A visual positioning method and system for a battery replacement device. The method comprises: controlling a battery replacement device to move below a battery accommodating portion at the bottom of an electric vehicle; photographing, by means of a photographing apparatus, a first target photographing region at a first focal length so as to obtain a positioning determination photograph; controlling the photographing apparatus to adjust the first focal length to a second focal length; and photographing, by means of the photographing apparatus, a second target photographing region at the second focal length so as to obtain a lock-state determination photograph. By means of the photographed photographs at different focal lengths, automatic adjustment of positioning, locking and unlocking is realized, not only achieving efficient and accurate determination of positioning, locking and unlocking of the battery replacement device, but also enabling the battery replacement device to achieve integral and efficient adjustment.

A visual positioning method and system for a battery replacement device. The method comprises: controlling a battery replacement device to move below a battery accommodating portion at the bottom of an electric vehicle; photographing, by means of a photographing apparatus, a first target photographing region at a first focal length so as to obtain a positioning determination photograph; controlling the photographing apparatus to adjust the first focal length to a second focal length; and photographing, by means of the photographing apparatus, a second target photographing region at the second focal length so as to obtain a lock-state determination photograph. By means of the photographed photographs at different focal lengths, automatic adjustment of positioning, locking and unlocking is realized, not only achieving efficient and accurate determination of positioning, locking and unlocking of the battery replacement device, but also enabling the battery replacement device to achieve integral and efficient adjustment.

A method for establishing an electrical connection of a vehicle contact unit of a vehicle which is at least in part electrically powered, to a ground contact unit of an electric charging infrastructure is provided. The ground contact unit has a plurality of electrical contact surfaces, at least two of which have to be contacted by the vehicle contact unit for charging the vehicle battery. The method includes the step of detecting, with the aid of at least one camera on the vehicle, at least one of the electrical contact surfaces and/or at least one insulation surface surrounding the electrical contact surfaces, for establishing an electrical connection. Further provided are a vehicle connection device for electrically connecting a vehicle contact unit of a vehicle which is at least in part electrically powered, to a ground contact unit of an electric charging infrastructure, and a vehicle having a vehicle connection device.

A method for establishing an electrical connection of a vehicle contact unit of a vehicle which is at least in part electrically powered, to a ground contact unit of an electric charging infrastructure is provided. The ground contact unit has a plurality of electrical contact surfaces, at least two of which have to be contacted by the vehicle contact unit for charging the vehicle battery. The method includes the step of detecting, with the aid of at least one camera on the vehicle, at least one of the electrical contact surfaces and/or at least one insulation surface surrounding the electrical contact surfaces, for establishing an electrical connection. Further provided are a vehicle connection device for electrically connecting a vehicle contact unit of a vehicle which is at least in part electrically powered, to a ground contact unit of an electric charging infrastructure, and a vehicle having a vehicle connection device.

The present disclosure provides a method of detecting a position of a vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) using a camera to determine whether the EV may be parked or located in a proper position. The vehicle position detection method, which may be performed by a device comprising a processor, includes: acquiring an original image of a vehicle from a camera; converting the original image into a bird's eye view image; detecting a bounding box associated with of the vehicle in the bird's eye view image by using the original image and the bird's eye view image; projecting the bird's-eye view image including the bounding box into a plane parallel with a ground to generate a projection image; and estimating a distance to the vehicle from a predetermined reference point or an orientation of the vehicle with respect to a predetermined reference line.

The present disclosure provides a method of detecting a position of a vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) using a camera to determine whether the EV may be parked or located in a proper position. The vehicle position detection method, which may be performed by a device comprising a processor, includes: acquiring an original image of a vehicle from a camera; converting the original image into a bird's eye view image; detecting a bounding box associated with of the vehicle in the bird's eye view image by using the original image and the bird's eye view image; projecting the bird's-eye view image including the bounding box into a plane parallel with a ground to generate a projection image; and estimating a distance to the vehicle from a predetermined reference point or an orientation of the vehicle with respect to a predetermined reference line.

The present invention relates to an autonomous charging system with a charging robot configured with a novel telescopic charging arm having a charging plug coupled thereto to charge an electric vehicle. When charging is completed, the plug of the charging robot decoupled itself from the electric vehicle and moves away from the electric vehicle. The system includes an end-user device, a server-based computing system, a pair of screens, and a charging robot. The charging robot is adapted to charge an electric vehicle (EV) parked at the charging location. The charging robot includes a chassis, a plurality of wheels, a prime mover coupled to a wheel shaft, a power source, at least one telescopic charging arm, a plurality of sensors, a data transmitting and receiving module, and a processor. The processor includes a navigation module, a data storage module, an arm-controlling module, a status monitoring module.

The present invention relates to an autonomous charging system with a charging robot configured with a novel telescopic charging arm having a charging plug coupled thereto to charge an electric vehicle. When charging is completed, the plug of the charging robot decoupled itself from the electric vehicle and moves away from the electric vehicle. The system includes an end-user device, a server-based computing system, a pair of screens, and a charging robot. The charging robot is adapted to charge an electric vehicle (EV) parked at the charging location. The charging robot includes a chassis, a plurality of wheels, a prime mover coupled to a wheel shaft, a power source, at least one telescopic charging arm, a plurality of sensors, a data transmitting and receiving module, and a processor. The processor includes a navigation module, a data storage module, an arm-controlling module, a status monitoring module.

Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to charging a battery of an electric vehicle while the electric vehicle is hovering. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to determining that an electric vehicle does not include a receiver pad, inserting the receiver pad into the electric vehicle that is hovering in the air at a charging station. The method includes determining a space above a transmitter pad for the electric vehicle to hover based, at least in part, on a location and a size of the transmitter pad. The method includes charging a battery to a threshold value through the receiver pad.

A power supply device supplies power from a power transmission coil to a power reception coil of a vehicle in a non-contact manner. The power supply device has a communication unit that receives a startup signal for activating the power supply device. A notification unit notifies a state of the power supply device. A controller controls the notification unit based on a detection result of a detection unit. The detection unit detects a non-contact power supply possible state, in which power can be supplied from the power transmission coil in a non-contact manner. The controller sets a notification state of the notification unit to a first notification state, when the non-contact power supply possible state is detected, and sets the notification state of the notification unit to a state that is different from the first notification state, when the non-contact power supply possible state is not detected.