IP Library Granted Patent US 10,239,413
Granted Patent B2
US 10,239,413 · App. 15/329,454 · Granted Mar 26, 2019

Method for the contactless charging or discharging of a battery-operated object

Inventors: Jan Riedel (Vaihingen an der Enz, DE); Tobias Diekhans (Stuttgart-Vaihingen, DE)
Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
B60L11/182B60L11/1829B60L11/1833B60L11/1835B60L11/1842H02J7/025H02J50/12H02J50/90H04B5/0081B60L2230/00B60L2240/622B60L2270/147H04B5/0037Y02E60/721Y02T10/7005Y02T10/7088Y02T10/7291Y02T90/121Y02T90/122Y02T90/125Y02T90/128Y02T90/14Y02T90/16Y02T90/162Y02T90/163Y04S10/126
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,239,413
App. No.
15/329,454
Granted
Mar 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the contactless charging or discharging of a battery-operated object ( 4 ) via a magnetically coupled coil pair, comprising a primary coil ( 6 ) of a charging/discharging station ( 2 ) and a secondary coil ( 8 ) of the object ( 4 ), wherein: in a first step, the object ( 4 ) is transferred into a reference position in relation to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ); in a second step, a reference parameter is determined in the reference position; in a third step, a lateral desired offset of the object ( 4 ) to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ) is determined, based on the reference parameter; and in a fourth step, based on the lateral desired offset, the object ( 4 ) is transferred into a charging/discharging position in relation to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ) in which position the contactless charging or discharging is carried out. The invention also relates to a computer program, a system ( 100 ), a charging/discharging station ( 2 ) and an object ( 4 ), which are designed to carry out the method.

Claims (32)

1. A method for the contactless charging or discharging of a battery-operated object ( 4 ) by means of a magnetically coupled coil pair which comprises a primary coil ( 6 ) of a charging/discharging station ( 2 ) and a secondary coil ( 8 ) of the object ( 4 ), the method comprising:

moving an object ( 4 ) to a reference position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ),

ascertaining a reference parameter in the reference position,

when the reference parameter does not meet a threshold value, ascertaining a lateral desired offset of the object ( 4 ) from the reference position, a vertical desired height of the object ( 4 ) from the reference position, or both based on the reference parameter, and

moving the object ( 4 ) from the reference position to a charging/discharging position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ), based on the lateral desired offset, the vertical desired-height, or both.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference parameter is a coupling factor or a mutual inductance which describes the quality of the magnetic coupling of the coil pair.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the coupling factor or the mutual inductance is measured by means of a current and/or voltage measurement when a reference signal is applied.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reference parameter is a height of the object ( 4 ) above the charging/discharging station ( 2 ).

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lateral desired offset, the vertical desired height, or both are ascertained from the reference parameter by means of a lookup table.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out in an iterative manner.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that when run on a programmable computer cause the computer to

control a drive to move an object ( 4 ) to a reference position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ),

ascertain a reference parameter in the reference position,

when the reference parameter does not meet a threshold value, ascertain a lateral desired offset of the object ( 4 ) from the reference position, a vertical desired height of the object ( 4 ) from the reference position, or both based on the reference parameter, and

control the drive or an actuator to move the object ( 4 ) from the reference position to a charging/discharging position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ), based on the lateral desired offset, the vertical desired height, or both.

8. A system ( 100 ) comprising a charging/discharging station ( 2 ), a battery-operated object ( 4 ) and a control unit ( 10 ), wherein the control unit ( 10 ) is designed

to move the object ( 4 ) to a reference position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ),

to ascertain a reference parameter in the reference position,

to ascertain, when the reference parameter does not meet a threshold value, a lateral desired offset from the reference position, a vertical desired height of the object from the reference position, or both based on the reference parameter,

to move the object ( 4 ) from the reference position to a charging/discharging position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ) based on the lateral desired offset, the vertical desired height, or both, and

to initiate contactless charging or discharging of the object ( 4 ) by means of a magnetically coupled coil pair,

wherein the charging/discharging station ( 2 ) has a primary coil ( 6 ), the object ( 4 ) has a secondary coil ( 8 ), and the primary coil and the secondary coil form the coil pair.

9. A battery-operated object ( 4 ) for use in a system ( 100 ) comprising

a charging/discharging station ( 2 ),

the battery-operated object ( 4 ) and

a control unit ( 10 ), wherein the control unit ( 10 ) is designed

to move the object ( 4 ) to a reference position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ),

to ascertain a reference parameter in the reference position,

to, when the reference parameter does not meet a threshold value, ascertain a lateral desired offset from the reference position, a vertical desired height of the object from the reference position, or both based on the reference parameter,

to move the object ( 4 ) from the reference position to a charging/discharging position with respect to the charging/discharging station ( 2 ) based on the lateral desired offset, the vertical desired height, or both and

to initiate contactless charging or discharging of the object ( 4 ) by means of a magnetically coupled coil pair,

wherein the charging/discharging station ( 2 ) has a primary coil ( 6 ), the object ( 4 ) has a secondary coil ( 8 ), and the primary coil and the secondary coil form the coil pair.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 4, 2017
From: RIEDEL, JAN; DIEKHANS, TOBIAS
To: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Reel/Frame 043202/0558 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2014 215 299 · Aug 4, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170320394A1 · Nov 9, 2017
Cited By (5)
US 12,483,833 US 12,495,253 US 12,507,009 US 12,532,113 US 12,647,727