Method and system for controlling battery swapping operation based on vehicle size detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12545141-B2
Application number	US-202318178330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2023
Priority date	Mar 18, 2022
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

The disclosure relates to the field of electric vehicles, and more specifically, to a method for controlling a battery swapping operation based on vehicle size detection, a computer system for controlling a battery swapping operation based on vehicle size detection, a computer storage medium, and a battery swap station including the computer system. According to an aspect of the disclosure, the method for controlling a battery swapping operation based on vehicle size detection includes the following steps: in response to determining that a vehicle is in a predetermined battery swap region, enabling a ranging device arranged in a battery swap station; receiving measurement data from the ranging device after it is determined that the vehicle enters a ranging region; performing vehicle size detection based on the measurement data received from the ranging device; and controlling a battery swapping operation for the vehicle based on a detection result of the vehicle size detection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a battery swapping operation based on vehicle size detection, comprising:
in response to determining that a vehicle is in a predetermined battery swap region, enabling a ranging device arranged in a battery swap station;
receiving measurement data from the ranging device after it is determined that the vehicle enters a ranging region;
performing vehicle size detection based on the measurement data received from the ranging device; and
controlling the battery swapping operation for the vehicle based on a detection result of the vehicle size detection.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is determined to be in the predetermined battery swap region in the following manners:
using an image collection device arranged in the battery swap station to collect an image of the vehicle;
using a convolutional neural network to process the collected image of the vehicle; and
determining, based on a processing result of the convolutional neural network, that the vehicle is in the predetermined battery swap region.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to not receiving the measurement data from the ranging device, instructing the vehicle to stop a parking operation;
re-enabling the ranging device to receive the measurement data from the ranging device; and
until the measurement data is received from the ranging device, instructing the vehicle to start the parking operation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the performing vehicle size detection based on the measurement data received from the ranging device comprises:
performing vehicle width detection based on first measurement data from a first ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at a first height; and
performing vehicle height detection based on second measurement data from a second ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at a second height.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first height is greater than the second height.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the performing vehicle width detection based on first measurement data from the first ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at the first height comprises:
determining, based on the first measurement data, whether there is an object in a vehicle width detection region; and
in response to detecting that there is an object in the vehicle width detection region, determining that the vehicle is extra-wide.

7. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the performing vehicle height detection based on second measurement data from the second ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at the second height comprises:
determining, based on the second measurement data, whether there is an object in a vehicle height detection region; and
in response to detecting that there is an object in the vehicle height detection region, determining that the vehicle is extra-high.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling the battery swapping operation for the vehicle based on the detection result of the vehicle size detection comprises:
in response to determining that the vehicle is extra-wide and/or extra-high, instructing the vehicle to stop the parking operation; and
sending a message indicating that the vehicle is extra-wide and/or extra-high to the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein it is determined, by using one or more of an image sensor, a position sensor, a pressure sensor, and an infrared sensor, that the vehicle enters the ranging region.

10. A computer system for controlling a battery swapping operation based on vehicle size detection, comprising:
a memory;
a processor; and
a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the execution of the computer program causes the following steps to be performed:
in response to determining that a vehicle is in a predetermined battery swap region, enabling a ranging device arranged in a battery swap station;
receiving measurement data from the ranging device after it is determined that the vehicle enters a ranging region;
performing vehicle size detection based on the measurement data received from the ranging device; and
controlling the battery swapping operation for the vehicle based on a detection result of the vehicle size detection.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle is determined to be in the predetermined battery swap region in the following manners:
using an image collection device arranged in the battery swap station to collect an image of the vehicle;
using a convolutional neural network to process the collected image of the vehicle; and
determining, based on a processing result of the convolutional neural network, that the vehicle is in the predetermined battery swap region.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer program further causes the following steps to be performed:
in response to not receiving the measurement data from the ranging device, instructing the vehicle to stop the parking operation;
re-enabling the ranging device to receive the measurement data from the ranging device; and
until the measurement data is received from the ranging device, instructing the vehicle to start the parking operation.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the performing vehicle size detection based on the measurement data received from the ranging device comprises:
performing vehicle width detection based on first measurement data from a first ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at a first height; and
performing vehicle height detection based on second measurement data from a second ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at a second height.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the first height is greater than the second height.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the performing vehicle width detection based on first measurement data from the first ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at the first height comprises:
determining, based on the first measurement data, whether there is an object in a vehicle width detection region; and
in response to detecting that there is an object in the vehicle width detection region, determining that the vehicle is extra-wide.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the performing vehicle height detection based on second measurement data from the second ranging device arranged in the battery swap station at the second height comprises:
determining, based on the second measurement data, whether there is an object in a vehicle height detection region; and
in response to detecting that there is an object in the vehicle height detection region, determining that the vehicle is extra-high.

17. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling the battery swapping operation for the vehicle based on the detection result of the vehicle size detection comprises:
in response to determining that the vehicle is extra-wide and/or extra-high, instructing the vehicle to stop a parking operation; and
sending a message indicating that the vehicle is extra-wide and/or extra-high to the vehicle.

18. The system according to claim 10 , wherein it is determined, by using one or more of an image sensor, a position sensor, a pressure sensor, and an infrared sensor, that the vehicle enters the ranging region.

19. A non-transitory computer storage medium c

Assignees

• Nio Technology Anhui Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Yifei
• Zou Jiyong

Classifications

• G06T2207/20084

  Artificial neural networks [ANN] · CPC title

• B60W30/06

  Automatic manoeuvring for parking · CPC title

• B60L53/30

  Constructional details of charging stations · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title