One embodiment includes an electrical tanker aircraft for in-flight recharging a worker aircraft, comprising: a charge source; an umbilical to engage an in-flight charge recipient aircraft; and control logic to determine that the umbilical has engaged the charge recipient aircraft, and to transfer charge until a termination condition is met.

One embodiment includes an electrical tanker aircraft for in-flight recharging a worker aircraft, comprising: a charge source; an umbilical to engage an in-flight charge recipient aircraft; and control logic to determine that the umbilical has engaged the charge recipient aircraft, and to transfer charge until a termination condition is met.

This application relates to a vehicle battery swapping method. The method includes: connecting a positioning line of a battery swapping van to a predetermined reference point of a battery-to-be-swapped vehicle; obtaining a distance between a coordinate origin of a hoister of the battery swapping van and the reference point of the battery-to-be-swapped vehicle, and angles of the positioning line with respect to a travel direction, a longitudinal direction, and a vertical direction, respectively, of the battery-to-be-swapped vehicle; and determining, based on the obtained distance and angles, a moving track of an end effector of the hoister. This application further relates to a battery swapping van configured to swap a vehicle battery, an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium.

A power supply system includes a plurality of charging stations accommodatable under a ground surface. The power supply system comprises a determination unit that determines a power supply facility available for supplying power to a target vehicle, and a transmission unit that transmits, to the target vehicle, guidance information for guiding the target vehicle to the determined charging station by automatic driving. The target vehicle is guided to the available charging station by automatic driving. The user can reach the available charging station without searching for it.

A power supply system includes a plurality of charging stations accommodatable under a ground surface. The power supply system comprises a determination unit that determines a power supply facility available for supplying power to a target vehicle, and a transmission unit that transmits, to the target vehicle, guidance information for guiding the target vehicle to the determined charging station by automatic driving. The target vehicle is guided to the available charging station by automatic driving. The user can reach the available charging station without searching for it.

In one embodiment, a system includes one or more processors and one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media include instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to perform operations including receiving service-facility data associated with a service facility that includes one or more service regions for servicing autonomous vehicles. Each of the one or more service regions is configured to charge an autonomous vehicle. The service facility data includes location information indicating a location of each of the one or more service regions; and availability information indicating an availability of each of the one or more service regions. The operations also include receiving vehicle data associated with a number of autonomous vehicles. The vehicle data includes a charge level of a respective autonomous vehicle.

An apparatus and method of determining relative position of a ground coil and a vehicle coil, enabling an electric vehicle to be guided to a position at which energy is transferable between the ground and vehicle coils. Position signaling devices are mountable relative to the ground and vehicle coils. At least one signaling device is associated with one of the coils and two or more signaling devices are associated with the other of the coils. Each signaling device is able to transmit or receive, or transmit and receive positioning signals for or from other ones of the signaling devices. The positioning signals are processed to obtain time-related information. The time-related information is obtained using at least two positioning protocols from a set of protocols. This enables determination of distances between the signaling devices and thus the relative position of the ground and vehicle coils.

An apparatus and method of determining relative position of a ground coil and a vehicle coil, enabling an electric vehicle to be guided to a position at which energy is transferable between the ground and vehicle coils. Position signaling devices are mountable relative to the ground and vehicle coils. At least one signaling device is associated with one of the coils and two or more signaling devices are associated with the other of the coils. Each signaling device is able to transmit or receive, or transmit and receive positioning signals for or from other ones of the signaling devices. The positioning signals are processed to obtain time-related information. The time-related information is obtained using at least two positioning protocols from a set of protocols. This enables determination of distances between the signaling devices and thus the relative position of the ground and vehicle coils.

A parking assist apparatus includes: a wireless communication device capable of wireless communication to and from a wireless power supply device; a power receiving unit which receives transmission of power from a power transmission unit in a non-contact manner; and a vehicle control ECU which acquires information indicating a manufacturer of the wireless power supply device from the wireless power supply device by the wireless communication, identifies a position of the power transmission unit from feature information corresponding to the manufacturer indicated by the acquired information and an image of a periphery of a vehicle, sets a position of a target parking area so that a position of the power receiving unit matches the position of the power transmission unit, and automatically moves the vehicle to the set target parking area.

Systems and methods for a computer-based process that optimizes vehicle fleet charging systems. Failed chargers are detected and optimal paths are determined between these failed chargers and available chargers. Upon determining the optimal path, instructions to route the vehicle from the failed chargers to available chargers via these shortest paths are then communicated.