POSITIONING SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION OF A VEHICLE IN A CHARGING STATION

• US 20170212237A1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: ROMPE, ANDRE, BUEHS, FLORIAN
• Granted Patent: US 10,551,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/48 Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

A positioning system for determining the position of a vehicle when driving into a charging station for charging an energy accumulator of the vehicle includes a vehicle-side marking having at least one marking property changing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A route-side sensor device measures a distance from the marking to the sensor device when the vehicle passes the sensor device and generates a distance signal indicating a distance from the marking to the sensor device in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The sensor device reads out the marking property in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and generates a longitudinal vehicle direction signal indicating the position of the marking and/or the vehicle relative to the sensor device in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A charging station, a vehicle and a method for determining the position of a vehicle, are also provided.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A positioning system for determining the position of a vehicle upon entering a charging station suitable for charging an energy accumulator of the vehicle, the positioning system comprising:

a vehicle-side marking having at least one marking property changing in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and

a route-side sensor device, said sensor device, as the vehicle travels past said sensor device;

measuring a distance between said marking and said sensor device and generating a distance signal indicating said distance between said marking and said sensor device in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and

reading-out said at least one marking property in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and generating a longitudinal vehicle direction signal indicating a position of said marking or the vehicle relative to said sensor device in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

17. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said at least one marking property, which is dependent on the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is determined by a surface topology or by a surface topology of said marking.

18. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein:

said at least one marking property, which is dependent on the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is determined by a surface profile of the marking in the transverse direction of the vehicle; and

said longitudinal vehicle direction signal is generated by analyzing said distance signal.

19. The positioning system according to claim 17, wherein said surface topology of said marking in the transverse direction of the vehicle has a height coding along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and said position of the marking can be determined in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle relative to said sensor device based on said height coding.

20. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said marking has a surface topology being bent about a bending axis corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle or being parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

21. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said at least one marking property, which is dependent on the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, has a marking end disposed in front in a forward travel direction of the vehicle, said front marking end has a starting feature or a starting sequence, and said sensor device recognizes a beginning of said marking traveling past based on said starting feature or a starting sequence.

22. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said marking is formed by or contains at least one of a perforated screen or a slotted screen containing at least one of one or more holes or one or more slots.

23. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein:

said marking has a coding identifying the vehicle; and

said sensor device recognizes the vehicle based on said coding by analyzing said distance signal.

24. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said sensor device operates contactlessly.

25. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said sensor device operates at least one of optically, inductively, magnetically or capacitively.

26. The positioning system according to claim 16, wherein said sensor device determines said distance between said marking and said sensor device by using triangulation, laser triangulation or radiation runtime.

27. A charging station suitable for charging an energy accumulator of a vehicle, the charging station comprising:

a sensor device, said sensor device as the vehicle enters the charging station;

measuring a distance between a vehicle-side marking and said sensor device and generating a distance signal indicating said distance between said marking and said sensor device in a transverse direction of the vehicle, and

reading-out a marking property in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and generating a longitudinal vehicle direction signal indicating a position of at least one of said marking or the vehicle relative to said sensor device in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

28. A vehicle, comprising:

at least one electric drive;

an energy accumulator being chargeable by a charging station having a sensor device; and

a vehicle-side marking having a marking property being dependent on a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said marking property forming a basis for generating;

a longitudinal vehicle direction signal indicating a position of at least one of said marking or the vehicle relative to the sensor device in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and

a distance signal indicating a distance between the sensor device and at least one of said marking or the vehicle in a transverse direction of the vehicle.

29. A method for determining the position of a vehicle upon entering a charging station suitable for charging an energy accumulator of the vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

measuring a distance between a vehicle-side marking and a sensor device of the charging station in a transverse direction of the vehicle and generating a distance signal indicating a distance between the sensor device of the charging station and at least one of the marking or the vehicle in a transverse direction of the vehicle, as the vehicle travels past the sensor device of the charging station; and

reading-out a marking property of the vehicle-side marking being dependent on a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and generating a longitudinal vehicle direction signal indicating a position of at least one of the marking or the vehicle relative to the sensor device of the charging station in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

30. The method according to claim 29, which further comprises:

determining the marking property, being dependent on the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, by using a surface profile of the marking in the transverse direction of the vehicle; and

generating the longitudinal vehicle direction signal by analyzing the distance signal.