US 11,745,606 B2
Method and device for automatically connecting a charging connector to a charging connector socket of a vehicle,
Andreas Schoob, Hannover (DE); Simon Aden, Hannover (DE); Jens Kotlarski, Gehrden (DE); and Norbert Settele, Petersdorf (DE)
Assigned to MATTHIAS DAGEN, JENS KOTLARSKI, TOBIAS ORTMAIER FORWARDTTC IP HOLDING GBR; and KUKA AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Appl. No. 16/977,131
Filed by AVATERAMEDICAL DIGITAL SOLUTIONS GMBH, Hannover (DE); and KUKA AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, Augsburg (DE)
PCT Filed Feb. 27, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/054913
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 1, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/166519, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 6, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 104 759.2 (DE), filed on Mar. 2, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0001736 A1, Jan. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. B60L 53/16 (2019.01); B60L 53/35 (2019.01)
CPC B60L 53/16 (2019.02) [B60L 53/35 (2019.02); B60L 2250/22 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/91 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.