Method for the automated enablement of energy transmission by means of an inductive energy transmission device for a motor vehicle, and an inductive energy transmission device
A multi-stage hysteresis process in inductive charging systems addresses positioning robustness by dividing the charging area into multiple zones, preventing interruptions and enhancing stability during energy transfer.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BRUSA ELEKTRONIK AG
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-18
AI Technical Summary
Inductive charging systems experience robustness issues due to unintentional vehicle movements during charging, leading to interruptions and 'toggling' phenomena, particularly when positioning near the boundaries of the defined area.
Implementing a multi-stage hysteresis process by dividing the charging release area into multiple position areas and monitoring the relative position before and after parking, ensuring robust energy transfer by activating charging only when specific conditions are met.
Prevents unwanted switching of the charging process, enhancing robustness against minor vehicle movements and ensuring stable energy transfer.
Smart Images
Figure EP2025084482_18062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Method for automated release of energy transfer by means of an inductive energy transfer device for a motor vehicle and an inductive energy transfer device
[0002] The invention relates to a method for the automated release of energy transfer by means of an inductive energy transfer device for a motor vehicle, comprising a stationary ground module and a vehicle module, wherein a relative position between the ground module and the vehicle module is determined and a charging release area for energy transfer is defined, such that charging is activated when the relative position of the vehicle is parked within the release area. The invention further relates to an inductive energy transfer device for an electric vehicle.
[0003] Inductive vehicle charging systems are generally used for inductively charging an energy storage device in an electric vehicle. In one operating mode, a magnetic field is generated by a first coil in a floor module, which induces a current in a second coil in an adjacent vehicle module. This current is then used to charge the vehicle's electrical energy storage device. In a second operating mode, the vehicle charging system can also transfer electrical energy stored in the vehicle's energy storage device to the floor module, for example, to power electrically connected devices or even to feed the energy into the power grid.
[0004] The ground module is typically fixed to the ground. The vehicle module is typically mounted on the underbody of a vehicle. The vehicle module must be positioned largely above the ground module to ensure efficient energy transfer. Relevant standards and norms (IEC 61980) for automated charging systems specify a defined positioning range between the vehicle module and the ground module. Positioning systems are typically based on an ultrawideband (UWB) system or a differential-integral positioning (DIPS) system.
[0005] Positioning the vehicle near the boundaries of the positioning area, both for enabling and aborting charging, results in a less robust charging process in the field. An automated inductive charging system therefore requires the vehicle to be positioned within the positioning area, and positioning at the edge of this area can lead to a lack of robustness in the charging process. In particular, an unintentional, minor movement of the vehicle, for example during loading or unloading, can cause the energy transfer process to be interrupted, or a so-called "toggling" phenomenon can occur, i.e., a repeated switching between energy transfer and abort.
[0006] The object of the invention is to avoid such effects and to ensure robust energy transfer.
[0007] The invention is based on the idea that a multi-stage hysteresis in the positioning process of automated charging increases the robustness of the charging process, prevents charging interruptions in the event of expected relative movements, and avoids user interaction during the charging process.
[0008] The invention is defined by the features of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments and embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims. Further features, applications, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the explanation of exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the figures.
[0009] The task is solved by dividing the charging release area into an inner first position area and a second position area surrounding it; a third position area is defined adjacent to and surrounding the charging release area; the relative position is monitored before reaching the parking position and after reaching the parking position:
[0010] - a charging authorization is activated when the parking position is within the first position range,
[0011] - furthermore, charging is activated if the parking position is within the second position area and the relative position has crossed the first position area before reaching the parking position;
[0012] - the charging authorization remains activated when the parking position is changed, if the new parking position is within the second or third position area,
[0013] - Charging is enabled when the parking position changes if the new parking position is outside the third position range. In the context of this invention, charging is understood to mean that energy transfer between the ground module and the vehicle module is possible, but only occurs when energy transfer is activated by a separate control command. Activating charging is therefore not equivalent to actual energy transfer. However, deactivating charging necessarily terminates energy transfer.
[0014] The activation of the actual energy transfer can be manual or automated. In one application, the energy transfer process can begin immediately when charging is enabled according to the inventive method, or communication can be initiated with the vehicle driver requesting whether the energy transfer should take place immediately or at a later time. Since energy costs (EUR / kWh) can vary depending on the time of day, it can be advantageous to carry out the energy transfer at a time when energy costs are relatively low. Similarly, if electrical energy is to be drawn from the energy storage system and fed into the connected power grid, this should ideally occur at a time when the feed-in tariff is as high as possible.
[0015] By using multi-stage hysteresis for charging activation, a more robust energy transfer is ensured, preventing unwanted on / off switching of the energy transfer. In particular, it reliably prevents so-called "toggling," i.e., repeated, rapid switching on and off of the charging process. Furthermore, it leads to increased robustness in the event of small relative movements of the vehicle expected during the charging process.
[0016] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, if the parked position changes after an activated charging release, an initiated energy transfer, and a subsequent controlled termination of the energy transfer, a new charging release occurs only if the new parked position lies within one of the three position ranges. The controlled termination of the energy transfer can be described as the initiation of a sleep phase, during which an energy transfer would be permissible but does not occur for other reasons (e.g., postponing a charging process to a more economically advantageous time). This embodiment increases the robustness of the charging process, particularly with regard to measurement deviations due to measurement tolerances after a sleep phase.According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, after resuming energy transmission following a controlled termination of energy transmission, the energy transmission is terminated when the third position range is left.
[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a fourth position area enclosing the third position area is defined, wherein, after resumption of energy transmission following a controlled termination of energy transmission, the energy transmission is terminated when the fourth position area is left.
[0018] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the position areas are rectangular, polygonal, round, or oval. According to the IEC 61980 standard, the charging enable area is rectangular, so the position areas are preferably also rectangular. However, if the coils have a different shape, correspondingly different shapes for the position areas are also possible within the scope of the invention.
[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second positioning area has a width of 5 to 25 mm, preferably 10 to 20 mm. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the third positioning area has a width of 5 to 25 mm, preferably 10 to 20 mm. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fourth positioning area has a width of 5 to 25 mm, preferably 5 to 10 mm.
[0020] Another aspect of the invention relates to an inductive energy transfer device for an electric vehicle for carrying out the method described above, comprising a vehicle module, a unit for continuously detecting the relative position between the vehicle module and a ground module, a control unit in which the position ranges are stored, and a switching unit for activating and deactivating the energy transfer.
[0021] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, in which at least one embodiment is described in detail with reference to the drawings. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are identified by the same reference numerals.
[0022] They show:
[0023] Figure 1: a schematic representation of a motor vehicle with an inductive power transfer device;
[0024] Figure 2: a representation of the position ranges according to the invention;
[0025] Figure 3: a schematic representation of hysteresis during activation of the
[0026] Charging enabled;
[0027] Figure 4: a schematic representation of hysteresis during deactivation of the
[0028] Charging enabled;
[0029] Figure 5: a schematic representation of the first and second position areas with various exemplary parking positions;
[0030] Figure 6: a schematic representation of the release area and the third
[0031] Positioning area with various exemplary parking positions;
[0032] Figure 7: a schematic representation of the release area, the third and fourth position areas with various exemplary parking positions.
[0033] Figure 1 schematically depicts an electrically powered motor vehicle 10, which includes an inductive energy transfer device 11 and a vehicle module 12 that can be inductively coupled to a ground module 16 arranged on a ground 14. For this purpose, the vehicle module 12 and the ground module 16 each have coils to transfer electrical energy by means of inductive coupling either from the ground module 16 via the vehicle module 12 to a vehicle-side energy storage device 18 (preferably a battery) or vice versa. The ground module 16 is connected to a local or regional power supply network via cables (not shown). A sensor arrangement 20, shown only schematically, is provided to detect the relative position between the vehicle module 12 and the ground module 16. The sensor arrangement 20 is typically an ultrawideband (UWB) or a differential-integral positioning system (DIPS) sensor device.The sensor arrangement 20 is connected to a control unit 22 in which the position ranges according to the invention are stored. If the sensor arrangement 20 detects that the motor vehicle 10 is in a position relative to the floor module 16 that corresponds to individual criteria of the invention, the control unit 22 activates a charging enable. This means that if the control unit 22 receives the instruction via external communication that energy transfer should take place and at the same time it is determined that the vehicle is stationary and the enable criteria according to the invention are met, the control unit 22 controls a switching unit 24, which enables energy transfer from the floor module 16 to the energy storage device 18 or vice versa.
[0034] Figure 2 shows the position ranges according to the invention in addition to the conventional charging enable area 26. The charging enable area 26 corresponds to the area according to relevant standards, such as IEC 61980, within which the ground module 16 must be arranged relative to the vehicle module 12 to allow energy transfer in one direction or the other. This currently involves a displacement of + / - 75 mm in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and + / - 100 mm in the transverse direction of the vehicle relative to a zero point 28 for ideal alignment between the coils of modules 12 and 16.
[0035] According to the invention, the charging release area 26 is divided into an inner, first position area 30 and a contrasting outer, second position area 32, which are separated from each other by a first boundary 34 (shown with dotted lines). In the illustrated embodiment with a rectangular charging release area 26, the first position area 30 is also rectangular, while the second position area 32 forms a closed frame area enclosing the first position area 30. Outside the release area 26, a third, frame-like position area 36 is defined, and outside this, a fourth, rectangular, frame-like position area 38 is defined, which is separated internally by a second boundary 39 (shown with dashed lines) and externally by a third boundary 40.
[0036] When the motor vehicle 10 has assumed a parking position, the relative position between ground module 16 and vehicle module 12 is represented as a point in the XY coordinate system according to Figure 2, and the consequences for the charging release depend on where or in which of the position areas 30, 32, 36, 38 the parking position is located.
[0037] Figure 3 schematically illustrates how the hysteresis occurs when charging is enabled. The horizontal axis shows the distance of the parking position from the zero point 28, both in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X-direction) and in the vehicle's transverse direction (Y-direction), as this is a schematic representation and the principle applies equally to both directions. The vertical axis shows whether charging is enabled (1) or not (0).
[0038] If the vehicle 10 stops at a parking position P1 outside the charging release area 26 upon first entering it (movement along the solid line), charging will not be released. Similarly, charging will not be released at parking position P2, which is within the standardized release area 26 but outside the boundary line 34, i.e., in the second position area 32. However, charging will be released at parking position P3, which is within the first position area 30.
[0039] However, if the vehicle 10 was moved through the first position area 30 before reaching parking position P2, then charging will still be enabled at parking position P2, but not at parking position P1.
[0040] Figure 4 schematically illustrates how hysteresis occurs when charging is enabled. The horizontal axis shows the distance of the parking position from the zero point 28, both in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X-direction) and in the vehicle's transverse direction (Y-direction), as this is a schematic representation and the principle applies equally to both directions. The vertical axis shows whether charging is enabled (1) or not (0).
[0041] If, according to Fig. 3, the charging release has been activated (point P3 and possibly P2) and the vehicle has moved and, according to Fig. 4, is located at point P4, which lies in the third position area 36 and thus outside the normalized release area 26, the charging release remains activated.
[0042] If the parking position is at point P5 in the fourth position area 38, the charging authorization remains active only if the inductive charging system 11 was previously in a so-called sleep phase, i.e., energy transfer was prevented due to external intervention despite the activated charging authorization.
[0043] With reference to Figure 5, the activation of the charging release is further explained. Assume that the vehicle 10 enters the effective area of the ground module 16 in such a way that it comes to a standstill at the parking position [A]. This position lies within the second position area 32, which, although within the standardized release area 26, nevertheless does not activate the charging release according to the invention.
[0044] If, however, vehicle 10 parks at parking position (B) which is located in the first position area 30, the charging authorization is activated.
[0045] If the vehicle 10 parks at parking position (C), which, like parking position [A], is within the second position area 32, but has previously crossed the first position area 30, the charging release is still activated, even though the vehicle is in the same second coupling area 32 as parking position [A]. If the vehicle 10 parks at parking position [D], the charging release is not activated, since parking position [D] is outside the standardized release area 26.
[0046] If the vehicle 10 is parked at parking position [E], i.e. within the second position area 32, but has previously crossed the standardized charging release area 26, i.e., has driven backwards a bit, then the charging release is not activated.
[0047] If the vehicle 10 is parked at parking position (F), i.e. within the first position area 30, the charging authorization is activated regardless of the direction of entry.
[0048] If the vehicle 10 parks at parking position (G), i.e. within the second position area 32, after having previously crossed the first position area 30, the charging authorization is activated analogously to parking position (C).
[0049] With reference to Figure 6, the deactivation of charging authorization (charging abort) is further explained.
[0050] Suppose the vehicle 10 was positioned in the parking position (B) within the standardized release area 26, so that the charging release was activated. Due to a slight relative movement, which could be caused, for example, by loading or unloading the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 is now in the parking position (A), which is also within the standardized release area 26, so that the charging release remains activated. It is also possible that the parking position of the vehicle 10 does not change at all, but an inaccuracy in the sensor arrangement 20 or in the measurement results (e.g., due to temperature drift) suggests a slight change in the parking position. According to the invention, these are treated in the same way as actual movements of the vehicle 10.
[0051] If the vehicle has moved 10 to the parking position (H) which lies within the third position area 36, the charging authorization remains activated.
[0052] However, if vehicle 10 has moved to parking position [K], which is outside the third position area 36, charging will be deactivated. If vehicle 10 has moved from parking position (C), for example by rolling away, to parking position [N], which is outside the third position area 36, charging will be deactivated.
[0053] Assuming that vehicle 10 was positioned at parking position (C) within the standardized release area 26 and has moved to parking position (L) within the third position area 36, the charging release remains activated.
[0054] If, however, the vehicle 10 has moved from parking position (C) to the parking position [N] which is outside the third position area 36, the charging authorization is deactivated.
[0055] If the vehicle 10 has moved from parking position (C) to the parking position (K) that lies outside the third position area 36, the charging authorization is deactivated.
[0056] With reference to Figure 7, the deactivation of charging authorization after a so-called sleep phase is further explained. A charging pause or sleep phase, in which energy transfer is interrupted by external signals despite activated charging authorization, can occur, for example, if the energy storage unit 18 is to be charged by means of its own photovoltaic system and this system does not supply sufficient energy at times.
[0057] During the charging break, relative movements such as loading and unloading of the vehicle may occur, or temperature fluctuations may affect the tolerance chain (of the sensor arrangement 20).
[0058] Assume that vehicle 10 was positioned at parking position (B) within the standardized release area 26 when the energy transfer was interrupted. If the vehicle subsequently moved to parking position (J), which is outside the third position area 36 but within the fourth position area 38, the charging release remains activated.
[0059] However, if the vehicle moves to the parking position [P] during the charging break, which is outside the fourth position area 38, the charging authorization is deactivated.
[0060] The behavior corresponds to that shown in Figure 7 if the vehicle did not move during the charging pause, but after the charging pause has ended, i.e. after the start of the renewed energy transfer, moves by slight movements towards positions (J), [P] or [K], with the difference that the energy transfer is terminated.
[0061] Although the invention has been further illustrated and explained in detail by means of preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived from them by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exist. It is also clear that the embodiments mentioned as examples are truly only examples and are not to be understood in any way as limiting, for example, the scope of protection, the possible applications, or the configuration of the invention.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without leaving the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description.
[0062] Reference symbol list
[0063] 10 motor vehicle
[0064] 11 inductive energy transfer device
[0065] 12 Vehicle module
[0066] 14 Floor
[0067] 16 floor module
[0068] 18 Energy storage
[0069] 20 Sensor arrangement
[0070] 22 Control unit
[0071] 24 switching unit
[0072] 26 Release area
[0073] 28 Zero point
[0074] 30 1. Position area
[0075] 32 2nd position area
[0076] 34 1. Limitation
[0077] 36 3. Position area
[0078] 38 4. Position area
[0079] 39 2. Limitation
[0080] 40 3. Limitation
Claims
Patent claims 1. A method for the automated release of energy transfer by means of an inductive energy transfer device (11) for a motor vehicle (10), which comprises a stationary ground module (16) and a vehicle module (12), wherein a relative position between the ground module (16) and the vehicle module (12) is determined and a charging release area (26) for energy transfer is defined, such that charging is activated when the relative position at a parking position (B) of the vehicle (10) lies within the release area (26), characterized in that the charging release area (26) is subdivided into an inner first position area (30) and a second position area (32) enclosing it; and a third position area (36) enclosing it is defined adjacent to and outside the release area (26).where the relative position is monitored before reaching the parking position and after reaching the parking position: a charging release is activated if the parking position is within the first position range (30); - furthermore, charging is enabled if the parking position is within the second position area (32) and the relative position has crossed the first position area (30) before reaching the parking position; charging remains enabled when the parking position changes if the new parking position is within the second position area (32) or the third position area (36); charging is disabled when the parking position changes if the new parking position is outside the third position area (36).
2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that if, after an activated charging release, a commenced energy transfer and a subsequent controlled termination of the energy transfer, the parking position has changed, a renewed energy transfer only takes place if the new parking position is within one of the three position ranges (30, 32, 36).
3. Method according to claim 2, wherein, after resumption of energy transmission following a controlled termination of energy transmission, the renewed energy transmission is aborted when the third position area (36) is left.
4. Method according to claim 2, characterized by a fourth position area (38) enclosing the third position area (36) outside of it, wherein a resumption of energy transfer after a controlled termination of energy transfer only takes place if the new parking position is within one of the four position areas (30, 32, 36, 38).
5. Method according to claim 2, characterized by a fourth position area (38) enclosing the third position area (36) outside of the third position area (36), wherein, after resumption of energy transmission following a controlled termination of energy transmission, the energy transmission is terminated when the fourth position area (38) is left.
6. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the position areas (30, 32, 36, 38) are rectangular, polygonal, round or oval.
7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second positioning area (32) has a width of 1 to 25 mm, preferably 10 to 20 mm, with respect to the first positioning area (30).
8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the third positioning area (36) has a width of 1 to 25 mm, preferably 10 to 20 mm, with respect to the second positioning area (32).
9. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the fourth positioning area (38) has a width of 1 to 25 mm, preferably 0 to 10 mm, with respect to the third positioning area (36).
10. Inductive energy transfer device (11) for an electrically powered motor vehicle (10) for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a vehicle module (12), a floor module (16), a sensor unit (20) for continuously detecting the relative position between the vehicle module and the floor module (16), a control unit (22) in which the position ranges (30, 32, 36, 38) are stored, and a switching unit (24) for activating and deactivating the energy transfer.