Autonomous Vehicle Parking Trajectory for Precise Charging Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous driving vehicles lack the capability to autonomously locate a charging pile, drive to it, park precisely, and charge themselves without human intervention.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves receiving battery level indications from sensors in autonomous driving vehicles, selecting a charging pile from a high-definition map based on cloud server information, generating and following trajectories to the charging pile, and using a two-stage parking approach to align for wireless charging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If autonomous driving vehicles use traditional parking methods, then human intervention is required for charging operations, but this reduces vehicle operation autonomy and increases driver burden

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle operation autonomyVSAvoiddriver burden
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle autonomously locates charging piles, plans parking trajectories, executes precise parking maneuvers, and manages charging operations without human intervention. The system independently performs all charging-related tasks from location selection to completion monitoring, enabling the vehicle to serve itself for charging needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-plans parking trajectories and selects optimal charging piles before execution. By提前 identifying charging locations and computing approach paths, the vehicle prepares all necessary navigation and parking parameters in advance, enabling seamless autonomous charging operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If the vehicle uses simple parking approaches, then the system is easier to implement, but parking precision at the charging pile is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparking precisionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The parking process is divided into distinct phases: approach trajectory planning, precise positioning, and charging alignment. Each phase uses specialized algorithms and sensors tailored to its specific requirements, enabling high precision through modular, phase-specific control strategies

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Traditional mechanical parking control is replaced with sensor-based perception systems and algorithmic trajectory planning. The system uses cameras, LIDAR, and GPS to perceive the environment and compute precise parking paths, substituting mechanical intuition with electronic sensing and computational control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Extent of automation

If the vehicle autonomously locates and parks at charging piles, then charging operation autonomy is improved, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging operation autonomyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The autonomous charging system integrates multiple functions into a unified framework: location services for finding charging piles, navigation for route planning, parking control for precise positioning, and charging management for operation monitoring. This multi-functional integration achieves comprehensive autonomy while sharing common hardware and software resources across functions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4045992B1A method of parking an autonomous driving vehicle for autonomous charging
Publication Date: 2025.02.12 BAIDU COM TIMES TECH (BEIJING) CO LTD
  • EP4045992B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4045992B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4045992B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

In one embodiment, an exemplary method of autonomously charging an autonomous driving vehicle includes receiving, from a sensor in an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), indication that a batter level of the ADV falls below a threshold; and selecting a charging pile from a plurality of charging piles on a high definition map based on information received from a cloud server. The method further includes generating a first trajectory based on a current location of the ADV and a location of the selected charging pile, the first trajectory connecting a first point representing the current location of the ADV to a second point at the selected charging pile, and including a first segment and a second segment. The method further includes driving forward along the first segment of the first trajectory, and driving backward along the second segment of the first trajectory when the ADV drives towards the selected charging pile along the first trajectory.