Inductive charging equipment for vehicle charging systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inductive charging device (1) for a vehicle charging system (8), comprising an energy transmission winding (4) and at least one flow guide element (5). The inductive charging device of the present invention comprises a proximity positioning transmitting device (NAH-POS) suitable for generating at least one proximity positioning signal (NAH-SIG) and a remote positioning transmitting device (FERN-POS) suitable for generating at least one remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG). The present invention further relates to a method for positioning a vehicle (2).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inductive charging device for a vehicle charging system, a vehicle charging system and a method for positioning a vehicle with a mobile inductive charging device in a defined position relative to a stationary inductive charging device according to the preamble of the independent claims.

[0002] German Patent Application Publication No. 102014202747 discloses a dual-winding system used to determine the positional deviation between the primary and secondary coils of an inductive charging system. The two windings of the dual-winding system are offset from each other by a predetermined angle and wound around a common ferrite element. The magnetic field of the primary coil induces voltages in the two windings. The two voltages are evaluated by an evaluation unit, from which the positional deviation between the primary and secondary coils is calculated. The dual-winding system shown is used simply as a sensor for detecting the positional deviation. However, this method may be inaccurate or no longer function satisfactorily for short distances.

[0003] The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide an improved or at least alternative embodiment for an inductive charging device of the type mentioned at the beginning, in particular to provide an embodiment which allows for a positioning method over as wide a range of distances as possible.

[0004] Enabling vehicles to be inductively charged offers numerous advantages over conventional conductive charging processes. First, this is due in part to increased comfort, since the need to handle very heavy charging cables and plugs is eliminated. However, during an inductive charging process, it is important that the vehicle's inductive charging equipment is positioned as accurately as possible relative to a stationary, e.g., bottom-mounted, inductive charging equipment. This is difficult to achieve by purely manual positioning of the vehicle via the stationary inductive charging equipment; in this case, the driver requires assistance from an assistance system that provides information about the position deviation between the mobile inductive charging equipment in the vehicle and the stationary inductive charging equipment, or from an automatic positioning system that directly and automatically handles the parking process. Sensor equipment capable of detecting the corresponding position deviation is required. In this case, it is advantageous that no initial calibration between the stationary inductive charging equipment in the vehicle and the mobile inductive charging equipment is required. Furthermore, it is advantageous for the positioning system to have as long a range as possible. That is, when the distance between the stationary inductive charging equipment and the mobile inductive charging equipment in the vehicle is as long as possible, the positioning system should be able to accurately identify the position deviation and should function until the positioning is sufficiently accurate.

[0005] The present invention proposes an inductive charging device for a vehicle charging system, comprising an energy transmission winding, at least one flow guiding element, a proximity positioning transmitting device suitable for generating at least one proximity positioning signal, and a remote positioning transmitting device suitable for generating at least one remote positioning signal.

[0006] During inductive charging, energy is transferred in the form of a magnetic field between two inductive charging devices, usually between a stationary charging device and a mobile inductive charging device.

[0007] Therefore, the term "inductive charging device" as used herein refers to only one of at least two parts required for energy transmission for the inductive charging process. During the inductive charging process, an energy transmission winding generates an alternating magnetic field in the inductive charging device. This alternating magnetic field induces a voltage in another energy transmission winding of another inductive charging device. This other inductive charging device is therefore used as a counterpart to this specific charging process. The energy is transmitted wirelessly and accepted by inducing a voltage.

[0008] The inductive charging device can be used for inductive charging of vehicles. In principle, the inductive charging device according to the invention can be used for all types of land, water or air vehicles with electric or hybrid drives. In particular, passenger cars, buses and trucks can be mentioned here.

[0009] A vehicle charging system includes at least one mobile inductive charging device and another, usually stationary, inductive charging device, which may be mounted, for example, on and / or inside the vehicle.

[0010] Thus, an inductive charging device mounted adjacent to a vehicle and / or mounted inside the vehicle is suitable for receiving the magnetic field and providing electrical energy for an energy storage device of the vehicle, for example a battery or accumulator within the vehicle.

[0011] In principle, the vehicle charging system can also be used for bidirectional charging, in which case the vehicle can also temporarily supply energy from an energy accumulator to the power grid via the vehicle charging system.

[0012] Further important features and advantages of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the drawings and the corresponding illustrations based on the drawings.

[0013] The inductive charging device has an energy transmission winding that can efficiently receive and / or transmit a magnetic field from another energy transmission winding during the charging process, preferably with a power output of 3 kW to 500 kW, particularly preferably with a power output of 3 kW to 50 kW.

[0014] Very generally, a coil is defined herein as a component for generating or receiving a magnetic field. A coil may consist of a winding and, optionally, other elements such as a magnetic core and a coil support. In this case, a winding is a wound arrangement of an electrical conductor. A winding may consist of one or more turns, where one turn refers to one complete circumference of the conductor. However, very generally, a winding may consist of only less than one turn, i.e., for example, 0.5 turns. Of course, incomplete turns, such as, for example, 2.5 turns, are also possible.

[0015] The energy transmission winding may be constructed in different forms, for example from high frequency Litz wire having a diameter of 0.5 mm to 10 mm, preferably made of copper.

[0016] The flow guide element is suitable for guiding the magnetic field in a predetermined manner. r >1, preferably μ r >50, particularly preferably μ rThe flow guide element has a high magnetic permeability >100. The flow guide element is a magnetic core for the energy transmission winding. In particular, the high magnetic permeability influences the magnetic field so that the largest possible magnetic flux is transmitted to the energy transmission winding. The flow guide element allows the energy transmission winding to receive a larger magnetic flux than would otherwise be possible without the flow guide element under the same parameters. The flow guide element may be made of a ferromagnetic material or preferably a ferrite magnetic material, particularly preferably ferrite. The flow guide element may be preferably formed in the form of a plate-like, planar core and may be arranged in the inductive charging device on the opposite side of the energy transmission winding, i.e., facing away from the other inductive charging device.

[0017] A positioning transmitting device is a device that allows the transmission of at least one positioning signal. A positioning transmitting device may consist of several elements that may be spatially and mutually separated. It is also possible for one positioning transmitting device to transmit several positioning signals. Positioning transmitting devices are used to generate positioning signals for a positioning method.

[0018] What is important for an optimal positioning process is, on the one hand, that the longest possible reach is achieved, i.e., that positioning is possible at the longest possible distance between the two inductive charging devices, and, on the other hand, that positioning is still possible even when the distance between the two inductive charging devices is short, in particular until a sufficiently accurate positioning is achieved.

[0019] Distance here always refers to the distance to the optimal positioning. In cases where stationary inductive charging equipment is placed on or within a roadbed, optimal positioning may occur when the two center points of the inductive charging equipment are positioned vertically one above the other in a plane parallel to the roadbed. The distance is always specified in this case relative to these center points. That is, the distance between two inductive charging equipment here refers to the distance between the two center points of the two inductive charging equipment in a plane parallel to the roadbed. Different positioning methods may be optimal for different ranges of the spacing between two inductive charging equipment. For example, a positioning method that achieves the longest possible reach, i.e., the longest possible distance between two inductive charging equipment, may be insufficient for short distances. A positioning method that provides accurate values for short distances may have a reach that is too short. Therefore, it may be advantageous to combine two positioning methods that provide sufficient or optimal values for various ranges of the distance between two inductive charging equipment. Furthermore, it may be advantageous to use different positioning transmitters for the two positioning methods.

[0020] In this case, the terms "proximal positioning" and "remote positioning" refer to two different distance ranges between two inductive charging devices or between their two center points. These distance ranges may overlap. The terms "proximal positioning" and "remote positioning" are not explicitly related to the near-field or far-field properties of electromagnetic waves.

[0021] The proximity positioning transmitting device is a positioning transmitting device capable of transmitting positioning signals, which are sufficient or optimal for positioning when the distance between two inductive charging devices is relatively short. The proximity positioning transmitting device is suitable for transmitting proximity positioning signals during the positioning process. In particular, the proximity positioning transmitting device can transmit proximity positioning signals suitable for positioning up to sufficiently accurate positioning.

[0022] Proximity positioning can cover a range up to the maximum distance for proximity positioning. The maximum distance is related to the spacing between two inductive charging devices. The maximum distance is related to the spacing for optimal positioning. When stationary inductive charging devices are placed on or within the roadbed, the optimal positioning is when the two center points of the inductive charging devices are positioned overlapping each other. Therefore, the maximum distance is related to the spacing between the two center points of the two inductive charging devices on the road surface.

[0023] The maximum distance for proximity positioning may be less than 2 meters. Preferably, the maximum distance may be 1 meter. Therefore, proximity positioning preferably covers a distance range of a few centimeters to 1 meter between the center points of two inductive charging devices.

[0024] The remote positioning transmitting device is a positioning transmitting device capable of transmitting one or more positioning signals, which are sufficient or optimal for positioning when the distance between two inductive charging devices is relatively long. The remote positioning transmitting device is suitable for transmitting remote positioning signals during the positioning process. In particular, the remote positioning transmitting device can transmit remote positioning signals that are sufficiently accurate for positioning up to a maximum range. In this case, the maximum range is the longest distance between two inductive charging devices that can be achieved by combining the proximity positioning method and the remote positioning method.

[0025] Remote positioning can cover a range between the minimum and maximum distances for remote positioning. The maximum distance for remote positioning must be at least the same as the distance at which the stationary inductive charging device is no longer visible to the driver through the windshield when driving straight. The maximum distance for remote positioning can be several meters. Preferably, the maximum distance for remote positioning can be 5 to 15 meters, particularly preferably 10 meters. Remote positioning can have a minimum distance at which positioning by this method is no longer possible. Advantageously, the minimum distance for remote positioning is at least the same as the maximum distance for proximity positioning. However, it is also possible for the minimum distance for remote positioning to be shorter than the maximum distance for proximity positioning. In this case, a short transition range occurs, during which positioning must be performed without using a positioning method. For example, in this case, it is possible to simply position further in the corresponding direction after the last evaluated signal of remote positioning until proximity positioning provides an evaluable signal. Alternatively, the minimum distance for remote positioning can be longer than the maximum distance for proximity positioning. In this case, an overlap of the two positioning methods occurs.

[0026] The minimum distance for remote positioning may be between 20 cm and 1 m. Preferably, the minimum distance for remote positioning may be about 0.5 m.

[0027] The term "remote" therefore preferably relates to a distance range of 0.5 m to 10 m, and the term "close" therefore preferably relates to a distance range of less than 1 m.

[0028] It is obvious that the features mentioned above and those to be described below can be used not only in the respective combinations mentioned, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0029] Preferably, the inductive charging equipment is a mobile inductive charging equipment located adjacent to and / or inside the vehicle, or the inductive charging equipment is a stationary inductive charging equipment.

[0030] Stationary inductive charging equipment is the non-mobile portion of a vehicle charging system, i.e., the portion that does not move with the vehicle.

[0031] The stationary inductive charging equipment may be preferably located on, in contact with, or within the bottom surface. This may be an inductive charging equipment placed on the roadbed, or an inductive charging equipment buried in the roadbed or bottom surface. The bottom surface may be the bottom surface of a roadway, parking lot surface, garage floor, parking structure, or other building. However, the stationary inductive charging equipment may alternatively be located on a wall, etc.

[0032] This may be a stationary inductive charging device for a dynamic inductive charging process, in which the vehicle's energy accumulator can be charged while the vehicle is moving. For example, in this case, the stationary inductive charging device may extend along the roadway, below the roadway surface, in the roadway surface, or on the roadway surface.

[0033] The mobile inductive charging equipment may be located on and / or inside the vehicle, and is most commonly understood to be part of a vehicle charging system that travels with the vehicle.

[0034] Advantageously, the proximity positioning transmitting device comprises a plurality of proximity transmitting windings, preferably at least four, arranged spaced apart from one another and each suitable for generating a proximity positioning signal.

[0035] The proximity transmission winding is a transmission coil or part of a transmission coil capable of generating a proximity positioning signal. In this case, the proximity positioning signal may be an alternating magnetic field and may have a predetermined frequency or a predetermined frequency band. The frequency of the positioning signal may be in the range of 5 kHz to 150 kHz, preferably in the range of 110 kHz to 148.5 kHz, and particularly preferably in the range of 120 kHz to 145 kHz. The frequencies used may be, for example, one or more of 111.483 kHz, 111.982 kHz, 112.994 kHz, 113.507 kHz, and 116.009 kHz. The transmission coil may be configured to be significantly smaller than the energy transmission winding and may be smaller than the sensor winding. The proximity transmission winding may be configured, for example, in the form of a flat coil. The proximity transmission winding may be arranged at a distance from the energy transmission winding and at a distance from one or more flow guide elements. Alternatively, the proximity transmission winding may be arranged in the region of the energy transmission winding and / or in the region of the flow guide element. Basically, the proximity transmission winding may be arranged on each side of the inductive charging device. In the case of an inductive charging device arranged parallel to the driving surface, this corresponds to arrangement at different heights. The proximity transmission winding may be arranged between at least one flow guide element and the energy transmission winding. Alternatively, the proximity transmission winding may be located in a plane with the energy transmission winding. In another alternative embodiment, the proximity transmission winding may be located closer to another inductive charging device that forms a counterpart during the inductive charging process than the energy transmission winding and the flow guide element. In other words, the proximity transmission winding may be arranged on the side of the energy transmission winding facing away from the flow guide element. It is also possible to arrange the proximity transmission winding spatially separated from the inductive charging device and only functionally associated with it. Using multiple proximity transmission windings allows for a simpler positioning method.

[0036] If the received signals are associated with the individual positioning signals of the adjacent transmitter windings, the relative or absolute spacing of each adjacent transmitter winding can be determined, and positioning can be performed. For example, the relative spacing of two adjacent adjacent transmitter windings can be compared with each other.

[0037] The use of at least four adjacent transmitter windings is advantageous. These can be arranged around the target area, for example, in the form of a rectangle. By simply comparing the intensities of the various positioning signals, positioning can be performed both in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. A further advantage is the resulting redundancy, since two ratios are formed in each spatial direction. This is particularly important for the proposed system because, if the distance between the adjacent transmitter winding and the sensor winding is very short, parasitic effects can occur, causing the spatially distributed signal to no longer have its maximum directly at the position of the adjacent transmitter winding, but to have a significant "dip" there. The "dip" here refers to a local minimum between two local maxima. In other words, the position-dependent signal has a characteristic curve with a "double ridge." This curve can lead to incorrectly identified positions. The proposed redundancy is advantageous because the effect of a significant "dip" in the spatial distribution only occurs over very short distances. This is because here it is always possible to evaluate the signal of a nearby transmitting winding over a relatively long distance.

[0038] The proximity transmitting winding, which is part of the electric coil, can generate an alternating magnetic field by applying an alternating current. This alternating magnetic field can induce a voltage, for example, in another winding located at a distance. This allows the same basic physical principle used for energy transmission, i.e., induction, to be used for transmitting positioning signals. This offers several advantages. Among other things, it allows certain components, such as electronic components and flow guide elements, to be used for both energy transmission and positioning signal transmission. In this case, an alternating current with an effective value of 500 mA to 1 A can flow through the proximity transmitting winding. Preferably, the effective value of the alternating current is 700 mA.

[0039] Particularly preferably, the proximity transmitter winding is configured with a winding axis perpendicular to the roadbed.

[0040] The proximity transmitter winding may be made of copper. The proximity transmitter winding may have 10 to 50 turns. Preferably, the proximity transmitter winding has 20 to 40 turns. Particularly preferably, the proximity transmitter winding has 28 turns. The proximity transmitter winding may have a diameter of 50 to 100 mm. For example, the proximity transmitter winding has a diameter of 72 mm.

[0041] For example, the proximity transmission winding may be configured as a flat coil. The flat coil may be a spiral flat coil, in particular a circular spiral flat coil or a rectangular spiral flat coil. The spiral flat coil may be wound in the form of an Archimedes spiral. The shape of the winding may resemble a circle (circular spiral flat coil), but other shapes are also possible, such as a square, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners (rectangular spiral flat coil). Here, the spiral may lie in one plane. Flat coils are particularly suitable for use in vehicles, where construction space is limited, especially along the vehicle height. It is advantageous for flat coils to have the shortest possible extension length in this direction. It is advantageous for the extension length in two dimensions to be parallel to the roadbed and perpendicular to the vehicle height, since this allows for the greatest positioning tolerance while still providing sufficient coupling between the energy transmission windings for energy transmission.

[0042] Alternatively, the proximity transmitter winding can be configured as a cylindrical coil, which can be substantially flat here, and can be wound around the winding body and have a height along the winding axis of 5 mm to 15 mm.

[0043] The proximity positioning signals may be alternating magnetic fields with different frequencies, or may be alternating magnetic fields with the same frequency but different pulse widths.

[0044] The proximity positioning method compares various transmitted and received proximity positioning signals, thereby identifying deviations from the optimal position. For this purpose, multiple mutually distinguishable proximity positioning signals must be generated. These proximity positioning signals must differ from each other in a distinguishing criterion. A possible distinguishing criterion is frequency. The spacing between two frequencies may be 0.1 to 1 kHz. The frequencies used may be, for example, four or more of 111.483 kHz, 111.982 kHz, 112.994 kHz, 113.507 kHz, and 116.009 kHz.

[0045] A further possibility is to choose only one frequency for all proximity positioning signals, but to use different pulse widths for the different proximity positioning signals as the differentiation criterion.

[0046] Preferably, the remote positioning transmitting device has a positioning signal winding configured as a solenoid with a winding axis in the vehicle longitudinal direction or in the target vehicle longitudinal direction, the flow guiding element is suitable for guiding a magnetic field during an energy transmission process between the further inductive charging device and the energy transmission winding, the positioning signal winding including at least one flow guiding element of the at least one flow guiding element, the positioning signal winding is suitable for generating a remote positioning signal, the remote positioning signal being an alternating magnetic field.

[0047] The remote positioning signal winding is capable of delivering a positioning signal during the positioning process.

[0048] The remote positioning signal winding may have a plurality of turns, preferably 10 to 15 turns, and particularly preferably 13 turns. For example, the remote positioning signal winding may generate an alternating magnetic field having a predetermined frequency due to an alternating current. The effective current of the alternating current in the remote positioning signal winding may be 100 to 500 mA. The effective current of the alternating current is preferably 260 mA.

[0049] Although the energy transmission windings can also send positioning signals, it is advantageous to use a separate remote positioning signal winding to generate the positioning signal, as proposed herein. In particular, the remote positioning signal winding can generate a magnetic field that is suitable for positioning and allows a longer reach, especially for the same power output. The energy transmission windings are designed so that they are connected to the corresponding components as well as possible. Therefore, they generally do not have a long reach for transmitting or receiving a magnetic field in the vehicle longitudinal direction or the target vehicle longitudinal direction. However, this is important for the positioning process.

[0050] During positioning, the maximum possible power or maximum possible magnetic field of the positioning signal is significantly limited. They are significantly smaller than in the case of an energy transfer process. During the positioning process, the vehicle is not present on the stationary inductive charging equipment. Therefore, for example, a person may be present on the stationary inductive charging equipment. To ensure that the magnetic field remains non-hazardous to people, it must not exceed a magnetic flux density of 27 μT or 6.25 μT, depending on the frequency range.

[0051] With the proposed remote positioning signal winding it is possible to generate a positioning signal that allows for long reach while still maintaining a limit or reference value.

[0052] Solenoids are also called cylindrical coils or solenoid coils. They may be wound in the form of a helix or cylindrical spiral. However, in this case, the shape of the windings does not have to resemble a circle, but may have other shapes, such as a square, a rectangle, or a rectangle with rounded corners. The key difference with flat coils is that the windings do not lie in a single plane, but extend along an axis. However, in this case, it is entirely possible for two or more windings to extend parallel to each other and thus lie in the same plane perpendicular to the axis.

[0053] The stationary inductive charging equipment has a target vehicle longitudinal direction, which is the direction in which the vehicle longitudinal direction should be located after a successful positioning process.

[0054] When the remote positioning signal winding is present in a mobile inductive charging device of a vehicle, the winding axis of the remote positioning signal winding is oriented in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. When the remote positioning signal winding is present in a stationary inductive charging device, the winding axis of the remote positioning signal winding is oriented in the longitudinal direction of the target vehicle.

[0055] The remote positioning signal winding may have an extension length along the winding axis of 10 mm to 60 mm, and preferably has an extension length along the winding axis of 40 mm.

[0056] In the proposed arrangement, the flow guide element guides the magnetic field for energy transmission during the energy transmission process and guides the magnetic field for positioning during the positioning process, i.e. the flow guide element here assumes two functions, which is particularly advantageous since it allows for efficient use of material and construction space.

[0057] Particularly preferably, the remote positioning signal winding may be arranged around the entire width of the inductive charging device, thereby covering as large an area as possible and thus generating as uniform a magnetic field as possible.

[0058] In one variant, the remote positioning signal winding is arranged around at least one of the at least one flow guide elements and around the energy transmission winding. This is advantageous because in this case the remote positioning signal winding can be arranged around an otherwise pre-assembled and completed inductive charging device. Furthermore, when the remote positioning signal winding is arranged around at least one of the at least one flow guide elements and around the energy transmission winding, it forms a larger area than, for example, when the remote positioning signal winding is arranged only around one or more flow guide elements. Therefore, for the same power output, local maximum values of the magnetic flux density are further reduced, or in other words, a higher power output can be used while maintaining the magnetic flux density reference value or magnetic flux density limit value, thereby achieving a longer reach.

[0059] It is advantageous to use the same physical principles for the remote positioning method as for energy transmission, since certain components, such as flow guide elements or electronic components, can be shared. It can be particularly advantageous for both the one or more proximal positioning signals and the one or more remote positioning signals to be alternating magnetic fields. Here, too, other components can be used together. For example, the two types of signals (remote positioning signals and proximal positioning signals) can be received by the same sensor.

[0060] The alternating magnetic field can be generated, for example, by a coil or current-carrying windings of a coil. The alternating magnetic field can have a frequency of 100 to 150 kHz. Preferably, the frequency can be 110 to 148.5 kHz. The frequency used can be, for example, one of 145.560 kHz, 145.985 kHz, 146.843 kHz, and 147.275 kHz.

[0061] The present invention also relates to a vehicle charging system comprising a mobile inductive charging device and a stationary inductive charging device, wherein the mobile inductive charging device is configured in accordance with the present invention and the stationary inductive charging device has a positioning receiving device, or the stationary inductive charging device is configured in accordance with the present invention and the mobile inductive charging device has a positioning receiving device.

[0062] Advantageously, since highly accurate information on the exact position deviation can be obtained here, each inductive charging device transmits and receives both remote and proximity positioning signals. In this case, one of the two inductive charging devices may be configured according to the present invention and may have a remote positioning transmitting device and a proximity positioning transmitting device. In this case, the other inductive charging device may have a positioning receiving device. The positioning receiving device is suitable for receiving the proximity positioning signal and / or the remote positioning signal.

[0063] Advantageously, the inductive charging device with the positioning receiving device has at least one flow guiding element, and the positioning receiving device has at least one first sensor winding and at least one second sensor winding.

[0064] In this case, the positioning receiving equipment is used to receive the near positioning signals and / or the far positioning signals and thus forms the central element of the positioning receiving equipment.

[0065] The sensor winding according to the invention may be configured in different ways, here with half a turn, one turn or preferably with several turns. Naturally, partial turns are also possible, for example with 2.5 turns. The conductor of such a sensor winding here has a thickness of, for example, 0.01 to 2 mm. 2The conductors may here be configured as Litz wires, as individual conductors or in another form, for example in the form of a substrate. In the case of conductor structures realized on a substrate, the conductor tracks may have cross sections of the order of, for example, 0.8 mm to 35 μm.

[0066] Preferably, the at least one flow guiding element is suitable for guiding a magnetic field during an energy transmission process between the mobile inductive charging device and the stationary inductive charging device, and the first sensor winding and the second sensor winding are arranged around at least one of the at least one flow guiding element.

[0067] By arranging the first and second sensor windings around at least one of the at least one flow guide elements, the at least one of the at least one flow guide elements in this case assumes two functions: it serves as a magnetic core for the first and / or second sensor winding and as a magnetic core or flow guide element for the energy transmission winding. Therefore, a separate flow guide element for the sensor windings is not required, which leads to easier manufacturing.

[0068] Arranging the sensor winding around the flow guide element here means that at least a portion of the flow guide element is surrounded by the sensor winding. The first and second sensor windings may be arranged around the same flow guide element, around two different flow guide elements, or around multiple flow guide elements, respectively.

[0069] The two sensor windings may be arranged to surround only one or more flow guide elements, or may additionally surround other elements, such as an energy transmission winding and / or a cooling device and / or a shielding device.

[0070] Advantageously, the first sensor winding has a first radial longitudinal direction and the second sensor winding has a second radial longitudinal direction, the first radial longitudinal direction and the second radial longitudinal direction being arranged at least approximately perpendicular to one another, and the first radial longitudinal direction and the second radial longitudinal direction being arranged at least approximately axially symmetrical with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction or the target vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0071] Generally, the windings extend around one axis in at least two dimensions. The main direction of extension perpendicular to the winding axis is referred to herein as the radial longitudinal direction. That is, in the case of a winding with a rectangular, non-square cross section, the main direction of extension extends along or parallel to the long sides of the rectangle. In the case of a winding with an elliptical cross section, the radial longitudinal direction extends along or parallel to the main axis of the ellipse. The radial longitudinal direction of the sensor winding according to the present invention may preferably lie in a plane extending parallel to the roadbed.

[0072] A corresponding arrangement of the radial longitudinal angles is advantageous for the highest possible sensitivity in detection and the simplest possible calculation of the position deviation between the vehicle and the stationary inductive charging equipment.

[0073] The first and second sensor windings may have an extension length along the winding axis of 10 mm to 60 mm, and preferably have an extension length along the winding axis of 40 mm.

[0074] The first sensor winding and the second sensor winding may each preferably have 10 to 20 turns, and more preferably have 15 turns each.

[0075] If the two angles between the respective radial longitudinal directions of the sensor windings and the vehicle longitudinal direction or the target vehicle longitudinal direction are approximately equal, this means that the sensor windings are arranged symmetrically relative to the direction of travel.

[0076] This is particularly advantageous because the function of the sensor windings is to detect, in particular, left-right position deviations between the inductive charging equipment in the vehicle and the stationary inductive charging equipment. By arranging the sensor windings symmetrically with respect to the direction of travel, if the left-right position deviations are of equal magnitude, the voltages induced in the sensor windings are correspondingly symmetrical, which makes it possible to calculate the position deviation from the induced voltages relatively easily.

[0077] If the two angles are 45°, then the two sensor windings are at an angle of 90° to one another, which is ideal for optimal evaluation of the sensor signal.

[0078] Preferably, the first sensor winding has a first radial longitudinal direction, and the second sensor winding has a second radial longitudinal direction, the first radial longitudinal direction and the second radial longitudinal direction being each arranged at an angle of 45°±10°, preferably 45°, relative to the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the first radial longitudinal direction and the second radial longitudinal direction intersect at an angle of 70° to 110°, preferably perpendicularly.

[0079] Preferably, the first sensor winding has a first radial longitudinal direction and the second sensor winding has a second radial longitudinal direction, the first radial longitudinal direction and the second radial longitudinal direction intersecting in the area of a plane formed by the energy transmission winding.

[0080] The present invention further relates to a method for positioning a vehicle equipped with mobile inductive charging equipment in a defined position relative to stationary inductive charging equipment, wherein a remote positioning method is applied, whereby a first entry criterion is met and a first termination criterion is not met, and a proximity positioning method is applied, whereby a second entry criterion is met and a second termination criterion is not met.

[0081] For efficient energy transmission, the mobile inductive charging device must be positioned as accurately as possible relative to the stationary inductive charging device. That is, the mobile inductive charging device must be positioned in a defined position relative to the stationary inductive charging device. The defined position is preferably a predetermined position that allows for the most efficient energy transmission possible. In this case, it may be considered, in particular, that the energy transmission windings of the two inductive charging devices be positioned opposite each other with the shortest possible distance from each other and the air gap between them. Since the two energy transmission windings generally do not need to be the same size, symmetrical positioning in which the winding axes of the two energy transmission windings overlap each other as much as possible is also advantageous. Accurate positioning is often difficult or impossible for the driver without additional assistance in the form of a driver assistance system.

[0082] Different positioning methods may be advantageous for different distance ranges. Different positioning methods can be used in one positioning process. A remote positioning method can be applied for relatively long distances, and a close positioning method can be applied for relatively short distances. A remote positioning method can cover a distance of, for example, 10 m to 0.5 m.

[0083] The remote positioning method may be particularly suitable for distances between the edge of the car park and 0.5 m in front of the target position.

[0084] The proximity positioning method may be suitable for distances of less than 1 m. In particular, the proximity positioning method may be suitable for a distance between the target position and 0.5 m in front of the target position. The proximity positioning method may be terminated upon sufficient positioning.

[0085] The remote positioning method and the proximal positioning method may be realized similarly or clearly differently by the components and evaluations used herein. In this case, the remote positioning method and the proximal positioning method may not be identical. There is a start criterion for the two positioning methods, and once this start criterion is exceeded, the detected signal becomes suitable and / or advantageous for this positioning method. There is a termination criterion for the two positioning methods, and once this termination criterion is exceeded, the detected signal becomes unsuitable and / or advantageous for this positioning method. The termination criterion may be met when reliable positioning using the detected signal is no longer possible. The termination criterion may be met when another positioning method is more reliable. The termination criterion may be met when a sufficiently accurate position is obtained.

[0086] Preferably, the first entry criterion comprises the remote positioning signal exceeding a first signal threshold and the first exit criterion comprises the remote positioning signal exceeding a second signal threshold.

[0087] The remote positioning signal is transmitted from one inductive charging device and can be detected in another inductive charging device with a predetermined strength. The strength of the detected remote positioning signal can increase, particularly monotonically, as the distance between the two inductive charging devices decreases. A first signal threshold can be established, above which the remote positioning signal is sufficient to be used for the remote positioning method. Below this first signal threshold, the received remote positioning signal is too weak for reliable evaluation in the remote positioning method. Therefore, the first signal threshold can be established as a starting criterion, above which the remote positioning method can be initiated.

[0088] The remote positioning signal may, for example, induce a voltage in the sensor winding, in which case the signal threshold may relate to exceeding a predetermined induced voltage.

[0089] The remote positioning method may not function reliably once the minimum distance to the target position is reached. For example, an alternating magnetic field may be used in the remote positioning method, in which case the local direction of the alternating magnetic field may be used to determine the directional deviation.

[0090] The alternating magnetic field may have a very strong local curvature when the distance to the source (e.g., to the energized coil) is short, making it impossible to reliably estimate the directional deviation between two inductive charging devices from the direction of the magnetic field. Therefore, even if the strength of the remote positioning signal is sufficient, it may not be possible to use the remote positioning signal for the remote positioning method. For this reason, a second signal threshold can also be established. If this second signal threshold is exceeded, the remote positioning signal is no longer suitable for the remote positioning method. Therefore, exceeding this second signal threshold can be used as a first termination criterion for the remote positioning method.

[0091] Particularly preferably, the second entry criterion comprises one or more proximity positioning signals exceeding a third signal threshold, and the second exit criterion comprises evaluation of a signal value ratio of at least one of the two proximity positioning signals.

[0092] The proximity positioning signal may be transmitted from one inductive charging device and detected at the other inductive charging device with a predetermined strength. The strength of the detected proximity positioning signal may increase, particularly monotonically, as the distance between the two inductive charging devices decreases. A third signal threshold may be established, above which the proximity positioning signal is sufficient to be used for the proximity positioning method. Below this third signal threshold, the received proximity positioning signal is too weak for reliable evaluation in the proximity positioning method. Therefore, the third signal threshold may be established as a second initiation criterion, above which the proximity positioning method may be initiated.

[0093] The proximity positioning method may be used until sufficient positioning is achieved, such that when the vehicle is sufficiently accurately positioned with respect to the stationary inductive charging equipment, the second termination criterion may be met.

[0094] For this purpose, the proximity positioning method may form one or more ratios from two proximity positioning signals, which may be positioned symmetrically around an optimal position for the sensor device. Adequate positioning may be achieved if one or more ratios from the two proximity positioning signals are equal to 1 or within a narrow tolerance range around the value 1.

[0095] Advantageously, the first termination criterion is met at a first switching distance between the mobile inductive charging equipment and the stationary inductive charging equipment, and the second start criterion is met at a second switching distance between the mobile inductive charging equipment and the stationary inductive charging equipment.

[0096] The first termination criterion and the second entry criterion are selected such that they are met at a predetermined distance between the mobile inductive charging device and the stationary inductive charging device, respectively.

[0097] Beyond the distance where the first termination criterion is met, the remote positioning method no longer provides a sufficiently reliable signal. Beyond the distance where the second entry criterion is met, the proximity positioning method provides a sufficiently reliable signal. The distance where the first termination criterion is met may be longer than the distance where the second entry criterion is met. This results in a "blind flight," i.e., a short transition region where neither the remote positioning method nor the proximity positioning method can be evaluated. This case is not ideal. However, this case can be circumvented, for example, by finally performing positioning in the direction preset by the remote positioning method in this transition region.

[0098] The distance over which the first termination criterion is met and the distance over which the second entry criterion is met may be at least approximately the same magnitude, in which case the proximity positioning method may be adopted as soon as the remote positioning method no longer provides sufficient values.

[0099] The distance over which the first termination criterion is met may be shorter than the distance over which the second entry criterion is met, where a transition region provides reliable signals from both the near and far positioning methods, where either the far positioning method or the near positioning method may be used, or both the near and far positioning signals may be evaluated.

[0100] The first switching distance and the second switching distance may be spaced apart by a distance of less than 40 cm, preferably less than 20 cm, particularly preferably less than 10 cm, or the first switching distance may be equal to the second switching distance.

[0101] As described above, the first switching distance may be longer or the second switching distance may be longer. When the first switching distance is longer, a transition region occurs where the positioning method cannot be evaluated, as described above. When the second switching distance is longer, a transition region occurs where the two positioning methods can be reliably evaluated.

[0102] Preferably, the same positioning receiver equipment is used for both the remote and the near positioning methods.

[0103] In this case, both the remote positioning signal and the proximity positioning signal may be, for example, an alternating magnetic field that can be generated by different coils. In this case, the proximity positioning method and the remote positioning method may be clearly different. For example, in the remote positioning method, the direction of the alternating magnetic field at a certain frequency or in a certain frequency range can be evaluated. This makes it possible, for example, to determine a directional deviation. For example, in the proximity positioning method, the signal strengths at different frequencies or in different frequency ranges can be compared with each other. This makes it possible, for example, to determine a position deviation. It is advantageous if the two positioning methods can be evaluated by the same positioning receiver. This can reduce additional components and thus the construction space.

[0104] Advantageously, the mobile inductive charging device and the stationary inductive charging device are part of a vehicle charging system according to the invention and the positioning receiving device is a positioning receiving device according to the invention.

[0105] Advantageously, the positioning receiver equipment receives and evaluates at least one remote positioning signal during the remote positioning method and receives and evaluates at least one proximity positioning signal during the proximity positioning method.

[0106] In this case, the positioning receiving device partially or always also receives other positioning signals, but it is entirely possible (for example depending on start and end criteria) for only the near positioning signals or only the far positioning signals, respectively, to be evaluated. In this case, the evaluation does not have to take place in the component unit with the sensor device of the positioning receiving device, but can also be performed in a calculation unit spatially separated from this component unit.

[0107] In an advantageous embodiment, during the remote positioning method, at least one remote positioning signal induces a voltage in the at least one first sensor winding and induces a voltage in the at least one second sensor winding, and during the proximity positioning method, multiple proximity positioning signals induce multiple voltages in the at least one first sensor winding and the at least one second sensor winding.

[0108] Preferably, during the remote positioning method, the magnitude of the voltage induced in the first sensor winding and the magnitude of the voltage induced in the second sensor winding are compared and a directional deviation value between the vehicle longitudinal direction and the target vehicle longitudinal direction is calculated.

[0109] Advantageously, during the proximity positioning method, the intensities of the voltages induced at the positioning receiver at different frequencies or different pulse widths are compared and a position deviation value between the current position and the target position is calculated.

[0110] Preferably, a position-keeping check is further performed according to the proximity positioning method, during which it is continuously checked whether the vehicle is still in a position suitable for energy transfer.

[0111] The proximity positioning method ends when the vehicle is in a suitable position for energy transfer.

[0112] However, during the entire energy transfer process, it may be necessary to continuously check whether the vehicle continues to be in a position suitable for energy transfer. For example, if the vehicle falls during the energy transfer process and the continued energy transfer must be prevented. This can be checked within the framework of the position-keeping check. In this case, it can be continuously checked whether the second termination criterion is still fulfilled. If the second termination criterion is no longer fulfilled at some point during the position-keeping check, an alarm may be triggered. The position-keeping check can be regularly terminated when the energy transfer ends.

[0113] Positioning accurate enough for energy transmission, as can be achieved by the method of the present invention, may simply be one criterion among several that are prerequisites for energy transmission.

[0114] In addition to sufficiently accurate positioning, a communication check may also be performed in which the mobile inductive charging equipment is connected to communicate with the stationary inductive charging equipment, through which it is ensured that the mobile inductive charging equipment is positioned sufficiently accurately.

[0115] Such a communication check can be carried out essentially at any time during the implementation of the method according to the invention before the energy transmission begins.

[0116] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the following description, where like reference numbers indicate identical, similar or functionally identical components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0117] [Figure 1] 1 is a highly simplified schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with an inductive charging device; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an inductive charging device for a vehicle charging system. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic plan view of an inductive charging device according to the present invention, comprising a proximity positioning transmitting device and a remote positioning transmitting device; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic plan view of an alternative inductive charging device according to the present invention, comprising a proximity positioning transmitter and a remote positioning transmitter. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a flat coil as a proximity positioning transmitter for a proximity positioning transmitting device. [Figure 6] 1 shows a schematic diagram of an inductive charging device with a positioning receiving device for a vehicle charging system according to the present invention; [Figure 7]1 shows a schematic diagram of an inductive charging device with a positioning receiving device for a vehicle charging system according to the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle charging system according to the present invention during a positioning process; [Figure 9] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a positioning method according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of an alternative positioning method according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of a possible position-holding test according to the proximity positioning method.

[0118] 1 shows a mobile inductive charging device 1a arranged in a vehicle 2 equipped with an energy accumulator 3 and positioned above a stationary inductive charging device 1b. In operation, energy can be transferred from the stationary inductive charging device 1b to the mobile inductive charging device 1a, thereby charging the vehicle's energy accumulator 3.

[0119] The mobile inductive charging device 1a and the stationary inductive charging device 1b are formed together or are part of a vehicle charging system 8. In principle, the vehicle charging system 8 can also be operated bidirectionally. In this case, energy can be temporarily transferred from the mobile inductive charging device 1a to the stationary inductive charging device 1b. The stationary inductive charging device 1b, which is arranged on the roadbed 35 in FIG. 1, can alternatively be arranged buried in the roadway (not shown here). In the case of a buried arrangement, the inductive charging device 1b can be covered by a certain layer of the roadway or can terminate flush with the roadway surface.

[0120] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of an inductive charging device 1, 1a, which includes a number of flow guide elements 5 and energy transmission windings 4, 10 and is mounted on a vehicle 2.

[0121] A corresponding arrangement is for a stationary inductive charging device 1b, which is simply not located on the vehicle 2 but on the roadbed (not shown).

[0122] 3 shows a plan view of an inductive charging device according to the invention, comprising a proximity positioning transmitting device NAH-POS and a remote positioning transmitting device FERN-POS. In this embodiment, the proximity positioning transmitting device NAH-POS is realized in the form of four proximity transmitting windings 13. In this embodiment, the remote positioning transmitting device FERN-POS is realized as a solenoid 42. The remote positioning transmitting device FERN-POS emits a remote positioning signal FERN-SIG in the form of an alternating magnetic field during the positioning process. During the positioning process, the proximity positioning transmitting device NAH-POS emits a plurality of proximity positioning signals NAH-SIG in the form of alternating magnetic fields that differ, for example, by frequency.

[0123] 4 shows a plan view of an alternative inductive charging device according to the invention, comprising a proximity positioning transmitting device NAH-POS and a remote positioning transmitting device FERN-POS. Here again, the proximity positioning transmitting device NAH-POS is realized as four proximity transmitting windings 13, and the remote positioning transmitting device FERN-POS is realized as a solenoid 42. This embodiment shows an alternative arrangement of the flow guide element 5, furthermore, the remote positioning signal winding 41 does not extend through the center of the inductive charging device 1, but is offset towards the edge.

[0124] FIG. 5 shows a proximity transmitter winding 13 configured as a flat coil 10 .

[0125] FIG. 6 shows another inductive charging device 1, which includes a positioning and receiving device 17 with two sensor windings 9a and 9b that are part of the sensor device. This can be a mobile inductive charging device 1a or a stationary inductive charging device 1b. In this example, eight flow guide elements 5 are shown, which are arranged radially around the center 7 of the energy transmission winding 4 in a plane. Narrow gaps 32 are provided between the flow guide elements 5. These gaps also extend radially around the center 7 and therefore approximately in the main direction of the magnetic field lines (here, three magnetic field lines 14 are symbolically shown) that arise during energy transmission into the flow guide elements 5. In the plan view, the energy transmission winding 4, which is covered by the flow guide elements 5, is shown with dashed lines. Here, the energy transmission winding 4 is a flat coil 10.

[0126] The sensor winding is configured herein as a solenoid, also referred to as a cylindrical coil.

[0127] The first sensor winding 9a here extends around two flow guide elements 5 located diagonally relative to the center 7 of the energy transmission coil 4. The second sensor winding 9b is correspondingly wound around two further flow guide elements 5, which are likewise located diagonally relative to the center 7. The first sensor winding 9a is arranged axially symmetrically to the second sensor winding 9b in the vehicle longitudinal direction 6. The first sensor winding 9a and the second sensor winding 9b intersect, at least approximately, at the center 7 of the energy transmission coil 4.

[0128] The first sensor winding 9a has a first radial longitudinal direction 11a, and the second sensor winding 9b has a second radial longitudinal direction 11b. An angle 15 between the first radial longitudinal direction 11a and the vehicle longitudinal direction 6 is at least approximately the same size as an angle 16 between the second radial longitudinal direction 11b and the vehicle longitudinal direction 6.

[0129] During the charging process, the vehicle 2 is positioned above the stationary inductive charging device 1b, and energy is transferred to the inductive charging device 1a. The flow guide element 5 performs the function of a flow guide. In the charging state, the magnetic field lines extend approximately radially. Since the first radial longitudinal direction 11a and the second radial longitudinal direction 11b are also oriented radially and thus at least approximately parallel to the magnetic field lines, only a relatively small voltage or no voltage is induced in the first sensor winding 9a and the second sensor winding 9b. This is important because otherwise, high energy transfer power and thus high magnetic flux density could easily destroy the sensor windings. Therefore, no additional costs are required to prevent this arrangement from being destroyed.

[0130] FIG. 7 shows a plan view of another embodiment of an inductive charging device 1 according to the invention. Here, four sensor windings 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d with four radial longitudinal directions 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are present. Each sensor winding is arranged around a different flow guide element 5. Two of these flow guide elements are located diagonally with respect to the center 7 of the energy transmission coil 4. Together, the four sensor windings 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d again form a cross-shaped arrangement. The advantage over the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 is that in this case, the area around the center 7 of the energy transmission coil 4 is formed without sensor windings 9. Therefore, mechanically necessary support elements (not shown) may also be arranged here.

[0131] The inductive charging device according to the present invention of Figures 3 and 4 and the other inductive charging device according to Figures 6 and 7 can be part of a vehicle charging system 8 according to the present invention. In this case, this one positioning receiving device 17 can receive signals from both the proximity positioning transmitting device NAH-POS and the remote positioning transmitting device FERN-POS. This is advantageous because the positioning receiving device 17 can operate two different positioning methods that function optimally in two different distance ranges.

[0132] FIG. 8a) shows a vehicle 2 with a vehicle longitudinal direction 6 and a mobile inductive charging device 1a during a positioning process via a stationary inductive charging device 1b with a target vehicle longitudinal direction 6a. The vehicle 2 travels directly toward the stationary inductive charging device 1b, and therefore the target vehicle longitudinal direction 6a is the same as the vehicle longitudinal direction 6. In addition to an energy transmission winding (not shown), the mobile inductive charging device 1a also has a remote positioning signal winding 41 and four proximity transmission windings 13. The remote positioning signal winding 41 has a winding axis 34 and a radial longitudinal direction 11. The four proximity transmission windings 13 have winding axes perpendicular to the roadbed. In addition to an energy transmission winding (not shown), the stationary inductive charging device 1b has two sensor windings 9a and 9b. The two sensor windings 9a and 9b each have a radial longitudinal direction 11a and 11b. The two sensor windings 9a and 9b are arranged symmetrically with respect to the target vehicle longitudinal direction 6a. This winding arrangement is particularly advantageous for positioning purposes. The remote positioning signal winding 41 generates a highly uniform magnetic field. A voltage is induced in the sensor windings 9a and 9b by the magnetic field of the remote positioning signal winding 41. As shown in the sketch on the left, if the vehicle travels exactly perpendicular to the stationary inductive charging device 1b, voltages of the same magnitude are induced in the two sensor windings 9a and 9b during the remote positioning method FERN_V. From a certain distance, the proximity positioning method NAH_V is used, and the proximity positioning signal NAH-SIG sent by the proximity transmitting winding 13 is evaluated.

[0133] FIG. 8b) shows an embodiment in which the remote positioning signal winding 41 and four proximity transmission windings 13 are arranged in the stationary inductive charging device 1b, and the sensor windings 9a and 9b are arranged in the mobile inductive charging device 1a. Otherwise, the functional manner of this embodiment is exactly the same. Here, the vehicle 2 does not travel perpendicularly toward the stationary inductive charging device 1b, but deviates from the perpendicular at an angle of approximately 45°. Therefore, the vehicle longitudinal direction 6 and the connecting lines between the stationary inductive charging device 1b and the mobile inductive charging device 1a form a 45° directional deviation angle with respect to each other. In this case, the remote positioning signal winding 41 generates a magnetic field that is perpendicular to the first sensor winding 9a. Here, the maximum voltage is induced in the first sensor winding 9a during the remote positioning method FERN_V. Furthermore, the magnetic field generated by the remote positioning signal winding 41 is approximately parallel to the second sensor winding 9b. Here, a minimum voltage or no voltage is induced during the remote positioning method FERN_V. Again, from a predetermined distance, the proximity positioning method NAH_V can be adopted.

[0134] FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of the positioning method according to the present invention, including the remote positioning method FERN_V and the proximity positioning method NAH_V. First, a first start criterion SK_1 is continuously checked for fulfillment. This can be, for example, exceeding a signal threshold value of the voltage induced in one or more sensor windings. As long as this signal threshold value is not reached, the detected signal is insufficient for the remote positioning method FERN_V, and the method remains in the waiting state WARTE. Positioning is not possible. As soon as the first start criterion SK_1 is fulfilled, the remote positioning method FERN_V is initiated, and a first end criterion EK_1 is continuously checked for fulfillment.

[0135] The first termination criterion EK_1 can be exceeding a signal threshold value of the voltage induced in one or more sensor windings, because below the minimum separation distance, the remote positioning method FERN_V will no longer function reliably due to excessively strong curvature of the magnetic field lines.

[0136] If the first termination criterion EK_1 is met, the remote positioning method FERN_V is terminated. There are two possibilities in this case. The first possibility is that the second entry criterion for the proximity positioning method has not yet been met at this point.

[0137] A second start criterion SK_2 may be exceeding a signal threshold of the voltage induced in one or more sensor windings.

[0138] As long as the second entry criterion SK_2 is not yet fulfilled, the remote positioning method FERN_V is no longer applicable, and the proximity positioning method NAH_V is still not applicable. That is, the method is again in the waiting state WARTE. Here, a short "blind flight" occurs between the two positioning methods. Here, for example, an instruction can be given to continue positioning in the last direction preset by the remote positioning method FERN_V until the proximity positioning method NAH_V becomes possible. During this waiting state WARTE, it is continuously checked whether the second entry criterion SK_2 is fulfilled.

[0139] As soon as the second initiation criterion SK_2 is met, the proximity positioning method NAH_V can be started.

[0140] The second possibility is that the second entry criterion SK_2 is already fulfilled when the exit criterion EK_1 is fulfilled directly. In this case, the near positioning method NAH_V can be started directly following the far positioning method FERN_V.

[0141] During the proximity positioning method, it is continuously checked whether a second termination criterion EK_2 is met. If the vehicle is positioned accurately enough, the second termination criterion EK_2 may be met. This may involve, for example, comparing the two voltages induced in the sensor windings with each other and ensuring that this value is equal to 1 or lies within a narrow tolerance range around the value 1.

[0142] As soon as the second termination criterion EK_2 is met, the proximity positioning method NAH_V is terminated and the vehicle is satisfactorily positioned.

[0143] FIG. 10 shows a flow chart of an alternative positioning method according to the invention. Essentially, this positioning method proceeds in the same manner as the positioning method described in FIG. 9. The difference here is that during the remote positioning method FERN_V, it is continuously checked whether the first termination criterion EK_1 and the second entry criterion SK_2 are fulfilled. In this variant, the remote positioning method FERN_V is terminated as soon as one of the two criteria is fulfilled. If the second entry criterion SK_2 is fulfilled, the proximity positioning method NAH_V is initiated directly, regardless of whether the first termination criterion EK_1 is fulfilled. If the first termination criterion EK_1 is fulfilled first and the second entry criterion SK_2 is not yet fulfilled, a wait state WARTE occurs, as in the embodiment of FIG. 9. As soon as the second entry criterion SK_2 is fulfilled, the proximity positioning method NAH_V is initiated.

[0144] 11 shows a possible intermediate step between the end of the proximity positioning method NAH_V and the end of the overall positioning method FERTIG, which is optionally available in the variant from FIG. 9 or in the variant from FIG.

[0145] The proximity positioning method NAH_V ends when the vehicle is sufficiently positioned and therefore the second termination criterion EK_2 is fulfilled. However, it may be important to check whether the second termination criterion EK_2 continues to be fulfilled throughout the entire charging process. For example, the vehicle may fall during the charging process. In this case, it must be ensured that this is recognized and a corresponding alarm state ALARM is triggered so that the charging process can be terminated immediately. This can be performed by the position retention check H_PRUEF. In this case, it is continuously checked whether the second termination criterion EK_2 is still fulfilled and whether the third termination criterion EK_3 has not yet been fulfilled. If the second termination criterion EK_2 is no longer fulfilled during the position retention check H_PRUEF, the vehicle is no longer in a suitable position for energy transfer, and an alarm state ALARM is triggered to terminate the energy transfer. When the energy transfer is terminated regularly, the third termination criterion EK_3 is fulfilled. The positioning method is therefore terminated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1 Inductive charging equipment 1a Portable inductive charging equipment 1b Stationary inductive charging equipment 2 vehicles 3 Vehicle energy storage 4 Energy transmission winding 5 Flow Guide Elements 6 Vehicle longitudinal direction 6a Target vehicle longitudinal direction 7. Center of energy transmission winding 8. Vehicle Charging System 9 Sensor Winding 9a First sensor winding 9b Second sensor winding 9c Third sensor winding 9d Fourth sensor winding 10 Flat Coil 11 Radial longitudinal direction 11a first radial longitudinal direction 11b Second radial longitudinal direction 11c Third radial longitudinal direction 11d Fourth radial longitudinal direction 12 Positioning signal 12a First positioning signal 12b Second positioning signal 12c Third positioning signal 12d Fourth positioning signal 13 Proximity transmitting winding 13a First proximity transmitting winding 13b Second proximity transmitting winding 13c Third Proximity Transmit Winding 13d Fourth Proximity Transmit Winding 14 Main directions of magnetic field lines 15 First Angle 16 Second Angle 17 Positioning signal receiving equipment 32 Clearance between flow guide elements 33 Reference point 34 Winding axis 35 Roadbed 41 Remote positioning signal winding 42 Solenoid NAH-POS proximity positioning transmitter FERN-POS Remote Positioning Transmitter NAH_V proximity positioning method FERN_V Remote positioning method NAH-SIG proximity positioning signal FERN-SIG Remote Positioning Signal WARTE Standby state H_PRUEF Position holding check

Claims

1. An inductive charging device (1) for a vehicle charging system (8) having one energy transmission winding (4) and at least one flow guide element (5), a proximity positioning transmitting device (NAH-POS) adapted to generate at least one proximity positioning signal (NAH-SIG); and a remote positioning transmitting device (FERN-POS) adapted to generate at least one remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG). Inductive charging equipment (1).

2. The inductive charging device (1) is a mobile inductive charging device (1a) arranged adjacent to and / or inside a vehicle (2), or The inductive charging device (1) is a stationary inductive charging device (1b).

2. An inductive charging device (1) according to claim 1.

3. The proximity positioning transmitting device (NAH-POS) has a plurality of proximity transmitting windings (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) spaced apart from one another, preferably at least four proximity transmitting windings (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d); The proximity transmitting windings (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) are adapted to generate proximity positioning signals (NAH-SIG_a, NAH-SIG_b, NAH-SIG_c, NAH-SIG_d), respectively. An inductive charging device (1) according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The proximity transmitting windings (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d) are configured with a winding axis (34) perpendicular to the roadbed (35).

4. Inductive charging device (1) according to claim 3.

5. The proximity positioning signals (NAH-SIG_a, NAH-SIG_b, NAH-SIG_c, NAH-SIG_d) are alternating magnetic fields having different frequencies (f_a, f_b, f_c, f_d), or alternating magnetic fields having the same frequency but different pulse widths. Inductive charging device (1) according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The remote positioning transmitting device (FERN-POS) has a remote positioning signal winding (41), the remote positioning signal winding (41) is configured as a solenoid (42) having a winding axis (34) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or in the target longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the flow guiding element (5) is suitable for guiding a magnetic field during an energy transfer process between another inductive charging device (1) and the energy transfer winding (4), the remote positioning signal winding (41) includes at least one flow guide element (5) of the at least one flow guide element (5); said remote positioning signal winding (41) is adapted to generate said remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG); The remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG) is an alternating magnetic field Inductive charging equipment (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A vehicle charging system (8) comprising a mobile inductive charging device (1a) and a stationary inductive charging device (1b), The mobile inductive charging device (1a) is an inductive charging device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the stationary inductive charging device (1b) has a positioning receiving device (17), or The stationary inductive charging device (1b) is an inductive charging device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the mobile inductive charging device (1a) has a positioning receiving device (17). Vehicle charging system (8).

8. The inductive charging device with the positioning receiving device (17) has at least one flow guide element (5), and the positioning receiving device (17) has at least one first sensor winding (9a) and at least one second sensor winding (9b). A vehicle charging system (8) according to claim 7.

9. the at least one flow guiding element (5) is suitable for guiding a magnetic field during an energy transfer process between the mobile inductive charging device (1 a) and the stationary inductive charging device (1 b); The first sensor winding (9a) and the second sensor winding (9b) are arranged around at least one flow guide element (5) of the at least one flow guide element (5). A vehicle charging system (8) according to claim 8.

10. the first sensor winding (9a) has a first radial longitudinal direction (11a) and the second sensor winding (9b) has a second radial longitudinal direction (11b); the first radial longitudinal direction (11a) and the second radial longitudinal direction (11b) are arranged at least approximately perpendicular to each other, and / or The first radial longitudinal direction (11a) and the second radial longitudinal direction (11b) are arranged at least approximately axially symmetrical with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction (6) or the target vehicle longitudinal direction (6a). A vehicle charging system (8) according to claim 8 or 9.

11. 1. A method for positioning a vehicle (2) equipped with a mobile inductive charging device (1a) in a defined position relative to a stationary inductive charging device (1b), comprising: a remote positioning method (FERN_V) is applied, for which the first entry criterion (SK_1) is met and the first exit criterion (EK_1) is not met, A proximity positioning method (NAH_V) is applied, for which the second entry criterion (SK_2) is met and the second exit criterion (EK_2) is not met. A method for positioning a vehicle (2).

12. said first initiation criterion (SK_1) comprising exceeding a first signal threshold of a remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG); The first termination criterion (EK_1) comprises exceeding a second signal threshold of the remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG). A method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 11.

13. the second start criterion (SK_2) comprises one or more proximity positioning signals (NAH-SIG) exceeding a third signal threshold; The second termination criterion (EK_2) comprises the evaluation of the ratio of at least one signal value of two proximity positioning signals (NAH-SIG). Method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 11 or 12.

14. the first termination criterion (EK_1) is met at a first switching distance between the mobile inductive charging device (1a) and the stationary inductive charging device (1b); The second start criterion (SK_2) is met at a second switching distance between the mobile inductive charging device (1a) and the stationary inductive charging device (1b). Method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. The first and second switching distances are spaced apart by a distance of less than 40 cm, preferably less than 20 cm, particularly preferably less than 10 cm, or The first switching distance is equal to the second switching distance.

15. A method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 14.

16. Using the same positioning receiving equipment (17) for both the remote positioning method and the near positioning method Method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

17. The mobile inductive charging device (1a) and the stationary inductive charging device (1b) are part of a vehicle charging system according to any one of claims 7 to 10, and the positioning receiving device (17) is the positioning receiving device (17) according to claim 7.

17. A method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 16.

18. The positioning receiving device (17) receiving and evaluating said at least one remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG) during said remote positioning method; During the proximity positioning method, receiving and evaluating the at least one proximity positioning signal (NAH-SIG) Method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 16 or 17.

19. During the remote positioning method, the at least one remote positioning signal (FERN-SIG) induces a voltage in the at least one first sensor winding (9a) and induces a voltage in the at least one second sensor winding (9b), During the proximity positioning method, a plurality of proximity positioning signals (NAH-SIG_a, NAH-SIG_b, NAH-SIG_c, NAH-SIG_d) induce a plurality of voltages in the at least one first sensor winding (9a) and the at least one second sensor winding (9b).

19. A method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 18.

20. During the remote positioning method, comparing the magnitude of the voltage induced in the first sensor winding (9a) with the magnitude of the voltage induced in the second sensor winding (9b); Calculating the directional deviation between the vehicle longitudinal direction (6) and the target vehicle longitudinal direction (6a) 20. A method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 19.

21. During the proximity positioning method, comparing the magnitudes of the voltages induced in the sensor windings (9a, 9b) at different frequencies (f_a, f_b, f_c, f_d) or different pulse widths, Calculate the position deviation between the current position and the target position Method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to claim 19 or 20.

22. According to the proximity positioning method (NAH-V), a position-keeping check (H_PRUEF) is further performed, during which it is continuously checked whether the vehicle (2) is still in a position suitable for energy transfer. Method for positioning a vehicle (2) according to any one of claims 11 to 21.

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