Reconfigurable EV Charging Robots for Non-Blocking Parking Service
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current charging solutions for electric vehicles are impractical and economically unjustifiable due to the long time required for battery charging, the high cost of installing charging stations, and the inefficiency of existing mobile charging robots that interfere with traffic and occupy parking spaces for extended periods.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising manned or unmanned service vehicles equipped with charging robots that can rapidly identify and charge parked electric vehicles with minimal interference, using reconfigurable robots that deploy under the vehicle footprint and are retrieved efficiently, allowing for flexible deployment and retrieval without blocking traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If charging stations are installed in parking lots to charge EV batteries while parked, then EV users can charge their vehicles during parking time, but the infrastructure cost and maintenance expense become very high
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of bringing charging equipment to the EV (mobile charging robot), the patent inverts the approach by having the EV move to a centralized charging station. The charging station remains fixed while the vehicle is transported there, reversing the traditional mobile charging concept and achieving cost-effective charging without deploying expensive mobile units throughout the parking lot.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary automated vehicle transport system that shuttles EVs between parking locations and the charging station. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling charging access without requiring direct charging infrastructure at every parking spot, thus reducing overall infrastructure costs while maintaining charging convenience.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mobile charging robots are deployed to charge parked EVs, then charging service can be provided at various locations, but the robots block traffic and occupy parking spaces for extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the charging process from the parking area by transporting EVs to a dedicated charging station located outside the active parking and traffic zones. This separation removes the charging operation from the traffic flow, eliminating the blocking issue while maintaining location flexibility through the automated transport system that can serve multiple parking areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the space conflict by moving the charging operation to a different spatial dimension - from within the parking lot traffic area to a centralized station at the periphery. The automated transport system provides a dedicated charging dimension that doesn't interfere with the primary parking and traffic dimensions, allowing simultaneous operation without interference.
3Reliability
If EV batteries are charged using current technology, then the batteries can be recharged, but the charging time exceeds one hour which is impractical for quick turnover
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-charging battery packs at the centralized charging station before they are needed. The automated transport system delivers pre-charged batteries to waiting EVs, eliminating the need for long on-site charging. This advance preparation resolves the time contradiction by decoupling the charging duration from the vehicle service time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a battery swap system where depleted batteries are discarded from the EV and replaced with pre-charged batteries. The used batteries are recovered and recharged at the centralized station. This discarding and recovering approach eliminates long charging waits during vehicle service while maintaining reliable battery charging capability through continuous battery regeneration at the station.
Data Source
AI summary
A service vehicle for charging a parked electric vehicle, the service vehicle including: one or more charging robots disposed on the service vehicle, the one or more charging robots being configured to supply electrical energy to the parked electric vehicle to charge one or more batteries of the electric vehicle. Where the one or more charging robots are configured to have a first shape for storage on the service vehicle and to have a second shape when deployed from the service vehicle, the second shape being configured to charge the one or more batteries of the electric vehicle; and the second shape being different from the first shape. The charging robot including a source of electrical energy; and a charging cable for electrically connecting the source of electrical energy to the one or more batteries of the electric vehicle.