System and method for electrically feeding electrically powered vehicles

Abstract

System (100) for feeding electrically feeding an electrically powered vehicle (1), the system comprising electric conductor(s) (5) extending along a road section on which the electrically powered vehicle travels. A current collector(s) (4) is configured to connect with the electric conductor(s) (5) when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the electric conductor(s). An ECU (20) is configured to determine if the electrically powered vehicle and electric conductor(s) are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activate a connectable state; when the connectable state is active, and the current collector(s) (4) and the electric conductor(s) (5) are not in electric contact, displace collector arm(s) (8) towards the electric conductor(s) (5) such as to achieve electric contact, and activate a connected state.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRICALLY FEEDING ELECTRICALLY POWERED VEHICLESTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates to a field of automated electrical power transfer, and in particular to a method and a system for dynamic energy transfer to a moving vehicle.BACKGROUND

[0002] Concerns about the environmental impact of combustion of fossil fuels have led to an increased interest in electric vehicles, which have several potential benefits compared to vehicles with conventional internal combustion engines, including: a significant reduction of air pollution, as they do not emit harmful tailpipe emissions, reduced greenhouse gas emissions (depending on the fuel and technology used for electricity generation and / or charging the batteries) and reduced dependency on fossil fuels with increasingly variable supply and fluctuating prices. In underground applications such as mines, air pollution is particularly problematic.

[0003] With the increased utilization of electrical power feed and charging of onboard battery systems in vehicles, there's a rising need for efficient automated connections to power sources, either stationary or while driving.

[0004] WO 2016 / 174030 Al discloses a system for electrical feeding of a vehicle in an underground environment such as a mine. The electrical feeding is used to propel the vehicle directly and / or to charge an onboard battery. The system comprises at least one elongated slotted element having at least one slot or groove in which electric conductors are arranged. The elongated slotted element may be suspended for example from the ceiling in the mine tunnels, and a current collector connects the vehicle electrically to the elongated slotted element.

[0005] Such a system is advantageous since it not only provides low emissions, reduced need for battery capacity, but also good safety properties due to the slotted electric conductors. However, further improvements are needed for energy transfer of a moving vehicle, so that electric contact can be easily achieved between the vehicle and the electric conductors.SUMMARY

[0006] An object of the invention is to solve or improve at least some of the problems mentioned above in the background section.

[0007] These and other objects are achieved by the present invention by means of a system and a method according to the independent claims.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for electrically feeding at least one electrically powered vehicle. The system comprises at least one electric conductor extending along a road section on which the electrically powered vehicle is adapted to travel. The system further comprises an electrically powered vehicle comprising at least one current collector, and a vehicle electronic control unit, ECU, being operatively coupled to said at least one current collector, wherein the at least one current collector comprises at least one contact element adapted to connect electrically with the at least one electric conductor, and wherein the at least one current collector further comprises at least one displaceable collector arm supporting the at least one contact element, for example at its first end, and being connected to the electrically powered vehicle, for example at its second end, and wherein the current collector is configured to connect with the at least one electric conductor when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor. The ECU is configured to determine if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activate a connectable state; when the connectable state is active, and the current collector and the at least one electric conductor are not in electric contact, control the at least one collector arm, such as control at least one actuator of the at least one collector arm, such as to displace the at least one collector arm towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve and thereafter activate a connected state. The ECU may furthermore be configured to, when the connected state is active, monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

[0009] The invention is based on an insight that by automatically switching to a "connectable" state (i.e., when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor), by automatically activating a "connected" state (i.e., the at least one current collector and the at least one electric conductor are in electric contact), and by monitoring the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, dynamic energy transfer of a moving vehicle can be efficiently facilitated, which is especially useful for high demand applications.

[0010] It is appreciated that reference to the connectable, connected and disconnected states does not exclude the use of additional or ancillary states. In some embodiments, supplementary modes such as safe / unsafe connection states, predictive disconnect modes, operator-initiated modes, or compliance modes may be implemented in conjunction with the other states described above. These ancillary states may operate as overlays, sub-states or extensions of the connectable, connected and disconnected framework, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0011] It is appreciated that activation of a state may trigger a number of events. For example, in some embodiments the transition into a connectable or connected state may trigger automated functions of the ECU or other third party autonomous systems, such as positioning of the collector arm, triggering other vehicle control systems or activation of power transfer. In some embodiments, the same state transition may instead enable or require a manual action from the vehicle operator, such as a confirmation command to initiate connection. Similarly, when a disconnected or unsafe state is entered, the ECU may automatically command retraction of the collector arm, or alternatively provide a driver alert prompting manual disconnection.

[0012] It is appreciated that the ECU and one or more sensors may be implemented as separate modules or in an integrated form. In some embodiments, the ECU receives raw data from external sensors and performs all processing centrally. In other embodiments, one or more sensors include on-board processing capability, such that pre-processed or classified data (for example, road condition, conductor condition, or vehicle position information) is provided to the ECU. This allows flexibility in system design, ranging from centralised to distributed architectures, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0013] In some embodiments, sensor data used by the ECU to determine vehicle position relative to the conductor may additionally be provided as feedback to the vehicle operator. For example, but not limited to, a visual or audible driver aid may indicate alignment with the at least one electric conductor to assist manual positioning of the vehicle in relation to the at least one electric conductor.

[0014] The term "dynamic energy transfer" means, without limitation, connecting an electrically powered vehicle with a power source (such as an electric conductor) while the electrically powered vehicle is in motion and maintaining a connection along a path of motion or roadway. Such "dynamic energy transfer" implies that the at least one electric conductor has a length enabling a connection (both continuous and / or intermittent) along the conductor while the current collector is in motion relative to the electric conductor.

[0015] While the system is primarily intended for dynamic energy transfer, it is appreciated that the same ECU and sensor arrangements may also be used to establish and / or maintain connection when the vehicle is stationary. In such embodiments, the collector arm may be displaced into contact with the electric conductor while the vehicle is not moving, thereby enabling charging or power transfer during dwell periods, or facilitating a stop-to-connect function in hazardous or rough conditions where dynamic connection may be impractical. This variation may be used independently, or in combination with dynamic energy transfer along a roadway or tunnel section.

[0016] The at least one electric conductor may comprise a plurality of electric conductor segments arranged consecutively along the extension of the road. The overall length of the at least one electric conductor or the consecutively arranged electric conductor segments may be longer (preferably substantially longer) than the length of the electrically powered vehicle.

[0017] The term "a working distance" means, without limitation, a connection range of a power source (such as an electric conductor). The working distance may be a predetermined value which may be adjusted depending on the current configuration. The working distance may be considered as a connection trigger, which can trigger the action of at least one collector arm towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact between the at least one contact element and the at least one electric conductor.

[0018] After the connection between the electrically powered vehicle and the power source is made, the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor is preferably monitored to maintain the connection trigger. It is understood that the at least one electric conductor, extending along a road section on which the electrically powered vehicle is adapted to travel, is arranged in the sense that it is substantially parallel with a longitudinal direction of the road section. Further, the at least one electric conductor may be arranged on the road surface, partly or wholly recessed in one or more grooves in the road surface, or may be suspended above the road surface, for instance at a height such that it is located above the vehicle or on a lateral side of the vehicle. The at least one electric conductor may be considered as a power source. The at least one electrical conductor may comprise a track or rail such as a slotted rail / element or a conductive rail / element or a rail / element comprising thereto connected at least one electrical conductor. The at least one electric conductor may be described as elongated, i.e. being longer than its width and height. It is furthermore understood that the term "road section" refers to any type of surface on which the at least one electrically powered vehicle is adapted to travel, including not only roadways but also bottom surfaces of mining tunnels. The electrically powered vehicle may be a ground vehicle, a road vehicle, a mining vehicle, or a conveyance. It is furthermore understood that the electrically powered vehicle having a current collector is configured to be electrically propellable by means of electric power from its current collector and / or from an onboard energy storage device. In different applications, the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor may be different. For example, the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor may vary more in mining applications than on-road applications since the road surface may be uneven and that the available space does not always permit suspension of the at least one electric conductor at a constant distance from the road surface. It is therefore advantageous to (continuously) monitor the relative position of the electricallypowered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor to make sure that the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor remain within a working distance from each other also after the initial connection. Otherwise, the at least one current collector, between the electrically powered vehicle that is moving and the at least one electric conductor, may break or have reduced lifetime.

[0019] The term "displaceable collector arm", means without limitation, a collector arm that is movable between different positions, where different positions can either facilitate the electric contact between the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor, or cause the termination of the electric contact between the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor. It is understood that "displace" and "move" have the same meaning in the context of this specification and can be used interchangeably. As explained above, the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor may vary more in mining applications than on-road applications. This means that the at least one collector arm is advantageously displaceable such that its contact element(s) is / are displaceable in more than one plane, i.e. not only displaceable in a vertical / longitudinal plane as in a conventional pantograph (trolleybus) system.

[0020] In some embodiments, the ECU is configured to monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor using a geometrical parameter of the at least one collector arm and at least one present position of said at least one collector arm. The term "monitor" may mean, without limitation, to repeatedly determine based on for example a predetermined time interval or a specific event. The repeated determination based on a (short) predetermined time interval may be referred to as continuous monitoring. The term "a geometrical parameter" may also be referred to as a geometric parameter, which may include any one or more of length, width, and thickness relating to the at least one collector arm or a component of the at least one collector arm. The geometrical parameter may also include any one or more of length ratio, width ratio, and thickness ratio relating to different components of the at least one collector arm. The at least one present position of the at least one collector arm may comprise angular position(s) of one or more pivotable collector arms / arm portions and / or elongation(s) of one or more telescopic arms / arm portions in situations where there are arms / arm portions are telescopic and / or lateral and / or longitudinal position(s) of one or more laterally or longitudinally displaceable arms. The lateral and / or longitudinal position(s) of one or more laterally or longitudinally displaceable arms may relate to a lateral and / or longitudinal position of a reference point on the respective arm. Using the known geometrical parameter(s) and measured present position(s) of the collector arm(s) is advantageous since accurate determination of relative position is possible. It is understood that theangular position(s) of one or more pivotable collector arms / arm portions is defined in relation to a respective reference. For example, if a collector arm or arm portion is connected to the vehicle, the angular position(s) thereof may be defined in relation to a cartesian coordinate system defined by the lengthwise, vertical and lateral directions of the vehicle.

[0021] In some embodiments, when the connected state is active, the ECU is further configured to determine if the vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, and if so, control the at least one collector arm, such as at least one actuator of the at least one collector arm, such as to displace the current collector away from the at least one electric conductor such as to disrupt electric contact therebetween, and disable the connected state and the connectable state. This is advantageous since contact between the current collector and the electric conductor can be interrupted prior to the vehicle moving outside the working distance, i.e. prior to the collector arm having reached its maximum range of motion, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the collector arm. In embodiments further comprising a tracking device (as described below), determining if the vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor is advantageous also to reduce the risk of damage to the tracking device. This advantage is particularly pronounced in the case when the tracking device comprises lateral guiding means configured to prevent movement of the tracking device away from the elongated element / electric conductor and / or guiding means which suspends the tracking device from the elongated element / electric conductor (as described below).

[0022] In some embodiments, to determine if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to determine if the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor and the working distance are within a pre-determined interval from each other. Thereby, a simple and accurate determination is achieved.

[0023] In some embodiments, the system further comprises a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) unit (such as a GPS unit), wherein to determine if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to determine, by using a GNSS signal (such as a GPS signal) obtained from the GNSS unit and data concerning the position and extension of the electric conductor which the current collector is presently connected to, if the present position of the electrically powered vehicle is within a pre-determined interval from an end of said electric conductor which the current collector is presently connected to. The data concerning the position and extension of the electric conductorwhich the current collector is presently connected to may be map data stored in the ECU or obtainable via wireless or physical connection to a map server.

[0024] In some embodiments, to determine if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, the ECU is further configured to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

[0025] In some embodiments, to displace the at least one collector arm by means of the at least one actuator towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact therebetween, the ECU is further configured to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or to determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, and to control an actuator to displace the collector arm to displace the at least one contact element towards the at least one electric conductor using said positions and / or relative position.

[0026] In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to obtain a GNSS signal (such as a GPS signal) from a GNSS unit such as a GPS unit (which may be part of the system) and / or an augmented GNSS signal (such as an augmented GPS signal), and to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or to determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, using the GNSS / GPS signal and / or augmented GNSS / GPS signal. Augmented GNSS / GPS is known in the art as GNSS / GPS aided by extra information relating to positioning, navigation, and timing that is not an inherently part of GNSS / GPS signal itself.

[0027] In some embodiments, to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using at least one of the following: a local positioning system, simultaneous localization and mapping, SLAM, at least one sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle, time of flight communications, Radio-frequency identification, RFID, infrared camera / s with or without reflective strips on the at least one electric conductor or its structure or at least one visual recognition sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle. Optionally, visual servoing with stereo cameras, 3D sensors (such as Lidar, radar), motion sensors or magnetic sensors may be used for determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

[0028] In some embodiments, the ECU is configured to determine or receive a vehicle speed value. The ECU may obtain the speed from any one or more than one of a drivetrain controller, wheel speed sensors, an inertial measurement unit, or from a positioning subsystem such as GNSS, SLAM, a local positioning system, a third-party server, or other equivalent means.The ECU may use the vehicle speed value to adapt the working distance (or a working distance parameter used to determine the working distance), which defines the permissible separation between the vehicle and the at least one electric conductor for connection and continued operation. In other words, the working distance is adapted to vehicle speed rather than being a predetermined value.

[0029] In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to receive steering input from a vehicle steering sensor or control unit. The steering input may be used to predict lateral deviation of the vehicle relative to the at least one electric conductor. When the predicted steering trajectory indicates that the vehicle will move outside the working distance within a predetermined time or distance or breaches a threshold for the operational conditions, the ECU may be configured to reduce the working distance, initiate a controlled disconnect, or change the state accordingly. This instantaneous or predictive use of steering feedback allows the system to anticipate alignment changes before they occur, in a similar manner to how vehicle speed is used to adapt the working distance.

[0030] In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to determine a rate of change of relative position between the vehicle and the at least one electric conductor and / or to determine a relative acceleration from successive relative position or velocity estimates.

[0031] In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to adjust the working distance in dependence on at least one of vehicle speed, the magnitude of the rate of change, and the magnitude of the relative acceleration.

[0032] The rate of change may be derived from one or more of: GNSS or augmented GNSS, SLAM, local beacons, visual servoing, radar, lidar, magnetic sensors, time-of-flight ranging, or other suitable means of determining the relative position of the vehicle and the conductor at multiple time points.

[0033] In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to determine a rate of change of relative positions between the vehicle and the current collector, determine a collector-relative acceleration, and when a threshold is exceeded or a projection indicates that a range-of-motion limit will be reached within a set time, disconnect the current collector from the at least one electric conductor to disrupt contact and deactivate the connected and connectable states. The collector-relative values may be derived from actuator feedback, joint angles, telescopic elongation, alignment actuatorstates, or from external positioning systems, and may be filtered or fused using known estimation techniques.

[0034] In one example, the working distance decreases as vehicle speed increases, so that a controlled disconnect can be initiated before the collector arm approaches its maximum range of motion. This reduction of working distance at higher speeds provides additional safety margin, since higher relative velocities mean that the arm would otherwise require greater extension within the minimum safe disconnect time.

[0035] In another example, the ECU increases the working distance at very low speeds, where relative motion between the vehicle and the conductor or the collector when connected is slow. This allows greater tolerance for lateral or vertical displacement, improves alignment robustness, and increases allowable time connected when the vehicle is manoeuvring or crawling.

[0036] In some embodiments, the ECU is configured to project relative motion over a prediction horizon using velocity and / or acceleration estimates, and to activate a controlled disconnect if a breach of the working distance is predicted within a predetermined time interval.

[0037] In some embodiments, the ECU is configured to enforce a predetermined minimum time-to- disconnect (TTD), such as approximately two seconds. The TTD defines the minimum time required to safely command power shut-off, retract the current collector, and disengage the contact elements without mechanical overstress. The ECU may be configured to adapt the working distance according to vehicle speed so that this TTD can always be satisfied. At relatively low speeds, the vehicle traverses the working distance slowly, and the ECU may therefore allow a larger maximum separation before initiating disconnect, thereby increasing allowable lateral or vertical displacement and connection duration. At higher speeds, the same fixed TTD corresponds to a greater vehicle displacement per unit time. The ECU may therefore reduce the working distance so that a disconnect sequence can still complete within the TTD before the collector arm reaches its maximum range of motion.

[0038] In some embodiments, the ECU is operatively connected to at least one forward-looking sensor configured to determine a safe state or an unsafe state for connection between the vehicle and the at least one electric conductor. The forward-looking sensor may comprise, for example, a lidar sensor, a radar sensor, a stereo camera system, or another suitable sensor known to those skilled in the art. The sensor provides data to a vision or perception processing unit (which may be part of the ECU or a separate unit), which processes the data to identify road or track conditions, obstacles, or environmental hazards. The ECU may be configured to predict if continued connectionis in a safe state or an unsafe state and allow, maintain, or inhibit the connectable and connected states accordingly.

[0039] In some embodiments, the forward-looking sensor is configured to monitor the physical condition of the electric conductor or an elongated element carrying the conductor. The perception processing unit may analyse sensor data to detect wear, misalignment, deformation, debris, or other defects. The ECU may be configured to declare the conductor to be in a safe state or an unsafe state for connection and adapt system operation accordingly. In some embodiments, defect events are stored together with position data in a local database of the ECU or transmitted to a centralised server. The centralised server may compile a condition profile of the conductor infrastructure, enabling predictive maintenance and adaptive control updates for all vehicles operating on the system.

[0040] In some embodiments, multiple sensors are used, such as combining radar for long-range detection with stereo vision or lidar for detailed conductor profiling. The ECU may apply threshold logic or machine learning classification to evaluate a safe connection state in real time. When an unsafe state is predicted, the ECU may delay connection, initiate a controlled disconnect, or transition to the disconnected state.

[0041] In some embodiments, the ECU is configured to analyse road or track conditions in combination with vehicle speed to vary the working distance and / or to determine a safe or unsafe connection state. For example, when a forward-looking sensor such as a lidar, radar, stereo camera or other equivalent device detects a rough or uneven surface ahead, the ECU may reduce the working distance threshold at a given vehicle speed. Tightening the permissible working range in this manner reduces the risk of excessive relative displacement between the current collector and the conductor caused by road irregularities or vibrations. Conversely, when smooth surface conditions are detected, the ECU may maintain or increase the working distance to maximise connection time and energy transfer efficiency.

[0042] In some embodiments, the ECU applies combined thresholds, such that road condition classification (e.g. smooth, moderate, rough) and vehicle speed are used jointly to declare a safe or unsafe state of connection. This combined approach ensures that the system dynamically adapts not only to vehicle dynamics but also to the quality of the roadway or tunnel environment in which the conductor is installed.

[0043] In some embodiments, the vehicle is provided with at least one vibration sensor configured to monitor road or track surface condition during operation. The vibration sensor may comprise, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a strain gauge, or another device suitable for detectingvehicle vibration or oscillation. The sensor output is communicated to the ECU, which logs the vibration data together with associated position data derived from GNSS, SLAM, or another localisation system.

[0044] In some embodiments, the ECU uses this vibration and location data in real time to adapt the working distance or to declare a safe or unsafe connection state. For example, when elevated vibration levels are detected in combination with certain vehicle speeds, the ECU may reduce the working distance to minimise the risk of misalignment or mechanical overload of the collector arm.

[0045] It is appreciated that the ECU may operate independently of, or in cooperation with, third- party or integrated vehicle automation systems.

[0046] In some embodiments, the ECU communicates the connection state, road condition, or conductor condition information to a truck automation controller, which may adjust vehicle functions such as speed, steering or suspension in response. For example, when rough road conditions or degraded conductor sections are detected, the ECU may be configured to provide a signal to the vehicle automation system to reduce speed in order to maintain a safe working distance. In alternate embodiments, rather than varying the working distance in dependence on truck speed, the ECU or a higher-level automation system may be configured to prioritise and regulate the truck speed in view of predicted conditions and the required working distance. This enables a coordinated approach in which vehicle speed and working distance are managed together to optimise safety and connection performance.

[0047] In some embodiments, the vibration and location data are transmitted to a centralised server or data management system. The server may compile road condition profiles along sections of conductor and provide updated parameters to one or more vehicles. This enables predictive adjustment of the working distance or safe / unsafe state classification before entering a known rough or unstable section.

[0048] In some embodiments, machine learning algorithms or adaptive filtering are used to adjust these parameters dynamically, either in the ECU or in a centralised control system that distributes updated profiles to all vehicles. This allows the system to improve connection safety, reliability, and efficiency over extended operational periods without requiring manual re-calibration.

[0049] In some embodiments, the at least one electric conductor is arranged in at least one elongated slotted element, said at least one contact element being connected to the at least one collector arm by means of a tracking device, said tracking device comprising a body part to which said at least one contact element is connected. The tracking device may further comprise lateral guidingmeans configured to co-act with at least one laterally facing portion of the elongated slotted element to guide the tracking device laterally relative to elongated slotted element. At least one of said lateral guiding means may be laterally displaceable. At least one of said lateral guiding means may be laterally displaceable relative to said body part, for example by means of an alignment actuator. The alignment actuator may be described as enabling displacement of the tracking device in relation to the slotted element when the at least one contact element is within a lateral alignment distance from the slotted element, wherein to displace the collector arm, the ECU is further configured to: control an actuator to displace the at least one collector arm such that the at least one contact element is within said lateral alignment distance, and to actuate the alignment actuator to displace tracking device and thus also the at least one contact element towards slotted element / the at least one electric conductor.

[0050] In some embodiments, the lateral guiding means are further configured to co-act with the elongated slotted element such as to prevent movement of the tracking device away from the slotted element, wherein to displace the current collector away from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to disengage the guiding means (displace away from the slotted element). Such embodiments comprising guiding means are advantageous since the tracking device and its contact elements are in close and accurate contact with the slotted element. In such embodiments, it is however particularly important to monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, so as to avoid that the working distance is exceeded, and the current collector breaks or has reduced lifetime.

[0051] In some embodiments, the tracking device comprises guiding means which suspends the tracking device from the elongated slotted element, i.e. locks the tracking device onto the elongated slotted element such that it is not necessary for the collector arm to force the tracking device towards the elongated slotted element. Such guiding means which suspends the tracking device may be formed, for example by guiding wheels or sliding elements co-acting with a flange or chamfered portion of the elongated slotted element. In such embodiments, it is also important to monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, to avoid that the working distance is exceeded, and the current collector breaks or has reduced lifetime. In variations of the above-described embodiments, the at least one elongated slotted element may be replaced with an elongated element having the at least one electric conductor mounted thereto (but not necessarily in at least one slot), or one or more elongated elements being conductive themselves and being adapted to be electrically energized.

[0052] The embodiments described above comprising a tracking device are described in greater detail in applicant's previous application WO 2022 / 096665A1 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0053] In some embodiments, the ECU is further configured to activate a disconnected state, wherein the connection between the current collector and the at least one electric conductor is terminated when the electrically powered vehicle moves outside of said working distance. The ECU may be configured to activate any of the following three states: connectable state, connected state and disconnected state. The state transition between these three states may be based on information obtained by at least one of the following: a local positioning system, simultaneous localization and mapping, SLAM, at least one sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle, time of flight communications, RFID, motion sensor, or at least one visual recognition sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle. The ECU may also be configured to obtain information in adjustable time intervals based on if it is a connectable state, a connected state, or optionally a disconnected state, so as to save power consumption caused by transmitting and / or receiving information.

[0054] In some embodiments, the ECU is configured to activate a disconnected state based on a predicted trajectory of the electrically powered vehicle. For example, based on a predicted trajectory, the electrically powered vehicle may be approaching the end of a rail (i.e., a type of electric conductor). In this case, the ECU may be configured to a disconnected state, and the connection between the rail and the electrically powered vehicle is terminated. A neural network or another machine learning method may be used together with the information from sensors and information relating to the present position of the electrically powered vehicle for predicting a trajectory of the electrically powered vehicle. Dynamic prediction may also be used to estimate when the disconnected state will be activated, based on for example historical data or a machine learning method.

[0055] In some embodiments, the location of the at least one electric conductor may be stored in a database and the database may be used as a reference database for assisting the activation of the connectable state.

[0056] Optionally, the electric conductor (i.e., a type of a power source) may also have at least one position sensor installed, so that the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor may be obtained based on information from the at least one position sensor and / or stored data.

[0057] In some embodiments, during a time period (which may be any suitable time period), both the at least one electric conductor and the electrically powered vehicle are in motion when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor. In such a scenario, the system can still maintain a connected state, that is, the current collector and the at least one electric conductor are in electric contact with each other, so the electrically powered vehicle in motion is supplied with power.

[0058] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for automatically connecting and disconnecting at least one current collector of an electrically powered vehicle with at least one electric conductor extending along a road section, on which the electrically powered vehicle is adapted to travel. The at least one current collector comprises at least one contact element adapted to connect electrically with the at least one electric conductor, and at least one displaceable collector arm supporting the at least one contact element at its first end and being connected to the electrically powered vehicle at its second end. The at least one current collector is configured to connect with the at least one electric conductor when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor. The method comprises determining if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activating a connectable state. The method further comprises when the connectable state is active, and the at least one current collector and the at least one electric conductor are not in electric contact, displacing the at least one collector arm towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact between the at least one contact element and the at least one electric conductor, and thereafter activating a connected state. The method further comprises when the connected state is active, monitoring the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

[0059] In some embodiments, the monitoring of the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using at least one geometrical parameter of the at least one collector arm and at least one present position of said at least one collector arm.

[0060] In some embodiments, when the connected state is active, the method further comprises determining if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, and if so, displacing the current collector away from the at least one electric conductor such as to disrupt electric contact therebetween, and disabling the connected state and the connectable state.

[0061] In some embodiments, when determining if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the methodfurther comprises determining if the relative position and the working distance are within a predetermined interval from each other.

[0062] In some embodiments, when determining if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the method further comprises determining, using a GNSS signal (such as a GPS signal), if the present position of the electrically powered vehicle is within a pre-determined interval from an end of the electric conductor to which the current collector is presently connected.

[0063] In some embodiments, when determining if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, the method comprises determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

[0064] In some embodiments, to displace the at least one collector arm by means of the at least one actuator towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact therebetween, the method further comprises determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, and displacing the collector arm to displace the at least one contact element towards the at least one electric conductor using said positions and / or relative position.

[0065] In some embodiments, said determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using a GNSS signal (such as a GPS signal) and / or an augmented GNSS signal (such as an augmented GPS signal).

[0066] In some embodiments, said determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using at least one of the following: a local positioning system, simultaneous localization and mapping, SLAM, using at least one sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle, time of flight communications, RFID or at least one visual recognition sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle. Optionally, Visual servoing with stereo cameras, 3D sensors (such as Lidar, radar), motion sensors or magnetic sensors may be used for determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

[0067] In some embodiments, said at least one electric conductor is arranged in at least one elongated slotted element. Said at least one contact element is connected to the at least one collector arm by means of a tracking device. Said tracking device comprises a body part to which said at least one contact element is connected. Said tracking device may further comprise lateral guiding means configured to co-act with at least one laterally facing portion of the elongated slotted element to guide the tracking device laterally relative to elongated slotted element. At least one of said lateral guiding means may be laterally displaceable relative to said body part by means of an alignment actuator such as to be able displace the tracking device in relation to the slotted element when the at least one contact element is within a lateral alignment distance from the slotted element. The method step of displacing may further comprise displacing the at least one collector arm such that the at least one contact element is within said lateral alignment distance and actuating the alignment actuator to displace the at least one contact element to the at least one electric conductor.

[0068] In some embodiments, the lateral guiding means are further configured to co-act with the elongated slotted element such as to prevent movement of the tracking device away from the slotted element. Said displacing the current collector away from the at least one electric conductor further comprises disengaging the guiding means.

[0069] The features of the embodiments described above are combinable in any practically realizable way to form embodiments having combinations of these features. Further, all features and advantages of embodiments described above with reference to the first aspect of the invention may be applied in corresponding embodiments of the second aspect of the invention.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] Above discussed and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail using the appended drawings, which show presently preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein:Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-section view illustration of an embodiment of a system according to the first aspect of the invention;Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section view illustration of parts of another embodiment of a system according to the first aspect of the invention;Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view illustration of yet another embodiment of a system according to the first aspect of the invention;Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the second aspect of the invention; andFig. 5a-b shows a schematic cross-section view / top view illustration of another embodiment of a system according to the first aspect of the invention.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] Fig. 1 shows a schematic cross-section view illustration of an embodiment of a system 100 according to a first aspect of the invention.

[0072] The system 100 comprises at least one electric conductor 5 (shown as two electric conductors for illustration purposes) extending along a road section and an electrically powered vehicle 1 adapted to travel on the road section.

[0073] The two electric conductors 5 may be arranged in respective slots 6 in an elongated slotted element 2. The electric conductors 5 may be electrically energized to supply the electrically powered vehicle 1 with electric power.

[0074] The electrically powered vehicle 1 comprises at least one current collector 4, and an electronic control unit 20, ECU, being operatively coupled to said at least one current collector 4. The at least one current collector 4 (shown as one current collector for illustration purpose) comprises at least one contact element 7 (shown as two contact elements for illustration purpose) adapted to connect electrically with the at least one electric conductor 5. The at least one current collector 4 further comprises at least one telescopically displaceable collector arm 8 (shown as one displaceable collector arm for illustration purpose) supporting the at least one contact element 7 at its first end 8'. The at least one displaceable collector arm 8 is connected to the electrically powered vehicle 1 at its second end 8" via a lateral sliding rail 8b. The at least one current collector 4 is configured to connect with the at least one electric conductor 5 when the electrically powered vehicle 1 is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor 5.

[0075] The ECU 20 is configured to determine if the electrically powered vehicle 1 and the at least one electric conductor 5 are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activate a connectable state. To determine if the electrically powered vehicle 1 and the electric conductors 5 are within said working distance from each other, the ECU 20 is further configured to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle 1 and a position of the at least one electric conductor 5, and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle 1 to the at least one electric conductor 5. To determine the position and / or relative position, the ECU may be configured to use a GPS signal and / or an augmented GPS signal obtained from a GPS unit 14.

[0076] In other embodiments, the position and / or relative position may be determined using at least one sensor such as at least one visual recognition sensor / camera 15a-b arranged on the electrically powered vehicle 1. The signals from such sensors may be used directly together with geometrical parameters to calculate the position / relative position or may be used as an input to a local positioning system or a simultaneous localization and mapping, SLAM. Alternatively, time of flight communications or RFID sensors may be used.

[0077] The ECU 20 is further configured to, when the connectable state is active, control an actuator 8a of the current collector to elongate the collector arm 8 (and optionally to control a not shown actuator of sliding rail 8b to displace the collector arm laterally) to displace the first end 8' of the collector arm (and thus the contact elements 7) towards the at least one electric conductor 5 such as to achieve electric contact between the at least one contact element 7 and the at least one electric conductor 5, and thereafter activate a connected state.

[0078] For illustration purposes, in Fig. 1, said at least one electric conductor is shown suspended above a road surface. In other embodiments (see Fig. 5a-b), the at least one current collector may be connected to a lateral side of the electrically powered vehicle, by means of the at least one displaceable collector arm 8. Alternatively, the at least one electric conductor may be recessed in a road surface, and the at least one current collector may be arranged for connection with the recessed electric conductor, for example as shown in WO 2010 / 140964 Al.

[0079] The at least one contact element 7 is shown connected to a roof of the electrically powered vehicle 1 by means of the at least one displaceable collector arm 8. The at least one displaceable collector arm 8 may be configured to displace the at least one contact element 7 vertically to connect with the electric conductors 5. The working distance corresponds to the maximum distance between the vehicle and the electric conductors, which in this embodiment is mostly defined by the maximum elongation of the collector arm 8. In the figure, the collector arm 8 is close to its maximum elongation - the distance D between the vehicle and the electric conductors is less than the working distance Dmax. The ECU may be connected to a battery set (not shown in Fig. 2a) of the electrically powered vehicle 1. The electrically powered vehicle 1 may be configured to be electrically propellable by means of electric power from its battery set and / or from the at least one current collector 5. The ECU may comprise a processing circuit and a memory wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processing circuit.

[0080] It is understood that the at least one current collector 4 may be connected to the electrically powered vehicle directly or indirectly in different ways.

[0081] The contact elements 7 are connected to the at least one collector arm 8 by means of a tracking device 10. The tracking device 10 comprises a body part 11, to which the contact elements 7 are connected. The tracking device 10 further comprises lateral guiding means (illustrated as 12a and 12b) configured to co-act with at least one laterally facing portion of the elongated slotted element 2 to guide the tracking device 10 laterally relative to elongated slotted element 2. At least one of said lateral guiding means 12a, 12b is laterally displaceable relative to said body part 11 by means of an alignment actuator 13 such as to be able displace the contact elements towards the at least one electric conductor when the contact elements 7 are within a lateral alignment distance from the elongated slotted element 2. The lateral alignment distance is thus the maximum distance (in a lateral direction) from the contact elements to the slotted element which the lateral guiding means are capable of displacing the contact elements into alignment with the electric conductor(s). Thus, in order to achieve contact between the contact elements and the electric conductor(s), the tracking device first needs to be aligned with the slotted element by means of the collector arm 8 such that the contact elements are within the lateral alignment distance from the elongated slotted element 2.

[0082] The alignment actuator 13, which may for example be a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, an electric motor or a solenoid. The alignment actuator 13 may alternatively be a mechanical actuator comprising for example a linkage and / or a hydraulic circuit. Examples of alignment actuators and how to use the alignment actuator to displace the contact elements towards the at least one electric conductor can be found in WO 2022 / 096665 Al. The lateral alignment distance may be a pre-determined value. The ECU may be configured to receive feedback signals from for example the alignment actuator for adjusting the position of the contact element to align with the at least one electric conductor.

[0083] In a situation in which the electrically powered vehicle 1 is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor 5, but the contact elements 7 are outside a lateral alignment distance from the elongated slotted element 2, the ECU 20 may be configured to: displace the at least one collector arm 8 such that the at least one contact element is within said lateral alignment distance. The ECU 20 may be further configured to actuate the alignment actuator 13 to displace the at least one contact element 7 towards the at least one electric conductor 5.

[0084] The ECU 20 is further configured to, when the connected state is active, monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle 1 to the electric conductors 5 using at least one geometrical parameter of the at least one collector arm 8 and at least one present position of said at least one collector arm. In this embodiment, the at least one geometrical parameter comprises the lengths of the telescopic portions of the collector arm 8 and the length of the sliding rail 8b. The atleast one present position comprises a current position of the actuator 8a (received by the ECU as a feedback signal therefrom) and a current position of the collector arm along the sliding rail 8b (received as a feedback signal from the sliding rail).

[0085] The ECU 20 is further configured to, when the connected state is active, determine if the vehicle 1 is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor 5, and if so, control the actuators of collector arm 8 to displace the at least one current collector 4 away from the at least one electric conductor 5 such as to disrupt electric contact therebetween, and to disable the connected state and the connectable state. The ECU is configured to determine if the electrically powered vehicle 1 is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor 5 by determining, by using a GPS signal obtained from a GPS unit 14, if the present position of the electrically powered vehicle is within a predetermined interval from an end of the electric conductor 5 which the at least one current collector 4 is presently connected to.\

[0086] Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-section view illustration of parts of another embodiment of a system 200 according to the first aspect of the invention. The system corresponds to the embodiment in fig. 1 with the difference being that the slotted element 202 with electric conductors 205, and the tracking device 210 (connected to the current collector arm 208 and provided with contact elements 207) are different.

[0087] The slotted element 202 is seen in a cross-section, and the longitudinal end of the current collector is seen. The elongated slotted element 202 differs from the above-described embodiments in that it comprises chamfered guiding edges at the top of the laterally facing portions of the slotted element, and chamfered aligning edges at the bottom. In this embodiment, the edges are chamfered at 45 degrees angle relative to the direction of movement of the contact elements, which in the shown vertical alignment equals to 45 degrees relative to a vertical plane. The elongated slotted element comprises two electric conductors 205 arranged in respective slots 207 in the elongated slotted element.

[0088] The tracking device 210 comprises two sets of aligning wheels 212c-d on each lateral side thereof (only one set on each side can be seen in fig. 2), the aligning wheels being stationary (apart from rolling motion) relative the body part 211. The aligning wheels are angled at 45 degrees such as to be able to roll against the lower chamfered aligning edges of the slotted element and thus form vertical and lateral guiding means.

[0089] The tracking device 210 further comprises guiding means in the form of two sets of lateral guiding wheels 212a, 212b on each lateral side of the body part 211 (only one set on each side can beseen in fig. 2). The guiding wheels are laterally displaceable relative to the body part by means of being rotatably attached to a respective holding element which is pivotable / rotatable relative to the body part around axes of rotation. The alignment actuators 213a-b pivots / rotates the holding elements such that the guiding wheels are displaced towards and away from the slotted element.

[0090] To displace the collector arm 208 towards the slotted element, the ECU is configured to: displace the at least one collector arm 208 such that the at least one contact element 207 is within a lateral alignment distance. This is achieved by means of sliding action of the wheels 212a-d on the lower chamfered edges, as explained in further detail in in WO 2022 / 096665 Al. actuate the alignment actuators 213a-b to pivot the lateral guiding wheels 212a and 212b towards the upper chamfered edges of the slotted element. This will displace the tracking device into position such that the contact elements 207 are accurately laterally aligned with the electric conductors 205 and therefore can be displaced into contact therewith.

[0091] When the tracking device is in the position shown in fig. 2. The guiding wheels prevent movement of the tracking device 210 away from the slotted element. Put differently, the guiding wheels suspend the tracking device from the slotted element. This makes it particularly important to monitor the relative position of the vehicle and the slotted element / conductors in accordance with the invention. To displace the current collector away from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to actuate the alignment actuators 213a-b to pivotably displace the guiding wheels away from the slotted element.

[0092] Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view illustration of yet another embodiment of a system 300 according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0093] Just like in the embodiments in figs. 1 and 2, the system comprises at least one electric conductor 305 arranged in a slotted element 302 and extending along a road section on which the electrically powered vehicle 301 is adapted to travel, and the electrically powered vehicle 301 comprises a current collector with at least one contact element 307, and an electronic control unit ECU, operating in a corresponding manner as described above with reference to fig. 1. The main difference between figs. 1 and 2 is that the current collector arm is formed from two serially arranged pivotable collector arm segments 308, 308b (such as described in applicant's earlier application WO 2022 / 096112A1, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). The geometrical parameters used by the ECU may comprise the lengths of the collector arm segmentsand the at least one present position may comprise current angular positions a, of the collector arm segments.

[0094] In fig. 3, the collector arm segments 308a-b are at angular positions a, to achieve connection to the electric conductors with a distance D between the vehicle and the electric conductors. When the collector arm segments are fully extended (almost vertically), it is possible to connect to the electric conductors at (maximum) working distance Dmax.

[0095] Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 400 according to the second aspect of the invention. At method step 401, the method 400 comprises determining if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activating a connectable state. At method step 402, the method comprises when the connectable state is active, and the current collector and the at least one electric conductor are not in electric contact, displacing the at least one collector arm towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact between the contact element and the at least one electric conductor, and thereafter activating a connected state. At method step 403, the method 400 comprises when the connected state is active, monitoring the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor. The method steps may be performed by an ECU.

[0096] Fig. 5a shows a schematic cross-section view illustration (along line A-A, see fig. 5b) of another embodiment of a system according to a first aspect of the invention. Fig. 5b shows a partial top view of the system. The system corresponds to the embodiment in fig. 1, with the differences being: the elongated element 502 is not slotted, but instead comprises electric conductors mounted to an exterior portion thereof; the elongated element 502 is suspended from poles at a lateral side of the road section / vehicle; the current collector arm 508 is connected to a lateral side of the vehicle 501; and the current collector arm 508 is rotatable / pivotable relative to the vehicle (i.e. not telescopic and attached to a sliding rail as in fig. 1).

[0097] More specifically, the at least one contact element 507 is connected to a lateral side of the electrically powered vehicle 501 by means of the at least one displaceable collector arm 508, wherein the at least one displaceable collector arm 508 is configured to displace the at least one contact element 107 laterally and vertically (i.e. in more than one plane) to connect with the electric conductors 505. The ECU 520 is configured to, when the connectable state is active, control at least one actuator 525 of the current collector arm 508 to rotate / pivot the collector arm 508 to displacethe first end of the collector arm (and thus the contact elements 507) towards the at least one electric conductor 505 such as to achieve electric contact between the at least one contact element 507 and the at least one electric conductor 505, and thereafter activate a connected state.

[0098] In fig. 5a-b, the collector arm 508 is at angular positions a (relative a horizontal plane), (relative a vertical / lateral plane) to achieve connection to the electric conductors with a distance D between the vehicle and the electric conductors. When the collector arm is fully extended (substantially perpendicular to the lateral side of the vehicle), it is possible to connect to the electric conductors at (maximum) working distance Dmax.

[0099] The ECU 520 is further configured to obtain a vehicle speed signal / value from a wheel speed sensor 521 and / or using a GPS signal (optionally an augmented GPS signal) from the GPS unit 514. The ECU is further configured to use the vehicle speed value to adapt the working distance (or a working distance parameter used to determine the working distance). In other words, the ECU is configured to adjust the working distance in dependence on the vehicle speed such that the working distance decreases as vehicle speed increases (so that a controlled disconnect can be initiated before the collector arm approaches its maximum range of motion) and such that the working distance increases at very low speeds, where relative motion between the vehicle and the conductor or the collector when connected is slow. The working distance at very low speeds may correspond to the maximum working distance Dmaxindicated in fig. 5a.

[0100] In other embodiments, the vehicle speed may alternatively (or additionally) be obtained from any one or more than one of a drivetrain controller, an inertial measurement unit, or from a local positioning system, a third-party server, or other equivalent means.

[0101] The ECU 520 is optionally further configured to receive steering input from an optional vehicle steering sensor or control unit 522, where the ECU is uses the steering input to predict lateral deviation of the vehicle relative to the at least one electric conductor 505. When the predicted steering trajectory indicates that the vehicle will move outside the working distance within a predetermined time or distance or breaches a threshold for the operational conditions, the ECU is configured to reduce the working distance and / or initiate a controlled disconnect and / or or change the state accordingly.

[0102] The ECU 520 is optionally further configured to determine a rate of change of relative position between the vehicle and the at least one electric conductor and / or to determine a relative acceleration from successive relative position or velocity estimates. The rate of change is derived using a GPS signal and / or an augmented GPS signal obtained from a GPS unit 514. In other embodiments, the rate of change may be determined using SLAM, local beacons, visual servoing,radar, lidar, magnetic sensors, time-of-flight ranging, or other suitable means of determining the relative position of the vehicle and the conductor at multiple time points. The ECU may be configured to adjust the working distance based on the magnitude of the rate of change and / or the magnitude of the relative acceleration.

[0103] The ECU 520 is optionally operatively connected to an optional forward-looking sensor 523 configured to determine a safe state or an unsafe state for connection between the vehicle 501 and the at least one electric conductor 505. The forward-looking sensor 523 is a lidar or radar sensor. In other embodiments, the forward-looking sensor is a stereo camera system or another suitable sensor known to those skilled in the art. The sensor provides data to a vision or perception processing unit (which may be part of the ECU or a separate unit), which processes the data to identify road or track conditions, obstacles, or environmental hazards. The ECU is configured to predict if continued connection is in a safe state or an unsafe state and allow, maintain, or inhibit the connectable and connected states accordingly.[001004] The vehicle 501 is optionally provided with at least one vibration sensor 524 configured to monitor the road surface condition during operation. The vibration sensor 524 is an accelerometer, but may in other embodiments be a gyroscope, a strain gauge, or another device suitable for detecting vehicle vibration or oscillation. The sensor output is communicated to the ECU, which logs the vibration data together with associated position data derived from the GPS unit 514. The ECU may be configured to use the vibration and location data in real time to adapt the working distance or to declare a safe or unsafe connection state. For example, when elevated vibration levels are detected in combination with certain vehicle speeds, the ECU may reduce the working distance to minimise the risk of misalignment or mechanical overload of the collector arm.

[0105] From the disclosure above, it is understood that the ECU 520 is optionally configured to adjust the working distance not only in dependence on vehicle speed but also in dependence of one or more of a lateral deviation, a rate of change, a relative acceleration or an elevated vibration level.

[0106] Just like in fig. 1, the contact elements 507 are connected to the at least one collector arm 508 by means of a tracking device 510 comprising lateral guiding means 512a-b configured to co-act with at least one laterally facing portion of the elongated element 502 to guide the tracking device 510 laterally relative to elongated element 502. It is understood that lateral is defined in relation to the elongated element, i.e. lateral guiding corresponds to guiding in a vertical plane in this embodiment.

[0107] Further as in fig. 1, the ECU is configured to, when the connected state is active, monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle 501 to the electric conductors 505 using at leastone geometrical parameter of the at least one collector arm 508 and at least one present position of said at least one collector arm. In this embodiment, the at least one geometrical parameter comprises the length of the collector arm 508, and the at least one present position comprises angular positions a, of the collector arm (received as feedback signals from the actuator(s) 525 of the collector arm).

[0108] Apart from the above-described differences, the description above regarding the embodiment in fig. 1 applies in a corresponding manner to the embodiment in fig. 5a-b.

[0109] The description above and the appended drawings are to be considered as non-limiting examples of the invention. The person skilled in the art would realize that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the GPS unit can be replaced with another type of GNSS unit. Furthermore, the collector arm in fig. 5a-b may instead be formed by two serially arranged collector arm segments and / or may comprise a telescopic arm. Furthermore, in all embodiments described above the elongated element may be any of the following: a slotted element provided with electric conductor(s) in at least one slot; an elongated element having at least one electric conductor mounted thereto (such as on an exterior surface or portion thereof); or one or more elongated elements being conductive themselves and being adapted to be electrically energized. Furthermore, the (maximum) working distance Dmaxin the embodiments shown in figures 1 and 3 may be dependent on speed (and optionally further parameters) as explained above with reference to fig. 5a-b.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system for electrically feeding at least one electrically powered vehicle, the system comprising:- at least one electric conductor extending along a road section on which the at least one electrically powered vehicle is adapted to travel,- at least one electrically powered vehicle comprising at least one current collector, and an electronic control unit, ECU, operatively coupled to said at least one current collector, the at least one current collector comprising at least one contact element adapted to connect electrically with the at least one electric conductor, and the at least one current collector further comprising at least one displaceable collector arm supporting the at least one contact element and being connected to the electrically powered vehicle, and wherein the at least one current collector is configured to connect with the at least one electric conductor when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor, and wherein the ECU is configured to: determine if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activate a connectable state; when the connectable state is active, and the at least one current collector and the at least one electric conductor are not in electric contact, displace the at least one collector arm towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact between the at least one contact element and the at least one electric conductor, and thereafter activate a connected state.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ECU is further configured to, when the connected state is active, monitor a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the ECU is configured to monitor the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor using at least one geometrical parameter of the at least one collector arm and at least one present position of said at least one collector arm.

4. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ECU is further configured to:- when the connected state is active, determine if the vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, and if so, displace theat least one current collector away from the at least one electric conductor such as to disrupt electric contact therebetween, and- disable the connected state and the connectable state.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein to determine if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to determine if the relative position and the working distance are within a pre-determined interval from each other.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein to determine if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to determine, by using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal, if the present position of the electrically powered vehicle is within a pre-determined interval from an end of the electric conductor which the at least one current collector is presently connected to.

7. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein to determine if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, the ECU is further configured to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

8. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein to displace the at least one collector arm, for example by means of the at least one actuator, towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact therebetween, the ECU is further configured to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, and displace the collector arm to displace the at least one contact element towards the at least one electric conductor using said positions and / or relative position.

9. The system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductorcomprises using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal and / or an augmented GNSS signal such as an augmented GPS signal.

10. The system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein to determine a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor and / or determine a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using at least one of the following: a local positioning system, simultaneous localization and mapping, SLAM, at least one sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle, time of flight communications, RFID or at least one visual recognition sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle.

11. The system according to claim 8, comprising at least one elongated element extending along said road section, wherein said at least one elongated element is conductive to form said at least one electric conductor, or wherein said at least one electric conductor is mounted to the at least one elongated element, or wherein said at least one elongated element is slotted wherein said at least one electric conductor is arranged in at least one slot thereof, said at least one contact element being connected to the at least one collector arm by means of a tracking device, said tracking device comprising a body part to which said at least one contact element is connected, said tracking device further comprising lateral guiding means configured to co-act with at least one laterally facing portion of the elongated element to guide the tracking device laterally relative to elongated slotted element.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of said lateral guiding means is laterally displaceable.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said lateral guiding means is laterally displaceable relative to said body part by means of an alignment actuator such as to be able displace the tracking device in relation to the slotted element when the at least one contact element is within a lateral alignment distance from the slotted element, wherein to displace the collector arm , the ECU is further configured to: displace the at least one collector arm such that the at least one contact element is within said lateral alignment distance, and actuate the alignment actuator to displace the at least one contact element towards the at least one electric conductor.

14. The system according to any of claims 11-13 as dependent on claim 4, wherein said lateral guiding means are further configured to co-act with the elongated slotted element to prevent movement of the tracking device away from the slotted element.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein to displace the at least one current collector away from the at least one electric conductor, the ECU is further configured to disengage the lateral guiding means.

16. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said position of the at least one electric conductor is stored in a database, and / or wherein the at least one electric conductor is provided with at least one position sensor, wherein said relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor is determined based on data from said database and / or information from the at least one position sensor.

17. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ECU is further configured to determine or receive a vehicle speed value from any one or more than one of a drivetrain controller, at least one wheel speed sensor, an inertial measurement unit, or from a positioning system or from a third-party server, wherein the ECU is configured to adapt the working distance, or a working distance parameter used to determine the working distance, based on the vehicle speed value.

18. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ECU is further configured to receive steering input from a vehicle steering sensor or steering control unit, wherein the ECU is configured to use the steering input to predict lateral deviation, and to, based on said lateral deviation, adapt the working distance and / or initiate a controlled disconnect and / or or change state.

19. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ECU is further configured to determine a rate of change of relative position between the vehicle and the at least one electric conductor and / or to determine a relative acceleration from successive relative position or velocity estimates, said position of velocity estimates being determined using a GNSS signal and / or an augmented GNSS signal, wherein the ECU is configured to adjust the working distance based on the magnitude of the rate of change and / or the magnitude of the relative acceleration.

20. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ECU is further configured to monitor the road surface using at least one vibration sensor, and wherein the ECU is configured to use vibration data obtained from the at least one vibration sensor to adapt the working distance and / or to declare a safe or unsafe connection state.

21. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the ECU is operatively connected to a forward-looking sensor, the ECU being configured to process data from the forward-looking sensor to identify road or track conditions, obstacles, or environmental hazards, wherein the ECU is configured to predict if continued connection is in a safe state or an unsafe state based on identified road or track conditions, obstacles, or environmental hazards.

22. A method for automatically connecting and disconnecting at least one current collector of an electrically powered vehicle with at least one electric conductor extending along a road section on which the electrically powered vehicle is adapted to travel, the at least one current collector comprising at least one contact element adapted to connect electrically with the at least one electric conductor, and at least one displaceable collector arm supporting the at least one contact element at its first end and being connected to the electrically powered vehicle at its second end, wherein the at least one current collector is configured to connect with the at least one electric conductor when the electrically powered vehicle is within a working distance from the at least one electric conductor, the method comprising: determining if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other, and if so, activating a connectable state; when the connectable state is active, and the at least one current collector and the at least one electric conductor are not in electric contact, displacing the at least one collector arm towards the at least one electric conductor such as to achieve electric contact between the at least one contact element and the at least one electric conductor, and thereafter activating a connected state.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising, when the connected state is active, monitoring a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the monitoring the relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using at least one geometrical parameter of the at least one collector arm and at least one present position of said at least one collector arm , wherein said at least one geometrical parameter comprises at least one of a length, a width, and a thickness of the at least one collector arm or a component of the at least one collector arm, wherein said at least one present position comprises at least one angular position and / or at least one elongation and / or at least one lateral and / or longitudinal position of the at least one collector arm or portion thereof.

25. The method according to any of claims 22-24, further comprising, when the connected state is active, determining if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor, and if so, displacing the at least one current collector away from the at least one electric conductor such as to disrupt electric contact therebetween, and disabling the connected state and the connectable state.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said determining if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor comprises determining if the relative position and the working distance are within a pre-determined interval from each other.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein said determining if the electrically powered vehicle is heading towards a position outside the working distance from the at least one electric conductor comprises determining, using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal, if the present position of the electrically powered vehicle is within a pre-determined interval from an end of the electric conductor which the at least one current collector is presently connected to.

28. The method according to any of claims 22-27, wherein said determining if the electrically powered vehicle and the at least one electric conductor are within said working distance from each other comprises determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor.

29. The method according to any of claims 22-28, wherein said displacing the at least one collector arm, for example by means of the at least one actuator, towards the at least oneelectric conductor such as to achieve electric contact therebetween comprises determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor, and displacing the collector arm to displace the at least one contact element towards the at least one electric conductor using said positions and / or relative position.

30. The method according to claim 28 or 29, wherein said determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using a GNSS signal such as a GPS signal and / or an augmented GNSS signal such as an augmented GPS signal.

31. The method according to claim 28 or 29, wherein said determining a position of the electrically powered vehicle and a position of the at least one electric conductor, and / or determining a relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor comprises using at least one of the following: a local positioning system, simultaneous localization and mapping, SLAM, using at least one sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle, time of flight communications, RFID or at least one visual recognition sensor arranged on the electrically powered vehicle.

32. The method according to any of claims 29-31, wherein said position of the at least one electric conductor is stored in a database, and / or wherein the at least one electric conductor is provided with at least one position sensor, wherein said relative position of the electrically powered vehicle to the at least one electric conductor is determined based on data from said database and / or information from the at least one position sensor.

33. The method according to any of claims 22-32, further comprising determining a vehicle speed, and adapting the working distance, or a working distance parameter used to determine the working distance, based on the vehicle speed.

34. The method according to any of claims 22-33, further comprising receiving steering input from a vehicle steering sensor or steering control unit, predicting a lateral deviation using the steering input, and, based on said lateral deviation, adapting the working distance and / or initiating a controlled disconnect and / or or changing a state.

35. The method according to any of claims 22-34, further comprising determining a rate of change of relative position between the vehicle and the at least one electric conductor and / or determining a relative acceleration from successive relative position or velocity estimates, and adjusting the working distance based on a magnitude of the rate of change and / or a magnitude of the relative acceleration.

36. The method according to any of claims 22-35, further comprising monitoring the road surface using at least one vibration sensor, and adapting the working distance and / or declaring a safe or unsafe connection state using obtained vibration data.

37. The method according to any of claims 22-36, further comprising identifying road or track conditions, obstacles, or environmental hazards using a forward-looking sensor, and predicting if continued connection is in a safe state or an unsafe state based on identified road or track conditions, obstacles, or environmental hazards.

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