VEHICLE MODULE OF AN INDUCTIVE VEHICLE CHARGING SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SUCH A VEHICLE MODULE

Abstract

A vehicle module CPM of an inductive vehicle charging system for charging an on-board energy store, wherein the vehicle charging system includes the CPM and at least one base module GPM arranged in a stationary manner, the CPM having: a monitoring device, a secondary coil, a managing device, and a communication device, the monitoring device and the communication device are each connected to the managing device, the secondary coil is designed to receive energy inductively transmitted by the GPM; the monitoring device is designed to ascertain a state Z(t) of the vehicle in which the CPM is installed and/or of the CPM and to transmit information I.sub.O to the managing device in an event of a specifiable state Z.sub.Start, the managing device is designed to transmit software SW.sub.CPM stored on the managing device and intended for the GPM to the GPM by the communication device after obtaining the information I.sub.O.

Claims

1. A vehicle module CPM of an inductive vehicle charging system for charging an on-board energy store, wherein the vehicle charging system comprises the vehicle module CPM and at least one base module GPM, the at least one base module GPM arranged in a stationary manner, wherein: the vehicle module CPM includes: a state monitoring device, a secondary coil, a software managing device, and a CPM communication device; the state monitoring device and the CPM communication device are each connected to the software managing device; the secondary coil is designed to receive energy that is inductively transmitted from the at least one base module GPM; the state monitoring device is designed to ascertain a state Z(t) of the vehicle in which the vehicle module CPM is installed and/or of the vehicle module CPM and to transmit information I.sub.O to the software managing device in the event of a specifiable state Z.sub.Start; and the software managing device is designed to transmit software SW.sub.CPM, the software SW.sub.CPM stored on the software managing device and intended for the base module GPM, to the base module GPM by means of the CPM communication device after obtaining the information I.sub.O.

2. The vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, in which the specifiable state Z.sub.Start is a state or a combination of states selected from the group consisting of: setting the parking brake of the vehicle; switching off the ignition of the vehicle; starting inductive energy transfer from GPM to CPM; falling below a specified minimum speed; reaching a specifiable relative position RP.sub.target of CPM and GPM; reaching a specifiable relative position RP.sub.target of CPM and GPM, in which the base module GPM can be reached by the CPM positioning device to exchange a positioning signal; reaching a specifiable relative position RP.sub.target of CPM and GPM, in which an inductive charging process can be carried out between the vehicle module CPM and the base module GPM by means of the secondary coil; reaching or falling below a specifiable distance between CPM and GPM; establishing communication between CPM and GPM; and actuating a specified input interface in the vehicle.

3. The vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, further comprising a CPM positioning device, wherein the CPM positioning device is connected to the CPM communication device, the CPM communication device is additionally configured and designed to exchange a positioning signal between the CPM and the GPM.

4. The vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, wherein: the CPM communication device is designed to query a version identifier Vers(SW.sub.GPM) of software SW.sub.GPM existing on the base module GPM; and the software managing device is designed to transmit the software SW.sub.CPM to the base module GPM only if the version identifier Vers(SW.sub.GPM) identifies a version older than a version identifier Vers(SW.sub.CPM) of the software SW.sub.CPM, wherein software SW.sub.CPM that is transmitted to the base module GPM replaces the software SW.sub.GPM previously existing on the base module GPM.

5. The vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, wherein: the software managing device has an assignment table stored thereon which specifies an assignment of the software SW.sub.CPM to at least one identifier ID.sub.GPM* of a base module GPM(ID.sub.GPM*); the CPM communication device is designed to query an identifier ID.sub.GPM of the base module GPM; and the software managing device is designed to transmit the software SW.sub.CPM to the base module GPM only if the queried identifier ID.sub.GPM is identical to an identifier ID.sub.GPM* in the assignment table.

6. The vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, wherein the CPM communication device is designed to communicate with a central server, the central server is designed to transmit current software SW* with a version identifier Vers(SW*) assigned thereto to the software managing device, and the software managing device updates/replaces the software SW.sub.CPM with the version identifier Vers(SW.sub.CPM) assigned thereto.

7. The vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, wherein the software managing device is designed to prevent a driving operation of a vehicle in which the vehicle module CPM is installed during communication between the CPM communication device and a base module GPM, the communication related to transmission of the software SW.sub.CPM to the base module GPM.

8. A base module GPM for inductive coupling with a vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, the base module GPM including: a GPM communication device; a primary coil; and a GPM software storage; wherein: the GPM communication device is designed to communicate with the CPM communication device; the primary coil is designed to inductively couple with the secondary coil of the vehicle module CPM; and the GPM software storage is connected with the GPM communication device to store software SW.sub.GPM transmitted by the vehicle module CPM, wherein software SW.sub.GPM transmitted by a vehicle module CPM replaces the software previously existing on the GPM software storage.

9. A charging system for a vehicle for charging an on-board energy store, the system comprising: a vehicle module CPM according to claim 1; and a base module GPM, the base module GPM including a GPM communication device, a primary coil, and a GPM software storage, the GPM communication device is designed to communicate with the CPM communication device, the primary coil is designed to inductively couple with the secondary coil of the vehicle module CPM, and the GPM software storage is connected with the GPM communication device to store software SW.sub.GPM transmitted by the vehicle module CPM, wherein software SW.sub.GPM transmitted by a vehicle module CPM replaces the software previously existing on the GPM software storage; wherein energy is inductively transmitted from the base module GPM to the vehicle module CPM.

10. A land vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or rail vehicle with a vehicle module CPM according to claim 1.

11. A method of operating a vehicle module CPM according to claim 1, the method comprising: ascertaining a state Z(t) of the vehicle in which the vehicle module CPM is installed and/or of the vehicle module CPM; transmitting information I.sub.O to the software managing device in the event of the specifiable state Z.sub.Start, wherein Z(t)=Z.sub.Start; and transmitting software SW.sub.CPM stored on the software managing device and intended for the base module GPM to the base module GPM by the CPM communication device after obtaining the information I.sub.O.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] In the drawings:

[0058] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic structure of an embodiment of a vehicle module CPM according to the invention; and

[0059] FIG. 2 shows a schematic flowchart of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic structure of an embodiment of a vehicle module CPM 101 of an inductive vehicle charging system for charging an on-board energy store, the vehicle charging system including the vehicle module CPM 101 and at least one base module GPM 102 which is arranged in a stationary manner according to the invention. The vehicle module CPM 101 includes a state monitoring device 103, a secondary coil (not shown), a software managing device 104 and a CPM communication device 105. The state monitoring device 103 and the CPM communication device 105 are each connected to the software managing device 104 for data and signal exchange. The secondary coil is used to receive energy that is inductively transmitted from the base module GPM 102. The state monitoring device 103 is designed to ascertain a state Z(t) of the vehicle 120 in which the vehicle module CPM 101 is installed and/or of the vehicle module CPM 101 and transmit information I.sub.O to the software managing device 104 in the event of a specifiable state Z.sub.Start. The software managing device 104 is designed to transmit software SW.sub.CPM which is stored on the software managing device 104 and intended for the base module GPM 102 to the base module GPM 102 by means of the CPM communication device 105 after obtaining the information I.sub.O. In particular, the software SW.sub.CPM is operating software for operating the base module GPM.

[0061] Furthermore, the CPM communication device 105 is designed to communicate bidirectionally with a central server 106 and to download the most recent version of the operating software for the base module GPM from the central server 106 as software SW.sub.CPM.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention for operating a vehicle module CPM 101 of FIG. 1. In a first step 201, a state Z(t) of the vehicle 120 in which the vehicle module CPM 101 is installed and/or of the vehicle module CPM 101 is ascertained.

[0063] In a second step 202, information I.sub.O is transmitted to the software managing device 104 in the event of a specifiable state Z.sub.Start, i.e., Z(t)=Z.sub.Start. In a third step 203, software SW.sub.CPM which is stored on the software managing device 103 and intended for the base module GPM 102 is transmitted to the base module GPM 102 by means of the CPM communication device 105 after obtaining the information I.sub.O.

[0064] Although the invention has been further illustrated and described in detail by way of preferred example embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations can be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of possible variations exists. It is also clear that exemplified embodiments are really only examples, which are not to be construed in any way as limiting the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. Rather, the foregoing description and description of the figures enable one skilled in the art to implement the example embodiments, and those of skill in the knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept may make various changes, for example, as to the function or arrangement of individual elements cited in an example embodiment, without departing from the scope as defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as more extensive explanations in the description.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0065] 101 Vehicle module CPM

[0066] 102 Base module GPM

[0067] 103 State monitoring device

[0068] 104 Software managing device

[0069] 105 CPM communication device

[0070] 106 Central server

[0071] 120 Vehicle

[0072] 201-203 Process steps