website address, via which the billing receipt can be retrieved. By making the billing receipt available to the user, the user can validate the billing receipt. For this purpose, a transparency service or transparency software can be provided that verifies the billing receipt using public keys of the first signature unit and the second signature unit. The user thus receives confirmation that the billing receipt has not been tampered with.In addition, the billing document can be checked for consistency and correctness, for example by checking the total price determined against the energy and price information contained in the billing document.

[0017] It can be provided that the administration unit includes both certified and uncertified computer programs. Advantageously, the procedural steps that assure the user of the charging arrangement of correct operation and correct billing can then be executed by a certified computer program. The certified computer program can, for example, be tamper-proof by storing the executed program code in encrypted form and can also be certified in this regard by an independent assessment body. The achieved level of trust thus extends to the administration unit as a whole, without the administration unit itself having to undergo its own full certification.

[0018] It can also be provided that the administration unit transmits the billing receipt to a billing center. Independently of this, it can also be provided that the administration unit transmits a determined total price for the charging process to the payment card terminal. This allows the payment card presented by the user to be finally charged via the payment card terminal to complete the payment process. A charging arrangement according to the invention for an electric vehicle comprises at least one charging station, at least one payment card terminal, and an administration unit, wherein the administration unit is arranged separately from the charging station and the at least one payment card terminal. The charging arrangement is configured to carry out such a method.This results in the advantages mentioned in connection with the procedure, in particular the high level of trust in the billing receipt and the possibility of using charging stations that are not equipped with a payment card terminal when arranging charging.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of the charging arrangement, the at least one payment card terminal is arranged separately from the at least one charging station. Further advantageously, the charging arrangement comprises a plurality of charging stations, with a shared payment card terminal being particularly preferably assigned to the plurality of charging stations. This creates a cost-effective charging arrangement that eliminates the need to equip each charging station with its own payment card terminal.

[0020] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying figures. The figures show:

[0021] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a charging arrangement;

[0022] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of an operating method for a charging arrangement; and

[0023] Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of an operating method for a charging arrangement.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a charging arrangement according to the invention in the form of a block diagram. The charging arrangement comprises a charging station 10, a payment card terminal 20 and an administration unit 30. The three units mentioned are connected to one another via a network 40 for data exchange. Communication with other units not explicitly shown here can also take place via the network 40. The Internet can serve in particular as the network 40. In alternative embodiments, it is also possible to exchange data between two or more of the units shown, for example between the charging station 10 and the payment card terminal 20 or between the payment card terminal 20 and the administration unit 30, via a data connection that operates independently of the network 40. If necessary, such a data connection can also be a wired point-to-point connection.

[0025] The charging station 10 has a control unit 11, via which communication with the network 40 also takes place. Furthermore, the charging station 10 has an energy meter 12, which includes a first signature unit 13. In alternative embodiments, the signature unit 13 can also be arranged within the charging station 10, external to the energy meter 12.

[0026] For the sake of clarity, further components that are mandatory or optional for charging station 10 are not shown. Such components include, for example, a charging port for connecting charging station 10 to an electric vehicle to be charged. A charging socket or a charging cable with a charging plug permanently attached to charging station 10 can serve as the charging port. Furthermore, components for supplying power to charging station 10 are not shown, in particular for supplying a generally three-phase alternating current, which is transmitted to the electric vehicle via the charging port either as alternating current or, after rectification, as direct current. Alternatively, charging station 10 can also be connected to a direct voltage bus for its power supply.In connection with the transmission of the charging current to the electric vehicle, switching and safety devices, such as residual current circuit breakers and overcurrent and, if necessary, overvoltage protection, are also arranged in the charging station 10. A charging controller is provided to control the charging process, which can be implemented in the control unit 11 or in a separate unit.

[0027] Furthermore, the charging station 10 can have display and / or operating elements, e.g. a screen, in particular a touchscreen, for displaying information about the charging process or for displaying a state of the charging station 10 and / or the charging process.

[0028] The charging station 10 can be designed as a charging column, possibly a freestanding charging column, or it can also be suitable for wall mounting, i.e., it can be designed as a "wall box." In the embodiment of Fig. 1, a payment card terminal 20 is provided separately from the charging station 10, which is preferably located near the charging station 10. It can be provided to provide one payment card terminal 20 for a plurality of adjacently installed charging stations 10.

[0029] The payment card terminal 20 also comprises a control unit 21 which is coupled to a card reader 22, to a display unit 23, e.g. a display, and to an operating unit 24, e.g. a keypad.

[0030] The payment card terminal 20 makes it possible to read information stored on a card using the card reader 22. Depending on how the information is stored on the card, the card reader 22 can be designed as a chip or magnetic card reader into which the card is inserted, or as a contactless card reader that reads information wirelessly from the card. For this purpose, the card can be designed, for example, as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card or have an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip. The card reader 22 can also be suitable for different card formats, or there can be multiple card readers 22 suitable for different cards. A screen (display), for example, can be used as the display unit 23 to give the user instructions on the next steps. The operating unit 24 can comprise a keypad with which, for example, a secret number (PIN) can be entered.

[0031] While in the example shown, the charging station 10 and the payment card terminal 20 are separate units, it is also conceivable for the payment card terminal 20 to be integrated into the charging station 10. If multiple charging stations 10 are present, each can be equipped with a payment card terminal 20. However, it is also conceivable to arrange a payment card terminal 20 in one of the charging stations 10, which is also used in conjunction with the other charging stations 10.

[0032] It is important to note, however, that the payment card terminal 20 can be arranged and designed separately from the charging station 10, which makes it possible to use charging stations that already exist and do not have a payment card terminal as part of a charging arrangement according to the invention as part of a retrofit solution. The administration unit 30, on the other hand, can advantageously be arranged separately from both the charging station 10 and the payment card terminal 20 in the method according to the invention. It comprises a server 31 which, among other things, contains or has access to a second signature unit 32. The administration unit 30 preferably has a plurality of servers 31 which, if necessary, perform their tasks redundantly and in a distributed manner, as explained in more detail below in connection with Fig. 2.

[0033] A first embodiment of an operating method according to the invention for a charging arrangement is shown in Fig. 2 in the form of a flowchart. The illustrated operating method can be carried out, for example, with the charging arrangement according to Fig. 1 and is described below by way of example with reference to the charging arrangement of Fig. 1.

[0034] The operating method comprises method steps S1 to S12, the representative symbols of which are arranged horizontally in Fig. 2 so that they can be assigned to the various units in which or by which they are carried out, specifically the charging station 10, the payment card terminal 20 and the administration unit 30. Actions of a user using the charging arrangement are shown to the left of those of the charging station 10.

[0035] In the first step S1, the user connects their electric vehicle to the charging station 10. The charging station 10 can be a single charging station 10 or one of several charging stations 10 to which the payment card terminal 20 is jointly assigned.

[0036] The charging station 10 then blocks the charging plug or charging cable from being disconnected, checks compatibility with the connected electric vehicle, and determines possible charging parameters, such as a maximum permissible charging current or maximum permissible charging power. The control unit 11 of the charging station 10 then sends a message confirming that the electric vehicle has been connected to the administration unit 30. The message can include information about the planned charging process. It is preferably created according to the specifications of the OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) standard.

[0037] The sent message is received and processed by the administration unit 30 in a step S3. In particular, the administration unit 30 creates a unique identifier for this process, hereinafter referred to as the process ID. The process ID subsequently serves to uniquely identify the charging process, billing, and subsequent documentation of these processes. These different processes are linked to one another via the process ID. In addition, it can be provided to randomly generate a short process ID. This can consist of, for example, a number of 9 alphanumeric characters. The short process ID is linked to the process ID in a database of the administration unit 30. It is therefore shorter and easier to handle than the generally longer process ID.For example, it can be displayed to the user alternatively or additionally in certain process steps so that the user can later more easily refer to a charging process that has been carried out.

[0038] The administration unit 30 also determines current price information for a charging process at this time at the charging station 10. The price information can be stored in the administration unit 30, but it is also conceivable that it is retrieved by the administration unit 30 from a remote instance upon request. The price information is compiled, for example, in the form of another message, which is then sent to the payment card terminal 20 assigned to the charging station 10. The transmission can be carried out, for example, according to the MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) protocol. However, other network-compatible protocols can also be used.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, plugging the electric vehicle into the charging station 10 in step S1 and the subsequently sent message in step S2 initiates the determination of the price information by the administration unit 30 in step S3. In alternative embodiments of the method, the determination of the price information can also be initiated in a different way. For example, it is conceivable that the user activates a control element at the charging station 10 or the payment card terminal 20 in order to be informed about prices. A message comparable to that in step S2 is then sent from the charging station 10 or the payment card terminal 20 to the administration unit 30 in order to create the transaction ID and determine the current price information in the following step S3.

[0040] The payment card terminal 20 receives the transaction ID and / or the transaction short ID and price information from the administration unit 30 in step S4 and displays relevant information from the data record on the display unit 23. The displayed information includes, for example, the transaction short ID (and possibly alternatively or additionally the transaction ID) and the determined prices for the charging process, for example in the form of a base price for the process and an energy price that indicates the costs per kilowatt hour (kWh). In particular, if the payment card terminal 20 is assigned to multiple charging stations 10, a unique identifier for the charging station 10 is also displayed. Further preferably, an amount to be reserved is displayed, which must be confirmed by the customer and the payment service provider before the charging process begins in order for the charging process to even begin.For example, when paying by credit card, it may be possible to reserve a maximum amount, which a user then releases to his credit card provider for the upcoming charging process.

[0041] Furthermore, with the information on the display unit 23, the user is asked to select his payment options by inserting a payment card, for example a credit card, a debit card or a giro card, into the card reader 22 or by holding the payment card or an equivalent medium, for example a smartphone with NFC (Near Field Communication) interface.

[0042] To achieve compatibility with known methods that use payment cards other than those mentioned, it can be provided at this point to abort the method according to the invention and forward the information collected so far to a known processing method for this card type, which then coordinates the execution of the charging process. Such card types, which do not count as payment cards within the meaning of the present application, include so-called charging cards or fleet cards (e.g., for company vehicle fleets), for which prior registration with the operator of the charging system is required.

[0043] The method continues in step S5 when the user complies with this and communicates their payment information to the payment card terminal 20 by inserting or holding the payment card (or equivalent medium) into or in front of the card reader 22. Alternatively, the user can abort the process at this point, which is not explicitly shown in the flow chart of Fig. 2. If aborted, corresponding information is sent to the administration unit 30, which in turn informs the charging station 10 to release the charging plug or charging cable. Furthermore, step S5 can request the user's contact details. The contact details can be, for example, a telephone number or an email address, which the user can enter via the operating unit 24 and which can subsequently (cf. step S12) be used to send a billing receipt to the user.Alternatively, after this or one of the subsequent steps, a data address can be provided via which the billing receipt can be retrieved later. The data address can be displayed, for example, as a QR (Quick Response) code, which the user can conveniently photograph with their mobile phone.

[0044] In a subsequent step S6, the provided information about the payment card is read by the card reader 22, in particular a card or account number, and further processed in the payment card terminal 20. Additionally, it may be necessary to enter a PIN at the operating unit 24. Based on the information from the card reader 22, possibly the operating unit 24, and the information received in step S4 regarding the maximum amount to be reserved, a request is then sent to the payment service provider behind the user's payment card to authorize the transaction and reserve the intended amount.

[0045] A response from the payment service provider is evaluated by the payment card terminal 20 in step S7. If the transaction is approved by the payment service provider, the payment card terminal 20 sends a corresponding message to the administration unit 30. If the transaction is rejected, the charging process ends. In this case, information is again sent to the administration unit 30, which then either archives or discards the process and informs the charging station 10 to also abort the process with the electric vehicle and release the charging plug or charging cable for removal.

[0046] The authorization sent to the administration unit 30 in step S7 is received there in step S8, whereupon the administration unit 30 sends another message to the charging station 10 to start the charging process. Preferably, a value for the maximum amount of energy to be delivered, e.g., specified in kWh, which is covered by the maximum amount, is also transmitted. This message can again be formed according to the OCPP standard.

[0047] If, in alternative embodiments of the method, the price determination was not initiated by connecting the electric vehicle to the charging station 10 in step S1, the user connects the electric vehicle to the charging station 10 at this point at the latest. The user can be prompted to do so, for example, by a corresponding message on the display unit 23 of the payment card terminal 20.

[0048] The charging station 10 then starts the charging process in a step S9, which includes, for example, recording a meter reading from the energy meter 12 at the start of the charging process. The charging process is carried out until it is terminated in a step S10, whereupon a further value from the energy meter 12 is determined. The amount of energy delivered is the difference between the meter values ​​of the energy meter 12 determined in steps S9 and S10. The charging process can be terminated in various ways, either by the user aborting it at the charging station 10, by the electric vehicle being fully charged, or by the maximum amount of energy to be delivered, which is covered by the reserved maximum amount, being reached. It is noted that the method can proceed analogously if energy is not drawn from the charging station 10 but delivered by the electric vehicle.

[0049] After the charging process has ended, the charging station 10 sends at least a first data set with information about the completed charging process to the administration unit 30. This data set contains, for example, a data tuple with identifiers of the charging station 10 as well as information about the start and end times of the charging process and, in particular, the information read from the energy meter 12 about the amount of energy consumed. The data tuple is generated in the charging station 10 by the energy meter 12 itself in compliance with calibration law and digitally signed in its first signature unit 13. In particular, the energy information is thus contained in the data tuple in a tamper-proof manner. Common and well-known asymmetric encryption methods can be used for the digital signature, e.g., RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman).In an advantageous embodiment, the data tuple can be formed as a so-called OCMF (Open Charge Metering Format) string according to the OCPP standard.

[0050] A single first data set can be generated that contains the amount of energy consumed. Alternatively, two first data sets can be generated and, if necessary, signed separately, one of which contains the counter value of the energy meter 12 at the beginning of the charging process, and another of which contains the counter value of the energy meter 12 at the end of the charging process.

[0051] In step S11, the information received from the data tuple by the administration unit 30 is further processed. In particular, the amount of energy transferred during the charging process is read from the data tuple and, if necessary, verified using a public key of the first signature unit 13. Together with the price information determined by the administration unit 30 in step S3, a total amount to be paid is calculated.

[0052] Determining the total price is a tamper-proof and trustworthy process, since the administration unit 30 itself created or provided the price information in step S3, thus ensuring its authenticity for the administration unit 30. The energy information, on the other hand, complies with calibration law and is also tamper-proof due to the first signature unit 13 of the energy meter 12, so that in step S11, both relevant subcomponents, the price information and the energy information, are reliably available to the administration unit 30.

[0053] It can be provided that the determined total price is sent by the administration unit 30 in the form of a further message to the payment card terminal 20, which forwards the total price to be paid to the billing service provider in order to finally debit the payment card presented by the user in step S7 and to complete the payment process.

[0054] All relevant information, in particular the first data record containing the data tuple with the energy information (e.g., the OCMF string), the price information, and the total price to be paid, are then compiled by the administration unit 30 in the form of a second data record. This second data record may also contain the transaction ID and, if applicable, the transaction short ID, as well as all related data stored by the administration unit 30.

[0055] In order to guarantee the high level of trust achieved for subsequent process steps, the administration unit 30 then signs the second data set it has created using the second signature unit 32 in the following step S12. The administration unit 30 then sends the signed second data set as a billing receipt, for example to a billing system of the operator of the charging arrangement. Based on the billing receipt, the operator of the charging arrangement can invoice the payment service provider if this was not done directly via the payment card terminal 20 as described above. The billing receipt can also be sent to the user themselves if they have provided a telephone number in step S5, or an email address or other contact details via which electronic delivery can be made. Alternatively or additionally, aThe previously presented data address can be used to download the billing receipt.

[0056] In the example described above, the administration unit 30 sends control instructions directly to the charging station 10. In an alternative embodiment of the method, communication from the administration unit 30 to the charging station 10 for controlling this charging station 10 can instead take place via a central control device of the charging arrangement, in particular if the charging arrangement comprises several charging stations 10.

[0057] In an advantageous embodiment, subsequent verification steps are provided to check the billing document 11 received by the user.

[0058] For this purpose, a transparency service is provided, for example in the form of a web application or a website, which offers the option of importing or uploading the billing document. The transparency service verifies the integrity of the billing data record using publicly available keys of the first signature unit 13 and the second signature unit 32. The verification by the transparency service thus uses a double signature verification in the method according to the invention.

[0059] Furthermore, the transparency service can check whether the information contained in the billing receipt is correct. In particular, the energy quantity information recorded in steps S9 and S10 of the diagram in Fig. 2 and signed by the energy quantity meter 12 in the first signature unit 13 can be read out and compared with the energy quantity on the basis of which the total price was determined. Fig. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of an operating method according to the invention for a charging arrangement, again in the form of a flow chart. As in the first exemplary embodiment, the operating method shown here can also be carried out, for example, with the charging arrangement according to Fig. 1 and is therefore described below by way of example with reference to the charging arrangement in Fig. 1.

[0060] The second embodiment shown in Fig. 3 is an alternative design of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 2. The differences from the first embodiment are described below in particular. Otherwise, explicit reference is made to the description of the first embodiment, which also applies analogously to the alternative design of the second embodiment.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the administration unit 30 has two subunits: a basic administration unit 30a and a security device 30b. Both work together and, together, perform functions comparable to those in the embodiment of Fig. 2.

[0062] In particular, the division of the administration unit 30 into the basic administration unit 30a and the security device 30b preferably has no influence on the interaction between the charging station 10 or the payment card terminal 20 with the administration unit 30. Only certain functions of the administration unit 30 are divided between the two units 30a, 30b, with in particular those functions which assure the user of the charging arrangement of the correct process and also the correct billing being outsourced to the security device 30b.

[0063] The security device 30b can be arranged spatially separate from the basic administration unit 30a, but this does not have to be the case and can, if necessary, also run on the same computer system (server) on which the basic administration unit 30a is operated.

[0064] However, the security device 30b is separate in that its integrity is separate and independent from that of the base administration unit 30a. The security device 30b can, for example, be tamper-proof by storing the executed program code in encrypted form and can also be certified in this regard by an independent assessment body. By using a certified security device 30b, the achieved level of trust is transferred to the administration unit 30 as such, without the possibly proprietary program components of the base administration unit 30a having to undergo their own certification.

[0065] In the embodiment of Fig. 3, step S8 of the first embodiment is divided into two steps S8a1 and S8a2, which are executed by the base administration unit 30a, and a step S8b, which is executed by the security device 30b.

[0066] In step S8a1, the base administration unit 30a receives the authorization for the charging process issued by the payment card terminal 20 in step S7. It stores the information about the payment process captured by the payment card terminal 20 and forwards the transmitted data and other data, which, for example, identify the charging station 10, as well as the transaction ID, to the security device 30b.

[0067] In step S8b, the security device 30b creates its own data record, which it maintains in a database it manages itself and in which it stores all transmitted data. In an optional embodiment, this data record can be signed before being saved. Once this has been done, the possibly signed data record is transmitted from the security device 30b to the base administration unit 30a in step S8b. The base administration unit 30a then authorizes the start of the actual charging process to the charging station 10 using the process ID in the next step S8a2.

[0068] As in the first exemplary embodiment of Fig. 2, after the end of the charging process, at least one first encrypted data set containing information about the completed charging process and the process ID is sent from the charging station 10 to the administration unit 30 in a step S10. This can be a single first data set containing the amount of energy consumed. Alternatively, it can also be provided here that two first data sets are generated and signed by the charging station 10, one of which contains the counter value of the energy quantity counter 12 at the beginning of the charging process and another of which contains the counter value of the energy quantity counter 12 at the end of the charging process.

[0069] The data are received and validated by the base administration unit 30a, in particular by verifying the authenticity of the data on the charging process using a public key of the first signature unit 13, which is arranged in the charging station 10 and has encrypted the at least one first data set.

[0070] A total amount to be paid is calculated from the received information, which includes the amount of energy consumed and, if applicable, other cost-relevant information, e.g., regarding the usage time of the charging station's parking space, together with the price information determined by the base administration unit 30a in step S3. All information relevant to the charging process is then transmitted to the security device 30b, which, in a step S11b, assigns it to the data set previously created in step S8b based on the process ID and stores it.

[0071] In a subsequent step S12b, all relevant information, i.e. in particular the encrypted at least one first data set generated in step S10 with the data tuple containing the energy information (for example the OCMF string), the (possibly also encrypted) data set generated in step S8b with the tariff information and the total price to be paid are then signed by the security device 30b together in the form of a second data set by the second signature unit 32, in this case arranged within the security device 30b.

[0072] The signed second data record is transmitted to the base administration unit 30a, which can then create a receipt containing the tariff information and information about the signatures made, allowing verification of the correctness of these signatures. Optionally, the second data record can also be printed on the receipt.

[0073] In an alternative embodiment, it may also be provided that the payment data from the payment card terminal 20 is also provided with a signature, which is then also stored in step S11 b by the security device 30b and for which information is provided on the receipt.

[0074] 10 charging stations

[0075] 11 Control unit

[0076] 12 energy meters

[0077] 13 first signature unit

[0078] 20 payment card terminals

[0079] 21 Control unit

[0080] 22 card readers

[0081] 23 Display unit

[0082] 24 Control unit

[0083] 30 Administration Unit 30a Basic Administration Unit

[0084] 30b Security device 31 Server 32 Second signature unit

[0085] 40 Network

Claims

Claims 1 . Operating method for a charging arrangement for an electric vehicle, wherein the charging arrangement comprises at least one charging station (10), at least one payment card terminal (20) and an administration unit (30), comprising the following steps: - determining price information about a charging process of an electric vehicle by the administration unit (30); - transmitting the price information about the charging process from the administration unit (30) to the at least one payment card terminal (20); - displaying the price information by the at least one payment card terminal (20); - Reading of payment information by the payment card terminal (20); - carrying out the charging process by the charging station (10) and recording an amount of energy transferred during the charging process by an energy meter (12) of the charging station (10); - Creating at least one first data record containing the recorded amount of energy and signing the at least one first data record by a first signature unit (13) arranged in the charging station (10); - transmitting the signed at least one first data set from the charging station (10) to the administration unit (30); - creating a second data record comprising the at least one first data record and at least parts of the price information in the administration unit (30) and signing the second data record by a second signature unit (32) assigned to the administration unit (30); and - Providing the signed second data record as a billing document.

2. Operating method according to claim 1, wherein, before determining the price information, the electric vehicle is connected to the at least one charging station (10) and a message about the connection of the electric vehicle is sent from the at least one charging station (10) to the administration unit (30).

3. Operating method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein after reading the payment information, it is verified by a request to a payment service provider and the loading process is only carried out if the payment information is confirmed.

4. Operating method according to claim 3, wherein release information is sent from the payment card terminal (20) to the administration unit (30), wherein the release information comprises at least parts of the payment information that are assigned to the charging process, and wherein the charging station (10) is instructed by the administration unit (30) to start the charging process.

5. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first signature unit (13) is arranged within the energy meter (12).

6. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the administration unit (30) is arranged separately from the charging station (10) and the at least one payment card terminal (20).

7. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 6, in which contact details of the user are provided with the payment information and in which the billing receipt is additionally transmitted to the user using the contact details.

8. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which, in connection with the reading of the payment information, the user is provided with a data address via which the billing receipt can be retrieved.

9. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the administration unit (30) transmits the billing document to a billing center.

10. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the administration unit (30) transmits a determined total price for the loading process to the payment card terminal (20) 11. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the billing document is checked using public keys of the first signature unit (13) and the second signature unit (32).

12. Operating method according to one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the administration unit (30) comprises non-certified and certified computer programs.

13. Charging arrangement for an electric vehicle, comprising at least one charging station (10), at least one payment card terminal (20) and an administration unit (30), wherein the administration unit (30) is arranged separately from the charging station (10) and the at least one payment card terminal (20) and wherein the charging arrangement is configured to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 12.

14. Charging arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the at least one payment card terminal (20) is arranged separately from the at least one charging station (10).

15. Charging arrangement according to claim 13 or 14, comprising a plurality of charging stations (10).

16. Charging arrangement according to claim 15, wherein a shared payment card terminal (20) is assigned to the plurality of charging stations (10).

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