WO2020199870A1 - Automatic charging apparatus and operating method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an automatic charging apparatus (101), comprising: an automatic walking module (206) configured to travel, according to a route between the automatic charging apparatus (101) and an electric vehicle, to the electric vehicle; a power supply module (700) configured to store and provide electric energy; and a docking apparatus configured to be able to be docked with a charging interface and/or the electric vehicle, wherein the charging interface is provided with a first connecting end electrically connected to the electric vehicle, and a second connecting end electrically connected to the automatic charging device (101). The present invention further relates to a method for operating the automatic charging apparatus (101), and an automatic charging system (100). By means of the automatic charging apparatus (101), automatic walking can be realized, thereby greatly improving the charging efficiency and reducing the charging cost.

Description

Automatic charging device and operation method thereof Technical field

The present invention generally relates to the field of electric vehicles, and in particular, to an automatic charging device. In addition, the invention also relates to a method for operating such an automatic charging device.

Background technique

Due to many advantages such as environmental protection, energy saving, light weight and national preferential policies, electric vehicles have been favored by more and more consumers in recent years. In the long run, the promotion of electric vehicles is an effective measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce urban environmental pollution. However, a major obstacle to the promotion of electric vehicles is charging.

In order to solve the charging problem of electric vehicles, charging piles have been set up in many parking lots. Such charging piles are non-movable fixed facilities installed in dedicated parking spaces for electric vehicles. Therefore, electric vehicles need to find such dedicated parking spaces in parking lots. With the increase of electric vehicles, special parking spaces for electric vehicles are becoming more and more tense, which brings inconvenience to electric vehicles. In addition, the establishment of special parking spaces for electric vehicles requires a large construction cost or transformation cost, which brings greater resistance to the popularization of special parking spaces.

At present, in order to solve the charging problem, a charging car has appeared. Charging vehicles refer to mobile vehicles that can charge electric vehicles. One of the technical difficulties of charging vehicles is how to perform charging fully automatically. However, the limitation of the current charging car is that the charging car needs to be manually moved to the vicinity of the electric vehicle, and then the electric vehicle is manually connected to the charging pile. Because it does not have automatic walking and automatic docking functions, such a charging vehicle involves excessively high labor costs, and the manual positioning process is time-consuming and has large errors, resulting in low charging efficiency.

Summary of the invention

Starting from the prior art, the task of the present invention is to provide an automatic charging device and an operating method thereof, by which automatic charging device and/or the method can realize automatic walking, thereby greatly improving charging efficiency and reducing charging costs.

In the first aspect of the present invention, this task is solved by an automatic charging device, which includes:

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

A power supply module, which is configured to store and provide electrical energy; and

The docking device is configured to be able to be docked with a charging interface and/or an electric vehicle, wherein the charging interface has a first connection terminal for electrical connection with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrical connection with the charging device.

It should be pointed out that although the present invention is described with an electric vehicle as an example, the present invention can also be applied to other fields, for example, as a reserve energy for buildings, hospitals, schools, etc., which can be supplied with energy at any time. In the present invention, electric vehicles include electric vehicles, electric motorcycles, and electric bicycles. The docking device of the automatic charging device can be an electrical connection device, such as an electric plug, used to connect to a charging interface or an electric vehicle. In this case, the docking device of the charging device can be moved in place manually by the customer or staff. Connected to a charging port or an electric vehicle, the advantages of this manual docking method are simple and time-saving, but it requires the presence of personnel. On the other hand, the docking device may also be an automatic docking device, such as the automatic docking and separation device according to the present invention. In this case, the mobile charging device automatically docks with the charging port or the electric vehicle. This mechanical docking The advantage of this method is that it is safe and fully automated without personnel being present. However, in some special cases, alignment difficulties may occur, so manual alignment is sometimes required. The charging interface is an intermediate device that connects the charging device and the electric vehicle, such as a charging pile. The charging interface has a first connection terminal for electrically connecting with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrically connecting the charging device.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, it is provided that the docking device has an automatic docking and separation device, which is configured to perform docking and separation between the first connector and the second connector that can make electrical contact with the first connector , Where the first connector and the second connector are used to transmit electrical energy. Through this preferred solution, automatic docking and separation can be realized. The first or second connector may be electrically connected to or part of a charging interface or electric vehicle.

In an extended solution of the present invention, it is provided that the automatic charging device further has a positioning module configured to determine a route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle. With this extension, the charging device itself can determine the route. However, in other embodiments, the route information may also be determined by a mobile application on the user equipment or a remote server.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, the automatic walking module further includes:

An automatic driving module configured to determine a driving operation according to the route;

A complete vehicle chassis, which is configured to perform the driving operation; and

The lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor, wherein the automatic driving module re-determines the driving operation and/or updates the route according to the obstacle in the route determined by the sensor signal of the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor. The traveling operation includes, for example, traveling, steering, braking, stopping, and so on. The route determination process is, for example, using GPS or electronic map programs to calculate the (optimal) route from the current location of the charging device to the vehicle to be charged, or various electronic signs, such as radio frequency tags or wireless signals, can also be set in the parking lot. Launch point, so that the charging device can accurately find the corresponding parking space. The real-time update process of driving operation or route is, for example, the lidar sensor and/or ultrasonic radar sensor can obtain radar images of the surroundings or on the route; then, by analyzing the radar images, it can be known whether there are obstacles, such as people, Mobile or temporary obstacles, etc.; in the case of obstacles that cannot be bypassed, use GPS or electronic map programs to calculate other routes from the current location of the charging device to the vehicle to be charged; or in the case of obstacles that can be bypassed, Determine additional or alternative driving operations such as steering, parking and waiting. Obstacles that cannot be bypassed include, for example, fixed obstacles that block most roads, while obstacles that can be bypassed include, for example, pedestrians, obstacles in movement, and the like. Through this preferred solution, real-time update of the route can be achieved, thereby obtaining better robustness and fault tolerance.

In another extended solution of the present invention, it is provided that the automatic charging device further includes:

A billing module, the billing module includes an electric meter, wherein the electric meter is configured to measure the electric energy provided to the electric vehicle during the discharging process, and the controller is further configured to calculate the charging fee according to the rate and the electric energy; as well as

The remote communication module is configured to remotely receive charging instructions and remotely send charging fees.

Through this expansion scheme, remote order placement and remote billing can be realized, thereby completely eliminating the need for manpower investment. The electric meter may be, for example, a smart electric meter that measures electric energy, and the communication module may be, for example, a WiFi module, a Bluetooth module, a cellular communication module, and so on. The remote communication module can additionally transmit other signals, such as charging signals, discharging signals, operation completion signals, fault signals, low battery signals, and so on.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, it is specified that the power supply module includes:

An electric energy conversion unit, which is configured to convert AC electric energy obtained from the grid into DC electric energy and convert the DC electric energy stored by the energy storage battery pack into AC electric energy or DC electric energy;

An energy storage battery pack, which is configured to be charged in a charged state and discharged in a discharged state;

A charging and discharging connection terminal, which is configured to connect to a charging power supply or an electric vehicle or load;

The charging switch includes a first charging switch and a second charging switch, wherein the first charging switch is arranged in the connection route between the charging and discharging connection terminal and the input terminal of the power conversion unit, and the second charging switch is arranged in the power conversion unit In the connection route between the output terminal and the energy storage battery pack, the energy storage battery pack can be charged when the first charging switch and the second charging switch are closed; and

The discharging switch includes a first discharging switch and a second discharging switch, wherein the first discharging switch is arranged in the connection route between the energy storage battery pack and the input end of the electric energy conversion unit, and the second discharging switch is arranged in the electric energy conversion unit In the connection route between the output terminal and the charging and discharging connection terminal, the energy storage battery pack can be discharged when the first discharging switch and the second discharging switch are closed.

Through this preferred solution, the need to use multiple power conversion units for charging and discharging operations is eliminated. Instead, a single power conversion unit can be used for both charging and discharging operations, which reduces both device costs and cable costs. At the same time, it also reduces the space requirements of the charging and discharging equipment, so that the charging and discharging equipment can be developed in the direction of low cost and compactness; in addition, only one port is required for both charging and discharging operations, thereby reducing the number of ports and reducing the cost , The user operation is simplified.

In another preferred solution of the present invention, it is stipulated that the power supply module further includes a controller configured to perform the following actions:

Closing the first charging switch and the second charging switch when a charging signal indicating that a charging operation is performed is received; and

When a discharge signal indicating that a discharge operation is performed is received, the first discharge switch and the second discharge switch are closed.

Through this preferred solution, an automated remote charging and discharging operation can be realized, thereby eliminating the need for on-site manpower input. The controller can be implemented with software, hardware and/or firmware. The controller can also be integrated in the power conversion unit. The charging signal and the discharging signal may be received through a remote communication module, for example, and a feedback signal indicating the completion of the operation is sent through the module.

In an extended solution of the present invention, the automatic charging device further includes an auxiliary power supply module configured to provide an automatic driving module, a billing module, a remote communication module, an automatic driving module, and/or an automatic docking and separation device Electrical energy. Through this expansion scheme, the number of batteries can be reduced, thereby simplifying the structure of the charging device and reducing the space occupied.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, it is provided that the automatic docking and separation device includes:

The active device has 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 when the active device is not docked with the passive device and Retracted under the drive of the actuator so that the first connector of the active device is docked with the second connector of the passive device, and when the active device is docked with the passive device, the claw can be driven by the actuator The first connector of the passive device is separated from the second connector of the active device; and

The passive device has a second connector that can be matched with the first connector, and the passive device can be engaged with the claw in a releasable manner.

In this preferred solution, the claws of the active device are extended to lock with the passive device, so as to achieve docking. Reliable docking can be achieved without the need for accurate alignment of the plug and socket, because the claws can achieve larger Capture range and easy locking, and the jaws have better flexibility and maneuverability.

In another preferred solution of the present invention, it is stipulated that the active device further includes a transverse motion mechanism and a longitudinal motion mechanism, wherein the transverse motion mechanism includes a transverse motion guide rail and a transverse drive timing belt, and the longitudinal motion mechanism includes a longitudinal motion guide rail and a longitudinal drive timing belt, And the actuator includes a transverse actuator and a longitudinal actuator, wherein the claws can be driven by the transverse actuator and the longitudinal actuator through the transverse timing belt and the longitudinal timing belt respectively so as to move along the transverse and longitudinal motion rails horizontally and longitudinally. mobile. In this preferred solution, by providing lateral and longitudinal movement mechanisms, the lateral and longitudinal displacement of the jaws can be realized, thereby providing adaptive alignment capabilities and facilitating separation operations. It should be pointed out here that in the present invention, "lateral" 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, and "longitudinal" refers to the length direction of the jaws.

In the second aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned task is solved by a method for operating the automatic charging device according to the present invention, the method comprising:

Determine the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle by the mobile application on the automatic walking module or the server or the user equipment;

Drive to an electric vehicle according to the route, wherein the electric vehicle is connected to the second connector;

Docking the automatic charging device with a charging interface or an electric vehicle, the charging interface having a first connection terminal for electrical connection with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrical connection with the automatic charging device; and

The electric vehicle is charged by the power module.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, it is stipulated that docking the automatic charging device with the charging interface or the electric vehicle includes:

The automatic docking and separation device performs the docking between the first connector and the second connector; and

After the charging is completed, the automatic docking and separation device performs the separation between the first connector and the second connector.

Through this preferred solution, automatic docking and separation can be realized.

It is stipulated in an expansion scheme of the present invention that the method further includes:

The automatic walking module determines the obstacles in the route according to the sensor signals of the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor; and

The automatic driving module updates the route when there is an obstacle that cannot be bypassed, and re-determines the driving operation when the obstacle can be bypassed.

Through this expansion scheme, adaptive route adjustment can be realized, thereby improving the robustness and fault tolerance of the system.

In a preferred solution of the present invention, it is stipulated that the automatic docking and separation device performing the docking between the first connector and the second connector includes:

The jaws are extended by the automatic docking and separation device;

The claw is moved by the automatic docking and separation device so that it engages with the second connector of the passive device;

The jaws are retracted by the automatic docking and separation device; and

The first connector is docked with the second connector by the automatic docking and separation device.

In this preferred solution, by extending the claws to lock with the passive device, the docking can be achieved, and reliable docking can be achieved without the need for accurate alignment of the plug and socket, because the claws can achieve a larger capture range and Easy to lock, and the jaws have better flexibility and maneuverability.

It is stipulated in an expansion scheme of the present invention that the method further includes:

The mobile application on the user device receives the order instruction from the user;

After charging is completed, the mobile application receives charging information from the automatic charging device; and

The mobile application displays billing information to the user.

Through this extended solution, order placement and payment operations on mobile devices can be implemented, thereby achieving better remote automation operations.

In another preferred solution of the present invention, it is provided that the automatic charging device further includes an auxiliary power supply module, and the auxiliary power supply module includes:

Input terminal, which is configured to receive input power;

A conversion module, which is configured to convert input electrical energy;

An absorption circuit, which is configured to absorb the energy generated by the drive motor during braking and downhill to prevent overvoltage at the output terminal of the auxiliary power module; and

The output terminal is configured to output electric energy.

With this preferred solution, the automatic charging device or the auxiliary power module no longer needs to use a large-volume lead-acid battery, thereby simplifying the structure of the charging device and reducing the space occupied.

In the third aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned task is solved by an automatic charging system, which includes:

Automatic charging device, including:

An automatic traveling module configured to travel to the electric vehicle according to the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle;

Power module, which is configured to store and provide electrical energy;

A docking device configured to be able to be docked with a charging interface and/or an electric vehicle, wherein the charging interface has a first connection terminal for electrical connection with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrical connection with the automatic charging device; and

A remote communication module, which is configured to communicate with the server remotely;

The mobile application on the user equipment is configured to perform the following actions:

Receive user credentials from the user and send the user credentials to the server for authentication;

Receiving an order instruction from the user and sending the order instruction to the server, where the order instruction includes the location of the electric vehicle and the charging capacity;

Receiving charging information from the server after charging is completed; and

Display billing information to users; and

Server, which is configured to perform the following actions:

Authenticate user credentials;

Send the order instruction to the corresponding automatic charging device;

Determine the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle and send the route to the automatic charging device; and

After the charging is completed, the charging information is calculated and sent to the mobile application.

The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: (1) Through the present invention, automatic walking, automatic docking, and automatic charging can be realized, thereby greatly reducing manpower input, thereby facilitating the popularization of automatic charging devices, and due to cloud computing in recent years And the rise of artificial intelligence can realize the precise positioning of automatic charging devices and precise automatic remote control; (2) By using a single power conversion unit for both charging and discharging operations, the use of multiple power conversion units for charging and discharging is eliminated The need for operation not only reduces the cost of the device, but also reduces the cost of the circuit, and at the same time reduces the space requirements of the charging and discharging equipment, so that the charging and discharging equipment can be developed in the direction of low cost and compactness. Moreover, due to this structure, the cost The invention only needs one port to perform both charging and discharging operations, thereby reducing the number of ports, reducing costs and simplifying user operations; (3) In the present invention, docking can be achieved manually or automatically by a machine. Docking, that is, the claws of the active device extend to achieve the docking with the passive device. This can achieve reliable docking without the need for accurate alignment of the plug and socket, because the claws can achieve a larger capture range and Easy to lock, and the jaws have better flexibility and maneuverability.

Description of the drawings

The present invention will be further explained below with reference to specific embodiments in conjunction with the drawings.

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

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the automatic charging device according to the present invention;

Figures 3a-3c show schematic diagrams of the automatic docking and separation device according to the present invention;

Figure 3d shows a cross-sectional view of the passive device 302 of the automatic docking and separation device according to the present invention;

Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of a power supply module according to the present invention; and

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an auxiliary power supply module according to the present invention.

detailed description

It should be noted that the components in the drawings may be shown exaggeratedly for illustration purposes, and not necessarily in correct proportions. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or the same components.

In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "arranged on", "arranged on" and "arranged on" do not exclude the presence of intermediates between the two.

In the present invention, each embodiment is only intended to illustrate the solution of the present invention, and should not be construed as restrictive.

In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, the quantifiers "one" and "one" do not exclude the scenario of multiple elements.

It should also be pointed out here that in the embodiments of the present invention, for clarity and simplicity, only a part of the parts or components may be shown, but those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that under the teaching of the present invention, the The scene needs to add required parts or components.

It should also be pointed out here that within the scope of the present invention, the terms "same", "equal", "equal to" and other terms do not mean that the two values are absolutely equal, but allow certain reasonable errors, that is, the The wording also covers "substantially the same", "substantially equal", and "substantially equal".

In addition, the number of the steps of each method of the present invention does not limit the execution order of the method steps. Unless otherwise specified, the method steps can be performed in a different order.

Finally, it should also be pointed out that although the present invention is shown as an electric vehicle charging scene, the present invention is not limited to this, but can also be used for charging other electric vehicles, such as electric bicycles and electric motorcycles. Moreover, in the present invention, the positions of the plug and the socket can be interchanged, and other forms of connectors are also conceivable. In addition, although the present invention is described with a mobile charging vehicle as an example, the present invention is also applicable to other mobile charging devices, drone charging devices, and so on.

Finally, in the present invention, the term "sensor" should be understood as covering all sensors of a certain type of sensor. For example, cameras may include monocular cameras, binocular cameras, depth cameras, etc.; lidar may include single-line lidar, multiple Line lidar and so on.

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 device 102, a mobile application 103 on a user's mobile device 102, and a server 105. The automatic charging device 101 can access the Internet 104 through a wireless access device, such as a Wi-Fi router 106, so as to communicate with the server 105. The automatic charging device 101 may also communicate with the server 105 through other wireless access devices, or directly communicate with the server 105, such as through a cellular wireless connection. The user equipment 102 also accesses the Internet 104 to communicate with the server 105. In order to improve security, the communication between the user equipment 102 and the server 105 and between the automatic charging device 101 and the server 105 may be encrypted communication. The user equipment 102 may be a mobile device such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or the like, or a fixed device such as a desktop computer. In other embodiments, the communication between the server 105, the automatic charging device 101, and the user equipment 102 is implemented through an enterprise network, a dedicated network, a local area network, or the like.

The components of the automatic charging system 100 are described below:

·Automatic charging device 101, including:

An automatic traveling module (not shown), which is configured to travel to the electric vehicle according to a route between the automatic charging device 101 and the electric vehicle, such as the electric vehicle. The automatic driving module includes, for example, an automatic driving module, a vehicle chassis, a lidar sensor and/or an ultrasonic radar sensor, wherein the automatic driving module is configured to determine a driving operation according to the route, and the vehicle chassis is configured to perform the driving operation, And the automatic driving module determines obstacles in the route according to the sensor signal of the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor to re-determine the driving operation and/or update the route. The real-time update process of the driving operation or the route is, for example, the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor can obtain radar or ultrasonic images of the surroundings or on the route; then, by analyzing the images, it can be known whether there are obstacles on the route, Such as personnel, mobile or temporary obstacles, etc.; in the case of obstacles that cannot be bypassed, use GPS or electronic map programs to calculate other routes from the current position of the charging device to the vehicle to be charged; or when the obstacles can be bypassed In this case, determine additional or alternative driving operations such as steering and parking waiting. Obstacles that cannot be bypassed include, for example, fixed obstacles that block most roads, while obstacles that can be bypassed include, for example, pedestrians, obstacles in movement, and the like. The automatic driving module may include, for example, a positioning and navigation module, a path planning module, and a control execution module.

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

a. The positioning and navigation module uses lidar point cloud data and assists with other sensor information such as odometer during movement to determine the position and heading of the vehicle body, and create a map for real-time update.

b. The magnetic line is preset on the ground of the garage, and the positioning and navigation module detects the travel route through magnetic sensors, and assists other environmental sensing operations with sensors such as lidar, camera, and ultrasonic radar.

c. Preset multiple wireless signal transmission points in the garage, and the positioning navigation module calculates the real-time position information of the vehicle through the geometric relationship between the fixed radio frequency tag and the mobile radio frequency tag, and assists with sensors such as lidar, camera, and ultrasonic radar Perform other environmental awareness operations.

d. Preset lane markings on the ground of the garage, and the positioning navigation module uses the camera to sense the position of the lane markings and perform path tracking operations. The lane markings here are not limited to lane markings on traditional highways, but should include other continuous and discrete ones. , Regular and irregular marks that can provide navigation information.

e. Preset rails in the garage, and the charging device moves on the rails through rail racks, rollers and other devices. The rails here are not limited to rails laid on the ground, and should include other wall hangings that can be connected to mobile charging piles and provide movement guidance Type, hanging type guide rail.

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

g. The positioning and navigation module performs positioning and navigation based on the position information provided by GPS and electronic maps, and assists other environmental sensing operations with sensors such as lidar, camera, and ultrasonic radar.

The path planning module may include, for example:

The global path decision module, based on the prior map information provided by the positioning and navigation sub-module, plans a passable path that avoids known obstacles and connects the starting point and the target point;

The local path decision module, based on the path information provided by the global path plan, uses sensors such as lidar, camera, ultrasonic radar, millimeter wave radar, and infrared rangefinder to sense obstacles and other information during driving in real time, and perform obstacle avoidance operating. Obstacle avoidance operations include: decelerate, stop, modify the path provided by the global path plan, discard the path provided by the global path plan and re-plan a new path.

The power module is configured to store and provide electrical energy. Through the power supply module of the present invention, a single electric energy conversion unit can be used to realize both charging and discharging, and a single port can be used for charging and discharging. For further details on the power supply module, please refer to Figure 4 and its description.

The automatic docking and separation device is configured to perform docking and separation between the first connector and the second connector capable of making electrical contact with the first connector, wherein the first connector and the second connector are used for transmitting electric energy. The automatic docking and separation device of the present invention adopts claws to realize accurate and reliable docking and separation. For further details of the automatic docking and separation device, please refer to Figure 3a-Figure 3d.

The remote communication module is configured to communicate with the server remotely. The remote communication module may be, for example, a wireless communication module, such as a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, a ZigBee module, an infrared communication module, and so on.

An optional billing module, which is configured to bill the fees generated by the charging of the electric vehicle. The billing module may include, for example, a smart meter.

· A mobile application 103 on the user equipment, which is configured to perform the following actions:

Receive user credentials from the user and send the user credentials to the server for authentication or authentication. User credentials can be, for example, character passwords, voice, fingerprints, etc.

In the case of successful authentication, an order instruction is received from the user and sent to the server 105. The order instruction includes the location of the electric vehicle and the charging capacity. The location may include, for example, a parking space number of a parking lot or specific map location information.

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

Display billing information to users. The charging information can be displayed on the mobile application 103, for example.

· Server 105, which is configured to perform the following actions:

Authenticate user credentials.

The order instruction is transmitted to the corresponding automatic charging device 101. For example, the server 105 may directly send an order instruction to the automatic charging device 101, or may send specific parameters, such as the charging time, the location of the electric vehicle, and so on.

The route between the automatic charging device 101 and the electric vehicle is determined and the route is sent to the automatic charging device 101. The route determination can either be performed by a dedicated service provider or calculated by the server 105. The route determination process is, for example, using GPS or electronic map programs to calculate the (optimal) route from the current location of the charging device to the vehicle to be charged, or various electronic signs, such as radio frequency tags or wireless signals, can also be set in the parking lot. The launch point enables the charging device 101 to accurately find the corresponding parking space by identifying the electronic mark.

After the charging is completed, the charging information is calculated and sent to the mobile application 103. The user confirms and pays after receiving the charging information on the mobile application 103. Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the automatic charging device 101 according to the present invention.

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

The working flow of the automatic charging device 101 is described below.

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

The main control board 209 of the automatic charging device 101 receives the charging instruction, and creates a path through the automatic walking module 206 to walk to the target point, that is, the electric vehicle.

During the walking process, for example, two laser radars 201 and, for example, eight ultrasonic radars 204 monitor the condition of road obstacles in real time. If the road ahead is found to be blocked, the automatic walking module 206 will re-plan the path until it reaches the target point.

After reaching the target point, the automatic docking and separation device 205 automatically connects with electric vehicles, such as electric vehicles. After the charging control box 203 of the power module determines that the components are successfully connected, the preparation work is completed correctly, and the energy storage battery of the power module 202 starts discharging to charge the electric vehicle.

The charging control box 203 detects the data in the charging process, and synchronizes the data to the server 105 and/or the cloud in real time through the main control board 209. After the energy storage battery 202 is discharged and/or reaches the user's target power level, it automatically docks and disconnects the device 205 Automatically disconnect from the electric vehicle, and wait for the main control board (9) to issue instructions, such as returning to the recovery room to recharge the charging device 101 (in order to avoid confusion with the charging of electric vehicles, the charging of the charging device can also be called "replenishment" Electricity"), or go to the next target point to charge the electric vehicle.

When any part of the above process fails, the process can be stopped by the emergency stop device 208.

The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: (1) Through the present invention, automatic walking, automatic docking, and automatic charging can be realized, thereby greatly reducing manpower input, thereby facilitating the popularization of automatic charging devices, and due to cloud computing in recent years And the rise of artificial intelligence can realize the precise positioning of automatic charging devices and precise automatic remote control; (2) By using a single power conversion unit for both charging and discharging operations, the use of multiple power conversion units for charging and discharging is eliminated The need for operation not only reduces the cost of the device, but also reduces the cost of the circuit, and at the same time reduces the space requirements of the charging and discharging equipment, so that the charging and discharging equipment can be developed in the direction of low cost and compactness. Moreover, due to this structure, the cost The invention only needs one port to perform both charging and discharging operations, thereby reducing the number of ports, reducing costs and simplifying user operations; (3) In the present invention, docking can be achieved manually or automatically by a machine. Docking, that is, the claws of the active device are extended to achieve docking with the passive device. This can achieve reliable docking without the need for accurate alignment of the plug and socket, because the claws can achieve a larger capture range and Easy to lock, and the jaws have better flexibility and maneuverability.

Figures 3a-3c show schematic diagrams of the automatic docking and separation device 205 according to the present invention, wherein Figure 3a shows a schematic diagram of the automatic docking and separation device 205 according to the present invention, and Figure 3b shows the automatic docking and separation device 205 according to the present invention. A schematic diagram of the active device 301 of the docking and separation device 205, Figure 3c shows a schematic diagram of the actuator 301 of the automatic docking and separation device 205 according to the present invention; and Figure 4 shows the automatic docking and separation device according to the present invention A cross-sectional view of the passive device 302 of the separation device 205.

Figure 3a shows a schematic diagram of an automatic docking and separation device 205 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic docking and separation device 205 includes an active device 301 and a passive device 302. The active device 301 has an actuator (not shown, see Figure 3b for details) and a claw 303. Here, the claw 303 includes two claws for stable grasping. The pawl 303 is configured as a V-shaped concave here, so as to realize automatic centering and registration when mating with the passive device 302. The active device 100 optionally includes a connector, such as a plug 304, while the passive device 302 has a connector that can be matched with the active device, such as a socket 305. During the docking process, the plug and the socket are connected to achieve Operations such as charging and discharging. The passive device 302 may be installed at a mobile charging pile, for example, to realize the docking with the active device 301. The passive device 102 has a tolerance device for providing tolerance to the relative movement between the passive device 302 and the active device 301, for example: the pitching movement and the deflection of the socket of the passive device 302 are realized through the connection of the ball shaft and the sleeve. There are three tolerances for aeronautical motion and small-angle rolling motion; the forward and backward motion tolerance design of the socket is realized through the thrust spring; the tolerance design for the up and down movement of the plug is realized through the jacking spring.

The movable charging pile is equipped with electronic components on the back of the plastic box to realize temperature alarm and control, and the passive device is installed through the screw hole of the center disc to realize the mobility of the passive device, and the charging cable is installed through the surrounding trunking.

The process of docking and separation is as follows: when the active device 301 and the passive device 302 are not docked, the pawl 303 extends from the active device 301 and engages with the passive device 302 under the drive of the actuator and retracts under the drive of the actuator. So that the active device 301 is docked with the passive device 302, and the pawl 303 can separate the passive device 302 from the active device 301, such as pushing away, under the driving of the actuator when the active device 301 and the passive device 302 have been docked. Or pull or disconnect. Here, "occlusion" refers to mechanical contact and locking, so that the pawl 303 can be relatively fixed with the passive device when retracting the active device, and the locking can be released when separated. The driving process of the actuator is, for example, as follows: First, the two pawls 303 move laterally (that is, transverse to their length) to both sides to open, so that the space between the two pawls 303 can accommodate the passive device 302 or its socket 305, and then move longitudinally (that is, in its length direction) to surround the passive device 302 or its socket 305, and finally the two claws 103 move laterally inward to lock with the passive device 302 or its socket 305. The moving range of the pawl 303 can be set to be relatively large, so as to achieve reliable docking even when the active device 301 and the passive device 302 are greatly misaligned. It should be pointed out here that the number of claws 303 is only exemplary, and in other embodiments, other numbers of claws, such as one or three claws, can be provided.

Fig. 3b shows a schematic diagram of the active device 301 of the automatic docking and separation device according to the present invention.

The active device 301 is a mobile device that actively interfaces with the passive device 302. In the present invention, the active device 301 can maximize the realization of large-scale capture and docking in an extremely limited space (such as 380mm*293mm*165mm), and can achieve a certain horizontal range centered on the plug (such as ±93mm). ) To achieve capture and docking.

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

· A housing 403, which is configured to accommodate the components of the active device 401. The housing 403 may be made of hard materials, such as plastic or metal, to provide certain strength.

· Claw 303, where two claws 303 are configured to achieve a more stable docking. The pawl 303 has a support arm 406 connected to its end. The support arm 406 is used to carry the concave head of the claw 403 for locking. The concave head of the claw 403 is connected with the lateral movement guide 401 and the longitudinal movement guide 402 through a support arm to realize the lateral and longitudinal movement of the claw 403.

·The movement mechanism includes a transverse movement mechanism and a longitudinal movement mechanism, wherein the transverse movement mechanism includes a transverse movement guide rail 401 and a transverse drive device 408, and the longitudinal movement mechanism includes a longitudinal movement guide rail 402 and a longitudinal drive device 407. The driving device may be a motor, such as a stepper motor. The lateral and longitudinal guide rails 401 and 402 are respectively arranged in pairs to provide guidance for the two jaws 303. The lateral drive device 408 and the longitudinal drive device 407 drive the claws to move laterally and longitudinally by laterally driving a timing belt and a longitudinally driving 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 limit switches 404 and 405 are, for example, provided in pairs at the ends or somewhere in the middle of the corresponding rails. As the trigger point of the signal, the travel switch controls the travel in all directions, protects the safe operation of the system, and avoids damage to the structural parts caused by the motor running.

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

The controller 411, which is, for example, configured to position the active device 301 so that the active device 301 and the passive device 302 are roughly aligned. The positioning process can be implemented through GPS signals, image processing, and ranging, for example. In addition, the controller 411 can optionally perform operations such as abnormal situation processing, remote reception and processing of docking or disconnection signals, user authentication, and charging and billing.

• A power source 412, which includes, for example, multiple rechargeable batteries or accumulators. The power supply 412 is configured to charge the docked motor vehicle, or alternatively can also supply power to the components of the active device 301 and/or the passive device 302, especially the driving device. The power supply 412 is optional here. On the contrary, the automatic docking and separation device 205 can also be powered by the power supply module of the automatic charging device 101.

Fig. 3c shows a schematic diagram of the actuator 500 of the active device 301 of the automatic docking and separation device according to the present invention.

The actuator 500 is used to provide the lateral and longitudinal movement capabilities of the claw 303. The lateral movement is driven by a motor to rotate the timing belt wheel. The relative movement between the upper and lower layers of the timing belt is used to drive the support arm and the claw to move. The clamping and opening of the jaws automatically center the center; the longitudinal movement can realize the extension and retraction of the jaws, and provide power for the docking and separation of the plug and the socket.

The components of the actuator 500 are described below (some of them are optional):

·Longitudinal movement mechanism, which includes longitudinal movement guide rail 402, longitudinal movement travel switch 405, longitudinal drive device 407, longitudinal drive timing belt 504, and guide rail bracket 503. The longitudinal movement mechanism is used to provide the pawl 303 with a longitudinal movement capability, that is, parallel to the length direction of the pawl. To this end, the longitudinal drive device 407, such as a motor, drives the longitudinal drive timing belt 504 to rotate, and the longitudinal drive timing belt 504 drives the pawl 303 to move along the longitudinal movement guide 402. The longitudinal movement travel switch 405 is arranged at a corresponding position (such as an end or somewhere in the middle) on the longitudinal movement guide 402 to limit the range of the longitudinal displacement. The rail bracket 503 is used to support the longitudinal movement rail 402.

· A lateral movement mechanism, which includes a lateral movement guide 408, a lateral drive timing belt (not shown), a lateral movement travel switch 404, a lateral movement guide mounting plate 502, and a lateral drive device (not shown). The lateral movement mechanism is used to provide the pawl 303 with a lateral movement, that is, transverse (for example, perpendicular to) the length of the pawl. To this end, a transverse driving device, such as a motor, drives the timing belt to rotate, which in turn drives the pawl 303 to move along the transverse movement guide 408. The lateral movement travel switch 404 is arranged at a corresponding position (such as an end or somewhere in the middle) on the lateral movement guide 408 to limit the range of lateral displacement. The lateral movement guide rail mounting plate 502 is used to support the lateral movement guide rail 408.

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

The passive device 302 adopts a multi-joint flexible design scheme, which can increase tolerance to tolerances and reduce the complexity of the structure. In the present invention, the socket 305 has 5 degrees of freedom, which are:

(1)(2) The socket 305 performs pitching movement (ie up and down movement in the figure) and yaw movement (ie movement in the direction perpendicular to the figure) between the ball shaft 607 and the limit sleeve 604;

(3) The socket 305 rolls in a small angle around its central axis;

(4) Using the elastic expansion and contraction of the thrust spring 609 to realize the forward and backward movement of the socket 305;

(5) Using the elastic expansion and contraction of the jacking spring 610, the up and down movement of the socket 305 is realized.

By setting these degrees of freedom, a highly adaptive docking between the plug and the socket can be realized, and the structure is simple, and the processing cost is greatly reduced.

The components of the passive device 302 are described below (some of them are optional):

· Socket 305, which is used to connect with the plug of the active device 301 to transmit electrical energy, such as charging and discharging. Other types of connectors are also conceivable. In addition, the active device 301 may also use a socket, and the passive device 302 may use a plug. The socket 305 is fixed by a plug fixing base 606, wherein the two are fixed to each other by, for example, a shape fit, and the plug fixing base 606 is fixedly connected to the guide tube 605 by a fixing member, such as a screw or a nut.

A tolerance device, which is used to provide multiple degrees of freedom for the socket 305. The tolerance components include the following components. The ball shaft 607 is sleeved on the socket 305 so as to provide the socket 305 with certain mobility. The opening of the ball shaft 607 may have a certain size in the horizontal and vertical directions, for example, to provide a restriction on the movement of the socket 305. The bell mouth 608 contacts or engages with the ball shaft 607. The bell mouth 608 has a horn-like or conical shape for receiving the thrust of the socket 305 to achieve forward and backward movement, wherein the bell mouth 605 has a protrusion for pushing the thrust spring 608. The other end of the thrust spring 609 abuts on the thrust spring guide seat 603 to provide a reaction force to the elastic force of the thrust spring 609. The thrust spring guide seat 603 contacts or engages with the guide assembly fixing seat 611 to realize the fixation of each guide assembly. The guide fixing seat 611 is in contact with the jacking spring 610 in the vertical direction so as to push the jacking spring 610 to realize the up and down movement in the direction of the guide assembly 301. The other end of the jacking spring 610 may be in contact with the end of the corresponding component to provide an elastic reaction force. The limit sleeve 604 is sleeved on and fixed to a part of the ball shaft 607, the bell mouth 608, and the thrust spring guide seat 603, so as to provide a fixing part and a receiving part for these components.

·Installation and support components, which are used to provide installation capacity and support. The external mounting base 602 is arranged on the outside to provide external mounting capability. The tooling bracket 612 is arranged at the lower part of the passive device 302 to support various components of the passive device 302. The sliding feet 612 on the tooling bracket 612 are used to provide mobility of the passive device 302.

The claw 303 of the active device 301 is extended to lock with the passive device, so as to realize the docking. It is possible to achieve reliable docking without the need for accurate alignment of the plug and socket, because the claw 303 can achieve a larger capture range and Easy locking (for example, capturing and locking or unlocking the passive device by lateral and longitudinal movement); the passive device 302 of the automatic docking and separation device 205 of the present invention has multiple degrees of freedom, which can realize multiple The tolerance in the direction is conducive to smooth docking; in the present invention, the pawl 302 adopts a concave structure, which can be easily locked in place with the passive device 302 and can be easily unlocked without additional adjustment steps. Reliable docking and separation.

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 an electric vehicle, such as an electric vehicle. In one embodiment, the power module 700 includes one or more large-capacity batteries to charge the electric vehicle.

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

The power conversion unit 701 is configured to be able to convert AC power obtained from the grid into DC power and to convert the DC power stored by the energy storage battery pack 702 into AC power or DC power. 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 pack 702, which is 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 multiple batteries, the batteries may be connected in series or in parallel. The energy storage battery pack 702 may be, for example, a storage battery or a lithium ion battery.

· The charging and discharging connection terminal 703, which is configured to connect to a charging power source or an electric vehicle or load. The charging power source or the electric vehicle may be, for example, a charging power source, such as a power grid, a storage battery, and the like. The load can be various electrical appliances, such as mobile equipment or electrical appliances.

A charging switch, including a first charging switch 701a and a second charging switch 701b, wherein the first charging switch 701a is arranged in the connection line between the charging and discharging connection terminal 703 and the input terminal IN of the power conversion unit 701, and the second charging The switch 701b is arranged in the connection line between the output terminal OUT of the electric energy conversion unit 701 and the energy storage battery pack 702, wherein when the first charging switch 701a and the second charging switch 701b are closed, it can be connected to the charging connection terminal, for example. The power grid on 703 charges the energy storage battery pack 702 (see charging current direction).

A discharge switch, including a first discharge switch 702a and a second discharge switch 702b, where the first discharge switch 702a is arranged in the connection line between the energy storage battery pack 702 and the input terminal IN of the electric energy conversion unit 701, and the second discharge The switch 702a is arranged in the connection line between the output terminal OUT of the electric energy conversion unit and the charging and discharging connection terminal 703, wherein the energy storage battery pack can be discharged when the first discharging switch 702a and the second discharging switch 702b are closed, For example, to charge the battery connected to the charging and discharging connection terminal 703 or to supply power to the load connected to it. The first charging switch 701a, the second charging switch 701b, the first discharging switch 702a, and the second discharging switch 702b are contactors, such as relays, thereby realizing the on-off of electronic switches.

The working process of the power supply module 700 of the present invention is described below.

Charging process: the first charging switch 701a and the second charging switch 701b are closed manually or under the control of the controller, AC current or DC current enters the electric energy conversion unit 701 from the AC grid or other power source, and is converted into a storage battery suitable for storage. The current and voltage at which the battery pack 702 can be charged.

Discharge process: the second discharge switch 702a and the second discharge switch 702b are closed manually or under the control of the controller, the current energy storage battery pack 702 enters the electric energy conversion unit 701, and is converted into suitable for connecting to the charging and discharging terminal The electric load on the 703 is powered or charged by the battery or fed into the AC grid to supply power to the grid.

Through the power supply module 700, the need to use multiple power conversion units for charging and discharging operations is eliminated. Instead, a single power conversion unit 701 can be used for both charging and discharging operations, which not only reduces device costs, but also reduces wiring. Cost, while also reducing the space requirements of the charging and discharging equipment, so that the charging and discharging equipment can be developed towards low cost and compactness; in addition, only one port is required for both charging and discharging operations, thereby reducing the number of ports and making the cost Reduce and simplify user operation.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an auxiliary power supply module 800 according to the present invention. The auxiliary power supply module 800 includes an input terminal 801, a conversion module 802, an output terminal 803, and an absorption circuit 804. The auxiliary power supply module 800 may be powered by an energy storage battery pack via the input terminal 801, for example, and the low-voltage DC power (for example, 48V) output by the auxiliary power supply module 800 is an automatic driving module, a billing module, or a remote communication via an output terminal 803. Power supply for modules, automatic walking modules, and/or automatic docking and separation devices. The autonomous driving module includes at least one motor driver 805 and at least one driving motor 806. The absorption circuit 804 is configured to absorb the energy generated by the driving motor 806 when braking and/or downhill, and to prevent the output terminal 803 of the auxiliary power module 800 from being over-voltage. The overvoltage absorption module 804 can use a DC chopper circuit or other active/passive overvoltage protection devices. Through this expansion scheme, the automatic charging device or the auxiliary power supply module 800 no longer needs to use a large-volume lead-acid battery, thereby simplifying the structure of the charging device and reducing the space occupied.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described in this application document, those skilled in the art can understand that these embodiments are only shown as examples. Under the teaching of the present invention, those skilled in the art can think of numerous variations, alternatives and improvements without going beyond the scope of the present invention. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of the present invention, and thereby cover methods and structures within the scope of the claims themselves and their equivalents.

Claims (18)

1. An automatic charging device includes:

   An automatic traveling module configured to travel to the electric vehicle according to the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle;

   A docking device configured to be able to be docked with a charging interface and/or an electric vehicle, wherein the charging interface has a first connection terminal for electrical connection with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrical connection with the automatic charging device; and

   The power module is configured to store and provide electrical energy.
2. The automatic charging device according to claim 1, wherein the docking device has an automatic docking and separation device configured to perform the docking between the first connector and the second connector capable of making electrical contact with the first connector And separation, where the first connector and the second connector are used to transmit electrical energy.
3. The automatic charging device according to claim 1, further having a positioning module configured to determine a route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle.
4. The automatic charging device according to claim 2, wherein the automatic walking module comprises:

   An automatic driving module configured to determine a driving operation according to the route;

   A complete vehicle chassis, which is configured to perform the driving operation; and

   The lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor, wherein the automatic driving module re-determines the driving operation and/or updates the route according to the obstacle in the route determined by the sensor signal of the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor.
5. The automatic charging device according to claim 4, wherein the automatic driving module comprises:

   Positioning and navigation module, which is configured to determine the position of the automatic charging device and the position of the electric vehicle;

   A path planning module, which is configured to determine a route from the automatic charging device to the electric vehicle according to the position of the automatic charging device and the position of the electric vehicle; and

   The control execution module is configured to generate a control instruction for controlling the automatic charging device to travel along the route.
6. The automatic charging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

   A billing module, the billing module includes an electric meter, wherein the electric meter is configured to measure the electric energy provided to the electric vehicle during the discharging process, and the controller is further configured to calculate the charging fee according to the rate and the electric energy; as well as

   The remote communication module is configured to remotely receive charging instructions and remotely send charging fees.
7. The automatic charging device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply module comprises:

   An electric energy conversion unit, which is configured to convert AC electric energy obtained from the grid into DC electric energy and convert the DC electric energy stored by the energy storage battery pack into AC electric energy or DC electric energy;

   An energy storage battery pack, which is configured to be charged in a charged state and discharged in a discharged state;

   A charging and discharging connection terminal, which is configured to connect to a charging power supply or an electric vehicle or load;

   The charging switch includes a first charging switch and a second charging switch, wherein the first charging switch is arranged in the connection route between the charging and discharging connection terminal and the input terminal of the power conversion unit, and the second charging switch is arranged in the power conversion unit In the connection route between the output terminal and the energy storage battery pack, the energy storage battery pack can be charged when the first charging switch and the second charging switch are closed; and

   The discharging switch includes a first discharging switch and a second discharging switch, wherein the first discharging switch is arranged in the connection route between the energy storage battery pack and the input end of the electric energy conversion unit, and the second discharging switch is arranged in the electric energy conversion unit In the connection route between the output terminal and the charging and discharging connection terminal, the energy storage battery pack can be discharged when the first discharging switch and the second discharging switch are closed.
8. 7. The automatic charging device according to claim 7, wherein the power supply module further comprises a controller configured to perform the following actions:

   Closing the first charging switch and the second charging switch when a charging signal indicating that a charging operation is performed is received; and

   When a discharge signal indicating that a discharge operation is performed is received, the first discharge switch and the second discharge switch are closed.
9. The automatic charging device according to claim 2, wherein the automatic docking and separation device comprises:

   The active device has 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 when the active device is not docked with the passive device and Retracted under the drive of the actuator so that the first connector of the active device is docked with the second connector of the passive device, and when the active device is docked with the passive device, the claw can be driven by the actuator The first connector of the passive device is separated from the second connector of the active device; and

   The passive device has a second connector that can be matched with the first connector, and the passive device can be engaged with the claw in a releasable manner.
10. The automatic charging device according to claim 9, wherein the active device further comprises a lateral movement mechanism and a longitudinal movement mechanism, wherein the lateral movement mechanism comprises a lateral movement guide rail and a lateral drive timing belt and the longitudinal movement mechanism comprises a longitudinal movement guide rail and a longitudinal drive timing belt , And the actuator includes a horizontal actuator and a longitudinal actuator, wherein the claws can be driven by the horizontal actuator and the longitudinal actuator through the horizontal and longitudinal synchronous belts respectively so as to be along the horizontal and longitudinal movement rails horizontally and longitudinally respectively To move.
11. The automatic charging device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary power supply module, the auxiliary power supply module comprising:

    The power conversion module is used to convert the electric energy of the energy storage battery pack to supply power to the automatic driving module, automatic docking and separation device, automatic driving module, billing module, and/or remote communication module; and

    The overvoltage absorption module is used to absorb the energy generated by the automatic charging device when braking and/or downhill to avoid overvoltage at the output terminal of the power conversion module.
12. The automatic charging device according to claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary power supply module, the auxiliary power supply module comprising:

    Input terminal, which is configured to receive input power;

    A conversion module, which is configured to convert input electrical energy;

    An absorption circuit, which is configured to absorb the energy generated by the drive motor when braking and/or downhill to prevent overvoltage at the output terminal of the auxiliary power module; and

    The output terminal is configured to output electric energy.
13. A method for operating the automatic charging device according to one of claims 1 to 12, comprising:

    The server determines the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle;

    Drive to an electric vehicle according to the route, wherein the electric vehicle is electrically connected to the second connector;

    Docking the automatic charging device with a charging interface or an electric vehicle, wherein the charging interface has a first connection terminal for electrically connecting with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrically connecting the automatic charging device; and

    The electric vehicle is charged by the power module.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the docking of the automatic charging device with the charging interface or the electric vehicle includes:

    The automatic docking and separation device performs the docking between the first connector and the second connector; and

    After the charging is completed, the automatic docking and separation device performs the separation between the first connector and the second connector.
15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

    The automatic walking module determines the obstacles in the route according to the sensor signals of the lidar sensor and/or the ultrasonic radar sensor; and

    The route is updated when there is an obstacle that cannot be bypassed, and the driving operation is re-determined when the obstacle can be bypassed.
16. The method according to claim 14, wherein performing the docking between the first connector and the second connector by the automatic docking and separation device comprises:

    The jaws are extended by the automatic docking and separation device;

    The claw is moved by the automatic docking and separation device so that it engages with the second connector of the passive device;

    The jaws are retracted by the automatic docking and separation device; and

    The first connector is docked with the second connector by the automatic docking and separation device.
17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

    The mobile application on the user device receives the order instruction from the user;

    After charging is completed, the mobile application receives charging information from the automatic charging device; and

    The mobile application displays billing information to the user.
18. An automatic charging system, including:

    Automatic charging device, including:

    An automatic traveling module configured to travel to the electric vehicle according to the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle;

    Power module, which is configured to store and provide electrical energy;

    A docking device configured to be able to be docked with a charging interface and/or an electric vehicle, wherein the charging interface has a first connection terminal for electrical connection with the electric vehicle and a second connection terminal for electrical connection with the automatic charging device; and

    A remote communication module, which is configured to communicate with the server remotely;

    The mobile application on the user equipment is configured to perform the following actions:

    Receive user credentials from the user and send the user credentials to the server for authentication;

    Receiving an order instruction from the user and sending the order instruction to the server, where the order instruction includes the location of the electric vehicle and the charging capacity;

    Receiving charging information from the server after charging is completed; and

    Display billing information to users; and

    Server, which is configured to perform the following actions:

    Authenticate user credentials;

    Send the order instruction to the corresponding automatic charging device;

    Determine the route between the automatic charging device and the electric vehicle and send the route to the automatic charging device; and

    After the charging is completed, the charging information is calculated and sent to the mobile application.

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