METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE ABSOLUTE POSITION OF A VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for determining the absolute position of a vehicle for the close-range positioning of same when the vehicle is being parked is described. An inductive positioning method is performed, wherein a first transmitter in the infrastructure or in the vehicle is excited to generate a positioning magnetic field and a second transmitter in the infrastructure or in the vehicle is excited to generate a positioning signal. The positioning magnetic field and the positioning signal are received by a reception device in the vehicle or in the infrastructure and the received positioning magnetic field and positioning signal are taken as a basis for ascertaining the absolute position of the vehicle. This allows particularly exact parking of the vehicle, in particular of an electrically operated vehicle for inductive charging.

Claims

1. A method for determining the absolute position of a vehicle for the close-range positioning of same when the vehicle is being parked, comprising the steps of: providing a first transmitter as part of one of infrastructure or a vehicle; providing a second transmitter as part of the other of the infrastructure or the vehicle; and providing a reception device as part of one of the infrastructure or the vehicle; generating a positioning magnetic field by exciting the first transmitter; generating a positioning signal by exciting the second transmitter; detecting the positioning signal and the positioning magnetic field using the reception device; using the positioning magnetic field and the positioning signal as a basis for ascertaining the absolute position of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating a positioning magnetic field using the second transmitter.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of standardizing the position of the second transmitter in relation to the first transmitter.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of determining the position of the second transmitter in relation to the first transmitter.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of transmitting the position of the second transmitter via a different channel.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of providing the channel to be a WLAN.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of exciting the first transmitter and the second transmitter sequentially.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: providing at least one identifier; distinguishing the first transmitter and the second transmitter from one another by virtue of the identifier being modulated onto the positioning signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of using different transmission frequencies for the first transmitter and the second transmitter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: providing the vehicle to be an electrically operated vehicle; determining the absolute position of the electrically operated vehicle for the close-range positioning of the electrically operated vehicle for inductive charging.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of providing the first transmitter to be a unit for inductively charging the vehicle.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising the steps of providing the unit employed for inductively charging to be a ground coil.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: providing a central charging station; providing a plurality of ground coils located adjacent to one another; operating the ground coils using the central charging station.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising the steps of using one of the plurality of ground coils as the second transmitter.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: providing an optical system; using the optical system as the second transmitter.

16. A device for determining the absolute position of a vehicle for the close-range positioning of same when the vehicle is being parked, comprising: a first transmitter being part of one of infrastructure or a vehicle, the first transmitter operable for generating a positioning magnetic field; a second transmitter being part of the other of the infrastructure or the vehicle, the second transmitter operable for generating a positioning signal; a reception device as part of one of the infrastructure or the vehicle, the reception device operable for detecting the positioning signal and the positioning magnetic field; wherein the positioning magnetic field and the positioning signal are used as a basis for ascertaining the absolute position of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The invention is explained in detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment in connection with the drawing, in which

[0040] FIG. 1 shows a depiction of a parking space from above for a method of the prior art with undistinguishable parking positions;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view as in FIG. 1 for an embodiment of the method according to the invention;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a parking space from above with three parking bays for another embodiment of the method according to the invention;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a parking space from above with three parking bays for yet another embodiment of the method according to the invention; and

[0044] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of parking spaces from above, various embodiments of the invention being depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0045] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0046] The method of the prior art shown in FIG. 1 involves determination of the absolute position of a vehicle taking place for close-range positioning of same when the vehicle is being automatically parked. An inductive positioning method is performed, wherein a ground coil 6 (first transmitter) inset in the ground of a parking space 5 is excited to generate a positioning magnetic field. This magnetic field is received by a reception device arranged in a vehicle 4. The received positioning magnetic field is taken as a basis for ascertaining the position of the vehicle.

[0047] The magnetic method described above allows the vehicle 4 to determine the x and y offsets of the ground coil 6 in relation to the vehicle 4 itself. In this case, however, positions 1-3 of the vehicle that are shown in FIG. 1 all deliver the same result. The correct position of the vehicle 4 exactly over the ground coil 6 cannot be ascertained therefore.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows the same parking situation as in FIG. 1, but with an embodiment of the method according to the invention being performed in this case. In this context, the inductive positioning method involves not only the ground coil 6 inset in the ground of the parking space 5 being used but also a second transmitter (auxiliary transmitter) 7, which is arranged at the edge of the parking space 5, for example. In this case too, the ground coil 6 used for charging the vehicle 4 is used before charging as an inductive positioning transmitter that generates a positioning magnetic field. The second transmitter 7 also generates a positioning magnetic field. The two positioning magnetic fields are received by a reception device in the vehicle 4, and the received positioning magnetic fields are taken as a basis for ascertaining the absolute position of the vehicle.

[0049] While positions 1-3 cannot be distinguished from one another without a second transmitter 7 (auxiliary transmitter), the second transmitter 7 is used to clearly distinguish the individual positions from one another. The reason is that two points in the infrastructure are now known and therefore the relative coordinate system of the vehicle 4 is transferred to the absolute coordinate system of the infrastructure.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a parking area with three parking bays or parking spaces 5. The ground of each parking space 5 has a ground coil 6 inset in it. All three ground coils 6 are supplied with power by a common charging station 8.

[0051] In the situation depicted here, in which a vehicle 4 moves into the upper parking bay in the figure, the two lower parking bays are vacant. In this case, the ground coil 6 of the middle parking bay serves as a second transmitter or auxiliary transmitter.

[0052] If the vehicle 4 wishes to charge at the completely vacant deep-charging space, it sends an enquiry, for example via WLAN, to the charging station 8. Since there are currently no vehicles at all in a charging space, the vehicle is allocated the ground coil 6 of the topmost parking bay. The ground coil 6 in the middle parking bay acts as a second transmitter or auxiliary transmitter in this case.

[0053] In the parking situation schematically depicted in FIG. 4, there are likewise three parking bays 5, each parking bay 5 having a ground coil 6. All the ground coils 6 are supplied with power by a common charging station 8. The situation depicted here differs from that of FIG. 3 in that the upper and lower parking bays in the figure are already occupied. The applicable ground coils 6 of these parking bays are therefore no longer able to be used as an auxiliary transmitter. The vehicle 4 may therefore now only be parked in the middle parking bay. Since there is already a vehicle on both sides of the middle parking bay as a visual identification feature, the vehicle 4 may also be parked automatically in this case using an optical system.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of various parking spaces from above, various embodiments of the invention being depicted. In the embodiment of FIG. 5 A), a first transmitter in the form of a ground coil 6 and a second transmitter 7 are provided in the infrastructure (in the area of the parking space). The associated vehicle has a reception device, which in this case has three receivers 11.

[0055] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 B), a first transmitter 6 and a second transmitter 7 are provided on the vehicle, while there are three receivers 11 in the parking space area (in the infrastructure).

[0056] The embodiment of FIG. 5 C) shows a first transmitter 6 and two second transmitters 7 on the vehicle and two receivers 11 in the parking space area (infrastructure).

[0057] Finally, the embodiment of FIG. 5 D) shows a first transmitter as a ground coil 6 and two second transmitters 7 arranged in the parking space area, and also two receivers 11 arranged on the vehicle.

[0058] If the receivers are outside the vehicle, they need to return their data to the vehicle so that the vehicle knows the position.

[0059] The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.