METHOD FOR CHARGING A BATTERY

Abstract

A method for charging a battery of a vehicle with electrical energy using a charging station which includes at least one source for generating flashes. At least one flash is generated using the at least one source, an amount of electrical energy is provided via the air using the at least one receiver of the vehicle. The received amount of electrical energy is provided to the battery by the at least one receiver.

Claims

1-9. (canceled) 10 (New). A method for charging a battery of a vehicle with electrical energy using a charging station, which includes at least one source for generating electrical flashes, wherein at least one flash is generated using the at least one source, using which an amount of electrical energy is provided via the air to at least one receiver of the vehicle, wherein the received amount of electrical energy is provided to the battery by the at least one receiver, characterized in that an amount of electrical energy is requested at the charging station at an agreement time by the vehicle located at an agreement location, wherein it is communicated how much electrical energy is required by the battery, wherein a charging time is agreed, at which the receiver of the vehicle will have at most a target distance to the source at a charging location during a continuation of its journey, wherein as soon as the vehicle reaches the charging location at the provided charging time and the receiver has at most the target distance to the source, the flash having the agreed amount of electrical energy is generated by the source, is transported to the receiver via the air, and is received by the receiver.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, which is carried out during a journey of the vehicle when the vehicle passes the at least one source, wherein the at least one receiver has at most the target distance to the at least one source.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the charging station is provided an item of information about the amount of electrical energy to be provided from the vehicle via a communication connection before generating the at least one flash.

13. A system for charging a battery of a vehicle with electrical energy, which includes a charging station, which includes at least one source for generating electrical flashes, wherein the at least one source is designed to generate at least one flash, which provides an amount of electrical energy via the air to at least one receiver of the vehicle, wherein the at least one receiver is designed to provide the received amount of electrical energy to the battery, characterized in that an amount of electrical energy is requested at the charging station at an agreement time by the vehicle located at an agreement location, wherein it is communicated how much electrical energy is required by the battery, wherein a charging time is agreed, at which the receiver of the vehicle will have at most a target distance to the source at a charging location during a continuation of its journey, wherein as soon as the vehicle reaches the charging location at the provided charging time and the receiver has at most the target distance to the source, the flash having the agreed amount of electrical energy is generated by the source, is transported to the receiver via the air, and is received by the receiver.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, in which the at least one source is designed as a Tesla coil.

15. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one receiver is arranged on an outer wall of the vehicle and is designed as an antenna, lightning conductor, and/or part of a vehicle body of the vehicle.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one transformer is arranged in the vehicle and is designed to transform a value of at least one electrical parameter, for example of a voltage and/or a current, of the amount of electrical energy received via the flash and to provide it to the battery.

17. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein a communication module is associated with the charging station, and a further communication module is arranged in the vehicle.

18. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one source of the charging station is arranged adjacent to and/or above a roadway for the vehicle.

19. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the charging station is provided an item of information about the amount of electrical energy to be provided from the vehicle via a communication connection before generating the at least one flash.

20. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one receiver is arranged on an outer wall of the vehicle and is designed as an antenna, lightning conductor, and/or part of a vehicle body of the vehicle.

21. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein at least one transformer is arranged in the vehicle and is designed to transform a value of at least one electrical parameter, for example of a voltage and/or a current, of the amount of electrical energy received via the flash and to provide it to the battery.

22. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein at least one transformer is arranged in the vehicle and is designed to transform a value of at least one electrical parameter, for example of a voltage and/or a current, of the amount of electrical energy received via the flash and to provide it to the battery.

23. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a communication module is associated with the charging station, and a further communication module is arranged in the vehicle.

24. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein a communication module is associated with the charging station, and a further communication module is arranged in the vehicle.

25. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a communication module is associated with the charging station, and a further communication module is arranged in the vehicle.

26. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one source of the charging station is arranged adjacent to and/or above a roadway for the vehicle.

27. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one source of the charging station is arranged adjacent to and/or above a roadway for the vehicle.

28. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one source of the charging station is arranged adjacent to and/or above a roadway for the vehicle.

29. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one source of the charging station is arranged adjacent to and/or above a roadway for the vehicle.

Description

[0025] The invention is schematically illustrated on the basis of embodiments in the drawings and will be described schematically and in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first example of a vehicle having a battery, for which a first embodiment of the method according to the invention is carried out, from different perspectives.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an example of a source for generating electrical flashes as a component of a first embodiment of the system according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of the system according to the invention for carrying out a second embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0029] The figures are described in context and comprehensively, identical reference signs are associated with the same components.

[0030] FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c show the first example of a vehicle 2 from different perspectives. This vehicle 2, designed here as a motor vehicle, is electrically driven and includes a battery 4, in which electrical energy is stored, which is converted by an electric machine of the vehicle 2 into mechanical energy, wherein the vehicle 2 is driven. A schematically illustrated receiver 6 for electrical flashes 16 is arranged here on a roof and thus on an outer wall of the vehicle 2.

[0031] Furthermore, the vehicle 2 also has a transformer 8, a capacitor 10 as an electric buffer, and a control unit 14.

[0032] The receiver 6, the transformer 8, the capacitor 10, and the control unit 14 of the vehicle 2 are also designed here as components of the first embodiment of the system according to the invention. Two variants of the receiver 6a, 6b are schematically shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, a charging station 11 having a source 12 designed as a Tesla coil for generating flashes 16 is shown in FIG. 2, which are designed here as further components of the first embodiment of the system. A first variant of the receiver 6a is designed here as a flat antenna, which is integrated into the outer wall, for example a vehicle body, of the vehicle 2. The second variant of the receiver 6b is designed here as a trapezoidal antenna, for example as a trapezoidal lightning conductor, which is arrangeable, for example, on a roof of the vehicle 2.

[0033] In the first embodiment of the method according to the invention, an amount of electrical energy is provided to the battery 4 of the vehicle 2 during a journey of the vehicle 2 by the source 12. If it is ascertained during a journey of the vehicle 2 by the control unit 14 that the battery 4 is to be charged, the control unit 14 of the vehicle 2 makes contact with the charging station 11 of the first embodiment of the system, which also includes the source 12 for the flashes 16. It is communicated to the charging station 11 how much electrical energy is required by the battery 4. Furthermore, a charging time is agreed between the control unit 14 and the charging station 11, at which the receiver 6 and the source 10 are predicted to have at most a target distance from one another. This charging time is dependent at a respective present time on at least one present kinematic parameter of the vehicle 2, for example on its present location or its present position and thus on a present distance between the receiver 6 and the source 10 or a location of the source 10, a present velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle 2. It is possible that the charging time is updated and adapted during the journey.

[0034] As soon as the receiver 6 and the source 12 have at most the target distance from one another at the charging time, when the vehicle 2 travels past the charging station 11, an electrical flash 16 is generated by the source 12 and transmitted to the moving receiver 6. The flash 16 comprises and/or transports the agreed amount of electrical energy. Moreover, at least one electrical parameter, i.e., a voltage and/or a current, is set for the flash 16 by the charging station 11.

[0035] The transmitted flash 16 is received by the receiver 6, the voltage and/or the current, as the at least one electrical parameter of the flash 16, is adapted by the transformer 8, wherein the electrical energy of the flash 16 is adapted to the battery 4 and transferred to it. If the provided amount of electrical energy should be excessively large, excess electrical energy can be charged in the capacitor 10 and temporarily stored therein, wherein this electrical energy is transferred at a later time from the capacitor 10 to the battery 4.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows the second example of the vehicle 20 at a first time at a first location or at a first position and at a second time after the first time at a second location or at a second position during a journey on an underlying surface or on a roadway 22, while the vehicle 20 approaches from the first time a charging station 24 of the second embodiment of the system according to the invention, which includes a source 26 for electrical flashes 30. The vehicle 20 includes a receiver 28 for flashes 30 designed here as a lightning conductor on its outer wall and an electrical battery 32, which is designed to provide electrical energy for the locomotion of the vehicle 20. Moreover, both the vehicle 20 and also the charging station 24 each have a communication module 34, 36, wherein the vehicle 20 and the charging station 24 communicate via the communication modules 34, 36, which exchange signals via radio.

[0037] The vehicle 20 is located at the first time, here an agreement time, on the roadway 22 at an agreement location 38 as the first location. The second location on the roadway 22 is designed and/or to be referred to as the charging location 40, at which the receiver 28 of the vehicle 20 has at most a defined target distance to the source 26 of the charging station. At the agreement time, an amount of electrical energy which is required by the battery 32 is requested at the charging station 24 by the vehicle 20, which is located at the agreement location 38 or at an agreement position. Moreover, in consideration of at least one kinematic parameter of the vehicle 20, a charging time is agreed as the second time, at which the receiver 28 of the vehicle 20 will have at most the target distance to the source 26 at the charging location 40 during a continuation of its journey, wherein the charging time can be continuously updated. As soon as the vehicle 20 has reached the charging location 40 or a charging position at the provided charging time and the receiver 28 has at most the target distance to the source 26, a flash 30 having the agreed amount of electrical energy is generated by the source 26, transported or transmitted to the receiver 28 via the air, and received by the receiver 28. In addition, at least one electrical parameter of the flash 30 is adapted by a transformer 37 to at least one electrical parameter of the battery 32 and the amount of electrical energy of the flash 30 is provided to the battery 32.

[0038] In one embodiment of the method, the kinematic parameters of the vehicle, for example its location or velocity, and the electrical parameters of the flash, for example its current and voltage, are taken into consideration. Limiting values of the respective parameters can also be considered here.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS:

[0039] 2 vehicle [0040] 4 battery [0041] 6, 6a, 6b receiver [0042] 8 transformer [0043] 10 capacitor [0044] 11 charging station [0045] 12 source [0046] 14 control unit [0047] 16 flash [0048] 20 vehicle [0049] 22 roadway [0050] 24 charging station [0051] 26 source [0052] 28 receiver [0053] 30 flash [0054] 32 battery [0055] 34, 36 communication module [0056] 37 transformer [0057] 38 agreement location [0058] 40 charging location