CN109878355B

CN109878355B - Automatic charging vehicle, operation method thereof and automatic charging system

Info

Publication number: CN109878355B
Application number: CN201910265395.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张雷; 胡洋; 郭德响; 王坚宁; 徐欣雨; 吴迪; 佘宏武; 李磊; 赵卫军
Original assignee: Envision Energy Co Ltd
Current assignee: Envision Energy Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-28
Filing date: 2019-04-03
Publication date: 2023-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2039-04-03
Also published as: SG11202109977VA; CN109878355A; WO2020199873A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic charging vehicle, comprising: an automatic walking module configured to travel to the device to be charged according to a route between the automatic charging vehicle and the device to be charged; a power module configured to store and provide electrical energy; and an automatic docking and undocking device configured to perform docking and undocking between the first connector and a second connector capable of electrical contact with the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are for transmitting electrical energy. The invention also relates to a method for operating an automatic charging vehicle and an automatic charging system. According to the invention, automatic walking and automatic docking can be realized, so that the charging efficiency is greatly improved and the charging cost is reduced.

Description

Automatic charging vehicle, operation method thereof and automatic charging system

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of electric vehicles, and more particularly to an automatic charging vehicle. The invention further relates to a method for operating such an automatic charging vehicle.

Background

Electric vehicles have been favored by more and more consumers in recent years due to various advantages such as environmental protection, energy saving, portability of the entire vehicle, and national preference policies. In the long term, the popularization of electric vehicles is an effective measure for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and urban environmental pollution. However, a major obstacle to the current popularization of electric vehicles is the charging problem.

In order to solve the charging problem of electric vehicles, charging piles are set up in many parking lots. Such a charging pile is an immovable fixed installation installed in a special parking space for an electric vehicle, and thus the electric vehicle needs to find such a special parking space in a parking lot. With the increase of electric vehicles, the special parking spaces of the electric vehicles are more and more tense, which brings inconvenience to the traveling of the electric vehicles. In addition, the establishment of the special parking space for the electric vehicle requires larger construction cost or reconstruction cost, which brings larger resistance to the popularization of the special parking space.

At present, in order to solve the charging problem, a charging vehicle appears. The charging vehicle is a mobile trolley capable of charging an electric vehicle. One technical difficulty with charging vehicles is how to perform charging fully automatically. However, the current charging vehicles are limited in that it is necessary to manually move the charging vehicle to the vicinity of the electric vehicle and then manually connect the electric vehicle to the charging stake. Because the charging vehicle does not have the functions of automatic walking and automatic docking, the charging vehicle has high labor cost, and the manual positioning process is time-consuming and has large errors, so that the charging efficiency is low.

Disclosure of Invention

Starting from the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide an automatic charging vehicle and a method for operating the same, by means of which automatic travel and automatic docking can be achieved, whereby the charging efficiency is greatly increased and the charging costs are reduced.

In a first aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by an automatic charging vehicle comprising:

an automatic walking module configured to travel to the device to be charged according to a route between the automatic charging vehicle and the device to be charged;

a power module configured to store and provide electrical energy; and

an automatic docking and undocking apparatus configured to perform docking and undocking between a first connector and a second connector capable of electrical contact with the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are used to transfer electrical energy.

It should be noted that although the present invention is described by way of example in terms of an electric vehicle, the present invention may be applied to other fields, for example, as a reserve energy source for a building, hospital, school, etc., to which energy may be supplied at any time. In the present invention, electric vehicles include electric vehicles such as electric automobiles, electric motorcycles, and electric bicycles.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the automatic charging vehicle further has a positioning module, which is configured to determine a route between the automatic charging vehicle and the device to be charged. By means of the extension scheme, route determination can be carried out by the charging vehicle. In other embodiments, however, the route information may also be determined by a mobile application on the user device or a remote server.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the self-walking module further comprises:

an autopilot module configured to determine a travel operation from the route;

a whole vehicle chassis configured to perform the travel operation; and

a lidar sensor and/or an ultrasonic radar sensor, wherein an autopilot module determines obstacles in the route from sensor signals of the lidar sensor and/or ultrasonic radar sensor to re-determine travel operations and/or update the route. The running operation includes, for example, traveling, steering, braking, stopping, and the like. The route determining process is, for example: the (optimal) route from the current position of the charging vehicle to the vehicle to be charged can be calculated through a GPS or electronic map program, or various electronic marks such as radio frequency tags or wireless signal transmitting points can be arranged in a parking lot, so that the charging vehicle can accurately find the corresponding parking space. The real-time update flow of the driving operation or route is, for example: radar images around or on the route can be obtained by means of laser radar sensors and/or ultrasonic radar sensors, for example; then, whether an obstacle, such as a person, a moving or temporary obstacle, and the like exists on the route or not can be known by analyzing the radar image; calculating other routes from the current position of the charging vehicle to the vehicle to be charged through a GPS or electronic map program under the condition that the non-bypass obstacle exists; or in the event that an obstacle can be bypassed, additional or alternative travel operations such as steering, parking waiting, etc. are determined. Non-bypassable obstacles include, for example, fixed obstacles that block a substantial portion of the roadway, while bypassable obstacles include, for example, pedestrians, moving obstacles, and the like. By the adoption of the method and the device, the route can be updated in real time, so that better robustness and fault tolerance are obtained.

In a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the automatic charging vehicle further comprises:

a billing module comprising an electric meter, wherein the electric meter is configured to measure an amount of electric energy provided to a device to be charged during discharging, and the controller is further configured to calculate a charge fee based on a rate and the amount of electric energy; and

and a remote communication module configured to remotely receive the charging instruction and remotely transmit the charging fee.

By means of the expansion scheme, remote ordering and remote charging can be achieved, and therefore the need of manpower investment is completely eliminated. The electric meter may be, for example, a smart electric meter that meters electric energy, and the communication module may be, for example, a Wi F i module, a bluetooth module, a cellular communication module, or the like. The telecommunications module can additionally transmit other signals such as charge signals, discharge signals, operation complete signals, fault signals, low battery signals, etc.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the power supply module comprises:

an electric energy conversion unit configured to be able to convert alternating-current electric energy obtained from a power grid into direct-current electric energy and to be able to convert direct-current electric energy stored by the energy storage battery pack into alternating-current electric energy or direct-current electric energy;

An energy storage battery configured to be capable of being charged in a charged state and discharged in a discharged state;

a charge-discharge connection terminal configured to connect a charging power source or a device or load to be charged;

a charging switch including a first charging switch and a second charging switch, wherein the first charging switch is arranged in a connection path between the charging and discharging connection terminal and the input terminal of the power conversion unit, and the second charging switch is arranged in a connection path between the output terminal of the power conversion unit and the energy storage battery, wherein the energy storage battery can be charged with the first charging switch and the second charging switch closed; and

and a discharge switch including a first discharge switch and a second discharge switch, wherein the first discharge switch is disposed in a connection path between the energy storage battery and the input terminal of the power conversion unit, and the second discharge switch is disposed in a connection path between the output terminal of the power conversion unit and the charge-discharge connection terminal, wherein the energy storage battery can be discharged with the first discharge switch and the second discharge switch closed.

By the preferred scheme, the need of using a plurality of electric energy conversion units for charging and discharging operations is eliminated, and a single electric energy conversion unit can be used for both charging and discharging operations, so that the device cost is reduced, the route cost is also reduced, and meanwhile, the space requirement of charging and discharging equipment is also reduced, so that the charging and discharging equipment can be developed towards low cost and compactness; in addition, only one port is needed to perform both charge and discharge operations, thereby reducing the number of ports, resulting in cost reduction and simplification of user operations.

In another preferred aspect of the present invention, it is provided that the power module further comprises a controller configured to perform the following actions:

closing the first charging switch and the second charging switch upon receiving a charging signal indicative of performing a charging operation; and

the first discharge switch and the second discharge switch are closed upon receiving a discharge signal indicating that a discharge operation is performed.

By means of the preferred scheme, automatic remote charging and discharging operation can be achieved, and therefore the requirement of site labor investment is eliminated. The controller may be implemented in software, hardware, and/or firmware. The controller may also be integrated in the power conversion unit. The charge signal and the discharge signal may be received, for example, by a remote communication module and a feedback signal indicating completion of the operation may be transmitted through the module.

In one embodiment of the invention, the automatic charging vehicle further comprises an auxiliary power module configured to supply electrical energy to the automatic driving module, the charging module, the remote communication module, the automatic walking module and/or the automatic docking and undocking device. According to the expansion scheme, the number of batteries can be reduced, so that the structure of the charging vehicle is simplified, and the occupied space is reduced.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the automatic docking and undocking device comprises:

an active device having an actuator, a claw and a first connector, wherein the claw can extend from the active device and engage with the passive device under the drive of the actuator and retract under the drive of the actuator to enable the first connector of the active device to dock with the second connector of the passive device, and the claw can separate the first connector of the passive device from the second connector of the active device under the drive of the actuator; and

a passive device having a second connector mateable with the first connector, the passive device being releasably engageable with the pawl.

In this preferred embodiment, the locking of the active device with the passive device is achieved by the fact that the jaws of the active device are extended, so that a reliable connection can be achieved without the need for a precise alignment of the plug and the socket, since the jaws can achieve a large capture range and an easy locking, and the jaws have a better flexibility and maneuverability.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the drive device further comprises a transverse movement mechanism and a longitudinal movement mechanism, wherein the transverse movement mechanism comprises a transverse movement rail and a transverse drive timing belt and the longitudinal movement mechanism comprises a longitudinal movement rail and a longitudinal drive timing belt, and the actuator comprises a transverse actuator and a longitudinal actuator, wherein the jaws can be moved by the transverse actuator and the longitudinal actuator, respectively, via the transverse timing belt and the longitudinal timing belt, in order to move transversely and longitudinally along the transverse movement rail and the longitudinal movement rail, respectively. In this preferred embodiment, by providing both lateral and longitudinal displacement mechanisms, lateral and longitudinal displacement of the jaws can be achieved, thereby providing adaptive alignment capability and facilitating the separation operation. It should be noted herein that in the present invention, "transverse" and "longitudinal" are two relatively vertical directions, and do not necessarily refer to horizontal and vertical directions. For example, "transverse" refers to a direction transverse to the length of the jaws, while "longitudinal" refers to the length of the jaws.

In a second aspect of the invention, the aforementioned object is achieved by a method for operating an automatic charging vehicle according to the invention, comprising:

Determining a route between the automatic charging vehicle and the equipment to be charged by the automatic walking module or a server or a mobile application on user equipment;

driving to a device to be charged according to the route, wherein the device to be charged is connected with a second connector;

performing docking between the first connector and the second connector by an automatic docking and undocking device;

charging the equipment to be charged by the power module; and

the separation between the first connector and the second connector is performed by an automatic docking and separation device after the completion of the charging.

In one embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the method further comprises:

determining, by the self-walking module, an obstacle in the route from sensor signals of the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasound radar sensor; and

updating the route by the autonomous walking module if there is an unavoidable obstacle and re-determining the driving operation if the obstacle is bypassed.

By the aid of the expansion scheme, self-adaptive route adjustment can be achieved, and therefore robustness and fault tolerance of the system are improved.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the automatic docking and undocking means perform a docking between the first connector and the second connector comprising:

The claw is extended out of the automatic butt joint and separation device;

moving the jaws by the automatic docking and undocking means into engagement with the second connector of the passive device;

retracting the jaws by an automatic docking and undocking means; and

the first connector is mated with the second connector by an automatic mating and unmating device.

In this preferred embodiment, by extending the jaws to latch with the passive device, a reliable docking can be achieved without requiring precise alignment of the plug and socket, as the jaws can achieve a larger capture range and easy latching, and the jaws have better flexibility and maneuverability.

receiving, by a mobile application on a user device, a order from a user;

receiving charging information from the automatic charging vehicle by the mobile application after charging is completed; and

billing information is displayed to the user by the mobile application.

By means of the extension scheme, the ordering and payment operation on the mobile device can be achieved, and therefore better remote automation operation is achieved.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the automatic charging vehicle further comprises an auxiliary power module, which comprises:

An input terminal configured to receive input power;

a conversion module configured to convert input electrical energy;

an absorption circuit configured to absorb energy generated by the driving motor at the time of braking and downhill to prevent an overvoltage from occurring at an output terminal of the auxiliary power module; and

and an output terminal configured to output electric power.

According to the preferred scheme, the automatic charging vehicle or the auxiliary power supply module does not need to adopt a lead-acid storage battery with a larger volume, so that the structure of the charging vehicle is simplified and the occupied space is reduced.

In a third aspect of the present invention, the foregoing task is solved by an automatic charging system comprising:

an automatic charging vehicle comprising:

a power module configured to store and provide electrical energy;

an automatic docking and undocking device configured to perform docking and undocking between a first connector and a second connector capable of electrical contact with the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are for transmitting electrical energy; and

a remote communication module configured to remotely communicate with a server;

A mobile application on a user equipment configured to perform the actions of:

receiving user credentials from a user and sending the user credentials to a server for authentication;

receiving an order-ordering instruction from a user and sending the order-ordering instruction to a server, wherein the order-ordering instruction comprises the position of equipment to be charged and the charging amount;

receiving billing information from a server after charging is completed; and

displaying charging information to a user; and

a server configured to perform the following actions:

authenticating the user credentials;

transmitting the order-ordering instruction to a corresponding automatic charging vehicle;

determining a route between the automatic charging vehicle and equipment to be charged and sending the route to the automatic charging vehicle; and

and calculating charging information after the charging is completed and sending the charging information to the mobile application.

The invention has at least the following beneficial effects: (1) According to the invention, automatic walking, automatic docking and automatic charging can be realized, so that the manpower input is greatly reduced, popularization of the automatic charging vehicle is facilitated, and accurate positioning and accurate automatic remote control of the automatic charging vehicle can be realized due to the rising of cloud computing and artificial intelligence in recent years; (2) By using a single electric energy conversion unit to perform both charging and discharging operations, the need for using multiple electric energy conversion units to perform charging and discharging operations is eliminated, which reduces both device cost and line cost, and simultaneously reduces space requirements of charging and discharging equipment, so that the charging and discharging equipment can develop in a low-cost and compact direction; (3) In the invention, the claw of the driving device extends out to be locked with the driven device, so that the butt joint is realized, the reliable butt joint can be realized under the condition that a plug and a socket are not required to be accurately aligned, because the claw can realize a larger capturing range and easy locking, and the claw has better flexibility and maneuverability.

Drawings

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to a specific embodiment in conjunction with the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an automatic charging system according to the present invention;

fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an automatic charging vehicle according to the present invention;

figures 3 a-3 c show schematic views of an automatic docking and undocking apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 3d shows a cross-sectional view of a passive device of the automatic docking and undocking device according to the present invention;

fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a power supply module according to the invention; and

fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an auxiliary power module according to the invention.

Detailed Description

It should be noted that the components in the figures may be shown exaggerated for illustrative purposes and are not necessarily to scale. In the drawings, identical or functionally identical components are provided with the same reference numerals.

In the present invention, unless specifically indicated otherwise, "disposed on …", "disposed over …" and "disposed over …" do not preclude the presence of an intermediate therebetween.

In the present invention, the embodiments are merely intended to illustrate the scheme of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting.

In the present invention, the adjectives "a" and "an" do not exclude a scenario of a plurality of elements, unless specifically indicated.

It should also be noted herein that in embodiments of the present invention, only a portion of the components or assemblies may be shown for clarity and simplicity, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the components or assemblies may be added as needed for a particular scenario under the teachings of the present invention.

It should also be noted herein that, within the scope of the present invention, the terms "identical", "equal" and the like do not mean that the two values are absolutely equal, but rather allow for some reasonable error, that is, the terms also encompass "substantially identical", "substantially equal".

The numbers of the steps of the respective methods of the present invention are not limited to the order of execution of the steps of the methods. The method steps may be performed in a different order unless otherwise indicated.

It should also be noted that although the invention is shown in the context of motor vehicle charging, the invention is not limited thereto, but may also be used for docking for other purposes. Also in the present invention, the positions of the plug and socket may be interchanged, and other forms of connectors are also contemplated.

Finally, in the present invention, the term "sensor" should be understood to cover all sensors of a certain type of sensor, e.g. a camera may comprise a monocular camera, a binocular camera, a depth camera, etc.; the lidar may include single-line lidar, multi-line lidar, and the like.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an automatic charging system 100 according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1, the automatic charging system 100 includes an automatic charging vehicle 102, a mobile application 103 on a user mobile device 102, and a server 105. The auto-charging cart 101 may access the internet 104 via a wireless access device, such as a Wi-Fi router 106, to communicate with a server 105. The automated charging cart 101 may also communicate with the server 105 through other wireless access devices, or directly with the server 105, such as through a cellular wireless connection. The user device 102 also accesses the internet 104 to communicate with the server 105. To improve security, the communication between the user device 102 and the server 105 and between the automated charging cart 101 and the server 105 may be encrypted communication. The user device 102 may be a mobile device such as a smart phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, or a stationary device such as a desktop computer. In other embodiments, communication between server 105, auto-charging cart 101, and user device 102 is implemented through an enterprise network, a private network, a local area network, or the like.

The components of the automatic charging system 100 are set forth below:

an automatic charging vehicle 101 including:

A self-traveling module (not shown) configured to travel to a device to be charged according to a route between the self-charging vehicle 101 and the device to be charged, such as an electric vehicle. The autonomous driving module comprises, for example, an autonomous driving module, a vehicle chassis and a laser radar sensor and/or an ultrasonic radar sensor, wherein the autonomous driving module is configured to determine a driving operation from the route, the vehicle chassis is configured to perform the driving operation, and the autonomous driving module determines an obstacle in the route from sensor signals of the laser radar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor to re-determine the driving operation and/or update the route. The real-time update flow of the driving operation or route is, for example: radar or ultrasound images around or on the route can be obtained by means of a lidar sensor and/or an ultrasound radar sensor, for example; then by analyzing the image it is possible to know whether there is an obstacle on the route, such as a person, a movement or a temporary obstacle, etc.; calculating other routes from the current position of the charging vehicle to the vehicle to be charged through a GPS or electronic map program under the condition that the non-bypass obstacle exists; or in the event that an obstacle can be bypassed, additional or alternative travel operations such as steering, parking waiting, etc. are determined. Non-bypassable obstacles include, for example, fixed obstacles that block a substantial portion of the roadway, while bypassable obstacles include, for example, pedestrians, moving obstacles, and the like. The autopilot module may include, for example, a positioning navigation module, a path planning module, and a control execution module.

The positioning navigation module performs positioning navigation, for example, by the following steps a-e:

a. the positioning navigation module utilizes laser radar point cloud data and assists in determining the position and heading of a vehicle body by using other sensor information such as an odometer and the like in the movement process, and creates a map for real-time updating.

b. The magnetic lines are preset on the ground of the garage, and the positioning navigation module detects the travelling line through the magnetic sensor and assists in performing other environment sensing operations through sensors such as a laser radar, a camera, an ultrasonic radar and the like.

c. The method comprises the steps that a plurality of wireless signal transmitting points are preset in a garage, and a positioning navigation module calculates real-time position information of a vehicle through the geometric relation of the distance between a fixed radio frequency tag and a mobile radio frequency tag and assists in performing other environment sensing operations through sensors such as a laser radar, a camera and an ultrasonic radar.

d. The lane line marks are preset on the ground of the garage, the positioning navigation module senses the positions of the lane lines through the camera to perform path tracking operation, and the lane line marks are not limited to the lane lines on the traditional road and include other continuous, discrete, regular and irregular marks capable of providing navigation information.

e. In the preset track of the garage, the charging vehicle moves on the guide rail through a guide rail frame, rollers and the like, and the guide rail is not limited to the guide rail paved on the ground, but comprises other wall-mounted and suspended guide rails which can be connected with the movable charging pile and provide moving guidance.

f. The positioning navigation module senses surrounding environment images and point cloud data from the camera and the laser radar, transmits the surrounding environment images and the point cloud data to the control center through the wireless communication device, and the control center remotely controls the intelligent mobile charging pile to a reference position according to the received environment information.

g. The positioning navigation module performs positioning navigation according to the position information provided by the GPS and the electronic map, and assists in performing other environment sensing operations by using sensors such as a laser radar, a camera, an ultrasonic radar and the like.

The path planning module may include, for example:

the global path decision module is used for planning a passable path for avoiding known obstacles and connecting a starting point and a target point according to the prior map information provided by the positioning navigation sub-module;

and the local path decision module is used for sensing information such as obstacles appearing in the driving process in real time through sensors such as a laser radar, a camera, an ultrasonic radar, a millimeter wave radar, an infrared range finder and the like according to path information provided by global path planning, and executing obstacle avoidance operation. The obstacle avoidance operation includes: slowing down, stopping, modifying the path provided by the global path plan, discarding the path provided by the global path plan and rescheduling a new path.

A power module configured to store and provide electrical energy. By the power module, a single power conversion unit can be adopted to realize both charging and discharging, and a single port can be used for charging and discharging. For further details of the power module, please refer to fig. 4 and the description thereof.

An automatic docking and undocking apparatus configured to perform docking and undocking between a first connector and a second connector capable of electrical contact with the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are used to transfer electrical energy. The automatic butt joint and separation device adopts the claw to realize accurate and reliable butt joint and separation. For further details on the automatic docking and undocking means, please refer to fig. 3 a-3 d.

A remote communication module configured to communicate remotely with the server. The remote communication module may be, for example, a wireless communication module such as a Wi-F i module, a Bluetooth module, a Z i gBee module, an infrared communication module, and the like.

The optional charging module configured to charge a fee due to charging of the device to be charged may comprise, for example, a smart meter.

A mobile application 103 on a user device configured to perform the following actions:

User credentials are received from the user and sent to the server for authentication or authorization. The user credentials may be, for example, a character password, voice, fingerprint, etc.

And receiving an order from the user and transmitting the order to the server 105, the order including the location of the device to be charged and the amount of charge, if the authentication is successful. The location may comprise, for example, a parking space number of a parking lot or specific map positioning information.

Charging information is received from the server 105 after the charging is completed.

And displaying the charging information to the user. The billing information may be displayed on the mobile application 103, for example.

A server 105 configured to perform the following actions:

the user credentials are authenticated.

The order is transmitted to the corresponding automatic charging car 101. For example, the server 105 may send order orders directly to the auto-charging vehicle 101, or may send specific parameters to it, such as charging time, location of the device to be charged, etc.

A route between the auto-charging car 101 and the device to be charged is determined and sent to the auto-charging car 101. Route determination may be performed by either a dedicated service provider or by the server 105. The route determining process is, for example: the (optimal) route from the current position of the charging vehicle to the vehicle to be charged can be calculated through a GPS or electronic map program, or various electronic marks such as radio frequency tags or wireless signal transmitting points can be arranged in the parking lot, so that the charging vehicle 101 can accurately find the corresponding parking space by identifying the electronic marks.

After charging is completed charging information is calculated and sent to the mobile application 103. The user confirms and pays upon receipt of the billing information at the mobile application 103. Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an automatic charging vehicle 101 according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 2, the automatic charging vehicle 101 mainly includes a self-walking module 206, a docking and detaching device 205, a power module (including an energy storage battery 202 and a charging control box 203), and a vehicle body.

The workflow of the automatic charging vehicle 101 is described below.

The user places an order on the mobile application 103, and the server 105 issues a charging instruction to the automatic charging vehicle 101 through a scheduling algorithm according to the user order information, the information of the automatic charging vehicle 101 and the like.

The main control board 209 of the automatic charging vehicle 101 receives the charging instruction, and creates a path through the automatic traveling module 206 to travel to the target point, i.e., the device to be charged.

During walking, for example, 2 lidars 201 and 8 ultrasound radar 204 monitor road obstacle conditions in real time, if the forward road is found to be blocked, the automated walking module 206 re-plans the path until the target point is reached.

After reaching the target point, the automatic docking and undocking device 205 is automatically connected to the device to be charged, such as an electric car, wherein after the charging control box 203 of the power module determines that the connection of the components is successful, the preparation work is completed correctly, and the energy storage battery 202 of the power module starts to discharge to charge the device to be charged.

The charging control box 203 detects data in the charging process, synchronizes the data to the server 105 and/or the cloud end in real time through the main control board 209, and after the discharging of the energy storage battery 202 is completed and/or the user target electric quantity is reached, the automatic docking and separation device 205 is automatically disconnected from the electric automobile, waits for the main control board (9) to give an instruction, such as returning to the recovery room to supplement power to the charging vehicle 101 (in order to avoid confusion with the charging of the charging device, the charging of the charging vehicle may also be called as "power supplement"), or goes to the next target point to charge the charging device.

In the event of a failure in any of the above portions of the process, the process may be stopped by the scram device 208.

Fig. 3 a-3 c show schematic diagrams of an automatic docking and undocking apparatus 205 according to the present invention, wherein fig. 3a shows schematic diagrams of an automatic docking and undocking apparatus 205 according to the present invention, fig. 3b shows schematic diagrams of an active device 301 of an automatic docking and undocking apparatus 205 according to the present invention, and fig. 3c shows schematic diagrams of an actuator of an active device 301 of an automatic docking and undocking apparatus 205 according to the present invention; and fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a passive device 302 of the automatic docking and undocking device 205 according to the present invention.

Fig. 3a shows a schematic view of an automatic docking and undocking apparatus 205 according to the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1, the automatic docking and undocking device 205 includes an active device 301 and a passive device 302. The driving device 301 has an actuator (not shown, see fig. 3b for details) and a catch 303. Here, the claw 303 includes two claws for stable gripping. The jaws 303 are here configured as V-shaped recesses to achieve automatic centering and registration when mated with the passive device 302. The active device 100 optionally includes a connector, such as plug 304, while the passive device 302 has a connector, such as receptacle 305, that mates with the active device, wherein during docking, a connection between the plug and receptacle is made, thereby enabling charging, discharging, etc. The passive device 302 may be mounted, for example, at a mobile charging stake for interfacing with the active device 301. The passive device 102 has tolerance means for providing tolerance to relative movement between the passive device 302 and the active device 301, such as: the pitch motion, yaw motion and small-angle rolling motion of the socket of the passive device 302 are realized through the connection of the ball shaft and the sleeve; the design of the tolerance of the front-back movement of the socket is realized through the thrust spring; and through the jacking spring, the tolerance design of the up-and-down movement of the plug is realized.

The movable charging pile is provided with electronic components through a back plastic box to realize temperature alarm and control, and a passive device is arranged through a screw hole of a central disc, so that the movable charging pile is movable, and a charging wire is arranged through peripheral wire grooves.

The process of docking and undocking is as follows: the claw 303 protrudes from the active device 301 under the drive of the actuator and engages with the passive device 302 when the active device 301 is not docked with the passive device 302 and retracts under the drive of the actuator to dock the active device 301 with the passive device 302, and the claw 303 is capable of separating, e.g. pushing away or pulling away or breaking, the passive device 302 from the active device 301 under the drive of the actuator when the active device 301 is docked with the passive device 302. By "snap-in" is meant here a mechanical contact and a snap-lock, such that the catch 303 can be fixed relative to the passive device when retracting the active device, and the snap-lock can be released when disengaging. The driving process of the executing mechanism is as follows: first, the two jaws 303 are moved laterally (i.e., transversely to their length direction) to open so that the space between the two jaws 303 can accommodate the passive device 302 or its socket 305, then are moved longitudinally (i.e., longitudinally) to enclose the passive device 302 or its socket 305, and finally the two jaws 103 are moved laterally inwardly to latch with the passive device 302 or its socket 305. The range of movement of the jaws 303 can be set large in order to still achieve a reliable abutment in the event of a large misalignment of the active device 301 with the passive device 302. It should be noted here that the number of jaws 303 is merely exemplary, and in other embodiments other numbers of jaws, such as one or three jaws, may be provided.

Fig. 3b shows a schematic view of an active device 301 of an automatic docking and undocking device according to the present invention.

The active device 301 is a movable device that interfaces actively with the passive device 302. In the present invention, the active device 301 can capture and dock in a large range in a very limited space (for example, 380mm is equal to or larger than 293mm is equal to or smaller than 165 mm), and can capture and dock in a certain lateral range (for example, 93 mm) centered on the plug.

As shown in fig. 3b, the active device 301 comprises the following components (some of which are optional):

a housing 403 configured to house the components of the active device 401. The housing 403 may be made of a hard material, such as plastic, metal to provide a certain strength.

The jaws 303, here two jaws 303 are configured to achieve a more stable abutment. The pawl 303 has a support arm 406 attached to its end. The arm 406 is used to carry the female head of the pawl 403 for latching. The concave heads of the claws 403 are connected to the lateral movement rail 401 and the longitudinal movement rail 402 by arms to effect lateral and longitudinal movement of the claws 403.

A movement mechanism comprising a lateral movement rail 401 and a lateral drive 408 and a longitudinal movement mechanism comprising a longitudinal movement rail 402 and a longitudinal drive 407. The drive means may be a motor, such as a stepper motor. The transverse and longitudinal rails 401 and 402 are provided in pairs, respectively, to provide guidance for the two jaws 303. The lateral drive 408 and the longitudinal drive 407 drive the jaws for lateral and longitudinal movement by means of a lateral drive timing belt and a longitudinal drive timing belt (not shown), respectively. The movement mechanism is optionally equipped with a lateral movement travel switch 404 and a longitudinal movement travel switch 405 for limiting the range of lateral and longitudinal movement. The travel switches 404 and 405 are provided, for example, in pairs at the ends or somewhere in the middle of the respective guide rails. The travel switch is used as a trigger point of a signal to control the travel of each direction movement, so that the safe operation of the system is protected, and damage to a structural member caused by motor galloping is avoided.

Plug 410 configured to be able to dock with a socket of a passive device. The plug 410 is arranged, for example, centrally between the two jaws 303. The plug 410 optionally has a mating detector 409 for detecting whether the plug is successfully mated with the receptacle. The docking detector 409 may be a magnetic sensor, a proximity sensor, a hall sensor, a pressure sensor, etc., wherein the sensor provides a corresponding signal after the plug and socket are docked successfully.

A controller 411 configured, for example, to position the active device 301 such that the active device 301 is substantially aligned with the passive device 302. The positioning process may be implemented by GPS signals, image processing, and ranging, for example. In addition, the controller 411 may also optionally perform operations such as abnormal situation handling, remote reception and handling of docking or undocking signals, user authentication, charging billing, etc.

A power source 412, which includes, for example, a plurality of rechargeable or secondary batteries. The power source 412 is configured to charge the docked motor vehicle, or alternatively may also power the components of the active device 301 and/or the passive device 302, particularly the drive device. The power source 412 is optional here, but instead the automatic docking and undocking device 205 may also be powered by a power module of the automatic charging vehicle 101.

Fig. 3b shows a schematic view of an actuator 500 of an active device 301 of an automatic docking and undocking device according to the present invention.

The actuator 500 is used for providing lateral and longitudinal movement capability of the claw 303, wherein the lateral movement is to drive the synchronous pulley to rotate through a motor, and the relative movement between the upper layer and the lower layer of the synchronous belt is utilized to drive the support arm and the claw to move so as to realize the holding and the opening of the claw, thereby automatically centering; the longitudinal movement can realize the extension and retraction of the clamping jaw and provide power for the butt joint and separation of the plug and the socket.

The components of the actuator 500 (some of which are optional) are set forth below:

a longitudinal movement mechanism including a longitudinal movement rail 402, a longitudinal movement travel switch 405, a longitudinal driving device 407, a longitudinal driving timing belt 504, and a rail bracket 503. The longitudinal movement mechanism is used to provide the jaws 303 with a movement capability in the longitudinal direction, i.e. parallel to the length direction of the jaws. For this purpose, a longitudinal drive 407, for example a motor, drives the rotation of the longitudinal drive timing belt 504, which in turn drives the jaws 303 along the longitudinal movement rail 402. The longitudinal movement travel switch 405 is disposed at a corresponding location (e.g., at an end or somewhere in the middle) on the longitudinal movement rail 402 to limit the range of longitudinal displacement. The rail bracket 503 is for supporting the longitudinal movement rail 402.

A lateral movement mechanism comprising a lateral movement rail 408, a lateral drive timing belt (not shown), a lateral movement travel switch 404, a lateral movement rail mounting plate 502, a lateral drive (not shown). The lateral movement mechanism is used to provide the jaws 303 with a movement capability that is transverse, i.e. transverse (e.g. perpendicular) to the length of the jaws. For this purpose, a transverse drive, for example a motor, drives the rotation of a transverse drive synchronous belt which in turn drives the jaws 303 along the transverse movement rail 408. The lateral motion travel switch 404 is disposed at a corresponding location (e.g., at an end or somewhere in the middle) on the lateral motion rail 408 to limit the range of lateral displacement. The lateral motion rail mounting plate 502 is used to support the lateral motion rail 408.

Fig. 3d shows a cross-sectional view of a passive device 302 of an automatic docking and undocking device according to the present invention.

The passive device 302 employs a multi-joint flexible design that increases tolerance and reduces structural complexity. In the present invention, the socket 305 has 5 degrees of freedom, respectively:

(1) (2) the socket 305 performs pitch motion (i.e., up and down motion in the drawing) and yaw motion (i.e., motion in the direction perpendicular to the drawing) between the ball axle 607 and the stop collar 604;

(3) A small-angle rolling motion of the socket 305 about its own central axis;

(4) The back-and-forth movement of the socket 305 is realized by the elastic expansion and contraction of the thrust spring 609;

(5) The up-and-down movement of the socket 305 is achieved by elastic expansion and contraction of the jack spring 610.

By setting the degrees of freedom, the high-self-adaptive butt joint between the plug and the socket can be realized, and the device is simple in structure and greatly reduces the processing cost.

The components of the passive device 302 (some of which are optional) are set forth below:

a socket 305 for connection with a plug of the active device 301 to transmit electrical energy, such as charging and discharging. Other forms of connectors are also contemplated. In addition, the active device 301 may also employ a socket and the passive device 302 may employ a plug. The socket 305 is fixed by a plug holder 606, wherein the two are fixed to each other, for example, by a form fit, and the plug holder 606 is fixedly connected to the guide tube 605 by a fixing member, such as a screw or a nut.

Tolerance means for providing a plurality of degrees of freedom for the socket 305. The tolerance component includes the following components. The ball axle 607 is sleeved on the socket 305 to provide a certain activity capability for the socket 305. The opening of the ball axle 607 may be sized, for example, in the horizontal and vertical directions to provide a movable limit for the socket 305. The flare 608 is in contact with or engages the ball axle 607. The bell 608 has a bell-shaped or conical shape for receiving the pushing force of the socket 305 to achieve the back-and-forth movement, wherein the bell 605 has a protrusion for pushing the pushing force spring 608. The other end of the thrust spring 609 abuts against the thrust spring guide 603 to provide a reaction force to the elastic force of the thrust spring 609. The thrust spring guide 603 in turn contacts or engages the guide assembly mount 611 to effect the securement of each guide assembly. The guide fixing base 611 is in contact with the jack spring 610 in the vertical direction so as to push the jack spring 610 to achieve the up-and-down movement in the direction of the guide assembly 301. The other end of the jack spring 610 may contact with the end of the corresponding member to provide a reaction force of the elastic force. The stop collar 604 is sleeved over and secured relative to the ball axle 607, the flare 608, and a portion of the thrust spring guide 603 to provide a securing and receiving portion for these components.

Mounting and support assemblies for providing mounting capability and support. The external mount 602 is disposed on the outside for providing external mounting capability. Tooling support 612 is disposed at a lower portion of passive device 302 for supporting various components of passive device 302. The skid feet 612 on the tooling support 612 are used to provide mobility for the passive device 302.

By the jaws 303 of the active device 301 protruding to latch with the passive device, a reliable docking can be achieved without requiring accurate alignment of the plug and socket, as the jaws 303 can achieve a larger capture range and easy latching (e.g., by moving laterally and longitudinally to capture and latch or unlatch the passive device); the passive device 302 of the automatic docking and undocking device 205 of the present invention has multiple degrees of freedom, whereby tolerances in multiple directions can be achieved, facilitating a smooth docking; in the present invention, the pawl 302 is of a concave configuration that can be easily snapped into place with the passive device 302 and can be easily unlocked without additional adjustment steps, thereby achieving reliable mating and unmating.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a power module 700 according to the present invention. The power module 700 may be configured to charge a device to be charged, such as an electric vehicle. In one embodiment, the power module 700 includes one or more high capacity batteries to charge the electric vehicle.

As shown in fig. 4, the power module 700 includes the following components:

an electrical energy conversion unit 701 configured to be able to convert alternating current electrical energy obtained from a power grid into direct current electrical energy and to be able to convert direct current electrical energy stored by the energy storage battery 702 into alternating current electrical energy or direct current electrical energy. The power conversion unit 701 has, for example, an AC/DC converter (such as a three-phase AC/DC converter) and a DC/AC or DC/DC converter.

An energy storage battery 702 configured to be able to be charged in a charged state and discharged in a discharged state. The energy storage battery pack 102 may include a single battery or multiple batteries. In the case of a plurality of batteries, the batteries may be connected in series or in parallel. The energy storage battery 702 may be, for example, a storage battery or a lithium ion battery.

A charge-discharge connection 703 configured to connect to a charging power source or a device or load to be charged. The charging source or the device to be charged may be, for example, a charging source, such as a power grid, a battery, or the like. The load may be various electrical appliances, such as a mobile device or an electrical appliance.

A charging switch, comprising a first charging switch 701a and a second charging switch 701b, wherein the first charging switch 701a is arranged IN a connection between the charging and discharging connection 703 and the input IN of the power conversion unit 701, and the second charging switch 701b is arranged IN a connection between the output OUT of the power conversion unit 701 and the energy storage battery 702, wherein the energy storage battery 702 can be charged (see charging current direction) by, for example, a power grid connected to the charging connection 703 when the first charging switch 701a and the second charging switch 701b are closed.

A discharge switch, comprising a first discharge switch 702a and a second discharge switch 702b, wherein the first discharge switch 702a is arranged IN the connection between the energy storage battery 702 and the input IN of the power conversion unit 701, and the second discharge switch 702a is arranged IN the connection between the output OUT of the power conversion unit and the charge-discharge connection 703, wherein the energy storage battery can be discharged with the first discharge switch 702a and the second discharge switch closed 702b, for example to charge a battery connected to the charge-discharge connection 703 or to supply a load connected thereto. The first charge switch 701a, the second charge switch 701b, the first discharge switch 702a, and the second discharge switch 702b are contactors, such as relays, thereby realizing electronic on-off of the switches.

The operation flow of the power module 700 of the present invention is described below.

And (3) charging: first and second charge switches 701a and 701b are closed, either manually or under the control of a controller, and ac or dc current enters power conversion unit 701 from an ac grid or other power source and is converted to a current and voltage suitable for charging energy storage battery 702.

The discharging process comprises the following steps: the second discharge switch 702a and the second discharge switch 702b are closed manually or under the control of a controller, and the current energy storage battery 702 enters the power conversion unit 701 and is converted into a power supply suitable for powering an electrical load connected to the charge-discharge connection 703 or for charging a battery or feeding an ac grid to power the grid.

By the power module 700, the need for charging and discharging operations using a plurality of power conversion units is eliminated, and a single power conversion unit 701 can be used for both charging and discharging operations, which reduces both device cost and line cost, and simultaneously reduces space requirements of charging and discharging equipment, so that the charging and discharging equipment can be developed in a low-cost, compact direction; in addition, only one port is needed to perform both charge and discharge operations, thereby reducing the number of ports, resulting in cost reduction and simplification of user operations.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an auxiliary power module 800 according to the present invention. The auxiliary power module 800 includes an input terminal 801, a conversion module 802, an output terminal 803, and a sink circuit 804. The auxiliary power module 800 may be powered by an energy storage battery pack via an input terminal 801, for example, and a low voltage dc power source (e.g., 48V) output by the auxiliary power module 800 may power an autopilot module, a billing module, a telecommunications module, an autopilot module, and/or an autopilot and disconnect device via an output terminal 803. The self-walking module includes at least one motor drive 805 and at least one drive motor 806. The absorption circuit 804 is configured to absorb energy generated by the driving motor 806 during braking and/or downhill descent, preventing the output terminal 803 of the auxiliary power module 800 from being over-pressurized. The overvoltage absorption module 804 may employ a dc chopper circuit, or other active/passive overvoltage protection device. By this extension, the automatic charging vehicle or auxiliary power module 800 no longer needs to employ a larger volume lead-acid battery, thereby simplifying the structure of the charging vehicle and reducing the space occupied.

While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that these embodiments are shown by way of example only. Numerous variations, substitutions and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in light of the present teachings without departing from the scope of the invention. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of the invention and to cover such methods and structures within the scope of these claims themselves and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic charging vehicle comprising:

a power module configured to store and provide electrical energy; and

an automatic docking and undocking apparatus configured to perform docking and undocking between a first connector and a second connector capable of electrical contact with the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are used to transfer electrical energy, wherein the automatic docking and undocking apparatus comprises:

an active device having an actuator, two jaws and a first connector, wherein the two jaws are capable of extending from the active device under the drive of the actuator and engaging with the passive device and retracting under the drive of the actuator to dock the first connector of the active device with the second connector of the passive device, and the jaws are capable of separating the first connector of the passive device from the second connector of the active device under the drive of the actuator under the interface of the active device with the passive device, configured to perform the following actions:

Moving sideways transversely to the length of the jaws to open so that the space between the two jaws can accommodate the passive device or its socket;

moving along the length of the jaws to enclose the passive device or its socket;

move inwards in a direction transverse to the length of the jaws to latch with the passive device or its socket; and

retracting to interface the active device with the passive device;

the actuator comprises:

the transverse movement mechanism comprises a transverse driving device, a transverse movement guide rail, two transverse driving synchronous belts and a transverse movement travel switch, wherein the two clamping jaws are respectively connected to the transverse movement guide rail through support arms, the transverse driving device is configured to drive the two transverse driving synchronous belts to rotate so as to drive the support arms to move along the transverse movement guide rail in the length direction transverse to the clamping jaws, so that clamping and opening of the clamping jaws are realized, and the transverse movement travel switch is arranged at the middle part or the end part of the transverse movement guide rail; and

the longitudinal movement mechanism comprises two longitudinal movement guide rails, a longitudinal driving device, a longitudinal movement travel switch and two longitudinal driving synchronous belts, the transverse movement mechanism is mounted on the longitudinal movement guide rails through a transverse movement guide rail mounting plate, the longitudinal driving device is configured to drive the longitudinal driving synchronous belts to rotate so as to drive the transverse movement mechanism to move along the longitudinal movement guide rails along the length directions of the clamping jaws to realize the extension and retraction of the clamping jaws, and the longitudinal movement travel switch is mounted at two ends of the longitudinal movement guide rails; and

A passive device, of a multi-joint flexible design, having a second connector capable of mating with the first connector, is releasably engageable with the jaws.

2. The auto-charging cart of claim 1, further having a positioning module configured to determine a route between the auto-charging cart and a device to be charged.

3. The auto-charging cart of claim 1, wherein the auto-walk module comprises:

an autopilot module configured to determine a travel operation from the route;

a whole vehicle chassis configured to perform the travel operation; and

a lidar sensor and/or an ultrasonic radar sensor, wherein an autopilot module determines obstacles in the route from sensor signals of the lidar sensor and/or ultrasonic radar sensor to re-determine travel operations and/or update the route.

4. The automatic charging vehicle of claim 3, wherein the automatic driving module comprises:

a positioning navigation module configured to determine a location of the auto-charging vehicle and a location of the device to be charged;

a path planning module configured to determine a route from the automatic charging vehicle to the device to be charged according to the position of the automatic charging vehicle and the position of the device to be charged; and

A control execution module configured to generate control instructions for controlling the auto-charging vehicle to travel along the route.

5. The automatic charging vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

6. The automatic charging vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power module comprises:

7. The automatic charging cart of claim 6, wherein the power module further comprises a controller configured to:

8. The automatic charging vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary power module comprising:

the power supply conversion module is used for converting the electric energy of the energy storage battery pack and supplying power to the automatic walking module, the automatic docking and separating device, the automatic driving module, the charging module and/or the remote communication module; and

And the overvoltage absorption module is used for absorbing energy generated by the automatic charging vehicle during braking and/or downhill so as to avoid overvoltage generated at the output end of the power conversion module.

9. The automatic charging vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary power module comprising:

an input terminal configured to receive input power;

a conversion module configured to convert input electrical energy;

an absorption circuit configured to absorb energy generated by the driving motor at the time of braking and/or downhill to prevent an overvoltage from occurring at an output terminal of the auxiliary power module; and

and an output terminal configured to output electric power.

10. A method for operating an automatic charging vehicle according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising:

determining a route between the automatic charging vehicle and equipment to be charged by a server;

driving to a device to be charged according to the route, wherein the device to be charged is electrically connected with a second connector;

charging the equipment to be charged by the power module; and

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

updating the route in the presence of an unavoidable obstacle and re-determining the driving operation in the presence of an unavoidable obstacle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing docking between the first connector and the second connector by the automatic docking and undocking device comprises:

the claw is extended out of the automatic butt joint and separation device;

retracting the jaws by an automatic docking and undocking means; and

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: