Battery swapping equipment testing methods and systems, battery swapping equipment and storage media

Abstract

This invention discloses a battery swapping detection method and system, a battery swapping device, and a storage medium. The battery swapping device is configured to move back and forth along a preset path to perform battery transfer operations and battery removal / installation operations from the bottom of a battery swapping vehicle. The battery swapping detection method includes the following steps: during the movement of the battery swapping device between the battery exchange position and the battery removal / installation position, target position detection is performed on the battery swapping device to accurately control the movement process; and during the battery pack removal or installation process at the battery removal / installation position, position detection of the battery pack is performed to accurately control the battery pack removal / installation process, thereby improving overall battery swapping efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of battery swapping technology, and in particular to a battery swapping detection method and system, battery swapping equipment, and storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development and popularization of new energy vehicles, battery pack quick-swap technology has also developed rapidly. Currently, quick-swap technology is most mature in small passenger vehicles. Since passenger vehicle batteries are fixed to the vehicle chassis, specialized battery swapping equipment needs to be moved to the bottom of the vehicle for battery removal or installation when replacing the battery pack. Moreover, due to the relatively small weight of passenger vehicles, the battery pack is also relatively small, making battery replacement very convenient.

[0003] However, for large vehicles, such as heavy trucks, the large weight of the vehicle body and cargo necessitates a high capacity battery pack to support a range of hundreds of kilometers. Therefore, current technology for large new energy vehicles uses a top-mounted method to fix a large battery container to the vehicle's frame, with the container positioned close to the cab. This creates significant safety hazards for the driver and the vehicle during operation and battery swapping. Furthermore, battery malfunctions can directly cause personal injury to the driver. Additionally, the top-mounted method requires a large site for the battery swapping station, necessitating sufficient space for hoisting, transferring, and storing batteries, resulting in high construction costs.

[0004] Therefore, a safer, more reliable, and easier-to-adopt battery swapping model is urgently needed for large vehicles. For example, a chassis-based battery swapping model used in passenger cars could be adopted. However, in this model, the battery swapping equipment (or swapping trolley) needs to be moved to a swapping position under the vehicle before the battery pack is removed or installed. Then, the swapping platform on the equipment is lifted, and the battery pack is removed or installed to complete the swapping process. Based on this, when replacing battery packs on heavy-duty trucks and other vehicles using a chassis-based battery swapping system, the large weight of the vehicle and the battery itself can easily reduce the efficiency and reliability of the existing swapping equipment when removing the old battery pack or installing the new one, and may also create safety hazards. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects in the prior art where the battery swapping efficiency and reliability of heavy trucks and other battery swapping vehicles are reduced during the battery swapping process, and cannot meet the actual battery swapping needs. The present invention provides a battery swapping detection method and system, battery swapping equipment and storage medium.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solution:

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides a battery swapping detection method for a battery swapping device, wherein the battery swapping device is configured to move back and forth along a preset movement path to perform battery transfer operations and battery removal and installation operations from the bottom of a battery swapping vehicle; the battery swapping detection method includes the following steps:

[0008] During the process of the battery swapping equipment moving between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, the target position of the battery swapping equipment is detected.

[0009] During the process of battery pack disassembly or installation at the battery disassembly / installation position, the battery pack position is detected by the battery swapping equipment to achieve battery pack disassembly or installation.

[0010] In this solution, during the battery swapping process of the battery swapping equipment for the battery swapping vehicle, the positions of the battery swapping equipment and the battery pack are detected separately. Specifically, by detecting the target position of the battery swapping equipment during its movement between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, the movement process of the battery swapping equipment can be accurately controlled. Similarly, by detecting the position of the battery pack during the battery swapping equipment's battery pack removal process, the process of removing and installing the battery pack can be accurately controlled, thereby improving the overall battery swapping efficiency.

[0011] Optionally, the battery swapping vehicle has a beam at its bottom for mounting a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism having a locking groove that mates with a locking shaft on the battery pack.

[0012] The step of detecting the position of the battery pack includes:

[0013] The distance between the battery swapping platform of the battery swapping device and the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle is detected, so that the battery swapping platform moves to contact the battery pack at the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle based on the detected distance, or the battery swapping platform lifts the battery pack to contact the locking mechanism based on the detected distance.

[0014] During the movement of the battery pack driven by the battery swapping platform, the position information of the battery swapping platform is detected to confirm that the battery pack has been successfully unlocked or unlocked.

[0015] In this solution, the battery pack is detachably connected to the beam of the battery swapping vehicle through a locking shaft and a locking groove on the locking mechanism. By detecting the distance between the battery swapping platform and the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, the battery swapping platform can accurately reach the battery removal and installation position for battery removal and installation. Furthermore, by detecting the position information of the battery swapping platform, the unlocking and unlocking status of the battery pack can be confirmed. This enables accurate control of the battery pack removal and installation of the battery swapping equipment, thereby improving battery swapping efficiency.

[0016] Optionally, the battery swapping position is set as the initial position of the battery swapping device, and the battery swapping detection method further includes the following steps:

[0017] Before the battery swapping device starts moving from the battery exchange position or during the movement of the battery swapping device toward the battery exchange position, the origin position of the battery swapping device is detected so that the battery swapping device is in the initial position.

[0018] In this solution, by performing origin point detection on the battery swapping equipment, the equipment can accurately reach the battery swapping location to swap the battery pack, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0019] Optionally, the battery swapping device is provided with a first detection element on its end face along the moving direction, and the battery swapping detection method further includes the following steps:

[0020] During the process of the battery swapping equipment moving between the battery swapping position and the battery removal position, the first detection element detects obstacles in the space in front of the current direction of movement.

[0021] In this solution, the first detection element set on the end face of the battery swapping equipment can realize obstacle detection, thereby avoiding collisions with obstacles during the movement of the battery swapping equipment between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of battery swapping.

[0022] Optionally, there are two battery swapping devices, with the first and second devices located on opposite sides of the battery swapping vehicle, so that the first device can perform battery removal and the second device can perform battery installation.

[0023] The step of detecting obstacles in the space in front of the current direction of movement using the first detection element includes:

[0024] The distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device is obtained through the first detection element;

[0025] Collision detection is performed on the first and second battery swapping devices based on the distance information.

[0026] In this solution, the first battery swapping device performs a battery removal operation at the battery removal and installation position and moves the removed battery pack to the battery compartment for charging. The second battery swapping device obtains a new battery pack from the battery compartment and moves it to the battery removal and installation position to perform a battery installation operation. Collision detection is performed using the distance information between the first and second battery swapping devices obtained by the first detection element, which can prevent the first and second battery swapping devices from colliding, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of battery swapping.

[0027] Optionally, the first detection element is a ranging sensor; the step of obtaining the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device through the first detection element includes:

[0028] The data obtained by the ranging sensor from detecting the first and second battery swapping devices that are positioned relative to each other is acquired.

[0029] The distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device is obtained based on the data.

[0030] In this solution, the distance between the first and second battery swapping devices can be directly measured by a distance sensor installed on the front face of the battery swapping device. The measurement results are accurate and reliable, which can further improve the accuracy of collision avoidance detection for the first and second battery swapping devices.

[0031] Optionally, the first battery swapping device is driven to move by a first servo motor, and the second battery swapping device is driven to move by a second servo motor; the step of obtaining the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device through the first detection element includes:

[0032] The first position of the first battery swapping device is determined based on the feedback information from the first servo motor, and the second position of the second battery swapping device is determined based on the feedback information from the second servo motor.

[0033] At least the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device is obtained based on the first position and the second position.

[0034] In this solution, the position of the battery swapping equipment is determined by the feedback information from the servo motor that drives the equipment to move, and then the distance between the two equipment is determined. The measurement results are accurate and reliable, which can further improve the accuracy of collision avoidance detection for the first and second battery swapping equipment.

[0035] Optionally, a second detection element is provided in a preset area near the battery removal / installation position. The step of detecting the target position of the battery swapping device during its movement between the battery swapping position and the battery removal / installation position includes:

[0036] During the process of the battery swapping device moving to the battery removal / installation position, the second detection element is used to detect the target position of the battery swapping device.

[0037] In this solution, by setting a second detection element in a preset area near the battery installation / removal position, the target position of the battery swapping equipment can be detected, thereby enabling accurate control of the movement process of the battery swapping equipment.

[0038] Optionally, the step of detecting the target location of the battery swapping equipment includes:

[0039] A coarse positioning detection is performed at a position within a preset range from the target location to determine that the battery swapping equipment has been initially moved into place.

[0040] Precise positioning detection is performed at the target location to determine that the battery swapping equipment has been accurately moved to the target location.

[0041] In this solution, during the movement of the battery swapping equipment between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, coarse positioning detection and fine positioning detection are performed on the target position respectively. This can improve the accuracy of the target position detection of the battery swapping equipment, thereby improving the accuracy of controlling the movement process of the battery swapping equipment and thus improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0042] Optionally, the battery swapping vehicle is configured to park in a designated battery swapping area to perform battery swapping operations, with the battery installation / removal point located within the battery swapping area.

[0043] The battery swapping testing method also includes the following steps:

[0044] After the battery swapping vehicle stops, its actual position information is detected so that the battery swapping equipment can be moved to be aligned with the battery swapping vehicle.

[0045] In this solution, the battery swapping equipment is moved to align with the battery swapping vehicle based on the actual location information of the detected battery swapping vehicle. This allows the battery swapping equipment to accurately reach the battery removal and installation position, thereby accurately performing the battery removal and installation operation and improving battery swapping efficiency.

[0046] Optionally, a binocular camera is fixedly installed in the battery swapping area; the step of detecting the actual location information of the battery swapping vehicle after it stops includes:

[0047] After the battery swapping vehicle stops, acquire the actual image information of the battery swapping vehicle captured by the binocular camera;

[0048] The actual location information of the battery swapping vehicle is obtained based on the actual image information.

[0049] In this solution, by setting up binocular cameras in the battery swapping area to obtain actual image information of the battery swapping vehicles, and by performing image analysis, the actual position information of the battery swapping vehicles can be detected, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the battery swapping equipment and the battery swapping vehicles, and thus improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0050] A second aspect of the present invention provides a battery swapping detection system for a battery swapping device, the battery swapping device being configured to move back and forth along a preset movement path to perform battery transfer operations and battery removal and installation operations from the bottom of a battery swapping vehicle; the battery swapping detection system includes:

[0051] The first detection module is used to detect the target position of the battery swapping device during the process of the battery swapping device moving between the battery swapping position and the battery removal and installation position.

[0052] The second detection module is used to detect the position of the battery pack during the process of battery pack disassembly or installation at the battery disassembly / installation position of the battery swapping equipment, so as to realize the disassembly or installation of the battery pack.

[0053] Optionally, the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle has a beam for mounting a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism having a locking groove that mates with a locking shaft on the battery pack;

[0054] The first detection module includes:

[0055] The distance detection unit is used to detect the distance between the battery swapping platform of the battery swapping equipment and the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, so that the battery swapping platform moves to contact the battery pack at the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle based on the detected distance, or raises the battery pack to contact the locking mechanism based on the detected distance.

[0056] The position detection unit is used to detect the position information of the battery swapping platform during the movement of the battery pack driven by the battery swapping platform, so as to confirm that the battery pack has been successfully unlocked or unlocked.

[0057] Optionally, the battery swapping position is set to the initial position of the battery swapping device;

[0058] The battery swapping detection system further includes a third detection module, used to perform origin position detection on the battery swapping device before it starts moving from the battery exchange position or during the process of the battery swapping device moving toward the battery exchange position, so that the battery swapping device is in its initial position.

[0059] Optionally, the battery swapping device is provided with a first detection element on its end face along the moving direction;

[0060] The battery swapping detection system also includes a fourth detection module, which is used to detect obstacles in the front space of the current movement direction through the first detection element during the process of the battery swapping equipment moving between the battery swapping position and the battery removal position.

[0061] Optionally, there are two battery swapping devices, with the first and second devices located on opposite sides of the battery swapping vehicle, so that the first device can perform battery removal and the second device can perform battery installation.

[0062] The fourth detection module includes:

[0063] The distance acquisition unit is used to acquire distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device through the first detection element;

[0064] The collision avoidance detection unit is used to perform collision avoidance detection on the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device based on the distance information.

[0065] Optionally, the first detection element is a ranging sensor; the distance acquisition unit is specifically used to acquire data obtained by the ranging sensor from the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device that are set up opposite each other, and to obtain the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device based on the data.

[0066] Optionally, the first battery swapping device is driven to move by a first servo motor, and the second battery swapping device is driven to move by a second servo motor; the distance acquisition unit is specifically used to determine the first position of the first battery swapping device based on the feedback information of the first servo motor, determine the second position of the second battery swapping device based on the feedback information of the second servo motor, and obtain the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device based at least on the first position and the second position.

[0067] Optionally, a second detection element is set in a preset area near the battery removal / installation position. The first detection module is specifically used to detect the target position of the battery swapping device by means of the second detection element during the process of the battery swapping device moving to the battery removal / installation position.

[0068] Optionally, the first detection module is specifically used to perform coarse positioning detection at a position within a preset range from the target position to determine that the battery swapping equipment has initially moved into place; and to perform fine positioning detection at the target position to determine that the battery swapping equipment has accurately moved to the target position.

[0069] Optionally, the battery swapping vehicle is configured to park in a designated battery swapping area to perform battery swapping operations, and the battery removal and installation position is located in the battery swapping area;

[0070] The battery swapping detection system also includes a fifth detection module, which is used to detect the actual position information of the battery swapping vehicle after the battery swapping vehicle stops, so that the battery swapping equipment moves to be aligned with the battery swapping vehicle.

[0071] Optionally, a binocular camera is fixedly installed in the battery swapping area;

[0072] The fifth detection module includes:

[0073] The image acquisition unit is used to acquire the actual image information of the battery swapping vehicle captured by the binocular camera after the battery swapping vehicle stops.

[0074] The location determination unit is used to obtain the actual location information of the battery swapping vehicle based on the actual image information.

[0075] A third aspect of the present invention provides a battery swapping device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the battery swapping detection method as described in the first aspect.

[0076] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the battery swapping detection method as described in the first aspect.

[0077] Based on common knowledge in the field, the above optional conditions can be combined arbitrarily to obtain various preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0078] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows: During the battery swapping process of the battery swapping equipment for the battery swapping vehicle, the positions of the battery swapping equipment and the battery pack are detected separately. Specifically, by detecting the target position of the battery swapping equipment during its movement between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, the movement process of the battery swapping equipment can be accurately controlled. Furthermore, by detecting the position of the battery pack during the battery swapping equipment's battery pack removal process, the process of removing and installing the battery pack can be accurately controlled, thereby improving the overall battery swapping efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0079] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the battery swapping vehicle and battery pack provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0080] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the battery swapping equipment for battery swapping vehicles provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0081] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the power exchange equipment.

[0082] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a battery swapping vehicle.

[0083] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle beam and locking mechanism in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0084] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A magnified view of the middle locking structure.

[0085] Figure 7 For use Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the battery pack structure of a battery swapping vehicle.

[0086] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the locking shaft structure at the top of the battery pack.

[0087] Figure 9 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the upper layer plate of the power exchange equipment.

[0088] Figure 10 For use Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the battery pack structure of a battery swapping vehicle.

[0089] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A magnified view of the unlocking transition piece 102.

[0090] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating a battery swapping detection method for a battery swapping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating step S2 in the battery swapping detection method provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0092] Figure 14 This is a structural block diagram of a battery swapping detection system for a battery swapping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0093] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a battery swapping device provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0094] The present invention will be further illustrated by way of embodiments below, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments described herein.

[0095] Example 1

[0096] This embodiment provides a battery swapping detection method for battery swapping equipment, which is applied to battery swapping equipment that performs bottom battery swapping on battery swapping vehicles. The battery swapping vehicles involved in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, heavy-duty trucks, including heavy-duty freight trucks and semi-trailer tractors.

[0097] like Figure 1As shown, the battery swapping vehicle 200 is the front section of a heavy-duty truck, with the rear section capable of attaching large containers, etc. Figure 1 (Not shown in the text), which enables heavy-duty trucks to have a high load-carrying capacity. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the battery swapping vehicle 200 has beams for locking the quick-swap battery pack 100, specifically two beams 201 extending along the length of the vehicle body. Locking mechanisms are respectively installed on the two beams 201. Figure 1 (Part of the battery pack structure is covered), and the battery pack 100 is connected by a locking mechanism.

[0098] Based on the aforementioned quick-swap battery pack structure for heavy-duty trucks, due to the large size and weight of the batteries, replacing the battery pack necessitates using specialized battery swapping equipment to move it to the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle's beam for disassembly or installation. For example... Figure 2 and 3 The power swapping device 500 shown is used for... Figure 1 For heavy-duty trucks, battery pack replacement is performed. The battery swapping equipment 500 is set to move back and forth on a preset path to perform battery transfer operations and battery removal and installation operations from the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle.

[0099] Specifically, according to Figure 1 The battery swapping vehicle 200 shown has a specific structure. When a battery swapping vehicle 200 needs to be replaced, it must first be parked in a designated battery swapping area to facilitate... Figure 2 The battery swapping device 500 shown can be moved to a designated location within the battery swapping area to perform battery removal and installation operations.

[0100] For example Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the battery swapping equipment 500 includes a base 510 and a walking mechanism 520. The walking mechanism 520 includes multiple walking wheels 521 disposed at the bottom of the base 510 and a drive unit disposed inside the base 510. The drive unit drives the walking wheels 521 to move the base 510, thereby realizing the overall movement of the battery swapping equipment 500.

[0101] The battery swapping equipment 500 also includes a battery swapping platform 530 disposed in the central area of ​​the base 510, and the battery swapping platform 530 is liftable and height-adjustable on the base 510. Thus, by controlling the battery swapping platform 530 to be in a lowered position, it is possible to ensure that the battery swapping equipment 500 can be smoothly moved into or out of the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle 200 at a lower height; and by controlling the battery swapping platform 530 to be in a raised position, it is possible to ensure sufficient height when the battery swapping platform 530 performs battery removal or installation operations.

[0102] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, multiple locking mechanisms 202 are fixedly installed on the beam 201 of the battery swapping vehicle 200. The locking mechanisms 202 can be installed on any side wall or bottom wall of the beam 201. For example, the locking mechanisms 202 can be installed on the outer side walls of two beams 201 along the length of the vehicle body.

[0103] like Figure 5 and 6 As shown, the locking mechanism 202 includes a lock base 204 with a lock groove 203 and a lock tongue 205. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the battery pack 100 is provided with a locking shaft 101 that cooperates with the locking groove 203 and the locking tongue 205. The locking groove 203 is lower than the bottom wall of the vehicle beam 201, thereby creating open spaces on both sides of the locking groove 203 to facilitate movement of the locking shaft 101 on the battery pack 100 relative to the locking groove 203. When the battery pack 100 is locked on the vehicle beam 201 of the battery swapping vehicle 200, the locking shaft 101 of the battery pack 100 is locked in the locking groove 203 by the locking tongue 205.

[0104] For example Figure 3 As shown, the battery swapping platform 530 includes a vehicle body positioning part 531 and a battery positioning part 532. The vehicle body positioning part 531 is also provided with a vehicle body positioning component that cooperates with the non-battery pack structure (such as the vehicle beam structure) of the battery swapping vehicle 200 for positioning. The battery positioning part 532 is also provided with a battery positioning component that cooperates with the battery pack 100 for positioning.

[0105] The battery swapping equipment 500 also includes a drive mechanism located at the bottom of the battery swapping platform 530. The drive mechanism includes multiple drive motors that independently drive the vehicle body positioning part 531 and the battery positioning part 532. After the vehicle body positioning part 531 is positioned with the battery swapping vehicle 200, the corresponding drive motor drives the battery positioning part 532 to move along the length of the vehicle body 200, thereby driving the battery pack 100 to move synchronously. This causes the locking shaft 101 of the battery pack 100 to move within the locking groove 203, thereby unlocking and unlocking the battery pack. Then, the battery pack can be disassembled or installed by the overall lifting and moving of the battery swapping platform 530.

[0106] For example Figure 9 As shown, the battery swapping device 500 also includes two unlocking components 550 disposed on the battery positioning section 532. For example... Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the battery pack 100 has two built-in unlocking transition pieces 102. Additionally, as... Figure 5 As shown, locking mechanisms 202 are respectively installed on the two beams 201, and the locking mechanism 202 on each beam 201 includes the following: Figure 6The unlocking block 206 is shown. In order to unlock the battery pack relative to the locking mechanism, the two unlocking parts 550 on the battery swapping equipment 500, the two unlocking transition parts 102 built into the battery pack 100, and the unlocking blocks 206 on the two vehicle beams 201 are vertically aligned.

[0107] Based on this, the battery pack installation process includes the following steps: A fully charged battery pack 100 is placed on the battery swapping equipment 500. At this time, the battery positioning part 532 is positioned with the battery pack 100, and the unlocking parts 550 are in contact with the unlocking transition parts 102 one by one. Then, the battery swapping equipment 500 is moved to the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle 200, and the body positioning part 531 is aligned with the battery swapping vehicle positioning part, and the unlocking transition parts 102 are aligned with the unlocking blocks 206 on the two vehicle beams 201. The battery swapping platform 530 is lifted to lift the battery pack until the body positioning part 531 is relatively fixed with the battery swapping vehicle 200, and the unlocking parts 550 push against the unlocking blocks 206 through the unlocking transition parts 102, causing the locking tongue 205 to move away from the locking groove 203, and the locking shaft 101 of the battery pack 100 vertically enters the locking groove 203. Then, the battery positioning unit 532 is controlled to move the battery pack along the horizontal section of the lock groove 203 to the locking limit position, so that the locking shaft 101 is completely inside the lock groove 203. After that, the battery swapping platform 530 is controlled to drop slightly, so that the locking tongue 205 falls down, thereby locking the locking shaft 101 in the lock groove 203.

[0108] Based on the aforementioned battery swapping vehicle and battery swapping equipment, this embodiment provides a battery swapping detection method applicable to the aforementioned battery swapping equipment, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the battery swapping detection method includes the following steps S1 to S2:

[0109] Step S1: During the process of the battery swapping device moving between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, the target position of the battery swapping device is detected.

[0110] The battery exchange position refers to the location used for exchanging battery packs. At this position, the battery swapping equipment performs operations such as placing the disassembled battery pack into the battery compartment and retrieving the battery pack to be installed in the battery swapping vehicle. The battery removal / installation position refers to the location used for removing or installing the battery pack. At this position, the battery swapping equipment performs battery pack removal or installation operations. The battery swapping equipment moves between the battery exchange position and the battery removal / installation position to facilitate battery swapping in the battery swapping vehicle.

[0111] Step S2: During the process of battery pack disassembly or installation at the battery disassembly / installation position, the battery pack position is detected to achieve battery pack disassembly or installation.

[0112] It should be noted that this embodiment does not restrict the execution order of steps S1 and S2 described above. Figure 12 This is just one example.

[0113] In this embodiment, during the battery swapping process of the battery swapping equipment for the battery swapping vehicle, the positions of the battery swapping equipment and the battery pack are detected separately. Specifically, by detecting the target position of the battery swapping equipment during its movement between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, the movement process of the battery swapping equipment can be accurately controlled. Similarly, by detecting the position of the battery pack during the battery swapping equipment's battery pack removal process, the process of removing and installing the battery pack can be accurately controlled, thereby improving the overall battery swapping efficiency.

[0114] In one optional embodiment, the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle has a beam for mounting a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism having a locking groove that mates with a locking shaft on the battery pack. In this embodiment, as... Figure 13 As shown, step S2 specifically includes:

[0115] Step S21: Detect the distance between the battery swapping platform of the battery swapping device and the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, so that the battery swapping platform moves to contact the battery pack at the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle based on the detected distance, or raises the battery pack to contact the locking mechanism based on the detected distance.

[0116] Step S22: During the process of the battery swapping platform moving the battery pack, the position information of the battery swapping platform is detected to confirm that the battery pack has been successfully unlocked / unlocked.

[0117] It should be noted that this embodiment does not restrict the execution order of steps S21 and S22 described above. Figure 13 This is just one example.

[0118] In this embodiment, the battery pack is detachably connected to the beam of the battery swapping vehicle through a locking shaft and a locking groove on the locking mechanism. By detecting the distance between the battery swapping platform and the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, the battery swapping platform can accurately reach the battery removal and installation position for battery removal and installation. Furthermore, by detecting the position information of the battery swapping platform, the unlocking and unlocking status of the battery pack can be confirmed. This enables accurate control of the battery pack removal and installation of the battery swapping equipment, thereby improving battery swapping efficiency.

[0119] In one optional embodiment, the battery swapping position is set to the initial position of the battery swapping device. The battery swapping detection method provided in this embodiment further includes the following step S3:

[0120] Step S3: Before the battery swapping device starts moving from the battery exchange position or during the process of the battery swapping device moving towards the battery exchange position, the origin position of the battery swapping device is detected so that the battery swapping device is in the initial position.

[0121] In this embodiment, by performing origin point detection on the battery swapping equipment, the equipment can accurately reach the battery exchange position to exchange the battery pack, thereby improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0122] In one optional embodiment, a first detection element is provided on the end face of the battery swapping device along the moving direction. The battery swapping detection method provided in this embodiment further includes the following step S4:

[0123] Step S4: During the process of the battery swapping equipment moving between the battery swapping position and the battery removal position, the first detection element is used to detect obstacles in the space in front of the current direction of movement.

[0124] In this embodiment, the first detection element set on the end face of the battery swapping equipment can realize obstacle detection, thereby avoiding collisions with obstacles during the movement of the battery swapping equipment between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, thus improving the reliability and efficiency of battery swapping.

[0125] In one optional embodiment, the number of battery swapping devices is two, with the first and second devices located on opposite sides of the battery swapping vehicle, respectively, to facilitate the first device performing battery removal and the second device performing battery installation. Step S4 specifically includes the following steps S41 to S42:

[0126] Step S41: Obtain distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device through the first detection element. In a specific implementation, the first detection element is respectively disposed on the front end face of the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device.

[0127] Step S42: Perform collision avoidance detection on the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device based on the distance information.

[0128] In practical implementation, if the distance information meets preset conditions, the first and / or second battery swapping devices can be controlled to stop moving to avoid collision. Specifically, if the distance between the first and second battery swapping devices is less than a preset distance, the distance information is considered to meet the preset conditions.

[0129] In this embodiment, the first battery swapping device performs a battery removal operation at the battery removal and installation position and moves the removed battery pack to the battery compartment for charging. The second battery swapping device obtains a new battery pack from the battery compartment and moves it to the battery removal and installation position to perform a battery installation operation. Collision detection is performed using the distance information between the first and second battery swapping devices obtained by the first detection element, which can prevent the first and second battery swapping devices from colliding, thereby improving the reliability and efficiency of battery swapping.

[0130] In one optional embodiment, the first detection element is a ranging sensor. Step S41 specifically includes the following steps S411 to S412:

[0131] Step S411: Obtain the data obtained by the ranging sensor from detecting the first and second battery swapping devices that are positioned relative to each other.

[0132] Step S412: Obtain the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device based on the data.

[0133] In this embodiment, the distance between the first and second battery swapping devices can be directly measured by a distance sensor installed on the front face of the battery swapping device. The measurement results are accurate and reliable, which can further improve the accuracy of collision avoidance detection for the first and second battery swapping devices.

[0134] In an alternative embodiment, the first battery swapping device is driven to move by a first servo motor, and the second battery swapping device is driven to move by a second servo motor. Step S41 specifically includes the following steps S421 to S422:

[0135] Step S421: Determine the first position of the first battery swapping device based on the feedback information from the first servo motor, and determine the second position of the second battery swapping device based on the feedback information from the second servo motor.

[0136] In a specific implementation, the feedback information of the first servo motor can be the position signal fed back by the encoder of the first servo motor, and the feedback information of the second servo motor can be the position signal fed back by the encoder of the second servo motor.

[0137] Step S422: Obtain at least the distance information between the first battery swapping device and the second battery swapping device based on the first position and the second position.

[0138] In the specific implementation of step S422, the distance information between the first power swapping device and the second power swapping device can be determined based on the first position of the first power swapping device and the second position of the second power swapping device.

[0139] Considering the potential slippage of the battery swapping equipment, or the excessive weight of the battery pack it carries, which could cause the rubber wheels of the equipment to be flattened and lead to errors in travel distance, a corresponding travel error compensation amount can be set. In the specific implementation of step S422, the distance information between the first battery swapping equipment and the second battery swapping equipment can be determined based on the first position of the first battery swapping equipment, the second position of the second battery swapping equipment, and the travel error compensation amount.

[0140] In this embodiment, the position of the battery swapping device is determined by the feedback information from the servo motor that drives the battery swapping device to move, and then the distance between the two battery swapping devices is determined. The measurement results are accurate and reliable, which can further improve the accuracy of collision avoidance detection for the first and second battery swapping devices.

[0141] In one optional implementation, a second detection element is disposed within a preset area near the battery removal / installation position. Step S1 specifically includes: during the process of the battery swapping device moving to the battery removal / installation position, the second detection element is used to detect the target position of the battery swapping device. In a specific implementation, the target position of the battery swapping device can be determined based on a trigger signal generated by the second detection element. For example, the second detection element can be a sensing element used to generate a sensing signal when the battery swapping device reaches the target position.

[0142] In this embodiment, by setting a second detection element in a preset area near the battery installation / removal position, the target position of the battery swapping equipment can be detected, thereby enabling accurate control of the movement process of the battery swapping equipment.

[0143] In one optional implementation, step S1 specifically includes the following steps S11 to S12:

[0144] Step S11: Perform coarse positioning detection at a position within a preset range from the target location to determine that the battery swapping equipment has been initially moved into place.

[0145] Step S12: Perform precise positioning detection at the target location to determine that the battery swapping equipment has been accurately moved to the target location.

[0146] In this embodiment, during the process of the battery swapping equipment moving between the battery exchange position and the battery removal position, coarse positioning detection and fine positioning detection are performed on the target position respectively. This can improve the accuracy of the target position detection of the battery swapping equipment, thereby improving the accuracy of controlling the movement process of the battery swapping equipment and thus improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0147] In one optional embodiment, the battery swapping vehicle is configured to park in a designated battery swapping area to perform battery replacement operations, and the battery installation / removal position is located within the battery swapping area. The battery swapping detection method provided in this embodiment further includes step S5: after the battery swapping vehicle stops, the actual position information of the battery swapping vehicle is detected to move the battery swapping equipment to be aligned with the battery swapping vehicle.

[0148] In practice, the actual location information of the battery swapping vehicle can include the deflection angle of the vehicle when it stops in the battery swapping area.

[0149] In this embodiment, the battery swapping equipment is controlled to move and align with the battery swapping vehicle based on the actual location information of the detected battery swapping vehicle. This allows the battery swapping equipment to accurately reach the battery removal and installation position, thereby accurately performing the battery removal and installation operation and improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0150] In one optional embodiment, a binocular camera is fixedly installed in the battery swapping area. Step S5 specifically includes the following steps S51 to S52:

[0151] Step S51: After the battery swapping vehicle stops, acquire the actual image information of the battery swapping vehicle captured by the binocular camera.

[0152] Step S52: Obtain the actual location information of the battery swapping vehicle based on the actual image information. In a specific implementation, the actual location information of the battery swapping vehicle can be determined by comparing the actual image information with reference image information, wherein the reference image information can be obtained based on images of the battery swapping vehicle taken at a reference location.

[0153] In this solution, by setting up binocular cameras in the battery swapping area to obtain actual image information of the battery swapping vehicles, and by performing image analysis, the actual position information of the battery swapping vehicles can be detected, thereby improving the alignment accuracy between the battery swapping equipment and the battery swapping vehicles, and thus improving the battery swapping efficiency.

[0154] This embodiment also provides a battery swapping detection system for battery swapping equipment, used to execute the above-described battery swapping detection method. Specifically, as follows... Figure 14 As shown, the battery swapping detection system 60 includes a first detection module 61 and a second detection module 62. The first detection module is used to detect the target position of the battery swapping device during its movement between the battery exchange position and the battery removal / installation position. The second detection module is used to detect the position of the battery pack during the battery swapping device's removal or installation at the battery removal / installation position, thereby enabling the removal or installation of the battery pack.

[0155] In one optional embodiment, the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle has a beam for mounting a locking mechanism, the locking mechanism having a locking groove that mates with a locking shaft on the battery pack. The first detection module includes a distance detection unit and a position detection unit. The distance detection unit detects the distance between the battery swapping platform and the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, so that the battery swapping platform moves based on the detected distance to contact the battery pack at the bottom of the battery swapping vehicle, or raises the battery pack based on the detected distance to contact the locking mechanism. The position detection unit detects the position information of the battery swapping platform during the movement of the battery pack by the battery swapping platform, to confirm that the battery pack has been successfully locked / unlocked.

[0156] In one optional implementation, the battery swapping position is set to the initial position of the battery swapping device. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the battery swapping detection system 60 further includes a third detection module 63, which is used to perform origin position detection on the battery swapping device before the battery swapping device starts to move from the battery swapping position or during the process of the battery swapping device moving toward the battery swapping position, so that the battery swapping device is in the initial position.

[0157] In one optional embodiment, a first detection element is provided on the end face of the battery swapping device along the direction of movement. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the battery swapping detection system 60 also includes a fourth detection module 64, which is used to detect obstacles in the front space of the current movement direction through the first detection element during the process of the battery swapping equipment moving between the battery swapping position and the battery removal position.

[0158] In one optional embodiment, there are two battery swapping devices, with the first and second devices located on opposite sides of the battery swapping vehicle, respectively, to facilitate the first device removing the battery and the second device installing the battery. The fourth detection module includes a distance acquisition unit and a collision avoidance detection unit. The distance acquisition unit acquires distance information between the first and second battery swapping devices using the first detection element. The collision avoidance detection unit performs collision avoidance detection on the first and second battery swapping devices based on the distance information.

[0159] In one optional embodiment, the first detection element is a ranging sensor. The distance acquisition unit is specifically used to acquire data obtained by the ranging sensor detecting the first and second battery swapping devices positioned opposite each other, and to obtain distance information between the first and second battery swapping devices based on the data.

[0160] In one optional implementation, the first battery swapping device is driven to move by a first servo motor, and the second battery swapping device is driven to move by a second servo motor. The distance acquisition unit is specifically configured to determine a first position of the first battery swapping device based on feedback information from the first servo motor, determine a second position of the second battery swapping device based on feedback information from the second servo motor, and obtain distance information between the first and second battery swapping devices based at least on the first and second positions.

[0161] In one optional implementation, a second detection element is provided within a preset area near the battery removal / installation position. Specifically, the first detection module is used to detect the target position of the battery swapping device by using the second detection element during the process of the device moving to the battery removal / installation position.

[0162] In one optional implementation, the first detection module is specifically used to perform coarse positioning detection at a position within a preset range from the target position to determine that the battery swapping equipment has been initially moved into place; and to perform fine positioning detection at the target position to determine that the battery swapping equipment has been accurately moved to the target position.

[0163] In one optional implementation, the battery swapping vehicle is configured to park within a designated battery swapping area to perform battery replacement operations, with the battery installation / removal point located within the swapping area. For example... Figure 14 As shown, the battery swapping detection system 60 also includes a fifth detection module 65, which is used to detect the actual position information of the battery swapping vehicle after the battery swapping vehicle stops, so that the battery swapping equipment moves to be aligned with the battery swapping vehicle.

[0164] In one optional embodiment, a binocular camera is fixedly installed in the battery swapping area. The fifth detection module includes an image acquisition unit and a position determination unit. The image acquisition unit is used to acquire actual image information of the battery swapping vehicle captured by the binocular camera after the battery swapping vehicle stops. The position determination unit is used to obtain the actual position information of the battery swapping vehicle based on the actual image information.

[0165] It should be noted that the battery swapping detection system provided in this embodiment can be a standalone chip, chip module, or battery swapping device, or it can be a chip or chip module integrated into the battery swapping device. Regarding the various modules / units included in the battery swapping detection system described in this embodiment, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or a combination of both.

[0166] Example 2

[0167] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a battery swapping device provided in this embodiment. The battery swapping device includes at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory stores a computer program that can be run by the at least one processor. The computer program is executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to execute the battery swapping detection method of Embodiment 1 and achieve the corresponding beneficial effects of the battery swapping detection method, which will not be elaborated further here. Figure 15The battery swapping device 3 shown is merely an example and should not impose any limitations on the functionality and scope of use of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0168] The components of the battery swapping device 3 may include, but are not limited to: at least one processor 4, at least one memory 5, and a bus 6 connecting different system components (including memory 5 and processor 4).

[0169] Bus 6 includes a data bus, an address bus, and a control bus.

[0170] The memory 5 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 51 and / or cache memory 52, and may further include read-only memory (ROM) 53.

[0171] The memory 5 may also include a program / utility 55 having a set (at least one) of program modules 54, including but not limited to: an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data, each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment.

[0172] The processor 4 executes various functional applications and data processing by running computer programs stored in the memory 5, such as the battery swapping detection method described above.

[0173] The battery swapping device 3 can also communicate with one or more external devices 7 (e.g., keyboard, pointing device, etc.). This communication can be performed through the input / output (I / O) interface 8. Furthermore, the battery swapping device 3 can also communicate with one or more networks (e.g., local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), and / or public networks, such as the Internet) via the network adapter 9. Figure 15 As shown, network adapter 9 communicates with other modules of the power swapping equipment 3 via bus 6. It should be understood that, although... Figure 15 As not shown in the diagram, other hardware and / or software modules can be used in conjunction with the battery swapping device 3, including but not limited to: microcode, device drivers, redundant processors, external disk drive arrays, RAID (disk array) systems, tape drives, and data backup storage systems.

[0174] It should be noted that although several units / modules or sub-units / modules of the power swapping equipment are mentioned in the detailed description above, this division is merely exemplary and not mandatory. In fact, according to embodiments of the present invention, the features and functions of two or more units / modules described above can be embodied in one unit / module. Conversely, the features and functions of one unit / module described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple units / modules.

[0175] Example 3

[0176] This embodiment provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the battery swapping detection method of Embodiment 1 and achieves the corresponding beneficial effects of the battery swapping detection method, which will not be elaborated here.

[0177] The readable storage medium may be more specifically adopted, including but not limited to: portable disk, hard disk, random access memory, read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0178] In a possible implementation, the present invention can also be implemented as a program product comprising program code, which, when the program product is run on a battery swapping device, causes the battery swapping device to execute the battery swapping detection method of Embodiment 1.

[0179] The program code for executing the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the battery swapping equipment, partially on the battery swapping equipment, as a separate software package, partially on the battery swapping equipment and partially on a remote equipment, or entirely on a remote equipment.

[0180] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. Those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention, but all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A battery replacing detection method of a battery replacing device, characterized in that, The battery replacing device is arranged to move back and forth on a preset moving path to perform battery transfer operation and battery dismounting operation from the bottom of the battery replacing vehicle; the battery replacing detection method comprises the following steps: During the movement of the battery replacing device between the battery exchanging position and the battery dismounting position, target position detection is performed on the battery replacing device; During the movement of the battery replacing device at the battery dismounting position to perform battery pack dismounting or mounting, position detection is performed on the battery pack to achieve the dismounting or mounting of the battery pack; The first detection element is arranged on the end surface of the battery replacing device in the moving direction; The battery replacing detection method further comprises the following steps: During the movement of the battery replacing device between the battery exchanging position and the battery dismounting position, obstacle detection is performed on the front space in the current moving direction by the first detection element; The number of the battery replacing devices is two, and the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device are respectively arranged on the two sides of the battery replacing vehicle, so that the first battery replacing device performs the dismounting operation and the second battery replacing device performs the mounting operation; The step of performing obstacle detection on the front space in the current moving direction by the first detection element comprises: The distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device is obtained by the first detection element; Collision avoidance detection is performed on the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device based on the distance information. 2.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, The bottom of the battery replacing vehicle is provided with a vehicle beam for mounting a locking mechanism, and the locking mechanism has a lock groove matched with a lock shaft on the battery pack; The step of performing position detection on the battery pack comprises: The distance between the battery replacing platform of the battery replacing device and the bottom of the battery replacing vehicle is detected, so that the battery replacing platform moves to contact the battery pack of the bottom of the battery replacing vehicle based on the detected distance or the battery replacing platform lifts the battery pack to contact the locking mechanism based on the detected distance; During the movement of the battery replacing platform with the battery pack, position information of the battery replacing platform is detected to confirm that the battery pack is successfully locked or unlocked. 3.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, The battery exchanging position is set as the initial position of the battery replacing device; The battery replacing detection method further comprises the following steps: Before the battery replacing device starts to move from the battery exchanging position or during the movement of the battery replacing device towards the battery exchanging position, origin position detection is performed on the battery replacing device to make the battery replacing device be in the initial position. 4.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, The first detection element is a distance measuring sensor; the step of obtaining the distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device by the first detection element comprises: Data obtained by the distance measuring sensor detecting the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device arranged opposite to each other is obtained; The distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device is obtained according to the data. 5.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, The first battery replacing device is driven to move by a first servo motor, and the second battery replacing device is driven to move by a second servo motor; the step of obtaining the distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device by the first detection element comprises: The distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device is obtained by the first detection element. The first position of the first battery replacing device is determined according to feedback information of the first servo motor, and the second position of the second battery replacing device is determined according to feedback information of the second servo motor; The distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device is obtained according to at least the first position and the second position. 6.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, A second detection element is arranged in a preset area close to the battery dismounting position, and the step of detecting that the target position of the battery replacing device is in place includes: In the process that the battery replacing device moves to the battery dismounting position, the second detection element is used to detect that the target position of the battery replacing device is in place. 7.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, The step of detecting that the target position of the battery replacing device is in place includes: Coarse positioning detection is performed at a position within a preset range from the target position to determine that the battery replacing device is preliminarily in place; Fine positioning detection is performed at the target position to determine that the battery replacing device is accurately moved to the target position. 8.The battery replacement detection method of claim 1, wherein, The battery replacing vehicle is arranged to stop in a designated battery replacing area for battery replacing operation, and the battery dismounting position is located in the battery replacing area. The battery replacing detection method further includes the following steps: After the battery replacing vehicle stops, actual position information of the battery replacing vehicle is detected to enable the battery replacing device to move to be aligned with the battery replacing vehicle. 9.The battery replacement detection method of claim 8, wherein, The battery replacing area is fixedly provided with a binocular camera, and the step of detecting the actual position information of the battery replacing vehicle after the battery replacing vehicle stops includes: After the battery replacing vehicle stops, actual image information of the battery replacing vehicle captured by the binocular camera is obtained; Actual position information of the battery replacing vehicle is obtained based on the actual image information.

10. A battery replacement detection system of a battery replacement device, characterized by, The battery replacing device is arranged to move back and forth on a preset moving path to perform battery transferring operation and battery dismounting operation from the bottom of the battery replacing vehicle, and the battery replacing detection system includes: A first detection module is configured to detect that the target position of the battery replacing device is in place in the process that the battery replacing device moves between the battery replacing position and the battery dismounting position; A second detection module is configured to detect the position of a battery pack in the process that the battery replacing device performs battery pack dismounting or mounting at the battery dismounting position to achieve the dismounting or mounting of the battery pack; A first detection element is arranged on an end surface of the battery replacing device in a moving direction; The battery replacing detection system further includes a fourth detection module configured to detect obstacles in front space in the current moving direction of the battery replacing device by using the first detection element in the process that the battery replacing device moves between the battery replacing position and the battery dismounting position. The number of the battery replacing devices is two, and the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device are respectively located on two sides of the battery replacing vehicle, so that the first battery replacing device performs battery dismounting operation and the second battery replacing device performs battery mounting operation. The fourth detection module includes: A distance acquisition unit is configured to acquire distance information between the first battery replacing device and the second battery replacing device by using the first detection element. A collision detection unit is configured to perform collision detection on the first battery swap device and the second battery swap device based on the distance information.

11. A battery replacement device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the battery swap detection method according to any one of claims 1-9.

12. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to implement the battery swap detection method according to any one of claims 1-9.

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