Energy supply system, autonomously driving supply vehicle, coupling system, charging station, computer unit, method for supplying an electrically operated motor vehicle and computer program product

Abstract

The invention relates to an energy supply system (1) for electrically operated motor vehicles (2), comprising an autonomously driving supply vehicle (3) with an electrical energy storage device (4) and a first electrical connection unit (5) which is electrically coupled to the energy storage device (4), and a first mechanical connection unit (6) which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle (3), wherein the first electrical connection unit (5) and the first mechanical connection unit (6) can be controlled via a first control unit (9), a coupling system (13) which can be fixed to the motor vehicle (2), comprising a second electrical connection unit (7) which can be coupled to an electrical energy storage device (28) of the motor vehicle (2), and a second mechanical connection unit (8) which can be fixed to the motor vehicle (2),wherein the first mechanical connection unit (6) is detachably coupled to the second mechanical connection unit (8) and the first electrical connection unit (5) is detachably coupled to the second electrical connection unit (7), wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit (5) to the second electrical connection unit (7) can be carried out in an automated manner by the first control unit (9) after the mechanical coupling has been established,

Description

The present invention relates to an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles comprising an autonomously driving supply vehicle having an electrical energy store and a first electrical connection unit which is electrically coupled to the energy store, and a first mechanical connection unit which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle, wherein the first electrical connection unit and the first mechanical connection unit can be actuated via a first control unit, a coupling system which can be fixed to the motor vehicle comprising a second electrical connection unit which can be coupled to an electrical energy store of the motor vehicle, and a second mechanical connection unit which can be fixed to the motor vehicle. The invention further relates to an autonomously driving supply vehicle, a coupling system, a charging station, a computer unit, a method for supplying an electrically operable motor vehicle, and a computer program product.Electric motors are increasingly used for the drive in motor vehicles in order to create alternatives to internal combustion engines that require fossil fuels. In order to improve the suitability of electric drives for all days and in addition to be able to offer users the usual riding comfort, considerable efforts have already been made.In addition to increasing electrification of powertrains in automobiles, automobiles also become increasingly autonomous. Particularly with the advent of automated e-vehicles and new overall vehicle concepts, for example, so-called pople movers are also increasingly used for the urban area, which are designed as an autonomously driving motor vehicle. An autonomous motor vehicle or a self-driving motor vehicle refers to a motor vehicle which can drive, control and, for example, also park (highly automated driving or autonomous driving). A special form of the autonomous motor vehicle is the autonomous passenger transportation vehicle, which is also referred to as a pople mover or autonomous pople mover. Autonomous in this context means that none of the people being conveyed are controlling the vehicle, but that the people conveying vehicle is self-controlled or automatically controlled. The persons being conveyed are therefore generally "only" passengers / passengers.For the operation of such electric vehicles, it is necessary to charge or renew their electric energy stores, which are also referred to as traction batteries, regularly. The problem of charging traction batteries in electric vehicles encompasses a number of challenges in this case. Firstly, the locating and activation of a charging station is necessary, which requires additional time both for private drivers and for commercial users such as delivery services and taxis. This additional step in travel planning can lead to inconveniences, especially in densely populated urban areas where the space for charging stations is limited.When the charging station has arrived, there are basically two possibilities: either the empty battery is replaced by a fully charged one or the existing battery is charged. While the battery change can be faster, it presupposes a comprehensive, standardized infrastructure which is not yet widely used. Although the charging of the permanently installed battery is simpler, it is more time-consuming, since the vehicle cannot be used during the charging process.Another problem is the physical connection to the power source. The charging process requires the insertion of a cable, which, in the case of autonomously driving vehicles such as robotics, requires additional personnel to establish this connection.Finally, the question of efficiency and of the power network must also be taken into account. The charging of the batteries is often effected at times which are not optimum for the power grid. Better integration of charging times at low grid load times could be more efficient and less expensive here, but is challenging due to current charging infrastructure and habits.It is therefore the object of the invention to avoid or at least reduce the problems known from the prior art and to provide an improved energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles. It is also the object of the invention to realize an optimized autonomously driving supply vehicle, an improved coupling system, an optimized charging station and an optimized computer unit, an improved method for supplying an electrically operable motor vehicle and an optimized computer program product.This object is achieved by an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles comprising an autonomously driving supply vehicle having an electrical energy store and a first electrical connection unit which is electrically coupled to the energy store, and a first mechanical connection unit which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle, wherein the first electrical connection unit and the first mechanical connection unit can be controlled via a first control unit, a coupling system which can be fixed to the motor vehicle comprising a second electrical connection unit which can be coupled to an electrical energy store of the motor vehicle, and a second mechanical connection unit which can be fixed to the motor vehicle, wherein the first mechanical connection unit can be detachably coupled to the second mechanical connection unit and the first electrical connection unit can be detachably coupled to the second electrical connection unit, wherein a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit to the second mechanical connection unit can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit, and wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit to the second electrical connection unit can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit after the mechanical coupling has been produced,This achieves the advantage that the human interaction and the need for operating personnel can be further reduced, since the electrical and mechanical connection between the supply vehicle and the motor vehicle can take place automatically. Furthermore, this automation possibility can drastically reduce the risk of an accident when handling people with power cables.The energy supply system according to the invention thus enables the supply vehicle to travel autonomously to the motor vehicle to be charged and automatically establishes a mechanical and an electrical connection to the motor vehicle.Since both an electrical and a mechanical connection is formed between the motor vehicle and the supply vehicle for a charging process, it is thus also possible in principle for the motor vehicle to be charged to move with the supply vehicle mechanically coupled thereto during the charging process. It is thus consequently possible for the motor vehicle to be able to continue to fulfil its driving task, for idle times to be reduced and for the time-to-open rate to be increased. During the charging process while driving, the autonomous driving function of the supply vehicle can be advantageously switched off, so that the supply vehicle can be towed by the vehicle to be charged, similar to a trailer.In this context, it is particularly preferred that the supply vehicle with a charged electrical energy store is requested by the motor vehicle to be charged and the supply vehicle then couples mechanically and electrically to the motor vehicle.The energy supply system according to the invention thus enables in particular not only charging of the motor vehicle in a parked operating state, but also in an operating state in which the motor vehicle is moving.Possible fields of use of the energy supply system are thus, inter alia, taxis with an electric drive and robotic taxis, but also vehicles with an electric drive which are used in commercial transportation.A mechanical connecting unit can be used, for example, as a ball-head coupling, in which a corresponding receptacle engages on the supply vehicle on a spherical coupling ball arranged on the motor vehicle. Another possibility is to use a swivel ring coupling, in which an annular ring rotates on a fixed swivel ring on the towing vehicle. Furthermore, a mechanical connecting unit can also be designed as a flange coupling, in which the supply vehicle is fastened to a flange plate on the towing vehicle by means of a plurality of motor-rotating screws. It would also be conceivable for a mechanical connecting unit to be designed as a tow hook coupling, in which a hook on the towing vehicle engages in a loop or a ring on the supply vehicle-or vice versa.A mechanical connecting unit is in particular designed such that the supply vehicle can be automatically coupled to and decoupled from the motor vehicle. Furthermore, a mechanical connecting unit is preferably also configured such that it enables the motor vehicle to be driven in a curve in the state coupled to the supply vehicle.An electrical connection unit of the motor vehicle may be different from the charging socket of the motor vehicle to be connected manually. In principle, however, it would also be possible for the electrical connection unit of the motor vehicle and the charging socket of the motor vehicle to be connected manually to be identical.An electrical connection unit may be configured for wired and / or wireless electrical energy transmission. A wireless electrical energy transmission can be carried out, for example, by inductive means. For example, corresponding plug connections can be used for a cable-bound electrical energy transmission, in particular selected from a group comprising type 1 (SAE J1772), type 2 (Mennekes), CCS (Combined Charging System), Tesla Supercharger and / or CHAdeMO. The type 1 plug (SAE J1772) is used primarily in North America and some Asian countries. It allows charging with alternating current (AC). A type 2 plug (Mennekes) is particularly widely used in Europe and supports both alternating current and direct current (DC) charging. It is the standard plug for most public charging stations in Europe. A CCS (Combined Charging System) is an extension of the type 2 plug, which includes additional pins for fast charging with direct current and which is widely used in Europe and the USA. The CHAdeMO plug is a standard developed in Japan for fast charging with direct current, which is also used internationally, especially in Asian countries and the USA. The Tesla Supercharger is a dedicated plug that is compatible only with Tesla vehicles and enables very fast charging.Particularly preferably, an electrical connection unit can also be designed as a matrix charging solution, as are known, for example, from DE201610121355U.An electrical connection unit can be used, in particular, with an automatic, robot-controlled system for establishing the electrical connection between the supply vehicle and the motor vehicle to be charged. Such a system may in particular comprise specialized robot arms, which may preferably be equipped with sensors and / or camera technology in order to locate the exact position of the electrical connection unit on the motor vehicle. As soon as the position is detected, the robot arm moves the electrical connection unit of the supply vehicle precisely to the electrical connection unit of the motor vehicle and establishes the corresponding electrical connection. In principle, it would also be possible for the motor vehicle to use a corresponding automatic, robot-controlled system for establishing the electrical connection between the supply vehicle and the motor vehicle to be charged.The electrical energy source of the supply vehicle can be, in particular, a battery. Such a battery is an accumulator which is primarily intended to supply the electrical energy source of the motor vehicle with electrical energy. The electrical energy source of the supply vehicle can also supply the electric machine of the supply vehicle that provides propulsion with electrical energy. For the purposes of this application, the term battery also includes buffer batteries in fuel cell vehicles. A vehicle battery is sometimes also referred to as a high-voltage accumulator, traction battery or cycle battery. The rated voltage of the battery is preferably greater than or equal to 400 V, most preferably greater than or equal to 600 V and very particularly preferably greater than or equal to 800 V. A battery can preferably be selected from the group of lead storage batteries, nickel-cadmium storage batteries, nickel-metal hydride storage batteries, lithium-ion storage batteries, sodium-ion storage batteries and / or thermal batteries.The supply vehicle is preferably electrically drivable. The supply vehicle is advantageously configured in such a way that vehicle speeds greater than 50 km / h, preferably greater than 80 km / h and in particular greater than 100 km / h can be reached, so that the supply vehicle can couple to the motor vehicle in the driving state of the motor vehicle. Particularly preferably, the electric machine for driving the supply vehicle has a power greater than 30 kW, preferably greater than 50 kW and in particular greater than 70 kW. It is furthermore preferred that the electric machine provides rotational speeds greater than 5,000 U / min, particularly preferably greater than 10,000 U / min, very particularly preferably greater than 12,500 U / min.The electrical energy source of the motor vehicle can be, in particular, a battery. Such a battery is an accumulator which is primarily intended to supply the electric machines in electric vehicles which provide for propulsion with electrical energy. For the purposes of this application, the term battery also includes buffer batteries in fuel cell vehicles. A vehicle battery is sometimes also referred to as a high-voltage accumulator, traction battery or cycle battery. The rated voltage of the battery is preferably greater than or equal to 400 V, most preferably greater than or equal to 600 V and very particularly preferably greater than or equal to 800 V. A battery can preferably be selected from the group of lead storage batteries, nickel-cadmium storage batteries, nickel-metal hydride storage batteries, lithium-ion storage batteries, sodium-ion storage batteries and / or thermal batteries.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the energy supply system has at least one first charging station which has a third mechanical connection unit and a third electrical connection unit, wherein the first mechanical connection unit can be detachably coupled to the third mechanical connection unit and the first electrical connection unit can be detachably coupled to the third electrical connection unit, wherein a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit to the third mechanical connection unit can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit, and wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit to the third electrical connection unit can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit after the mechanical coupling has been produced, such that the energy store of the supply vehicle can be charged via the first charging station in the electrically coupled state.A main advantage of such a charging station lies in the automation of the charging process of the supply vehicle. The first mechanical connection unit of the supply vehicle can be automatically coupled to the corresponding unit at the charging station. This facilitates the connection process, since no manual intervention has to take place. Due to the separate mechanical coupling at the charging station, the supply vehicle can also be effectively secured against theft.According to a further preferred development of the invention, it can also be provided that the motor vehicle has a first interface, via which position data of the motor vehicle can be transmitted to a central computer unit remote from the motor vehicle, and the supply vehicle has a second interface, via which the position data of the motor vehicle can be received from a central computer unit, and the first control unit of the supply vehicle is configured such that the supply vehicle can be moved autonomously to a position of the motor vehicle. As a result, the supply vehicle can specifically approach or even track the motor vehicle to be charged. In principle, the supply vehicle can also couple to the motor vehicle during the journey of the motor vehicle.Furthermore, according to a likewise advantageous embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the first mechanical connection unit and the second mechanical connection unit are designed such that the supply vehicle can be coupled to the motor vehicle in a pivotable manner, which in particular also allows motor vehicle and the supply vehicle coupled to the latter to travel around a curve.Furthermore, the object of the invention can be achieved by an autonomously driving supply vehicle, in particular for use in an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles according to claim 1, having an electrical energy store and a first electrical connection unit which is electrically coupled to the energy store, and a first mechanical connection unit which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle, wherein the first electrical connection unit and the first mechanical connection unit can be controlled via a first control unit. This can achieve, in particular, the effect that the supply vehicle can be automatically coupled to a motor vehicle to be charged.The object of the invention can also be achieved by a coupling system fixable to a motor vehicle for an electrically operable motor vehicle, in particular for use in an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles according to claim 1, comprising a second electrical connection unit which can be coupled to an electrical energy store of the motor vehicle, and a second mechanical connection unit which can be fixed to the motor vehicle. In this case, the second electrical connection unit and the second mechanical connection unit form a structural unit, which can facilitate in particular the integration and mounting of the coupling system in a motor vehicle.The object of the invention can also be achieved by a charging station, in particular for use in an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles according to claim 1, comprising a third mechanical connection unit and a third electrical connection unit, wherein the first mechanical connection unit can be detachably coupled to the third mechanical connection unit and the first electrical connection unit can be detachably coupled to the third electrical connection unit, wherein a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit to the third mechanical connection unit can be carried out in an automatically controlled manner by the first control unit, and wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit to the third electrical connection unit can be carried out in an automatically controlled manner by the first control unit after the mechanical coupling has been produced, such that the energy store of the supply vehicle can be charged via the first charging station in the electrically coupled state.A charging station is an infrastructure device which serves to charge the electrical energy stores of supply vehicles with electrical energy. It is connected to the power grid and makes it possible to transmit electrical energy via the electrical connecting units into the supply vehicle.A charging station can be designed as an AC charging station and / or as a DC charging station. Furthermore, a charging station can be stationary or mobile.The charging station can preferably have a third interface, via which data can be received from a central computer unit and / or via which data can be transmitted to the central computer unit.The energy supply system preferably has a plurality of charging stations. More preferably, a plurality of charging stations, preferably all charging stations, are of identical design. It is further preferred that the charging stations are arranged at a distance of at least 2 km travel distance of the supply vehicle, particularly preferably of at least 5 km travel distance of the supply vehicle.It is also possible that the object of the invention is achieved by a central computer unit, in particular for use in an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles according to claim 1, comprising an interface for receiving position data of a motor vehicle and an interface for transmitting position data of the motor vehicle to an autonomously driving supply vehicle.The central computer unit in the energy supply system for electrically operated motor vehicles can be defined as a control device which is responsible for the management, control and optimization of various functions and processes in connection with the energy supply and use of the motor vehicle and / or of the supply vehicle and / or of the charging station.The central computer unit is preferably configured as a cloud-based software application. In such a cloud-based central computer unit in an energy supply system for electrically operated motor vehicles, the core elements of the data processing and system control are moved into the cloud. In this configuration, relevant data from the motor vehicle and / or from the supply vehicle and / or from a charging station are sent to a service hosted in the cloud, where they are analyzed and processed. This enables not only a more efficient analysis by using extended computing capacities in the cloud, but also a more comprehensive data processing beyond the limits of the individual vehicle and / or charging station. This relocation centralises the control and monitoring of the energy flow, the battery management and the charging process and can be remotely controlled, for example via the Internet.It is also possible that the object of the invention is achieved by a method for supplying an electrically powered motor vehicle with electrical energy comprising the following steps:• Transmission of the position data of the motor vehicle to a central computer unit;• Transmission of the position data of the motor vehicle from the central computer unit to an autonomously driving supply vehicle, having an electrical energy store and a first electrical connection unit which is electrically coupled to the energy store, and having a first mechanical connection unit which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle;• Method of the autonomously driving supply vehicle with respect to the position data of the motor vehicle;• coupling the first mechanical connection unit of the supply vehicle to a second mechanical connection unit of the motor vehicle;• Coupling of the first electrical connection unit of the supply vehicle to a second electrical connection unit of the motor vehicle.This makes it possible to bring the supply vehicle into a trailer operating state with the motor vehicle to be charged. In particular, the charging of the motor vehicle can also take place during a journey of the motor vehicle.Finally, the object of the invention can also be achieved by a computer program product stored on a machine readable carrier or computer data signal embodied by an electromagnetic wave, comprising computer program code suitable for carrying out a method according to claim 9. A conventional method is storage on physical data media such as CDs, DVDs, USB sticks or external hard disks. These media may be loaded into appropriate drives or ports of a computer to install or directly execute the program. Another form is to provide the program as a download over the Internet. Users may download the program from a download platform or web page and install it on their computer. Also, a computer program product may be provided as a cloud-based service. Instead of installing the program on the local computer, users access it via the Internet and execute it on the service provider's servers. The computer program product may also be provided as a streaming service in which the program is executed on a remote server while the user accesses it via a client application or web browser. In some specialized applications, the computer program product may also be incorporated into the firmware of devices or systems. These so-called embedded systems are specifically tailored to the hardware and operating conditions of the respective device.In some cases, in particular in the case of wireless communication, the computer program product is also transmitted as an electromagnetic signal. This is the case, for example, with software updates via radio networks or satellite communication. In this case, the program is transmitted as a data signal and processed by the receiving device.The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to figures without limiting the general concept of the invention.It shows: FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an energy supply system for electrically operable motor vehicles, FIG. 2 shows a motor vehicle with a supply vehicle coupled to the latter in a schematic illustration, FIG. 3 shows a supply vehicle in a schematic side view and top view.When viewing FIGS. 1-3 together, an energy supply system 1 for electrically operable motor vehicles 2 is evident, comprising an autonomously driving supply vehicle 3 having an electrical energy store 4 and a first electrical connection unit 5, which is electrically coupled to the energy store 4, and a first mechanical connection unit 6, which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle 3. The first electrical connection unit 5 and the first mechanical connection unit 6 can be controlled via a first control unit 9.Furthermore, the energy supply system 1 has a coupling system 13 fixable to the motor vehicle 2, comprising a second electrical connection unit 7 which can be coupled to an electrical energy store 28 of the motor vehicle 2, and a second mechanical connection unit 8 which can be fixed to the motor vehicle 2.In this case, the first mechanical connection unit 6 can then be detachably coupled to the second mechanical connection unit 8 and the first electrical connection unit 5 can be detachably coupled to the second electrical connection unit 7. The mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit 5 to the second mechanical connection unit 7 can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit 9. The electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit 5 to the second electrical connection unit 7 then takes place automatically by the first control unit 9 after the production of the mechanical coupling.The energy supply system 1 has a first charging station 10, a second charging station 30 and a third charging station 40, which each have a third mechanical connection unit 11 and a third electrical connection unit 12, wherein the first mechanical connection unit 6 can be detachably coupled to the third mechanical connection unit 11 and the first electrical connection unit 5 can be detachably coupled to the third electrical connection unit 12. Here, too, a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit 5 to the third mechanical connection unit 11 takes place automatically by the first control unit 9.The electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit 5 to the third electrical connection unit 12 then takes place after the production of the mechanical coupling in an automated manner by the first control unit 9, so that the energy store 4 of the supply vehicle 3 can be charged in the electrically coupled state via one of the charging stations 10, 30, 40.The motor vehicle 2 also has a first interface 14, via which position data 15 of the motor vehicle 2 can be transmitted to a central computer unit 16 remote from the motor vehicle 2. Analogously to this, the supply vehicle 3 also has a second interface 17, via which the position data 15 of the motor vehicle 2 can be received from a central computer unit 16. The first control unit 9 of the supply vehicle 3 is now configured such that the supply vehicle 3 can be moved autonomously to a position of the motor vehicle 2.The first mechanical connection unit 6 and the second mechanical connection unit 8 are furthermore designed such that the supply vehicle 3 can be coupled to the motor vehicle 2 in a pivotable mannerIn a practical operation of the power supply system 1 shown, the following use case can now result. A motor vehicle 2 to be charged sends an encrypted message to the superordinate computer unit 16 via a first interface 14, which is designed as an over-the-air interface, which is indicated by the corresponding arrow. The computer unit 16 is designed as a cloud-based application and receives the message via the interface 20.The computer unit 16 thus has an interface 20 inter alia for receiving position data 15 of a motor vehicle 2 and an interface 21 inter alia for transmitting position data 15 of the motor vehicle 2 to the autonomously driving supply vehicle 3.The superordinate computer unit 16 uses this information to determine the charging station 10, 30, 40 which is most favorable geographically and economically and sends it via a data interface 22 the location, the route of the motor vehicle 2 and the required charging quantity.The ascertained charging station 10 then sends a supply vehicle 3, which drives autonomously to the motor vehicle 2 and couples to the motor vehicle 2 both mechanically and electrically when the motor vehicle 2 is reached. First, the mechanical coupling of the supply vehicle 3 to the motor vehicle 2 takes place via the mechanical connecting units 6, 8.After mechanical coupling has taken place, the autonomous drive of the supply vehicle 3 is switched off and the supply vehicle 3 is towed by the motor vehicle 2 in a manner similar to a trailer. The electrical coupling is then carried out. The electrical energy store 28 of the motor vehicle 2 is charged from the electrical energy store 4 of the supply vehicle 3 via the electrical connection units 5, 7. This operating state can be easily understood from FIG. 2.As soon as the charging process is concluded or when the charging capacity of the energy store of the supply vehicle 3 has been used up, the electrical coupling and then the mechanical coupling of the supply vehicle 3 and of the motor vehicle 2 are first released. In this case, the autonomous drive of the supply vehicle 3 is activated again and the supply vehicle 3 travels to a geographically closest supply vehicle station 40.The charging stations 10, 30, 40 each have a third mechanical connection unit 11 and a third electrical connection unit 12, wherein the first mechanical connection unit 6 can be detachably coupled to the third mechanical connection unit 11 and the first electrical connection unit 5 can be detachably coupled to the third electrical connection unit 12. Here too, the mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit 5 to the third mechanical connection unit 11 can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit 9.An electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit 5 to the third electrical connection unit 12 can be carried out in an automated manner by the first control unit 9 after the mechanical coupling has been produced, such that the energy store 4 of the supply vehicle 3 can be charged via the first charging station 10 in the electrically coupled state. The charging stations 10, 30, 40 each have a third interface 18, via which data 19 can be received from a central computer unit 16 and / or via which data 19 can be transmitted to the central computer unit 16.Via the interface 17 of the supply vehicle 3, an encrypted message is then sent to the interface 21 of the superordinate computer unit 16, which message serves for financial billing. The higher-level computer unit 16 is responsible for financial processing of the charging process with the end customer.The charging stations 10, 30, 40 hold a plurality of supply vehicles 3 ready. These are preferably charged economically from the power grid at optimum times. In this case, the charging stations 10, 30, 40 function as a small storage installation for cushioning load peaks. The electrical energy stores 4 installed in the supply vehicles 3 allow current to be stored in a time-limited manner. If there are no requests from motor vehicles 2, the stored current can be fed back into the power grid.The supply vehicles 3 are equipped in such a way that they can drive autonomously with level 4. In this case, geo-furnaceing is used in order to ensure that the supply vehicle 3 can return to a charging station 10, 30, 40 again.The energy supply system 1 thus enables, among other things, the execution of a method with the following steps: First, the position data 15 of the motor vehicle 2 are transmitted to a central computer unit 16. Subsequently, this position data 15 of the motor vehicle 2 are transmitted from the central computer unit 16 to an autonomously driving supply vehicle 3, which is equipped with an electrical energy store 4 and a first electrical connection unit 5, which is electrically coupled to the energy store 4, and a first mechanical connection unit 6, which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle 3.The autonomous driving supply vehicle 3 is then moved to the position data 15 of the motor vehicle and the first mechanical connection unit 6 of the supply vehicle 3 is coupled to a second mechanical connection unit 8 of the motor vehicle 2.FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the structure of the supply vehicle 3. The supply vehicle 3 consists of a battery-electric energy store 4, which serves both as an energy store for the electromotive drive of the supply vehicle 3 and for charging the motor vehicle 2. The mechanical connection unit 6 and the electrical connection unit 5 are located in the front of the supply vehicle 3, and a plug that can be plugged in by humans can be dispensed with here, and a contact unit as described in WO2019076663 can preferably be used. Advantageously, the actuatable vehicle contact unit is not mounted in the motor vehicle 2 to be charged, as in DE 201610121355, but in the supply vehicle 3. Instead, the ground contact unit described in DE201610121355 is located at the rear of the motor vehicle 2. This may be hidden, for example, by a flap when it is not being used.The mechanical connecting unit 6 is designed such that the coupling and decoupling to the motor vehicle 2 can be controlled from the side of the supply vehicle 3. In this case, when the supply vehicle 3 is coupled to the motor vehicle 2, such a rotation is possible that the supply vehicle 3 can also follow the motor vehicle 2 during cornering.A dome 23 accommodates the sensors for the autonomous driving function of the supply vehicle 3. This location is particularly suitable because it provides an unhindered 360-degree around view. The autonomous driving function is provided by the control unit 9, which controls both traction motors and steering device of the supply vehicle 3. Corner modules are located on the outer edges of the supply vehicle 3, in which further sensors and position lights are accommodated. The position lights allow other road users to quickly visually recognize the supply vehicle 3. For this purpose, a lash adjuster is additionally used, which is located in the rear of the supply vehicle 3.FIG. 3 thus shows, in other words, an autonomously driving supply vehicle 3 for use in an energy supply system 1 for electrically operable motor vehicles 2, as is known from FIG. 1, having an electrical energy store 4 and a first electrical connection unit 5, which is electrically coupled to the energy store 4, and a first mechanical connection unit 6, which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle 3. The first electrical connection unit 5 and the first mechanical connection unit 6 can be controlled via the first control unit 9.The motor vehicle 2 has a coupling system 13 fixed thereto for use in an energy supply system 1 for electrically operable motor vehicles 2, as shown in FIG. 1, comprising a second electrical connection unit 7, which can be coupled to an electrical energy store 28 of the motor vehicle 2, and a second mechanical connection unit 8, which can be fixed to the motor vehicle 2.The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures. The foregoing description is, therefore, not to be considered as limiting, but illustrative. The following claims should be understood to mean that a said feature is present in at least one embodiment of the invention. This does not exclude the presence of further features. If the patent claims and the above description define "first" and "second" features, this designation serves to distinguish two features of the same type without specifying a ranking.List of reference characters1 Energy supply system 2 Motor vehicle 3 Supply vehicle 4 Energy store 5 Connection unit 6 Connection unit 7 Connection unit 8 Connection unit 9 Control unit 10 Charging station 11 Connection unit 12 Connection unit 13 Coupling system 14 Interface 15 Position data 16 Computer unit 17 Interface 18 Interface 19 Data 20 Interface 21 Interface 22 Interface 23 Dome 28 Energy store 30 Charging station 40 Charging stationReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 201610121355U

[0020] WO 2019076663

[0065] DE 201610121355

[0065]

Claims

Energy supply system (1) for electrically operable motor vehicles (2) comprising an autonomously driving supply vehicle (3) having an electrical energy store (4) and a first electrical connection unit (5) which is electrically coupled to the energy store (4), and a first mechanical connection unit (6) which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle (3), wherein the first electrical connection unit (5) and the first mechanical connection unit (6) can be actuated via a first control unit (9), a coupling system (13) which can be fixed to the motor vehicle (2) comprising a second electrical connection unit (7) which can be coupled to an electrical energy store (28) of the motor vehicle (2), and a second mechanical connection unit (8) which can be fixed to the motor vehicle (2), characterized in that, the fact that the first mechanical connection unit (6) can be detachably coupled to the second mechanical connection unit (8) and the first electrical connection unit (5) can be detachably coupled to the second electrical connection unit (7), wherein a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit (5) to the second mechanical connection unit (7) can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit (9), and wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit (5) to the second electrical connection unit (7) can be carried out in an automated manner under the control of the first control unit (9) after the mechanical coupling has been produced,Energy supply system (1) according to Claim (1), characterized in that the energy supply system (1) has at least one first charging station (10) which has a third mechanical connection unit (11) and a third electrical connection unit (12), wherein the first mechanical connection unit (6) can be detachably coupled to the third mechanical connection unit (11) and the first electrical connection unit (5) can be detachably coupled to the third electrical connection unit (12), wherein a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit (5) to the third mechanical connection unit (11) can be carried out in an automatically controlled manner by the first control unit (9), and wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit (5) to the third electrical connection unit (12) can be carried out in an automatically controlled manner by the first control unit (9) after the mechanical coupling has been produced, such that the energy store (4) of the supply vehicle (3) can be charged via the first charging station (10) in the electrically coupled state.Energy supply system (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the motor vehicle (2) has a first interface (14), via which position data (15) of the motor vehicle (2) can be transmitted to a central computer unit (16) remote from the motor vehicle (2), and the supply vehicle (3) has a second interface (17), via which the position data (15) of the motor vehicle (2) can be received from a central computer unit (16), and the first control unit (9) of the supply vehicle (3) is configured such that the supply vehicle (3) can be moved autonomously to a position of the motor vehicle (2).Energy supply system (1) according to one of Claims 1 - 3, characterized in that the first mechanical connection unit (6) and the second mechanical connection unit (8) are designed such that the supply vehicle (3) can be coupled to the motor vehicle (2) in a pivotable mannerAutonomously driving supply vehicle (3), in particular for use in an energy supply system (1) for electrically operable motor vehicles (2) according to claim 1, having an electrical energy store (4) and a first electrical connection unit (5) which is electrically coupled to the energy store (4), and a first mechanical connection unit (6) which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle (3), wherein the first electrical connection unit (5) and the first mechanical connection unit (6) can be controlled via a first control unit (9),Coupling system (13), fixable to a motor vehicle (2), for an electrically operable motor vehicle (2), in particular for use in an energy supply system (1) for electrically operable motor vehicles (2) according to claim 1, comprising a second electrical connection unit (7) which is couplable to an electrical energy store (28) of the motor vehicle (2), and a second mechanical connection unit (8) which is fixable to the motor vehicle (2).Charging station (10), in particular for use in an energy supply system (1) for electrically operable motor vehicles (2) according to claim 1, comprising a third mechanical connection unit (11) and a third electrical connection unit (12), wherein the first mechanical connection unit (6) can be detachably coupled to the third mechanical connection unit (11) and the first electrical connection unit (5) can be detachably coupled to the third electrical connection unit (12), wherein a mechanical coupling of the first mechanical connection unit (5) to the third mechanical connection unit (11) can be carried out in an automatically controlled manner by the first control unit (9), and wherein an electrical coupling of the first electrical connection unit (5) to the third electrical connection unit (12) can be carried out in an automatically controlled manner by the first control unit (9) after the mechanical coupling has been produced, such that the energy store (4) of the supply vehicle (3) can be charged via the first charging station (10) in the electrically coupled state.Central computer unit (16), in particular for use in an energy supply system (1) for electrically operable motor vehicles (2) according to Claim 1, comprising an interface (20) for receiving position data (15) of a motor vehicle (2) and an interface (21) for transmitting position data (15) of the motor vehicle (2) to an autonomously driving supply vehicle (3).Methods for supplying an electrically powered motor vehicle (2) with electrical energy comprise the following steps: • transmitting the position data (15) of the motor vehicle (2) to a central computer unit (16); • transmitting the position data (15) of the motor vehicle (2) from the central computer unit (16) to an autonomously driving supply vehicle (3), having an electrical energy store (4) and a first electrical connection unit (5) which is electrically coupled to the energy store (4) and a first mechanical connection unit (6) which is mechanically coupled to the supply vehicle (3); • moving the autonomously driving supply vehicle (3) to the position data (15) of the motor vehicle; • coupling the first mechanical connection unit (6) of the supply vehicle (3) to a second mechanical connection unit (8) of the motor vehicle (2); • coupling the first electrical connection unit (5) of the supply vehicle (3) to a second electrical connection unit (7) of the motor vehicle (2);A computer program product stored on a machine readable medium or computer data signal embodied by an electromagnetic wave, comprising computer program code suitable for performing a method according to claim 9.

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