Methods for charging an electric vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for charging an electric vehicle, in particular an electric car, in which a charging point is arranged in a parking area, wherein a connection, for example electrical and / or inductive, is established between the charging point and the electric vehicle for charging the electric vehicle. The method is characterized in that the location of a person belonging to the electric vehicle, in particular the driver, is detected directly and / or indirectly by means of a detection unit, and a charging process for the electric vehicle is only started and / or continued when the person is in a predetermined location.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for charging an electric vehicle, in particular an electric car, in which a charging point is arranged in a parking area, wherein a connection, for example an electrical and / or inductive connection, is established between the charging point and the electric vehicle for charging the electric vehicle.

[0002] Charging electric vehicles typically takes somewhat longer than conventional refueling with fossil fuels. During charging, electric vehicles are parked next to the charging point, and an electrical connection is then established between the charging point and the electric vehicle to charge the electric vehicle.

[0003] In densely populated areas, there are automated parking garages where a driver, for example, drives the vehicle into a transfer area and then exits the vehicle. The automated parking garage can then automatically move the vehicle from the transfer area to a parking position within the automated parking garage, e.g., using a type of lift or a movable platform. The driver is unable to see the vehicle being moved into the parking position, as the driver has already exited the vehicle. This also makes it possible to position the vehicles to be parked in a tight space, thus enabling better utilization of the available space in the parking garage in densely populated areas.

[0004] If the vehicle is needed again by the driver, the vehicle can be moved from its parked position back to the handover area, where the driver can then collect the vehicle.

[0005] If an electric vehicle is to be charged during the parking process, new challenges arise, particularly with regard to the safety of the driver, who usually first has to establish the connection between the charging point and the electric vehicle and start the charging process.

[0006] It is therefore the object underlying the invention to provide an improved method for charging an electric vehicle.

[0007] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1.

[0008] The method according to the invention is characterized in that the location of a person belonging to the electric vehicle, in particular the driver, is detected directly and / or indirectly by means of a detection unit and a charging process for the electric vehicle is only started and / or continued when the person is in a predetermined location area.

[0009] According to the invention, it can therefore be ensured that the person is not near the vehicle during the charging process, which can prevent the person from accidentally entering the parking garage, for example in an automatic parking garage.

[0010] In particular, a distinction is made between the parking area and the waiting area. The parking area is the area where the electric vehicle to be charged is located or where the electric vehicle is parked. At least one charging point is also located in the parking area. In the aforementioned example of the automatic parking garage, the parking area can, for example, include the transfer area and / or the entire space of the automatic parking garage. Particularly in the case of fixed parking spaces, the parking area can include the area intended for parking vehicles.

[0011] The stay area can be the area in which the person is supposed to stay during the charging process, for example, outside the parking area. The parking area and the stay area can be directly adjacent to each other or, alternatively, be spaced apart. In particular, the stay area can also include all areas outside the parking area.

[0012] Alternatively, it is also possible for the waiting area to include the parking area (at least in part). This may be desirable, for example, if the person is to monitor the charging process.

[0013] In the aforementioned example of the automatic parking garage, the waiting area can, for example, begin where there is no danger for the person from driving the electric vehicle into the automatic parking garage. To create an incentive for the person (e.g., the driver) to actually stay in the waiting area, the invention provides that the charging process for the electric vehicle is only started and / or continued when the person is in the waiting area.

[0014] In concrete terms, the person can, for example, establish the connection between the charging point and the electric vehicle. However, charging of the vehicle only begins when the person enters the occupied area. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible for the person to start the charging process while they are still in the parking area. It can then be provided that the charging process only continues as long as the person remains in the occupied area. Whether the person is in the occupied area can be checked at regular intervals, e.g. every 10 or 30 seconds or every 2, 5 or 10 minutes. If it is then determined that the person has left the occupied area, the charging process can be stopped.

[0015] Advantageous further developments of the invention can be found in the description, the drawing and the claims.

[0016] According to a first advantageous embodiment, the detection unit detects the person's location using at least one radio transceiver and / or a radio transmitter. The radio transceiver can, in particular, determine the position of the person's terminal device. Depending on the size of the area of ​​residence, multiple radio transceivers can also be provided in order to detect the person's location anywhere within the area of ​​residence.

[0017] Detection using a radio transceiver has the advantage that established technology can be used, which enables reliable detection.

[0018] The detection using the radio transmitter is explained in more detail later with reference to the use of a “beacon”.

[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment, WLAN, Bluetooth and / or NFC (Near Field Communication) are used to detect the location, wherein in particular the position of a terminal device of the person is determined. The person's terminal device can be, for example, a smartphone, a computer and the like. It is also possible for the terminal device to be a device specifically intended for this application. However, the terminal device can also be, for example, an NFC chip card, an RFID tag and the like. When detecting the position of the terminal device, it is assumed that the position of the terminal device corresponds to the location of the person. In this case, the person's location is therefore detected indirectly.

[0020] To determine the position of the end device, it is not necessary to carry out a very precise position measurement. A resolution of just a few centimeters or even a few meters is not necessary. Instead, the only relevant factor is whether the end device (and therefore the person) is located within the area of ​​presence. For this purpose, it may be sufficient if a connection can be established with the end device using the radio transceiver, for example via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, or if the radio transceiver can at least detect that the end device is within its radio range. Due to the limited range of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and / or NFC, for example, this automatically ensures that the person must be within a relatively short radius of the radio transceiver.

[0021] It is understood that the aforementioned radio connection is a direct radio connection. Furthermore, the radio transceiver(s) may be positioned in such a way that the terminal device cannot establish a connection to the radio transceiver from the parking area (or generally from outside the waiting area).

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the terminal device is first detected by the charging point in order to establish an association between the vehicle to be charged and the person. This makes it possible to determine which person or terminal device belongs to which vehicle to be charged. For this purpose, the charging point can, in particular, comprise a separate radio transceiver.

[0023] In particular, the radio transceiver at the charging point can be used to determine the identification of the end device, for example, a MAC address of the device's Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module. This MAC address can then be used to uniquely identify the end device. The identification of the end device can also be an identification number of a chip card or an RFID tag. Based on this identification, even when multiple vehicles are being charged simultaneously, it is possible to determine which charging processes should be continued and which should be aborted if the associated persons leave the area.

[0024] The person's end device can therefore generally also be used for identification at the charging point, so that authorization to charge and / or an account to be used for debiting can be determined based on the end device.

[0025] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the recognition unit establishes a data connection to software on the person's terminal device in order to detect the whereabouts. More preferably, the software on the terminal device informs the recognition unit of the person's whereabouts. The software on the terminal device can, for example, be an app on a smartphone, whereby the app on the smartphone communicates with the recognition unit (for example via the aforementioned WLAN, Bluetooth or NFC connections; communication via the mobile network and the Internet is also possible). The software on the terminal device can thus uniquely identify the terminal device, so that in this embodiment, detecting the MAC address can only be carried out optionally. Once the recognition unit has established a data connection to the software on the terminal device, the terminal device can be identified.In addition, the detection unit can detect whether the person is in the area, for example, via the radio transceiver that establishes the connection to the device. Furthermore, it is also possible for the software on the device to use the device to determine its position, for example, using GPS. The software on the device can then communicate the determined position to the detection unit.

[0026] Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible for the end device (e.g., a smartphone with an app) to be part of the detection unit. As explained above, the detection unit can also comprise a radio transceiver or a radio transmitter, which serve as a "beacon." Upon receiving a radio signal from the beacon, the end device or the app on the end device can then detect that the beacon is nearby. The end device then reports, e.g., via mobile radio, in particular to the control unit of the detection unit mentioned below, that the beacon has been detected and that the end device (and thus the person) is therefore located within the location range.

[0027] The location determination can be carried out repeatedly, preferably at regular intervals. For example, the software on the device can regularly send the determined position to the recognition unit.

[0028] The use of software on the device can also offer the advantage of a feedback channel, for example, to inform the person about the charging status of their electric vehicle, that the charging process is complete, and / or that the parking time has expired. In principle, the charging process can be limited to a specific time.

[0029] In this context, it should be noted that the detection unit may comprise a control unit that executes and monitors the method steps described herein. For example, the detection unit may be signal-connected to the charging point so that the detection unit can monitor, start, and stop the charging process at the charging point.

[0030] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the detection unit comprises at least one RFID reader for detecting the person's RFID tag. The RFID reader can have a range of several meters. For example, the RFID reader can be located on a door, gate, or passageway connecting the parking area with the waiting area. If the person then moves from the parking area to the waiting area, this can be detected by the RFID reader on the gate. It is understood that the aforementioned radio transceiver can also be attached to the gate.

[0031] Multiple RFID readers can also be installed in or around the common area to cover the entire common area. The RFID tag can be linked to the individual. The RFID tag can also be, for example, the individual's fuel card, which must first be presented at the charging point to clarify payment terms with the charging point.

[0032] It is also possible for the RFID tag (or the end device) to be removable at the charging point, meaning the person must take the RFID tag or the end device from the charging point into the parking area to start and / or continue the charging process. In particular, the charging point can also be designed so that the charging plug is only released after the RFID tag or the end device has been returned, which means the electric vehicle can only be driven out of the parking area again after this time.

[0033] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the recognition unit comprises at least one camera for detecting the person's location. In particular, the recognition unit can also comprise multiple cameras. For example, the person can be initially detected in the parking area and then later recognized again in the waiting area. The camera can directly detect the person's location. Preferably, the person's location is detected entirely within the recognition unit using the camera, so that no personal data needs to be transmitted outside the recognition unit. Alternatively, anonymization can also be performed to comply with data protection regulations.

[0034] It goes without saying that a combination of the aforementioned embodiments of the detection unit is also possible. For example, the location can be detected using a radio transceiver, with the determined location being verified using the camera. This can increase the reliability of the location detection.

[0035] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the detection unit is arranged at least partially at a transition, in particular at the only transition, from the parking area to the waiting area. As already indicated above, the transition can be formed, for example, by a door or a gate. The transition can be structurally arranged such that it must be used to get from the parking area to the waiting area. The detection unit can detect the transition from the parking area to the waiting area as well as in the other direction.

[0036] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the charging process is stopped when the person leaves the lounge area and / or moves into the parking area. The charging process could therefore also be stopped when the person is neither in the lounge area nor in the parking area. In particular, however, the charging process is stopped when the person moves into the parking area. In this case, it can be assumed that the person wants to continue driving the vehicle. In the aforementioned example of the automatic parking garage, if it is detected that the person is moving into the parking area or is already in the parking area, the electric vehicle in the automatic parking garage can be moved back to the transfer area.

[0037] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the lounge area and the parking area are separate from each other and / or the lounge area is located outside the parking area. For example, the lounge area can be located in a building. The parking area can, in particular, be located outdoors.

[0038] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the electric vehicle, once connected to the charging point, is moved together with the charging point, particularly in an automated parking garage. As already mentioned with regard to the automated parking garage, the electric vehicle can be moved and "stowed" in the automated parking garage while the connection to the charging point is established. Accordingly, the charging point moves with the vehicle. This makes charging in the automated parking garage possible.

[0039] The movement of an electric vehicle and charging point once a connection is established can also occur, for example, on a car train or on a ferry, where the electric vehicle is charged during the journey. Here, too, it is undesirable for the driver to be in or near the vehicle, so an incentive can be created by starting or continuing the charging process. On a car train, the parking area can be formed by the carriages that accommodate the vehicles. The waiting area can be the passenger carriages of the car train. Similarly, on a ferry, the vehicle deck can be the parking area and the passenger decks and / or the cabins can be the waiting area.

[0040] However, other applications are also conceivable. For example, the parking area could be a supermarket parking lot, with the waiting area being the supermarket building. This ensures that charging only occurs while visiting the supermarket.

[0041] The invention further relates to a charging system for charging an electric vehicle, in particular an electric car, having a charging point arranged in a parking area, which is designed to establish an electrical connection to the electric vehicle and to charge the electric vehicle. The charging system is characterized in that a detection unit is provided, by means of which the location of a person belonging to the electric vehicle, in particular the driver, can be detected, wherein the charging system is designed to start and / or continue a charging process for the electric vehicle (only as long as) the person is in a predetermined location area.

[0042] According to a further development of the charging system, a moving unit is provided, which is designed to move the electric vehicle together with the charging point. As explained above, the moving unit can be a moving unit of an automatic parking garage, a car train, or a ferry.

[0043] The statements made regarding the method according to the invention apply accordingly to the charging system according to the invention. This applies in particular with regard to advantages and preferred embodiments. Furthermore, it is understood that all features mentioned herein can be combined with one another, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0044] The invention is described below purely by way of example with reference to the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1: A schematic representation of a charging system and an electric car to be charged.

[0045] Fig.Figure 1 shows a charging system 10 with a charging point 12, for example, a charging station, and a detection unit 14. The detection unit 14 comprises three WLAN transceivers 16 and a control unit 18, with the WLAN transceivers 16 and the control unit 18 being connected to each other via data lines 20. The control unit 18 is also coupled to the charging point 12 via a data line 20.

[0046] The charging point 12 is located in a parking area 22, whereas the WLAN transceivers 16 are placed in a lounge area 24.

[0047] To charge an electric car 26, a person 28 drives the electric car 26 into the parking area 22 and establishes an electrical connection between the charging point 12 and the electric car 26 using a charging cable 30. Inductive charging is also possible.

[0048] The person 28 can carry a terminal device in the form of a smartphone 32, which the person 28 uses to identify themselves at the charging point 12. The person 28 then enters the occupied area 24, which is detected by the detection unit 14 by the WLAN transceiver 16 establishing a direct WLAN connection 31 with the smartphone 32, thereby detecting that the person 28 is in the occupied area 24. The control unit 18 then transmits an authorization to the charging point 12, so that the charging process of the electric car 26 is started.

[0049] If the person 28 and thus the smartphone 32 leave the occupied area 24, the WLAN transceivers 16 can no longer establish a direct radio connection to the smartphone 32, which is interpreted as leaving the occupied area 24. In this case, the control unit 18 sends a stop signal to the charging point 12, which interrupts the charging process. Therefore, the person 28 does not have to stop the charging process manually, but can then remove the charging cable 30 and drive the electric car 26 out of the parking area 22. List of reference symbols 10 Charging system 12 charging points 14 Detection unit 16 WLAN transceivers 18 Control unit 20 data lines 22 Parking area 24 Lounge area 26 electric cars 28 people 30 charging cables 31 Wi-Fi connection 32 smartphones

Claims

[1] Method for charging an electric vehicle (26), in particular an electric car, in which a charging point (12) is arranged in a parking area (22), wherein a connection, for example an electrical and / or inductive connection, is established between the charging point (12) and the electric vehicle (26) for charging the electric vehicle (26), characterized by that the location of a person (28) belonging to the electric vehicle (26), in particular the driver, is detected directly and / or indirectly by means of a detection unit (14) and a charging process for the electric vehicle (26) is only started and / or continued when the person (28) is in a predetermined location area (24). [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit (14) detects the location of the person (28) by means of at least one radio transceiver (16) and / or by means of a radio transmitter. [3] Method according to claim 2, wherein WLAN, Bluetooth and / or NFC is used to detect the location, wherein in particular a position of a terminal device (32) of the person (28) is determined. [4] Method according to claim 3, wherein the terminal (32) is first detected by the charging point (12) in order to establish an assignment of the electric vehicle (26) to be charged to the person (28). [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the recognition unit (14) establishes a data connection to a software on the terminal (32) of the person (28) in order to detect the location, wherein in particular the software informs the recognition unit (14) of the location of the person (28). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the recognition unit (14) comprises at least one RFID reader to detect an RFID tag of the person (28). [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the recognition unit (14) comprises at least one camera for detecting the location of the person (28). [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the recognition unit (14) is arranged at least partially at a transition from the parking area (22) to the waiting area (24). [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging process is stopped when the person (28) leaves the lounge area (24) and / or moves into the parking area (22). [10] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lounge area (24) and the parking area (22) are separated from each other and / or the lounge area (24) is located outside the parking area (22). [11] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electric vehicle (26) with the connection to the charging point (12) is moved together with the charging point (12), in particular in an automatic parking garage. [12] Charging system (10) for charging an electric vehicle (26), in particular an electric car, with a charging point (12) which is arranged in a parking area (22) and which is designed to establish a connection, for example an electrical and / or inductive connection, to the electric vehicle (26) and to charge the electric vehicle (26), characterized byin that the charging system (10) comprises a detection unit (14) by means of which the location of a person (28) belonging to the electric vehicle (26), in particular the driver, can be detected, wherein the charging system (10) is designed to start and / or continue a charging process for the electric vehicle (26) only when the person (28) is in a predetermined location area (24). [13] Charging system (10) according to claim 12, wherein the charging system (10) comprises a moving unit which is designed to move the electric vehicle (26) together with the charging point (12).

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