A system for charging one or more batteries of a vehicle may include a charging box mounted to a vehicle to facilitate connection to a charge coupler from under the vehicle. The charge coupler may be configured to provide an electrical connection between an electrical power source and the charging box. A vehicle including the charging box may maneuver to a position above the charge coupler, after which electrical contacts of the charging box and the charge coupler may be brought into contact with one another. The charge coupler and/or the charging box may be configured to provide electrical communication between the electrical power source and the one or more batteries, so that the electrical power source may charge one or more of the batteries. Thereafter, the electrical contacts may be separated from one another, and the vehicle may maneuver away from the charge coupler.

A system for charging one or more batteries of a vehicle may include a charging box mounted to a vehicle to facilitate connection to a charge coupler from under the vehicle. The charge coupler may be configured to provide an electrical connection between an electrical power source and the charging box. A vehicle including the charging box may maneuver to a position above the charge coupler, after which electrical contacts of the charging box and the charge coupler may be brought into contact with one another. The charge coupler and/or the charging box may be configured to provide electrical communication between the electrical power source and the one or more batteries, so that the electrical power source may charge one or more of the batteries. Thereafter, the electrical contacts may be separated from one another, and the vehicle may maneuver away from the charge coupler.

A method for positioning a vehicle, having an inductive charging coil, at a stationary inductive charging station. The method includes: recognizing an operating state of the vehicle, and/or a state of the environment of the vehicle, based on an acquired first camera image; ascertaining a suitable illumination signal for at least one illumination device of a reference element of the inductive charging station based on the recognized operating state or environmental state; emitting a control signal to the inductive charging station based on the ascertained suitable illumination signal; recognizing the reference element based on an acquired second camera image and of the ascertained suitable illumination signal; determining a relative position and/or an orientation of the vehicle based on the recognized reference element in the second camera image; and controlling the vehicle based on the determined relative position and/or of the orientation.

A method for controlling electrical power transmission to a vehicle is provided, the vehicle including a charging component receiving electrical charge current from individually controlled charge segments along a road for the vehicle, wherein the method includes the steps of receiving a signal indicative of a charge current mode for the charge segments along the road; determining if at least one charge segment ahead of the vehicle is provided in a disabled charge mode and currently not being able to provide an electrical charge current; calculating a time period until the vehicle arrives at the charge segment provided in the disabled charge mode; and shutting off the electrical power transmission to the vehicle within a predetermined time period of the calculated time period.

A method for controlling electrical power transmission to a vehicle is provided, the vehicle including a charging component receiving electrical charge current from individually controlled charge segments along a road for the vehicle, wherein the method includes the steps of receiving a signal indicative of a charge current mode for the charge segments along the road; determining if at least one charge segment ahead of the vehicle is provided in a disabled charge mode and currently not being able to provide an electrical charge current; calculating a time period until the vehicle arrives at the charge segment provided in the disabled charge mode; and shutting off the electrical power transmission to the vehicle within a predetermined time period of the calculated time period.

This disclosure provides systems, devices, apparatus and methods, including computer programs encoded on storage media, for wireless power transmission. In accordance with this disclosure, a wireless power transmission apparatus (such as a charging pad) may support positional freedom such that a wireless power receiving apparatus may be charged regardless of positioning or orientation of the wireless power receiving apparatus. Various implementations include the use of multiple primary coils in a wireless power transmission apparatus. In some implementations, a wireless power transmission apparatus having multiple local controllers to activate different primary coils. In some implementations, the wireless power transmission apparatus may support concurrent charging of multiple wireless power receiving apparatuses. Furthermore, in some implementations, the wireless power transmission apparatus may support charging of a wireless power receiving apparatus that moves in relation to the wireless power transmission apparatus.

An information processing apparatus controls a vehicle having a service power supply used to provide a service and a driving power supply used for traveling. The information processing apparatus has a storage unit configured to store service-related information concerning the service provided by the vehicle, and a controller configured to select any of a first mode, in which the service power supply and the driving power supply are independently used, and a second mode, in which the service power supply and the driving power supply are shared, based on the service-related information.

The disclosure relates to a method for determining position information of a motor vehicle, which has an inductive charging device with at least one charging coil, which is in particular situated in the region of the bottom of the vehicle, and a measurement means which is assigned to the charging coil to measure a magnetic field, the method having the following steps: magnetizing, by supplying current to the charging coil, at least one magnetic structure which is situated in or on a surface on which the motor vehicle drives, wherein the structure and further structures are stored together with a position indication for the respective structure in a digital map; measuring, using the measurement means, measurement data which describe the magnetic behavior of the structure; identifying the structure by evaluating the measurement data; and determining the position information depending on position indication assigned to the identified structure.

The disclosure relates to a method for determining position information of a motor vehicle, which has an inductive charging device with at least one charging coil, which is in particular situated in the region of the bottom of the vehicle, and a measurement means which is assigned to the charging coil to measure a magnetic field, the method having the following steps: magnetizing, by supplying current to the charging coil, at least one magnetic structure which is situated in or on a surface on which the motor vehicle drives, wherein the structure and further structures are stored together with a position indication for the respective structure in a digital map; measuring, using the measurement means, measurement data which describe the magnetic behavior of the structure; identifying the structure by evaluating the measurement data; and determining the position information depending on position indication assigned to the identified structure.

A non-contact power feeding device includes multiple power feeding elements that are disposed spatially separated from one another in a movement direction, an AC power supply that supplies AC power to the power feeding elements, multiple power receiving elements that are provided in a moving body and that receive AC power in a non-contact manner, and a power receiving circuit that converts the AC power received by the power receiving elements and that outputs to an electrical load. When a length of the power feeding elements in the movement direction is LT, a separation distance between the power feeding elements is DT, a length of the power receiving elements in the movement direction is LR, and a separation distance between the power receiving elements is DR, the relationship DT≤DR and the relationship (2×LR+DR)≤LT are satisfied.