EP3408132A1

EP3408132A1 - Position-determining system

Info

Publication number: EP3408132A1
Application number: EP17710860.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andre Rompe
Original assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2016-04-07
Filing date: 2017-03-10
Publication date: 2018-12-05
Also published as: US10766375B2; DE102016205804A1; CA3019977A1; US20190143842A1; CN109195832B; RU2708827C1; WO2017174292A1; CN109195832A; CA3019977C

Abstract

The invention relates to a position-determining system for a charging station (100) for a vehicle (200) which is driven at least partially electrically. The invention also relates to such a vehicle (200) and to a system (10) with such a vehicle (200) and a charging station (100). The position-determining system serves to determine a position of a contact interface of the vehicle (200) in relation to a charging interface (150) of the charging station (100). The position-determining system determines the position visually in at least two dimensions. As a result of the at least two-dimensional determination of position, the vehicle is not tied to a predefined route. This increases the reliability of the positioning of the vehicle when it approaches the charging station (100).

Description

description

Positioning System The invention relates to a position determining system for a charging station for an at least partially electrically driven vehicle. The invention further relates to a sol ^¬ Ches vehicle and a system with such a vehicle and a charging station.

At least partially electrically powered vehicles include rechargeable batteries, also referred to as secondary batteries. An example of such vehicles are electrically powered line vehicles (eBusse). Electric actuators are advantageous for vehicles line is because normally limits the line travel times and time ^¬ space (operation pauses) are separated, in which the battery can be charged on ^¬. Furthermore, scheduled vehicles operate on fixed routes so that charging stations can be set up on the route.

For charging, a charging interface of the Ladesta ^¬ tion must be brought into contact with a contact interface of the vehicle. One of the two interfaces may include a pantograph for contacting. Thus, the contact is actually possible, the contact interface must be positioned in a predetermined area relative to the charging station. The contact interface can be arranged on a roof of the vehicle and an inverse pantograph can form the charging station on the charging interface. The pantograph is arranged on a mast of the charging station. This mechanical An ^¬ order allows certain tolerances for the relative position of the vehicle in the direction of the road and across it. ^{Exemplhaf ¬} te tolerances in the direction of the road and across are each 0.6 m. To charge the vehicle must be sitioned within this range po ^¬ so that contact elements of the Kontaktschnitt- can come into contact with contact elements of the pantograph and thus the prerequisite for charging the battery is given. For the correct position in the direction of the road, a vehicle driver can orient himself to lane markings. However, this method has proven prone to error in practice. WO2014183961 proposes a different positioning method. Iteratively and ultrasound-based distances between the vehicle and the charging station are measured while the vehicle is traveling on a predetermined route. The object of the present invention is now to increase the accuracy and reliability of the position determination when starting charging stations.

According to the invention, a position determination system according to claim 1 is provided.

The positioning system is prepared for a charging station. The charging station is prepared for an at least partially electrically driven vehicle. The position-determining system used to determine a position of a contact interface of the vehicle in relation to egg ^¬ ner loading interface of the charging station. The position determination system optically determines the position in at least two dimensions.

Due to the at least two-dimensional position determination, the vehicle is no longer bound to a predetermined distance. This increases the accuracy and reliability of Positi ^¬ onsbestimmung. Information about and compliance with a given route is not necessary. In a preferred embodiment, the position determination system is configured to determine the position using geometry features of the contact interface. Relevant for the positioning is only the relative position of the contact interface to the charging interface.

Due to their geometry features, the contact interface forms an optically detectable, natural position marker. Additionally or alternatively, the Positionbestimmungssys ^¬ tem be formed to determine the position using at least one, possibly additional position mark. This enables in particular a specially designed Posi ^¬ tion mark, which is particularly good and / or easy or reliabil ^¬ siger recognizable. Additionally or alternatively, may be co- diert In the game ^¬ vehicle height, vehicle type and / or vehicle ID in the cursor information for each vehicle.

The position determination system may in particular comprise a camera and an evaluation unit. The evaluation unit may be adapted to determine the position using images of the camera.

Camera-based positioning is particularly flexible. A further advantage of camera-based position determination is the possibility of determining a spacing of the contact cut parts from the loading interface using a size of the position mark in a camera image.

In another embodiment, an additional distance sensor may be used to determine the distance from the pantograph to the contact interface.

In particular, the camera can be an infrared camera. ^Thereby , a daylight-independent position ^marker is recognized. tion allows. The camera can additionally comprise a Infrarotbe ^¬ illumination unit.

The charging station according to the invention presented according to claim 7 comprises a position determining system according to the invention and furthermore an infrared lighting unit. The Infrarotbe ^¬ illumination unit serves to illuminate an area with infrared light. The area includes a sub-area in which the contact interface must be located so that it can be contacted by means of the charging interface.

In a preferred embodiment, the charging station can be prepared to release a charging process only if the position determination shows that the contact-cut parts are located in the partial area.

An inventively presented vehicle according to claim 9 can be at least partially driven electrically and includes a memory for electrical energy and a contact interface. The contact interface can be contacted by ei ^¬ ne charging interface of a charging station, that the memory is loaded. The contact ^{interface ¬} summarizes at least one position mark. The position ^{mark can} be designed to selectively reflect and / or radiate light in a pre-given wavelength range.

For example, the position marker may include one or more light-emitting diodes. Alternatively or additionally, the cursor may include geometric figures or codes.

The vehicle may comprise a heating element for heating the posi ^¬ onsmarke. Thus, the visibility of the position mark on snow and / or ice can be guaranteed.

According to the invention, a system with a vehicle and a charging station is also presented. The vehicle and the charging station may each comprise a unit for data transmission. The charging station can be designed to transmit the vehicle to the specific position.

The charging station and / or the vehicle may comprise a telemetric unit for telemetering the determined position. The vehicle may include a display and be ^{ausgebil ¬} det to display the telemetrisierte position of the vehicle on the display.

In the system further information about the light emitting diodes, the geometric figures and / or the codes can be transmitted from the vehicle to the charging station.

In this case, the information transmitted via the light-emitting diodes can be used, for example, to unambiguously associate the vehicle with the charging station. The above-described characteristics, features, and advantages of this invention, as well as the manner in which they are achieved, will become clearer and more clearly understood in connection with the following description of the embodiments, which will be described in detail in conjunction with the drawings. Show it:

Figure 1 shows an inventive system according to an embodiment and Figure 2 by way of example and schematically a contact section ^¬ point of a vehicle according to the invention.

1 shows a system 10 according to the invention with a charging station 100 and an at least partially electrically driven vehicle 200 according to an ^exemplary embodiment. A contact interface 250 on the roof of the driving ^¬ zeugs 200, but is not visible in Figure 1, by way of example formed in relation to a pantograph as Charging interface 150 positioned in an area in which the contact interface 250 can be contacted by means of the charging interface 150. The charging station 100 comprises a mast at the edge of a road ^¬ SSE 20 with an extending over the road 20 in the transverse direction Y perpendicular to the road direction X arm on which the pantograph is arranged. The charging station 100 comprises a position determination system which optically determines the position in the roadway direction X and in the transverse direction Y by means of a camera 170. The camera 170 detects a position tolerance ^¬ frame for contacting by the pantograph.

Figure 2 shows by way of example and schematically a contact pattern parts 250 of a vehicle 200 according to the invention, the contact interface 250 includes parallel contact rails 300. The contact interface 250 further includes Ausführungsbei ^¬ play position marks 410, 420, 430. In the example, three position marks are shown schematically. However, the contact interface 250 may also comprise only one, two or more than three position markers. In the illustrated example, one of the position markers 410 is designed as a two-dimensional code in which information about the vehicle is coded. The other two illustrated position mark examples 420, 430 are T-shaped with transverse in the vehicle transverse direction Y * transverse to the vehicle X * crossbar. As a result, in particular an angle deviation between the vehicle direction X * and the roadway direction X in a camera image is easily determinable.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, an arrangement and a method are proposed, with or with which the vehicle position and orientation of electrically operated vehicles, for. B. eBussen, relative to a station-side charging interface with pantograph in the direction of the road and across it can be reliably and accurately determined. The position determination is carried out iteratively in the example and also delivers already position information as the bus approaches the charging station so that the position information provided by the position sensor can be used as a command variable for the driver.

For optical positioning, a camera is used in an exemplary embodiment. The field of view of the camera is directed to the position tolerance field. Since the contact interface is located on the roof of the bus, the camera is directed vertically from above or at a ^{predetermined} angle onto the contact interface.

The camera is connected to an evaluation device which calculates signals for the orientation and position of the position mark from the camera images. The evaluation device may be a microprocessor or PC.

The camera may be an infrared camera, for example, that detects a vicinity of a position tolerance range in which the contact interface must be located so that they can be contacted with ^¬ means of the charging interface.

The said environment can be illuminated by a special IR illumination. As a result, independence from the daylight can be achieved and the robustness relative to light ^card facts can be increased.

The calculation of the position of the contact interface on the bus may be based on features that result from the geometry of the contact interface.

The position determination is even more robust and independent if one or more position marks are present in the area of the contact interface. The position markers can then be designed specifically optically and / or geometrically in such a way that reliable optical position determination is possible ^under all daytime and weather conditions. In one embodiment, therefore, the position mark, or the position marks, is formed as an infrared reflector. Additionally or alternatively, the position marker may include one or more infrared light emitting diodes.

An evaluation device determines from the image position of the detected position mark (s) in the camera image, the relative position of the contact interface of the bus to the charging station horizontally in two dimensions. Optionally, using an image size of the detected position mark (s) in the camera image, the relative position of the contact interface of the bus to the charging station can also be determined vertically.

The determined relative position is supplied to a charging control unit. The charge control unit uses the position Informa ^¬ tion to indicate to the driver the relative position of the contact interface of the bus to the charging station. This can be done, for example, by direction indicators such as directional arrows, a traffic light or a display on the charging station.

The traffic light is particularly advantageous if the charging station is pre-aligned, only release the charging process when the bus is parked within the predetermined through the charging interface position tolerance range, so that the contact section parts in the region is, in which the Kon ^¬ clock interface must be located, so that it can be contacted by means of the charging ^¬ interface. The latter functionali ^¬ ty may be practiced without direction indicator. Additionally or alternatively, the position information, for example via a wireless network, such as WLAN, transmitted to the bus and so telemetriert. The bus driver can then be displayed in real time position information online on the driver's display of the bus.

Some buses can be lowered on an entry side ^¬ who, so as to facilitate the passengers boarding. This is called Kneeling. Using the position information, information can additionally or alternatively be transmitted to a kneeling-capable bus as to whether kneeling is possible or not at the given vehicle position. A corresponding free ^¬ input of these functions may be dependent on that information.

The reflectors can also be optionally heated. Then ice and / or snow deposits can be thawed. In particular, the heating of the reflectors can take place when the temperature falls below a limit temperature and / or when snowfall is detected, so that ice can not form

and / or snow already melts on impact.

The position mark can take a simple geometric figure ^¬ . The figure may have a predetermined size, so that from imaging properties of the camera can be closed on a distance between the cursor and camera. Then, a vertical position of the cursor is limited hours ^¬ bar.

In addition or as an alternative to the geometric figure, a two-dimensional code, for example a QR code, may be present on the vehicle in which information about the vehicle type, a vehicle identification number (vehicle ID) and / or a height of the vehicle is encoded.

The position mark (s) may or may accordingly arranged, comprise selectively reflecting and / or radiating elements in a wavelength range in ^¬ play colored light emitting diodes or infrared emitting diodes. The position mark can be detected even more reliably. The position ^marker can be used in addition to information ^transmission , in order, for. B to transmit the vehicle ID, when the active radiating elements emit modulated accordingly. In the case of wireless transmission of information between the charging station and the eBus, a clear association between the vehicle located under the charging station and this charging station must be established (association). This can be achieved when the camera reads the message transmitted from the active position ^¬ stamp information and used to uniquely Alloc ^¬ voltage of the vehicle to the charging station. When using a camera, this can continue to be used advantageously for service purposes, for example, the interfaces, by the camera image is transmitted as needed to a service ^¬ monitor. With the present invention, it becomes possible with comparatively little effort to accurately determine the position and orientation of the bus with respect to the position tolerance range required for loading. This can in particular already in the approach phase of the

Vehicle done. In this way, a vehicle driver can be given a positioning information for reliably reaching the precise loading position of the vehicle. This reduces the necessary maneuvers to achieve the Positionsto- leranzfeldes, thus improving the safety of Positionin ^¬ tion.

Moreover, can be reliably derived from the positional information, whether the charging operation by the unit Ladesteuer- activated or can not be activated, and / or whether a kneeling of the vehicle within the field of contact is too ^¬ permeable or must be blocked.

Although the invention has been further illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited to the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

claims

1. Positioning system for a loading station (100) for an at least partially electrically driven vehicle (200) for determining a position of a contact interface (250) of the vehicle in relation to a loading interface ^¬ point (150) of the loading station (100), characterized in that the positioning system optically determines the position in at least two dimensions.

The position determining system of claim 1, wherein the position determining system is configured to determine the position using geometry features of the contact interface (250) and / or at least one position marker (410, 420, 430).

3. Position determination system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a camera (170) and an evaluation ^{¬ unit} , which is adapted to determine the position using images of the camera (170).

4. Positioning system according to claim 3, wherein the camera (170) is an infrared camera.

5. Position determination system according to claim 2 and claim 3 or 4, wherein the position determination is a determination of a distance of the contact interface (250) to the charging ^¬ interface (150) using a size of the posi ^¬ onsmarke (410, 420, 430) in a camera image includes.

A charging station (100) for an at least partially electrically powered vehicle (200), the charging station (100) comprising a positioning system according to any one of claims 3-5, further comprising an infrared illumination unit for illuminating a region of infrared light, the area being at least includes a position tolerance range in which the contact interface (250) must be located so that they can be by means of the loading interface (150) ^¬ kontak advantage.

A charging station according to claim 6, wherein the charging station (100) is arranged to release a charging operation only when the position determination indicates that the contact interface (250) is in the positional tolerance range.

8. The vehicle (200), which can be at least partially electrically driven at ^¬, with a storage device for electrical energy and a contact interface (250) that can be kontak- advantage as by a charging interface (150) a loading station (100) that the memory can be loaded, characterized in that the contact interface (250) comprises at least one position mark (410, 420, 430).

9. A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein is formed the position mark (410, 420, 430) to reflect light in a predetermined wavelength region Wel ^¬ selectively or radiate.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the cursor (410, 420, 430) comprises geometric figures or codes.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the cursor (410, 420, 430) comprises light emitting diodes.

12. Vehicle according to one of claims 8 to 10 further comprising a heating element for heating the position marks.

13. System (10) with a vehicle (200) according to one of claims 8 to 11 and a charging station (100) according to claim 7.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the vehicle (200) and the charging station (100) each comprise a unit for data transmission and the charging station (100) is adapted to the Fahr ^¬ zeug (200) to transmit the specific position.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the charging station and / or the vehicle comprises a telemetric unit for telemetry of the specific position and wherein the vehicle comprises a display and is adapted to display the telemetrised Po ^¬ position of the vehicle on the display.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein information is transmitted via the geometric figures or codes that allow an unambiguous assignment of the vehicle to the charging station.

17. System according to claim 11, wherein information is transmitted via the light emitting diodes, which enable a clear assignment of the vehicle to the charging station.