METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING A CONTACTLESS CHARGING/DISCHARGING PROCESS OF A BATTERY-OPERATED OBJECT, IN PARTICULAR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for protecting a contactless charging/discharging process of a battery-operated object (4), in particular an electric vehicle, wherein the object (4) is charged or discharged by means of inductive energy transmission between a first coil (8) of a charging/discharging station (6) and a second coil (10) of the object (4), wherein a protection area (18, 20) in the surroundings of the charging/discharging station (6) is defined, a detection range (22, 24) of monitoring sensors (16) or an evaluation range of the detection range (22, 24) of monitoring sensors (16) is adjusted to the protection area (18, 20), and the presence of metal and/or persons in the detection range (22, 24) or evaluation range of the monitoring sensors (16) is monitored during a charging/discharging process of the object (4). A computer program and a system (2) which are set up to carry out the method are also stated.

Claims

1. A method for protecting a contactless charging/discharging process of a battery-operated object (4), wherein the battery-operated object (4) is charged or discharged via inductive energy transmission between a first coil (8) of a charging/discharging station (6) and a second coil (10) of the battery-operated object (4), including the steps: defining a protection area (18, 20) in the surroundings of the charging/discharging station (6) on the basis of input information, setting a detection range (22, 24) of monitoring sensors (16) or an evaluation range of the detection range (22, 24) of monitoring sensors (16) for the protection area (18, 20) and monitoring the presence of metal and/or persons in the detection range (22, 24) or evaluation range of the monitoring sensors (16) during a charging/discharging process of the battery-operated object (4).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protection area (18, 20) is defined during the charging/discharging process on the basis of an ascertained charging/discharging performance, and ascertained coupling quality of the first and second coils (8, 10), an ascertained distance of the battery-operated object (4) from the charging/discharging station (6), and the size of an air gap (12) between the battery-operated object (4) and the charging/discharging station (6), and on the basis of the measurement of a magnetic flux density in the charging/discharging station (6).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protection area (18, 20) is defined on the basis of properties of the battery-operated object (4).

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protection area (18, 20) is settable in discrete steps.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the detection range (22, 24) of the monitoring sensors (16) is set by adjusting a transmission power of the monitoring sensors (16).

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that interferences are taken into account as a further input parameter in the adjustment of the transmission power of the monitoring sensors (16).

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, if the presence of metal and/or persons is detected in the detection range (22, 24) or evaluation range of the monitoring sensors (16), a reaction takes place, in the form of a shutoff of the charging/discharging process, a temporary or conditional interruption of the charging/discharging process, a reduction of the charging/discharging performance of the charging/discharging process, an output of a corresponding output signal which can be further processed by further control units, and/or an output of a visual or acoustic warning signal.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer program for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, when the computer program is run on a programmable computer device.

9. A system (2) comprising a charging/discharging station (6), a battery-operated object (4), wherein the charging/discharging station (6) and the battery-operated object (4) comprise coils (8, 10) for charging and/or discharging, monitoring sensors (16) for detecting the presence of metal and/or persons in the surroundings of the charging/discharging station (6), and a control unit (26), wherein the control unit (26) is set up to define a protection area (18, 20) in the surroundings of the charging/discharging station (6) on the basis of input information, to set a detection range (22, 24) or an evaluation range of the monitoring sensors (16) for the protection area (18, 20) and, during a charging/discharging process of the battery-operated object (4), to monitor a presence of metal and/or persons in the detection range (22, 24) or evaluation range of the monitoring sensors (16).

10. The system (2) as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the monitoring sensors (16) include radar sensors, infrared sensors, a video system and/or inductive metal detection sensors.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the battery-operated object (4) is an electric vehicle.

12. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ascertained distance of the battery-operated object (4) from the charging/discharging station (6), is based on the basis a size of a lateral offset (14).

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protection area (18, 20) is defined during the charging/discharging process on the basis of an ascertained charging/discharging performance, and ascertained coupling quality of the first and second coils (8, 10), and an ascertained distance of the battery-operated object (4) from the charging/discharging station (6).

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protection area (18, 20) is defined during the charging/discharging process on the basis of an ascertained charging/discharging performance, and ascertained coupling quality of the first and second coils (8, 10), and the size of an air gap (12) between the battery-operated object (4) and the charging/discharging station (6).

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protection area (18, 20) is defined during the charging/discharging process on the basis of an ascertained charging/discharging performance, and ascertained coupling quality of the first and second coils (8, 10), and on the basis of the measurement of a magnetic flux density in the charging/discharging station (6).

16. The system (2) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the battery-operated object (4) is an electric vehicle.

17. The system (2) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radar sensors have a frequency bandwidth of at least 500 MHz.

18. The system (2) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radar sensors have a frequency bandwidth of at least 1 GHz.

19. The system (2) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radar sensors have a frequency range of 2 to 24 GHz.

20. The system (2) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the radar sensors have a frequency range from 76 to 81 GHz.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawings and are described in greater detail in the following description. In the drawings:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a system comprising a battery-operated object and a charging/discharging station according to one embodiment of the invention, and

[0037] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the system from FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a system 2 comprising a battery-operated object 4 and a charging/discharging station 6. The battery-operated object 4, which is an electric vehicle in this case, by way of example, is also referred to in the following as an object 4, for short.

[0039] The charging/discharging station 6 comprises a first coil 8. The object 4 comprises a second coil 10. The first and second coils 8, 10 can each also be formed by multiple individual coils 8, 10 which are combined with each other, i.e., by a coil system. The object 4 is charged and/or discharged by means of inductive energy transmission via the coils 8, 10.

[0040] In the contactless charging or discharging process, an air gap 12 typically exists between the object 4 and the charging/discharging station 6, the size of which influences a coupling quality of the coils 8, 10. For charging, the object 4 is therefore positioned with its second coil 10 preferably exactly over the first coil 8 of the charging/discharging station 6, in order to maximize the coupling.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows the system 2 from FIG. 1 in a top view, wherein a monitoring sensor 16, a control unit 26, and an input information sensor 28, which are assigned to the system 2, are also represented here. In FIG. 2, the monitoring sensor 16, the control unit 26, and the input information sensor 28 are shown outside the vehicle. This is not limiting for the invention. Alternatively, the monitoring sensor 16, the control unit 26 and/or the input information sensor 28 can also be assigned to the object 4, for example, as a sensor system on the vehicle underbody. Alternatively, an integration into a charging pad on the infrastructure side can be provided.

[0042] The object 4 is situated with a lateral offset 14 from the charging/discharging station 6. As is also the case with the air gap 12, the lateral offset 14 is a parameter which influences the coupling quality of the coils 8, 10. The lateral offset 14 can be defined in respect of arbitrary parameters of the object 4 and the charging/discharging station 6, in particular also in respect of the coils 8, 10. For example, a lateral offset 14 of zero can be assumed when the second coil 10 is situated directly over the first coil 8.

[0043] The system 2 includes monitoring sensors 16, wherein only one monitoring sensor 16 is represented here, by way of example. In general, a multiplicity of monitoring sensors 16 is provided, in order to detect the surroundings of the battery-operated object 4 and of the charging/discharging station 6 in detail. The monitoring sensors 16 can include ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, infrared sensors, a video system and metal detection sensors, for example ultrabroadband radar sensors.

[0044] The system 2 includes a first protection area 18 and a second protection area 20 which are represented as spaces having a uniform distance from the charging/discharging station 6 and from the first coil 8. In embodiments which are not represented, the protection areas 18, 20 can also relate to surroundings of the second coil 10 of the object 4 or to shared surroundings of the first coil 8 and the second coil 10. In the latter case, the protection areas 18, 20 can be defined as spaces, for example, which are delimited by a constant summed distance to the two coils 8, 10, i.e., by ellipsoids.

[0045] Assigned to the first protection area 18 is a first detection range 22 of the monitoring sensor 16. Assigned to the second protection area 20 is a second detection range 24 of the monitoring sensor 16, which is larger than the first detection range 22. The size of the detection ranges 22, 24 of the monitoring sensor 16 can be adjusted, for example, by regulating the transmission power. Alternatively, an evaluation range of the detection range 22, 24 can be defined.

[0046] The monitoring sensor 16 is controlled by the control unit 26 in order to define the detection range 22, 24. The control unit 26 processes data and/or measured values from the input information sensor 28 as input variables for the control, i.e., as a basis for decision making, so to speak. It is generally provided in this case that more than one input information sensor 28 is used, even though only one input information sensor 28 is represented in FIG. 2. The input information sensors 28 can include, for example, sensors for detecting the charging/discharging, the coupling quality, the lateral offset 14 between the object 4 and the charging/discharging station 6, for detecting the size of the air gap 12 between the object 4 and the charging/discharging station 6, or for detecting the magnetic flux density in the charging/discharging station 6, or said input information sensors can include communication means which detect a nominal charging/discharging performance or, for example, vehicle parameters.

[0047] The protection area 18, 20 and the detection range 22, 24 are set by the control unit 26 on the basis of input information ascertained by the input information sensors 28. For the case in which, for example, the measured charging/discharging performance, the coupling quality, or the magnetic flux density in the charging/discharging station 6 are greater than corresponding defined threshold values, the control unit 26 sets the system 2 for the larger, second protection area 20 and the larger, second detection range 24. Likewise for the case in which, for example, the measured lateral offset 14 between the object 4 and the charging/discharging station 6 or the measured size of the air gap 12 between the object 4 and the charging/discharging station 6 is smaller than the corresponding defined threshold values, the control unit 26 sets the system 2 to the larger, second protection area 20 and the larger, second detection range 24. For the case in which it was ascertained that a small vehicle is supposed to be charged, the control unit 26 sets the system 2 for the smaller, first protection area 18 and the smaller, first detection range 22; for the case of a large vehicle, said system is set for the larger, second protection area 20 and the larger, second detection range 24.

[0048] The control unit 26 is also connected to a control circuit 30 of the charging/discharging station 6, wherein, in alternative embodiments, a control circuit 30 of this type can also be provided in the object 4. The control unit 26 processes the information from the monitoring sensor 16 and controls the control circuit 30 on the basis of the measured values or data from the monitoring sensor 16, and so, if the presence of metal and/or persons in the detection range 22, 24 of the monitoring sensors 16 is detected, a reaction can take place, in the form of a shutoff of a charging/discharging process, an interruption of the charging/discharging process, a reduction of the charging/discharging performance of the charging/discharging process, an output of a corresponding output signal which can be further processed by further control units (not represented), and/or an output of a visual or acoustic warning signal.

[0049] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described here or to the aspects emphasized therein. Rather, a plurality of modifications, which do not go beyond the normal abilities of a person skilled in the art, are possible within the scope indicated by the claims.