WO2013041133A1

WO2013041133A1 - Method and device for charging an electric vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2013041133A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/066406
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniela Fertl; Fritjof Kaiser
Original assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 2011-09-21
Filing date: 2011-09-21
Publication date: 2013-03-28

Abstract

A charging unit movable on a rail system enables charging of a plurality of electric vehicles situated in a parking area fully automatically with a single charging unit. For this purpose, a plug connection to a charging interface of the electric vehicle is established fully automatically by means of image recognition and mechanical means known from robotics. In this way, considerably improved capacity utilization of the charging unit is achieved compared to conventional charging stations. The effort and residual risk for the user of the electric vehicle when making the plug connection are also eliminated. Alternatively, the electric vehicle can also be equipped to perform the plug connection itself.

Description

description

Method and device for charging an electric vehicle The invention relates to the charging of electric vehicles. This is usually done using charging cables that power the electric vehicle. For this purpose, the electric vehicle has an electrical charging interface, via which a built-in electrical energy store or a vehicle battery of the electric vehicle can be charged. The electrical charging interface is usually a plug connection. For charging the electric vehicles is connected to imaging with the aid of a charging cable for example with a forth ^¬ conventional socket which is brought arrival at a loading column. The electrical connection is made in this case between the plug of the charging cable and the socket of La ^¬ desäule. The charging cable can also be firmly connected to the La ^¬ desäule and plugged into a socket, socket or coupling of the vehicle. Alternatively, the charging cable can have a plug connector at both ends, so that it is plugged into both the charging station and the electric vehicle.

The charging interface, i. The connector component, in which the plug of the charging cable is plugged, is thus either on the charging station or on the electric vehicle. In the latter case, the charging interface in today's electric vehicles is due to the habit, but also because of the use of existing vehicle bodies of fuel-powered vehicles, at the position of the former fuel filler neck.

A connector establishes an electrical connection by plugging a male connector component into a female connector component. The male component is called a plug. The femal ^¬ che component is carried out, for example, as a sleeve, socket or clutch. Often, electrical contacts protrude as plug contacts. see ladder from the plug, which engage in corresponding Ausnehmun ^¬ conditions of the opposite connector component. Likewise, however, it is also possible for the plug contacts to protrude from the oppositely fixed plug-in connection component into which the plug is inserted. Therefore, each movable and einsteckba ^¬ re plug connection component is referred to as a connector hereinafter.

From the document "charging systems for electric vehicles", leased on the Internet on 16.03.2011 under

http: //www.mennekes. en / web / binaryid? BINARYID = binary% 2Ffile% 2F menPlf31e37b% 3A123ff7fe87c% 3A-76ca% 2Fapplication% 2Fpdf% 2F, are known connectors for charging electric vehicles. Connectors for charging electric vehicles are in the

Standardized US as SAE J1772, see the corresponding ^¬ Do kument "SAE J1772", available on the Internet on March 10, 2011, http: // en. wi kipeäia. org / 'iki / SAE J 1772. It has as its object to provide a method and a Vorrich ^¬ tung provide for charging an electric vehicle with which an electric vehicle charging is simple and safe to perform. This object is achieved in that an electric vehicle is parked near a charging station. The method is characterized in that a La ^¬ deeinheit at least partially automated establishes a connector, via which the electric vehicle is charged in the connection.

The device for charging an electric vehicle comprises a camera which is set up to record an image of a charging ^¬ interface. It further includes a re unit area, which is for calculating a target position of a connector of a charging cable based on the image of the camera per ^¬ programmed, the plug is inserted into the target position in the charging interface or inserted. Farther The device comprises a means of transport, which is set up for transporting the plug into the destination position.

The electric vehicle has a charge interface located on the front of the electric vehicle, which is accessible to the device for producing a plug connection. In this case, the device is part of a charging station.

Alternatively, the electric vehicle itself is equipped with the device and thereby able to make a plug connection with a charging interface of a charging station.

The method and the device have the advantage that a user no longer has to manually establish the plug connection for charging the electric vehicle. This eliminates the corresponding effort for the user. Also, the user does not need to have a separate charging cable ready. Basically, the automated production of the

Plug connection also has the advantage that the user does not have to touch the charging cable or the plug itself, whereby the user is protected from supposed or actual dangers by an electric shock.

In a further development of the method, a user controls a movement of the charging unit, by which the plug connection is made. Alternatively, the user confirms le ^¬ diglich that the electric vehicle is to be charged, after which the connector is made fully automated.

According to one embodiment, the device is designed as a charging unit of a charging station. It has a carriage, which is mounted horizontally movable on a rail. The device further comprises a carriage drive means with which the carriage can be moved along the rail. It also has a height-adjustable element which is mounted on the carriage and carries the means of transport. By this disclosed embodiment, the apparatus along the rail on the respective position of the parked electric vehicles can drive, and also the amount of the respective electric vehicle or the height of the loading interface adjust ^¬ tools.

The charging station for charging a plurality of electric vehicles comprises the device described above simply or repeatedly. It also includes a rail, which is mounted in a Hö ^¬ heights of less than one meter, in particular 50 cm, on a parking space for several electric vehicles, and on which the device is movably mounted so that they witness different, side by side parked electric vehicles is positionable.

The charging station has the advantage that many vehicles can be operated with only one device. Up to now, each electric vehicle required its own charging station. In contrast, the arrangement allows a maxima ^¬ le utilization of the device. Conversely, the use of the charging station can save stand-alone charging stations and their capital expenditure. In the following, embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures. Show it:

1 shows an electric vehicle, which is connected by means of a charging cable ^¬ with a charging station,

FIG. 2 shows a plug which can be plugged into a charging interface of an electric vehicle,

FIG. 3: a charging unit for charging an electric vehicle,

FIG. 4 shows a charging unit for charging an electric vehicle, which can be moved on a rail. 1 shows an electric vehicle 200, which is connected via a charging cable ^¬ 300 with a charging station 100th This corresponds ^¬ saith the known from the prior art Vorgehenswei- se to charge an electric vehicle.

FIG. 2 shows a plug 11 of a charging cable, which is set up for plugging into a charging interface 12 of an electric vehicle or a charging station. Such plugs 11 and charging interfaces 12 are known from the prior

Technique known. The charging interface 12 is designed as a socket, socket or coupling.

FIG. 3 shows a loading unit 1 which rests on a carriage which is movably mounted on a rail 2.

The charging unit 1 has a camera 4, which records an image of an electric vehicle parked in the vicinity of the charging unit 1. In this recorded image, a computing unit of the charging unit 1 determines a position of a charging interface of the electric vehicle by means of image recognition.

Then, the charging unit 1 along the rail 2 so po sitioned ^¬ that it comes to lie exactly opposite the loading interface of the electric vehicle. A height-adjustable head 3 of the loading unit 1 is vertically positioned so that a arranged in or on the height-adjustable head 3 transport when plugging in the direction of the charging interface plug a charging cable can insert directly into this. The means of transport is not shown in detail in FIG. It is designed, for example, as a robotic gripping arm or as an extendable rod. The transport means can also be constructed of beliebi ^¬ gen other mechanical elements with electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic drives. Furthermore, the plug and the charging cable can be firmly installed in the trans ^¬ port means, so that this is itself the plug. As soon as the means of transport has plugged the plug of the charging cable into the charging interface of the electric vehicle and, if necessary, other conditions (security, payment processing, etc.) are met, it will be charged. The corresponding conditions are checked, for example, by a computing unit in the charging unit 1 or by an on-board computer of the electric vehicle.

The movements of the loading unit 1, the head 3 and the

Transport means can be controlled fully automatically by software, al ^¬ ternatively, however, also by a user. The user is for this purpose, for example, in a control room, in which on a screen, the image of the camera 4 is output to the user. The user also has a suitable input means, Example ^¬ as a mouse or a joystick with which it the loading unit 1, the head 3 and / or the transport means can unit does positi ^¬ so that the plug of the charging cable is inserted.

Alternatively, such control can also take place from the cockpit of the electric vehicle. In this case, the image of the camera 4 is displayed on a display in the vehicle cockpit ^¬ . The user sits in the vehicle cockpit and controls the movement of the means of transport, for example via a commercially available multifunction button, which is available in the vehicle cockpit as a control.

If the movements are automatically controlled by software, it makes sense to at least to confirm a vehicle driver in advance that the electric vehicle aufgela ^¬ to be the.

By the described mechanism, the charging of electric vehicles by means of the movable loading unit 1 with- the aid of the carriage system and the automated charging cable ^¬ feed is automated. It is sufficient for this purpose to park an electric vehicle frontally in front of the rail 2. To simplify image recognition, the loading interface may have appropriate visual features. Particularly advantageous lamps, markers or reflectors are visible in the visible or in the infrared range. The camera 4 itself can capture an infrared image for this purpose. Furthermore, the camera may be supplemented by a lighting means 4, wel ^¬ ches illuminates the loading interface, whereby the Bilderken ^¬ planning is simplified.

The image recognition is performed by a computing unit within the loading unit 1. Here, the Rechenein ^¬ standardized, calculates a target position of the plug of the charging cable from the image of the camera 4 in which the plug is inserted into the target position in the charging interface or directly inserted.

The loading unit 1 has drive means with which the carriage of the loading unit 1 can be moved along the rail 2. Alternatively, the rail has a drive system, for example an electric motor with a drive chain, via which the carriage can be moved. The Höhenverstel ^¬ ment of the head is also made via electric motors. Alternatively, pneumatic or hydraulic drives can also be used for this purpose.

Figure 4 shows another example of the charging unit ^¬ 1. The above statements relating to Figure 3 apply similarly to Figure 4. The loading unit 1 is shown here in a broader context. It again has a camera 4 and a head 3, which as described above has a means of transport for the plug. The loading unit 1 is seated on a carriage, which can be moved over a rail 2 again. As shown in Figure 4, the loading unit 1 thereby a plurality of parking lots, which on a

Parking space 5 are located, start. For this purpose, the electric vehicles are parked frontally in accordance with the markings on the parking space 5. The rail 2 is mounted on an asphalt bottom of the car parking space 5 at a height of less than 1 meter in ^¬ play, in a height of 5 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm or 50 cm. The head 3 can be adjusted by height adjustment to different bodies and vehicle types, so that the trans ^¬ port means of the charging unit 1 can plug the plug into the charging section ^{¬ point of} the respective electric vehicle. For this purpose, the electric vehicles are frontal, for example, next to the radiator grille or below a headlight, equipped with the charging interface, which is optionally protected by a flap.

The charging process is synchronized between the electric vehicle and the charging unit 1. So usually a activa ^¬ tion charging, or at least an acknowledgment by the driver is required, which can, for example from the vehicle cockpit. For this purpose, an on-board computer of the electric vehicle communicates with the charging unit 1. The communication can be made via WLAN. In this case, both the charging unit 1 and the electric vehicle have a suitable WLAN port. Alternatively, each an infrared port, or any other drahtlo ^¬ se radio interface can be used. In the course of the synchronization, the electric vehicle can also fully automate the

Open the flap of the charging interface so that the plug can be inserted through the charging unit 1. The communication between the charging unit 1 and the electric vehicle can also cause the electric vehicle fully automatically forward or backward a few centimeters to allow the insertion of the plug.

The embodiment shown in Figure 4 with the großflä ^¬ speaking parking 5 has the advantage that a plurality of electric vehicles frontal parking right angles to the rail 2 and can be supplied via the loading unit 1 with the charging current to advantage. With regard to the handling of the charging cable, different variants are described below for the embodiments described above. In a first variant, only a charging cable for use with the loading unit 1, the plug is inserted through the loading unit 1 in the charging ^¬ interface of the electric vehicle exists. The transport is designed in this variant as a simple ausfahr ^¬ bare rod, within which the cable is guided and at the end of the plug is firmly mounted. In this case, the charging unit 1 remains in the Zielpo ^¬ position until the charging of the electric vehicle is abgeschlos ^¬ sen. However, several freight units 1 can well be disposed on the same rail 2, so that they pa rallel ^¬ different electric vehicles can be supplied with electric current.

In another variant of the embodiments described above, the charging unit 1 can access a plurality of charging cables. For example, at the head of each marked parking space is a housing in which a

Charging cable with plug is arranged. The transport of the loading unit 1 is in this case designed as a robot arm and ent ^¬ takes the housing, the charging cable by picking up the plug of the La ^¬ dekabels of a suspension. Then he puts the plug of the charging cable into the charging interface of the

Electric vehicle. Here, the housing ^{vorzugswei ¬} se has an automatic winding for the charging cable to support the extraction and return of the charging cable. Notwithstanding the embodiments described above, the charging unit 1 can also be installed in the electric vehicle. In this case, the charging cable and the plug belong to the equipment of the electric vehicle. The charging unit 1 puts the plug in this variant in a charging interface, so a socket or socket, a charging station, such as a charging station, a. With regard to the degree of automation, the user control and the technical means, all the above statements apply analogously to this variant. WEI Furthermore, the electric vehicle can carry out a part or all of the movements necessary for the production of the plug connection as a driving maneuver similar to a parking automatic.

Furthermore, the movements required for the production of the plug connection can also be carried out jointly by the charging station and the electric vehicle or be divided among them. In this case, the electric vehicle controls by means of maneuvers with an already extended plug to a socket of the charging station. If necessary, the socket is adjusted vertically by the charging station to a height suitable for the electric vehicle. For this purpose, the socket between ^¬ vertically aligned guides arranged and adjustable to a height between 30 and 70 cm. The horizontal alignment and the approach, however, are made by the driving maneuvers of the electric vehicle.

It is also conceivable to equip the loading unit 1 of Figure 4 in the head 3 with a socket or jack as a charging interface from ^¬. Since the charging unit 1 can be moved horizontally on the rail 2 and the head can adjust vertically to the required height, the electric vehicle only has to approach the rail 2 with the plug extended. The charging unit 1 then moves into the correct position, evaluates the height of the plug on the electric vehicle in the image of the camera 4 and brings the head 3 in the appropriate height. Then, the charging unit 1 signals the electric vehicle to approach fully, whereby the plug 1 is inserted into the socket of the head 3. For this variant as well as for all other embodiments be ^¬ sets can supportive distance sensors, for example based on ultrasound, are.

The camera can also be arranged on the side of the charging station, but its image is evaluated by an on-board computer of the vehicle, and vice versa. In particular, the required movements by a computing unit of the Electric vehicle or the charging station calculated, but by the other component.

The described embodiments, embodiments, developments and variants can be freely combined with each other.

Claims

claims

1. A method of charging an electric vehicle (200),

in an electric vehicle (200) is parked in the vicinity of a charging station ^¬,

characterized in that

a charging unit (1) at least partially automates a plug connection, via which the electric vehicle (200) is subsequently charged.

2. The method according to claim 1,

in which a user controls a movement of the charging unit (1), through which the connector is made, or

wherein the user confirms that the electric vehicle (200) is to be charged, whereupon the connector is made fully automated.

A device for charging an electric vehicle (200), comprising a camera (4) arranged to record an image of a charging interface (12),

with a computation unit which is programmed to calculate a target ^¬ position of a plug (11) of a charging cable (300) based on the image of the camera (4), wherein the Ste ^¬ sugar (11) inserted into the target position in the loading interface (12) or pluggable, and

with a transport means, which is configured to transport the Ste ^¬ thickener (11) in the target position.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3,

set up as a charging unit (1) of a charging station, with a carriage which is mounted so as to be horizontally movable on a rail (2),

with a carriage drive means, with which the carriage along the rail (2) is movable, and

with a height-adjustable element, in particular a head (3), which is mounted on the carriage and carries the means of transport for the plug (11).

5. charging station for charging a plurality of electric vehicles (200), with at least one device according to claim 4, and with a rail (2), which at a height of less than one meter, in particular 50 cm, on a Abstell ^¬ place (5) for a plurality of electric vehicles (200) is mounted, and on which the at least one device is movably mounted, so that it can be positioned in front of different side-by-side parking electric vehicles (200).

6. Electric vehicle (200),

with a frontal on the electric vehicle (200) arranged

Charging interface (12), which for a device according to

Claim 3 or 4 is accessible for the preparation of a connector.

7. Electric vehicle (200),

which is equipped with a device according to claim 3, so that a plug connection with a Ladeschnitt ^{¬ point} (12) of a charging station is automatically produced.