Battery Swap Platform Occupancy Detection for Self-Service Vehicle Flow

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing battery swap stations face inefficiencies due to long waiting times for vehicles during peak usage periods, and manual management is labor-intensive and not suitable for unattended self-service scenarios, affecting user experience and operational reliability.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that uses image collection devices and detection algorithms to monitor vehicle presence on the swap platform, enabling automated management operations such as instructing vehicles to leave, tracking occupancy, and triggering remote maintenance, thereby implementing a closed-loop self-service system through communication with the cloud.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If manual management is used to determine vehicle presence and departure at battery swap station, then operational control can be maintained, but labor cost increases and unattended self-service cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation of vehicle managementVSAvoidlabor cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical inspection with an image recognition system comprising cameras, image processing units, and algorithms that automatically detect vehicle presence and departure states, enabling full automation of vehicle management operations

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables the battery swap station to autonomously monitor and manage vehicles through automated image capture, processing, and state determination, allowing the station to serve itself without human intervention for vehicle presence detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If battery swap station serves more vehicles simultaneously, then service capacity increases, but vehicle waiting time increases during peak periods

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice capacityVSAvoidvehicle waiting time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements real-time feedback through continuous image monitoring that immediately detects when the service platform becomes vacant, triggering automatic notification to the queue management system to dispatch the next waiting vehicle, thereby minimizing idle time and optimizing service throughput

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection of vehicle departure by analyzing image sequences before the vehicle fully leaves the platform, allowing advance preparation for the next service operation and reducing overall waiting time in the queue

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4245597A1Method and computer system for managing vehicle to be battery swapped and medium
Publication Date: 2023.09.20 NIO TECH ANHUI CO LTD
  • EP4245597A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4245597A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4245597A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosure relates to a method for managing a vehicle to be battery swapped, a computer system for implementing the method, and a computer storage medium. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method for managing a vehicle to be battery swapped includes the following steps: after a battery swapping operation for a current service vehicle on a battery swap platform is finished for a first time period, detecting whether the current service vehicle is on the battery swap platform; enabling a first management operation in response to detecting that the current service vehicle is on the battery swap platform; after the first management operation is finished for a second time period, detecting whether the current service vehicle is on the battery swap platform; and in response to detecting that the current service vehicle is on the battery swap platform, enabling a second management operation corresponding to the first management operation.