Method and device for automatically connecting a charging connector to a charging connector socket of a vehicle,

1. A method for automatically connecting a charging connector to a charging connector socket of a vehicle, the method comprising:

first optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle as a first image with at least one first image capturing unit movable with the charging connector,

determining the position of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle based on the first image,

reducing the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle using a positioning unit, and

second optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle as a second image with the at least one first image capturing unit while the at least one first image capturing unit is stationary.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle takes place at an initial distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the position of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle based on the second image,

further reducing the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle using the positioning unit, and

third optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle as a third image with the at least one first image capturing unit.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein

the first, the second, and/or the third optical capturing is preceded and/or followed by a change in the position and/or the orientation of the at least one first image capturing unit with respect to the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle using the positioning unit.

5. The method according to claim 3 further comprising:

determining the position and the orientation of the charging connector socket based on the second image or based on the third image.

6. The method according to claim 3 wherein

the distance of the charging connector to the charging connector socket and/or to the vehicle is captured by at least one distance sensor movable with the charging connector,

wherein determining the position and/or the orientation of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle in the first, second, and/or third image takes into account the distance captured by the at least one distance sensor.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein

determining the position and/or the orientation of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle in the first, second, and/or third image takes into account a previous change in position and/or change in orientation of the positioning unit.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle takes place with illumination of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle by at least one lighting unit movable with the charging connector.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

aligning the charging connector with respect to the charging connector socket using the positioning unit, and

merging the charging connector and the charging connector socket using the positioning unit.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein

aligning the charging connector with respect to the charging connector socket comprises:

aligning the at least one first image capturing unit with respect to the charging connector socket, and

moving the at least one first image capturing unit, at height, away from the charging connector socket so that the charging connector is positioned and/or oriented in front of the charging connector socket.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein

merging of the charging connector and the charging connector socket comprises a linear movement of the charging connector through

an actuated linear axis of the positioning unit.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

repeated optical capturing of the charging connector, the charging connector socket, and/or the vehicle with the at least one first image capturing unit during the merging of the charging connector and the charging connector socket, and

in each case comparing a currently captured image with a previously captured image, and/or

repeated detecting of the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle with at least one distance sensor movable with the charging connector during the merging of the charging connector and the charging connector socket, and

in each case comparing the currently captured distance with a previously captured distance.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

repeatedly capturing further images of the charging connector, the charging connector socket, and/or the vehicle in a merged state using at least one first image recording unit, and

repeatedly comparing the further images to one another to detect changes between the further images, and/or

repeatedly detecting distances between the charging connector and the charging connector socket or the vehicle in the merged state using at least one distance sensor movable with the charging connector, and

repeatedly comparing the distances to one another to detect changes between the distances.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

capturing a further image of the charging connector, the charging connector socket, and/or the vehicle in a merged state using the at least one first image capturing unit, and

comparing the further image with the second or third image.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

surroundings of the positioning unit or the charging connectors are at least temporarily monitored using the at least one first image capturing unit and/or at least one distance sensor attached to and movable with the charging connector.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

at least one optical image of a working space of the positioning unit is captured by at least one second image capturing unit, and wherein

the working space is monitored and the charging connector is prepositioned based on the at least one optical image of the working space.

17. A device for automatically connecting a charging connector to a charging connector socket of a vehicle, the device comprising:

at least one positioning unit capable of positioning the charging connector;

at least one first image capturing unit capable of moving with the charging connector and capable of optically capturing at least the charging connector socket of the vehicle; and

at least one control unit which is designed to carry out a method comprising the steps of

first optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle as a first image with at least one first image capturing unit movable with the charging connector,

determining the position of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle based on the first image,

reducing the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle using a positioning unit, and

second optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle as a second image with the at least one first image capturing unit while the at least one first image capturing unit is stationary.

18. A computer program product with a program code, which is stored on a non-transitory medium readable by a computer, for carrying out a method for automatically connecting a charging connector to a charging connector socket of a vehicle, wherein the method comprises

first optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle as a first image with at least one first image capturing unit movable with the charging connector,

determining the position of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle based on the first image,

reducing the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket and/or the vehicle using a positioning unit, and

second optical capturing of the charging connector socket and/or of the vehicle as a second image with the at least one first image capturing unit while the at least one first image capturing unit is stationary.

19. A method for automatically connecting a charging connector to a charging connector socket of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing with at least one image capturing unit a first image of the charging connector socket or the vehicle;

determining a position of the charging connector socket or of the vehicle based on the first image;

reducing a distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket or the vehicle using a positioning unit; and

capturing with the at least one image capturing unit a second image of the charging connector socket or the vehicle;

determining the position of the charging connector socket or of the vehicle based on the second image;

further reducing the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket or the vehicle using the positioning unit; and

capturing with the at least one image capturing unit a third image of the charging connector socket or the vehicle,

wherein the at least one image capturing unit is attached to and movable with the charging connector,

wherein the distance between the charging connector and the charging connector socket or the vehicle is measured by at least one distance sensor attached to and movable with the charging connector, and

wherein the position of the charging connector socket or the vehicle in the first image, the second image, or the third image is determined taking into account the distance measured by the at least one distance sensor.