Charging Station User Identification and Billing Data Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to ensure secure, forgery-proof, and assignable billing of energy measurement data for electric vehicle charging stations, particularly in public areas, where multiple users access the same charging station, and there is a need to prevent data manipulation and ensure that customers are billed accurately for the energy they use.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that record user identification at the charging station, create a unique description for the data packet containing the measured energy and user ID, and use electronic signatures to link the data packet securely to the user, allowing verification of the billing data's integrity and authenticity through comparison descriptions and signatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If measurement data is transmitted from charging station to billing center, then billing can be performed, but data integrity and authenticity cannot be guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a digital signature of the measurement data at the charging station before transmission to the billing center. This signature is generated in advance using a cryptographic algorithm, ensuring data integrity is established prior to transmission. The signed data packet includes the measurement value, timestamp, and station identification, all signed together to prevent any post-signing manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a digital signature as an intermediary element between the charging station and billing center. This signature acts as a mediator that verifies data authenticity without requiring direct trust between the two systems. The billing center can independently verify the signature using the station's public key, eliminating the need for complex mutual authentication protocols.
2Measurement precision
If user identification is recorded and linked to measured values, then billing accuracy improves, but risk of data manipulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent records the user identification and links it to the measurement data before signing the data packet. This preliminary linking ensures that the user identity is bound to the specific charging event in an unverifiable manner, preventing later substitution or manipulation of user data while maintaining billing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the measurement data into a different parameter form through cryptographic signing. The original measurement data is converted into a signed hash value, changing its parameter representation while preserving its integrity. This parameter transformation makes the data immutable and resistant to manipulation while maintaining its identifying characteristics.
3Productivity
If multiple users charge at the same station, then charging infrastructure utilization improves, but data assignment to correct user becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the charging data by creating separate signed data packets for each user-charging event. Each packet contains the specific user identification, timestamp, and measurement data for that particular charging session. This segmentation prevents mixing of user data and ensures each user's consumption is independently tracked and billed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a timestamp and station identification as intermediary elements to link measurement data to the correct user. These intermediaries serve as unique identifiers for each charging event, enabling the billing center to accurately assign costs to the correct user even when multiple users charge at the same station simultaneously.
4Reliability
If electronic signature is implemented for data verification, then data authenticity is ensured, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the verification function from the main billing process by implementing independent signature verification. The billing center verifies the digital signature separately from processing the billing data itself, allowing these operations to be performed independently and in parallel, thereby reducing overall processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses lightweight cryptographic algorithms that create compact digital signatures requiring minimal processing power. The signature verification can be performed quickly using simple mathematical operations, making the verification process computationally inexpensive and suitable for real-time billing operations.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a~2d
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and device for assigning a measured value detected by a charging station to a user. In order to ensure that measured data are used only for the customer responsible therefor, the following steps are proposed: detecting at least one meter reading in the charging station (2), said reading representing the amount of energy withdrawn by a vehicle from the charging station (2), detecting a user identification (19), creating a data packet (34) comprising at least the meter reading and the user identification (19), creating a unique description of the data packet (34), transmitting at least the data packet (34) and the description (36) to the electric vehicle (6) and/or to a billing centre (22).