Non-contact automatic charging device and charging method for outdoor unmanned vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses a non-contact automatic charging device and method for an outdoor unmanned vehicle. The non-contact automatic charging device comprises a vehicle-mounted end circuit and a charging pile end circuit. The vehicle-mounted end circuit comprises a vehicle-mounted battery, a vehicle-mounted router, a vehicle-mounted controller, a receiving controller and a receiving disc; the charging pile end circuit comprises a wireless control module, a charging room, a transmitting controller and a transmitting disc; the wireless control module controls a door of the charging room to be in an open state or a closed state and controls the transmitting disc to do lifting motion, the transmitting disc is connected to the transmitting controller, and the vehicle-mounted controller is in communication connection with the wireless control module through the vehicle-mounted router; during charging, the distance between the receiving disc and the transmitting disc is 2-4 cm, the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are in communication connection through wireless signals to achieve non-contact transmission of electric energy, the non-contact autonomous charging device is simple in structure and safe and efficient in energy transmission, manual participation is not needed in the whole process, and the working cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of charging control, and more specifically, to a non-contact automatic charging device and charging method for outdoor unmanned vehicles. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the development of outdoor unmanned vehicles and driverless technologies, more unmanned scenarios have been realized, but the problem of automatic vehicle charging has emerged. At present, based on multi-directional indoor and outdoor unmanned vehicles, outdoor sweeping unmanned vehicles, etc., they are all indoor contact charging, relying on visual recognition to achieve relatively accurate positioning. When the traditional contact charging method is used to charge an unmanned vehicle, operations such as manually plugging and unplugging the charging cable and aligning the charging interface are required. This operation method not only increases the operation difficulty, but also may affect the normal operation of the unmanned vehicle. In a driverless environment, due to the lack of human perception and decision-making capabilities, traditional charging methods may lead to some unforeseen problems. For example, if the operator does not correctly plug and unplug the charging cable or does not correctly align the charging interface, it may lead to electric shock accidents or damage to the charging equipment.

[0003] The charging device for outdoor unmanned vehicles needs to achieve precise closed-loop control to ensure the safe and efficient charging of unmanned vehicles. However, before the outdoor unmanned vehicle arrives at the location of the charging device and docks with the charging device for charging, it needs to face various complex environmental factors, such as natural conditions like terrain, temperature, humidity, wind and rain. Due to the complexity of the outdoor environment, the positioning and alignment technologies may be interfered, resulting in the charging device being unable to accurately align with the outdoor unmanned vehicle, thus affecting the charging accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor unmanned vehicles, which realizes the automatic search and non-contact charging of outdoor unmanned vehicles, reduces the frequency of manual intervention, and improves the operation efficiency of outdoor unmanned vehicles.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor unmanned vehicles includes a vehicle-mounted circuit and a charging pile circuit;

[0006] The vehicle-mounted circuit includes a vehicle-mounted battery, a vehicle-mounted router, a vehicle-mounted controller, a receiving controller, and a receiving plate; the positive and negative poles of the vehicle-mounted battery are respectively connected to the receiving controller through the vehicle-mounted controller, and the receiving plate is connected to the receiving controller;

[0007] The charging pile end circuit includes a wireless control module, a charging house, a transmitting controller, and a transmitting plate; the wireless control module controls the door of the charging house to be in an open state or a closed state, and controls the transmitting plate to move up and down. The transmitting plate is connected to the transmitting controller, and the vehicle-mounted controller is communicatively connected to the wireless control module through the vehicle-mounted router;

[0008] During charging, the receiving plate and the transmitting plate are 2 cm to 4 cm apart in the air, and the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are communicatively connected through a wireless signal to achieve non-contact power transmission.

[0009] Furthermore, the transmitting plate is used to convert electrical energy into high-frequency alternating current and generate a changing magnetic field; when the receiving plate is in the magnetic field of the transmitting plate, the receiving plate generates an induced current and charges the vehicle-mounted battery through the receiving controller.

[0010] Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted controller includes a main control module and a combined navigation module. The combined navigation module is used to measure the position information of the outdoor unmanned vehicle and transmit it to the main control module.

[0011] Furthermore, the combined navigation module includes an RTK high-precision antenna and a lidar. The RTK high-precision antenna is used to provide the azimuth information of the outdoor unmanned vehicle to the main control module; the lidar is used to scan the obstacles in front of the outdoor unmanned vehicle and transmit the obstacle information to the main control module; the main control module controls the outdoor unmanned vehicle to avoid obstacles according to the received obstacle information.

[0012] In addition, the present invention also provides a charging method for the non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor unmanned vehicles as described above, including the following steps:

[0013] Step 1: Real-time obtain the position information of the outdoor unmanned vehicle, and judge whether the remaining power of the vehicle-mounted battery is less than a preset value. When the remaining power of the vehicle-mounted battery is less than the preset value, the vehicle-mounted controller plans a charging path through the path planning module;

[0014] Step 2: The vehicle-mounted controller controls the outdoor unmanned vehicle to drive towards the charging house according to the planned path. When it reaches the predetermined position, the vehicle-mounted controller communicates with the wireless control module through the vehicle-mounted router;

[0015] Step 3: When the outdoor unmanned vehicle reaches the calibrated charging location inside the charging house, the receiving plate and the transmitting plate are 2 cm to 4 cm apart in the air, and the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are communicatively connected through a wireless signal to achieve non-contact power transmission.

[0016] Furthermore, in step 3, the outdoor unmanned vehicle reaches the calibrated charging location inside the charging house, including the following steps:

[0017] S31. The vehicle-mounted controller sends an opening door instruction and a lifting instruction for the transmitting plate. After receiving the opening door instruction, the charging house opens the door.

[0018] S32. If the vehicle-mounted controller receives the door opened in place signal and the transmitting plate lifted in place signal sent by the wireless control module, the outdoor unmanned vehicle drives into the charging house along the set path. Otherwise, the outdoor unmanned vehicle executes the stop and waiting instructions.

[0019] Further, a charging method for a non-contact automatic charging device for an outdoor unmanned vehicle further includes the following steps:

[0020] Step 4: When the power of the outdoor unmanned vehicle during the charging process is higher than the set value, the vehicle-mounted controller sends an opening door instruction and a lowering instruction for the transmitting plate. After the vehicle-mounted controller receives the door opened in place signal and the transmitting plate returned to position signal sent by the wireless control module, the outdoor unmanned vehicle leaves the charging house along the set path.

[0021] Step 5: After the outdoor unmanned vehicle automatically stops at the specified location outside the charging house, it sends a closing door instruction. After receiving the closing door instruction, the charging house closes the door, and the outdoor unmanned vehicle continues to execute according to the previously set tasks.

[0022] For the present invention according to the above solution, its beneficial effects are as follows:

[0023] (1) A non-contact automatic charging device for an outdoor unmanned vehicle provided by the present invention transmits electric energy in a non-contact manner, avoiding problems such as poor contact and wear that may exist in the traditional contact charging method, and improving the charging efficiency and safety.

[0024] (2) A non-contact automatic charging device for an outdoor unmanned vehicle provided by the present invention realizes the automatic charging of the outdoor unmanned vehicle through the communication connection between the vehicle-mounted controller and the wireless control module, saving labor costs and improving the charging convenience.

[0025] (3) A non-contact automatic charging device for an outdoor unmanned vehicle provided by the present invention controls the door of the charging house to be in an open state or a closed state through the wireless control module, and controls the transmitting plate to make lifting movements, improving the charging accuracy and reliability. Secondly, due to the adoption of the non-contact charging method, the influence on the battery life that may be caused by the traditional contact charging method is avoided, thereby prolonging the service life of the battery. Description of the Drawings

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 It is the schematic diagram of the in-vehicle circuit in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 It is the schematic diagram of the charging pile circuit in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 It is the composition schematic diagram of a non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 It is the principle schematic diagram of a non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 It is the process schematic diagram of charging an outdoor driverless vehicle in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 It is the process schematic diagram after the outdoor driverless vehicle completes charging in the embodiments of the present invention. Specific embodiments

[0033] The following will further describe the embodiments of the present invention in detail in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. The detailed description and drawings of the following embodiments are used to exemplarily illustrate the principles of the present invention, but cannot be used to limit the scope of the present invention, that is, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0034] To better understand the present invention, the following will further describe the present invention in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments:

[0035] The embodiments of the present invention provide a non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles, including: an in-vehicle circuit and a charging pile circuit;

[0036] The on-vehicle circuit includes an on-vehicle battery, an on-vehicle router, an on-vehicle controller, a receiving controller, and a receiving plate; the positive and negative electrodes of the on-vehicle battery are respectively connected to the receiving controller through the on-vehicle controller, and the receiving plate is connected to the receiving controller; specifically, the on-vehicle battery is the energy source of the outdoor unmanned vehicle and provides power for the entire on-vehicle circuit. Through the on-vehicle controller, the positive and negative electrodes of the battery are respectively connected to the receiving controller, and this connection method ensures the effective transmission of electrical energy and provides stable power support for the receiving plate and other devices. The receiving plate is one of the key components of the on-vehicle circuit and is used to receive electrical energy from the charging pile. Through the connection with the receiving controller, the receiving plate can accurately receive and transmit electrical energy to ensure the normal operation of the outdoor unmanned vehicle. The design of this on-vehicle circuit enables the outdoor unmanned vehicle to achieve non-contact charging, improving the charging efficiency and safety. At the same time, through the communication connection between the on-vehicle router and the wireless control module, the automatic charging function of the unmanned vehicle is realized, further enhancing the charging convenience and efficiency.

[0037] The charging-pile circuit includes a wireless control module, a charging house, a transmitting controller, and a transmitting plate; the wireless control module controls the door of the charging house to be in an open state or a closed state, and controls the transmitting plate to move up and down. The transmitting plate is connected to the transmitting controller, and the on-vehicle controller is communicatively connected to the wireless control module through the on-vehicle router;

[0038] During charging, the receiving plate and the transmitting plate are spaced 2 cm to 4 cm apart in the air, and the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are communicatively connected through a wireless signal to achieve non-contact transmission of electrical energy. Specifically, the distance between the receiving plate and the transmitting plate is controlled within 2 cm to 4 cm, ensuring the accurate transmission of electrical energy. This precise control distance improves the charging accuracy and reliability, avoiding energy waste and equipment damage.

[0039] Preferably, the transmitting plate is used to convert electrical energy into high-frequency alternating current and generate a changing magnetic field; when the receiving plate is located in the magnetic field of the transmitting plate, the receiving plate generates an induced current and charges the on-vehicle battery through the receiving controller. Specifically, the transmitting plate is made of a conductive material, such as copper or aluminum, to effectively transmit electrical energy. At the same time, in order to generate high-frequency alternating current, multiple coils are engraved on the surface of the transmitting plate, and these coils are energized or de-energized according to the frequency of the power supply device, thereby generating a changing magnetic field. When the receiving plate is located in the magnetic field of the transmitting plate, due to the change of the magnetic field, the receiving plate generates an induced current, which is driven by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction to be generated on the surface of the receiving plate and flow along the edge of the receiving plate. The generated induced current charges the on-vehicle battery through the receiving controller. The role of the receiving controller is to adjust the magnitude and direction of the induced current to ensure a safe and stable charging process. Of course, this function can also be achieved by using power electronic devices, such as rectifiers or inverters.

[0040] In addition, to achieve non-contact charging, the distance between the transmitting plate and the receiving plate is controlled within 2 cm to 4 cm to ensure the transmission efficiency and safety of electric energy. At the same time, to ensure a stable charging process, the relative positions of the transmitting plate and the receiving plate are kept constant.

[0041] Preferably, the vehicle-mounted controller includes a main control module and a combined navigation module. The combined navigation module is used to measure the position information of the outdoor unmanned vehicle and transmit it to the main control module. Specifically, the main control module in this embodiment is an industrial computer. The outdoor unmanned vehicle is built-in with a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), and communication between the PLC and the industrial computer is carried out through CAN (Controller Area Network). The PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) controls the chassis of the outdoor unmanned vehicle, and at the same time, the industrial computer is used for data acquisition and algorithm fusion of the unmanned system. Data acquisition includes information such as the position, speed, and direction of the vehicle, and these data can be obtained through sensors or other devices; according to the control requirements of the unmanned vehicle and sensor data, corresponding algorithms are designed, such as path planning, obstacle avoidance, and navigation. These algorithms can be optimized and adjusted according to actual needs. Specifically, the path planning algorithm is used to determine the best path for the unmanned vehicle from the starting point to the ending point, and path planning can be carried out according to information such as the position, speed, and direction of the vehicle, as well as environmental maps, obstacles, etc. The obstacle avoidance algorithm is used to ensure that the unmanned vehicle can avoid obstacles during driving. It can obtain information about the surrounding environment through sensors, such as the position, size, and shape of obstacles, and then make decisions and controls based on this information. The navigation algorithm is used to determine the driving direction and path of the unmanned vehicle, and path planning and navigation can be carried out according to map information, positioning information, sensor data, etc. It should be noted that designing corresponding algorithms according to the control requirements of the outdoor unmanned vehicle and sensor data is a conventional technical means in this field, and the present invention has not made improvements in this part either, so the algorithm fusion process of the industrial computer will not be described in detail.

[0042] Preferably, the combined navigation module includes an RTK high-precision antenna and a lidar. The RTK high-precision antenna is used to provide the azimuth information of the outdoor unmanned vehicle to the main control module; the lidar is used to scan the obstacles in front of the outdoor unmanned vehicle and transmit the obstacle information to the main control module; the main control module controls the outdoor unmanned vehicle to avoid obstacles according to the received obstacle information.

[0043] In addition, the present invention also provides a charging method for the non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor unmanned vehicles as described above, including the following steps:

[0044] Step 1: Real-time obtain the position information of the outdoor unmanned vehicle, and judge whether the remaining power of the vehicle-mounted battery is less than a preset value. When the remaining power of the vehicle-mounted battery is less than the preset value, the vehicle-mounted controller plans a charging path through the path planning module;

[0045] Step 2: The on-board controller controls the outdoor unmanned vehicle to drive to the charging house along the planned path. When it reaches the predetermined location, the on-board controller communicates with the wireless control module through the on-board router. Specifically, when the robot moves to the predetermined location, the on-board controller and the wireless control module establish a communication connection through an identification mechanism or protocol. The identification mechanism or protocol is based on wireless communication technology, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or ZigBee. Through wireless communication technology, the on-board controller and the wireless control module can recognize each other, verify their identities and establish a reliable communication connection.

[0046] Step 3: When the outdoor unmanned vehicle arrives at the designated charging location in the charging room, the receiving disk and the transmitting disk are separated by 2 cm to 4 cm, and the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are connected through wireless signal communication to achieve contactless transmission of electrical energy;

[0047] Step 4: When the power level of the outdoor unmanned vehicle during charging is higher than the set value, the on-board controller sends a door opening command and a transmitter plate lowering command. When the on-board controller receives the door opening signal and the transmitter plate return signal sent by the wireless control module, the outdoor unmanned vehicle leaves the charging room according to the set path;

[0048] Step 5: After the outdoor unmanned vehicle arrives at the designated location outside the charging house, it automatically stops and sends a door closing command. After the charging house receives the door closing command, it closes the door and the outdoor unmanned vehicle continues to execute the previously set task.

[0049] Preferably, in step 3, the outdoor unmanned vehicle arrives at the calibrated charging location in the charging room, including the following steps:

[0050] S31, the vehicle controller sends a door opening command and a transmitter plate rising command, and the charging room opens the door after receiving the door opening command;

[0051] S32: If the on-board controller receives the door opening position signal and the transmitting plate rising position signal sent by the wireless control module, the outdoor unmanned vehicle drives into the charging room according to the set path, otherwise the outdoor unmanned vehicle executes the stop and wait command.

[0052] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes based on the above description, and all these improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the appended claims of the present invention.

[0053] The above is an exemplary description of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned method. As long as various improvements are made by adopting the method concept and technical solution of the present invention, or the concept and technical solution of the present invention are directly applied to other occasions without improvement, they are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles, characterized in that Including: On-vehicle circuit and charging pile end circuit; The on-vehicle circuit includes an on-vehicle battery, an on-vehicle router, an on-vehicle controller, a receiving controller and a receiving plate; the positive and negative electrodes of the on-vehicle battery are respectively connected to the receiving controller through the on-vehicle controller, and the receiving plate is connected to the receiving controller; The charging pile end circuit includes a wireless control module, a charging house, a transmitting controller and a transmitting plate; the wireless control module controls the door of the charging house to be in an open state or a closed state, and controls the transmitting plate to move up and down. The transmitting plate is connected to the transmitting controller, and the on-vehicle controller is communicatively connected to the wireless control module through the on-vehicle router; During charging, the receiving plate and the transmitting plate are 2 cm to 4 cm apart in the air, and the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are communicatively connected through a wireless signal to achieve non-contact power transmission.

2. The non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmitting plate is used to convert electrical energy into high-frequency alternating current and generate a changing magnetic field; when the receiving plate is in the magnetic field of the transmitting plate, the receiving plate generates an induced current and charges the on-vehicle battery through the receiving controller.

3. The non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The on-vehicle controller includes a main control module and a combined navigation module, and the combined navigation module is used to measure the position information of the outdoor driverless vehicle and transmit it to the main control module.

4. The non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: The combined navigation module includes an RTK high-precision antenna and a lidar. The RTK high-precision antenna is used to provide the azimuth information of the outdoor driverless vehicle to the main control module; the lidar is used to scan the obstacles in front of the outdoor driverless vehicle and transmit the obstacle information to the main control module; the main control module controls the outdoor driverless vehicle to avoid obstacles according to the received obstacle information.

5. A charging method for the non-contact automatic charging device of an outdoor driverless vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Step 1: Real-time obtain the position information of the outdoor driverless vehicle, and judge whether the remaining power of the on-vehicle battery is less than a preset value. When the remaining power of the on-vehicle battery is less than the preset value, the on-vehicle controller plans a charging path through the path planning module; Step 2: The on-vehicle controller controls the outdoor driverless vehicle to drive towards the charging house according to the planned path. When it reaches a predetermined position, the on-vehicle controller communicates with the wireless control module through the on-vehicle router; Step 3: When the outdoor driverless vehicle reaches the calibrated charging location in the charging house, the receiving plate and the transmitting plate are 2 cm to 4 cm apart in the air, and the transmitting controller and the receiving controller are communicatively connected through a wireless signal to achieve non-contact power transmission.

6. The charging method of a non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles as described in claim 5, characterized in that: In step 3, when the outdoor driverless vehicle reaches the calibrated charging location in the charging house, it includes the following steps: S31. The on-vehicle controller sends an opening door instruction and a transmitting plate rising instruction, and the charging house opens the door after receiving the opening door instruction; S32. If the on-vehicle controller receives the door open-in-place signal and the transmitting plate rising-in-place signal sent by the wireless control module, the outdoor driverless vehicle drives into the charging house according to the set path, otherwise the outdoor driverless vehicle executes a stop and wait instruction.

7. The charging method of a non-contact automatic charging device for outdoor driverless vehicles as described in claim 6, characterized in that: Also including the following steps: Step 4: When the power level during the charging process of the outdoor driverless vehicle is higher than the set value, the vehicle-mounted controller sends an opening door instruction and a transmitter tray lowering instruction. After the vehicle-mounted controller receives the door opened in place signal and the transmitter tray in-place signal sent by the wireless control module, the outdoor driverless vehicle leaves the charging house according to the set path; Step 5: After the outdoor driverless vehicle arrives at the specified location outside the charging house, it automatically stops and sends a closing door instruction. After the charging house receives the closing door instruction, it closes the door, and the outdoor driverless vehicle continues to execute according to the previously set tasks.

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