Energy supply vehicle for supplying an electrically drivable motor vehicle with electrical energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507733-B2
Application number	US-201715791472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2017
Priority date	Nov 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

An energy supply vehicle for supplying an electrically drivable motor vehicle with an electrical energy. A drive unit for moving the energy supply vehicle, an electrical energy source for supplying electrical energy for the electrically drivable motor vehicle, and an electrical coupling device for electrical coupling the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle in order to transfer the electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle having a control unit including a communication device and is designed to guide the energy supply vehicle as a self-driving and remotely controlled vehicle and to control the electrical coupling device for an automatic electrical coupling of the electrically drivable motor vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An energy supply vehicle for supplying an electrically drivable motor vehicle with an electrical energy, the energy supply vehicle comprising:
a drive unit for moving the energy supply vehicle, the drive unit includes an electrical energy source for supplying electrical energy for the electrically drivable motor vehicle, and an electrical coupling device for electrical coupling the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle in order to transfer the electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle; and
a control unit, which includes a communication device and is designed to guide the energy supply vehicle as a self-driving and remotely controlled vehicle and to control the electrical coupling device for automatic electrical coupling of the electrically drivable motor vehicle,
wherein the control unit further includes at least one sensor so that an environment of the energy supply vehicle is detected and analyzed for the self-driving of the energy supply vehicle,
wherein the electrical coupling device is designed for capacitive coupling of the electrically drivable motor vehicle, and
wherein the electrical coupling device includes a robot arm with a coupling surface on which an electrically insulating coating is provided so that electrical safety is enhanced with the capacitive coupling for supplying electrical energy of the electrically drivable motor vehicle.

2. The energy supply vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the energy supply vehicle is designed as an energy storage vehicle for transporting electrical energy to an electrically drivable motor vehicle, for which purpose the electrical energy source has an electrical energy storage unit for storing the electrical energy to be transported.

3. The energy supply vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the communication device has an input unit connected to the control unit for manual input of a control command.

4. The energy supply vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical coupling device has a holder unit and a coupling element that can be connected detachably to the holder unit for producing an electrical connection to the electrically drivable motor vehicle.

5. A method for operating an energy supply vehicle, the method comprising:
the energy supply vehicle is driven by a drive unit in order to supply an electrical energy by an electrical energy source of the energy supply vehicle for an electrically drivable motor vehicle and in which the electrical energy source is electrically coupled to the electrically drivable motor vehicle by means of an electrical coupling device of the energy supply vehicle in order to transfer the electrical energy from the electrical energy source to the electrically drivable motor vehicle, wherein the energy supply vehicle is guided by a control unit, which includes a communication device, in a self-driving and remotely controlled manner and the electrical coupling device is controlled by the control unit for an automated electrical coupling of the electrically drivable motor vehicle,
wherein the control unit further includes at least one sensor so that an environment of the energy supply vehicle is detected and analyzed for the self-driving of the energy supply vehicle,
wherein the electrical coupling device is designed for capacitive coupling of the electrically drivable motor vehicle, and
wherein the electrical coupling device includes a robot arm with a coupling surface on which an electrically insulating coating is provided so that electrical safety is enhanced with the capacitive coupling for supplying electrical energy of the electrically drivable motor vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein positional data of a position of the electrically drivable motor vehicle are determined and the positional data are transmitted to the communication device.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the energy supply vehicle is driven in an automated manner to the position of the electrically drivable motor vehicle, and, when the energy supply vehicle reaches the position, the electrically drivable motor vehicle, is electrically coupled in an automated manner by means of the electrical coupling device.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein by an input unit for a manual input of a control command, a gesture, assigned to the control command, of a person positioned in a near vicinity of the energy supply vehicle is detected and assigned to the control command by the control unit.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Blum André
• Hinterberger Michael
• Hellenthal Berthold
• Fest Markus

Classifications

• B60L53/35

  Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles · CPC title

• B60L53/30

  Constructional details of charging stations · CPC title

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T90/14

  Plug-in electric vehicles · CPC title

• H02B1/52

  Mobile units, e.g. for work sites · CPC title