The present invention relates to the field of

inductive-charging of automobiles.

Fully electrical driven automobiles as well as

partially electrical driven automobiles need for a

recharge of their electrical energy storage, like the recharge of their automotive batteries. Different kinds of recharging solutions are provided. Some of them provide wired recharging solutions, others provide inductive respective wireless recharging solutions.

Inductive charging of an automobile is typically done during the stay of the automobile in a recharging lot during the time the automobile is not in use.

Another possibility is provided by an inductive charging strip arranged across a driving-road in front of a traffic light at a crossing or junction. If the traffic light signal is red, no passing is allowed and therefore, the first car in the driving-lane may be inductively charged while waiting for a green traffic light signal.

As pollution problems get more sever due to more automobiles driving in the big cities, the success for a change from combustion engine driven automobiles to electrical engine driven automobiles may depend on either the increasing of storing capacities of the electrical energy providing devices, like automotive batteries, in order to ensure a higher driving range with one

energy-load, or it may depend on better, faster and easy-to-use recharging capabilities for the electrical energy providing devices.

There may be a need for better recharging capabilities for automotive electrical energy providing devices that may provide at least one advantage over the current state of the art.

This need may be met by the subject matter according the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described by the dependent claims.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for providing an inductive-charging device into an existing driving-road. The method

comprises: providing an area for an inductive-charging device at a location of a driving-road service operation. Embedding the inductive-charging device into the location of the driving-road service operation at the area for the inductive-charging device. The inductive-charging device is suitable for inductive-charging of an automotive electrical energy-providing device, during a respective automobile, while moving, being located above the area for the inductive-charging device. Connecting the

inductive-charging device to an electrical power-supply device, for providing the inductive-charging device with electrical energy suitable for electrical-charging of the respective automotive electrical energy-providing device. And sealing the location of the driving-road service operation after finishing with the driving-road service operation, in a manner that the location of the

driving-road service operation can be used for automobiles driving over the area for the inductive-charging device. And performing the method during the driving-road service operation .

Steps of the method may be executed in an automated way by means for automat isat ion such as computer means.

An inductive-charging device according to the invention may be a device, which is suitable for inductive-charging of an automobile with electrical energy during its

movement over the inductive-charging device. Such an inductive-charging device may be a small panel. Such an inductive-charging device may be a modular inductive charging panel.

A driving-road according to the invention may be a road used by automobiles like cars, vans, lorries/trucks and busses for driving to its destinations. More particular, a driving-road may be a road for automobiles within a city.

A driving-road service operation according to the invention may comprise a fixing of a road. During this service operation the driving-road may be opened

respectively unsealed for service operations like for repairing a part of the driving-road, mounting new cables and/or pipes, repairing existing cables and/or pipes and the like.

An area for the inductive-charging device according to the invention may comprise an area big enough for

deploying the respective inductive-charging device into the ground located under the surface of the driving-road and/or in the surface of the driving-road.

An automotive electrical energy-providing device according to the invention may be a device used for storing and/or providing the respective automobile with its needed electrical energy, used for operation the automobile. Such an electrical energy-providing device may be a passive electrical energy-providing device, an active electrical energy-providing device or a combination of both. A passive electrical energy-providing device may comprise an electrical battery of an automobile. An active electrical energy-providing device may comprise a fuel cell like for example a hydrogen oxygen fuel cell and the like .

An electrical power-supply device according to the invention may be a device used for providing the

inductive-charging device with electrical energy, used for inductive-charging a respective automotive electrical energy-providing device od a respective automobile. Such an electrical power-supply device may be in particular the electrical cable grid of a city, used for providing

electrical energy to street lighting, traffic lights, houses and other city infrastructure driven by electrical energy .

This aspect of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to increase the amount of

electrical-charging devices for electrically-driven

automobiles in a city in a gradually way, and on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide such electrical energy to such electrically-driven automobiles during their movement inside the city. This may lead to an

increased acceptance of electrically-driven automobiles. An other aspect of the invention is to provide such

electrical-charging devices gradually at the time

driving-road service operations occur. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided an inductive-charging device comprising an

inductive-charging arrangement. The inductive-charging arrangement is suitable for a micro-time-duration

inductive-charging of an automotive electrical

energy-providing device of an automobile, when the

automobile, while moving, is located on a driving-road in a close distance above the inductive-charging device for the micro-time-duration inductive-charging. The

inductive-charging device moreover comprises a first length and a second length. The first length and the second length together are spanning an area of at least a significant part of a surface-area of an ultra-compact automobile. The close distance is a distance suitable for the micro-time-duration inductive-charging of the

automotive electrical energy-providing device of the respective automobile. And a minimum of the micro-time charging duration does not exceed a duration an

ultra-compact automobile needs for passing the

inductive-charging device at a maximum allowed

speed-limit .

A micro-time-duration according to the invention may be a duration needed for a micro electrical-charging success. Therefore, a micro-time-duration may be the time duration needed for a micro-charging within a duration a lorry automobile respectively a truck automobile needs for passing the inductive-charging device at a maximum allowed speed-limit. Such a speed-limit may be an allowed city speed-limit and/or an allowed truck speed-limit. Each such speed-limit may include a speed-tolerance.

A close distance according to the invention may be the distance between the inductive-charging device of the driving-road and the inductive-charging arrangement of the automobile. Thus, the close distance may be the distance between the downside part of the chassis of an automobile and the driving-road plus the thickness of the

driving-road-surface. If also vans shall be charged, then this thickness reaches its maximum when taking the

downside part of the chassis of a van, like a lorry respectively a truck.

A first and a second length according to the invention may be the length in a direction of the longest side of an automobile and the length in a direction orthogonal to this side, parallel to a driving plane of the

driving-road, with a respective automobile moving along the driving-road on the driving plane.

A spanned area according to the invention may be an area arranged at least nearly parallel to the driving-road surface. The spanned area preferably may have a bigger length in the direction of the driving-road than in the orthogonal direction. This may be useful to provide a maximum charging-length to the automobiles. In order to be able to optimal charge the respective automobile, the length shall be at least a significant length of at least a ultra-compact automobile. Such significant length may be oriented parallel to the orientation of the driving-road. In the orthogonal orientation in a plane oriented in parallel to the driving-road surface, this length may also be maximized, in order to provide a better charging capability to the automobiles. Thus this length may not exceed the lane width of the driving-road. As for a driving-road service operation the opened road should not be too big, in order to safe costs, the spanned area should be not too big. Therefore, the spanned area may be as big as a significant part of a surface-area of the downside part of the chassis of an ultra-compact

automobile. Such an ultra-compact automobile may be a car, with a biggest length being smaller than 250 centimetres. Thus, a significant part may be smaller than 200

centimetres, preferably smaller than 150 centimetres, most preferably smaller than 100 centimetres.

The inductive-charging device may further comprise a maximum thickness. A maximum thickness according to the invention may be a thickness needed to provide the

inductive-charging arrangement. Preferably, the maximum thickness is smaller than 50cm, more preferably smaller than 20 cm, most preferably smaller than 5cm.

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This aspect of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide a charging possibility, which is suitable for electrically charging an automobile during the time it is used.

According to a further aspect of the invention there i; provided an inductive-charging system. The

inductive-charging system comprises at least one

inductive-charging device according to the invention. The inductive-charging system further comprises at least an electrical power-supply device, for providing the

inductive-charging device with electrical energy suitable for electrical-charging of a respective automotive

electrical energy-providing device of a respective

automobile. And moreover, the inductive-charging system comprises a micro-payment billing device, suitable for billing an amount of micro-charging the automotive

electrical energy-providing device of the respective automobile with the provided electrical energy via the respective inductive-charging device. This aspect of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide a charging and billing possibility, which is suitable for electrically charging an automobile during the time it is used and directly billing the charging.

According to a further aspect of the invention there i provided an automobile comprising: an automotive

electrical energy-providing device and an

inductive-charging arrangement. The inductive-charging arrangement is suitable for electrical charging the automotive electrical energy-providing device, when driving at a speed, which is maximum an allowed

speed-limit, over an inductive-charging device according to the invention, which is embedded into a respective driving-road .

This aspect of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide an automobile, which is able to be electrically charged during its use.

The aspects defined above and further aspects of the present invention are apparent from the examples of embodiment to be described hereinafter and are explained with reference to the examples of embodiment. The

invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to examples of embodiment but to which the invention is not limited.

According to a first embodiment of the invention the area for the inductive-charging device is arranged below a surface of the driving-road, in a distance suitable for the inductive-charging of the automotive electrical energy-providing device, during the respective automobile, while moving, being located above the area for the

inductive-charging device.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to have no metal stripes on the driving-road in order to prevent corrosion and ensure a good grip for automobile tires.

Another advantage is, that by arranging the

inductive-charging device below the surface of the

driving-road, all necessary devices of the

inductive-charging device are arranged close to the electrical inducing area, thus providing more space on the side of the road and moreover assisting in a quick

micro-charge without significant energy losses due to long wires .

According to a further embodiment of the invention the driving-road service operation comprises an opening respectively unsealing of a driving-road section at the location of the driving-road service operation.

A driving-road section may be a part of the

driving-road, which has to be opened due to a driving-road service operation.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide the

inductive-charging device, when a driving-road service operation needs for an opening of the driving-road. Thus, an extra opening of the street in order to provide the inductive-charging device into the driving-road may be prevented. According to a further embodiment of the invention the location of the driving-road service operation comprises at least a section of the respective driving-road.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide the

inductive-charging device into the driving-road, as soon as an opening area of the driving-road for the

driving-road service operation needs to have an area-size suitable for providing the inductive-charging device into the driving-road.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the driving-road service operation comprises a driving-road maintenance work and/or a driving-road reparation work at the location of the driving-road service operation.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide the

inductive-charging device, when a driving-road service operation needs for an opening of the driving-road for maintenance work and/or repairing. Thus, an extra opening of the street in order to provide the inductive-charging device into the driving-road may be prevented.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the electrical power-supply device is already provided at least close to the location of the driving-road service operation, before the beginning of the driving-road service operation.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to use an already existing electrical-supply, which is arranged close to the location of the driving-road service operation. According to a further embodiment of the invention the electrical power-supply device is part of an electrical energy-providing grid used in a city, and wherein the location of the driving-road service operation is located in the city.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to use the common

electrical-supply of the city. This may be particular advantageous in cities that provide their

electrical-supply grid mainly below the surface of their roads .

According to a further embodiment of the invention the method moreover comprises providing the electrical power supply device at least close to the location of the driving road service operation.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide an own electrical power supply for the inductive-charging device. This may be particular advantageous in city-areas and/or

city-locations that lack to provide a close connection to the electrical city-grid. According to a further embodiment of the invention the electrical power-supply device comprises a solar

energy-converting device and/or a wind energy-converting device .

The solar energy-converting device may moreover comprise a solar energy-collecting device.

A wind energy-converting device may be a special wind energy-converting device used inside of cities, where smaller amount of electrical energy is needed. Such a special wind energy-converting device may comprise a spiral wind energy-collector, suitable for small winds inside a city.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide the needed

electrical energy with locally generated regenerative energy .

According to a further embodiment of the invention connecting the inductive-charging device to the electrical power-supply device comprises providing an

electrical-energy converter for converting a provided electrical energy from the electrical power-supply device to a suitable electrical energy for the inductive-charging device .

Converting the electrical-energy may become necessary due to different kind of voltage provided by the

electrical power-supply device and needed by the

inductive-charging device. Different voltages may comprise the type of voltage like AC voltage and DC voltage.

Different voltages may also comprise different

voltage-layers at the output port of the electrical power-supply device and the input port of the

inductive-charging device. Moreover, the electrical-energy converter may comprise different kind of converters at the same time: a converter for converting a voltage from the city grid and a converter for converting a voltage from a solar energy collecting device and/or a converter for converting a voltage from a wind energy converting device each to a needed voltage by the inductive-charging device. This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide a voltage-converter for converting the provided voltage to the voltage needed by the inductive-charging device, in order to provide an inductive-charging device that does not need to be changed in different voltage-environments. This may lead to an inductive-charging device that is more flexible usable.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the automobile moreover comprises a micro-payment device, suitable for wireless payment of a billed amount of electrical energy provided to the automotive electrical energy-providing device via an inductive-charging device according to the invention.

This embodiment of the invention is based on the idea that it may be advantageous to provide a simple way of billing the amount of charged energy.

It should be noted that the term "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps and the use of articles "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Also elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

It has to be noted that embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments have been

described with reference to method type claims whereas other embodiments have been described with reference to apparatus type claims. However, a person skilled in the art will gather from the above and the following

description that, unless other notified, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter also any combination between features relating to different subject matters, in particular between features of the method type claims and features of the apparatus type claims is considered as to be disclosed with this document. The illustration in the drawing is schematically. It is noted that in different figures, similar or identical elements or features are provided with the same reference signs or with reference signs, which are different from the corresponding reference signs only within the first digit. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions, elements or features, which have already been elucidated with respect to a previously described embodiment, are not elucidated again at a later position of the description. The following figures shall assist in a deeper

understanding of the claimed invention. Therein the

figures show exemplary:

Fig. 1 a schematical illustration of a proposed method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 a schematical illustration of a proposed method according to a further exemplary embodiment of the

invention;

Fig. 3 a schematical illustration of a proposed device according to a further exemplary embodiment of the

invention; Fig. 4 a schematical illustration of a proposed system according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 a schematical illustration of a proposed automobile according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a schematical illustration of a proposed method according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Therein, Fig. 1 shows a method for providing an inductive-charging device 100 into an existing

driving-road 200, the method comprising: providing 10 an area 110 for an inductive-charging device 100 at a location 211 of a driving-road service operation 210 of a driving-road. Embedding 20 the inductive-charging device 100 into the location 211 of the driving-road service operation 210 at the area 110 for the inductive-charging device 100. The inductive-charging device 100 is suitable for inductive-charging of an automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 (not shown in Fig. 1), during a respective automobile 500 (not shown in Fig. 1), while moving, being located above the area 110 for the

inductive-charging device 100. Connecting 30 the

inductive-charging device 100 to an electrical

power-supply device 300, for providing the

inductive-charging device 100 with electrical energy suitable for electrical-charging of the respective automotive electrical energy-providing device 510. And sealing 40 the location 211 of the driving-road service operation 210 after finishing with the driving-road service operation 210, in a manner that the location 211 of the driving-road service operation 210 can be used for automobiles 500 driving over the area 110 for the

inductive-charging device 100. And performing the method during the driving-road service operation 210.

Fig. 2 shows a schematical illustration of a proposed method according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention .

Fig. 2 shows a further developed proposed method compared to the shown method in Fig. 1. Therefore, the herein before mentioned in Fig. 1 also applies to Fig. 2.

Therein, Fig. 2 shows the method of Fig. 1, wherein the method moreover comprises providing 25 the electrical power-supply device 300 at least close to the location 211 of the driving-road service operation 210.

Fig. 3 shows a schematical illustration of a proposed device according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention .

Therein, Fig. 3 shows an inductive-charging device 100 comprising: an inductive-charging arrangement 120. The inductive-charging arrangement 120 is suitable for a micro-time-duration inductive-charging of an automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 (not shown in Fig. 3) of an automobile 500 (not shown in Fig. 3), when the automobile 500, while moving, is located on a driving-road 200 (not shown in Fig. 3) in a close distance above the inductive-charging device 100 for the micro-time-duration inductive-charging. The inductive-charging device 100 moreover comprises: a first length 130 and a second length 140. Therein, the first length 130 and the second length 140 together are spanning an area of at least a significant part of a surface-area of an ultra-compact automobile. The close distance is a distance suitable for the micro-time-duration inductive-charging of the

automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 of the respective automobile 500. And a minimum of the micro-time charging duration does not exceed a duration an

ultra-compact automobile needs for passing the

inductive-charging device 100 at a maximum allowed

speed-limit .

Fig. 4 shows a schematical illustration of a proposed system according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention .

Therein, Fig. 4 shows an inductive-charging system 400 comprising: at least one inductive-charging device 100 according to the invention. In Fig. 4 the

inductive-charging system 400 comprises two such

inductive-charging devices 100. At least an electrical power-supply device 300, for providing each connected inductive-charging device 100 with electrical energy suitable for electrical-charging of a respective

automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 (not shown in Fig. 4) of a respective automobile 500 (not shown in Fig. 4) . And a micro-payment billing device 410, suitable for billing an amount of micro-charging the automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 of the respective automobile 500 with the provided electrical energy via the respective inductive-charging device 100. Thus, one micro-payment billing device 410 may be used for one inductive-charging device 100. Another possibility, as shown in Fig. 4, is to connect several inductive-charging devices 100 to one micro-payment billing device 410. If the micro-payment billing device 410 is a server, then for example every electrical power-supply device 300, which is part of the inductive-charging system 400 may be

connected, for example via an internet connection, to this micro-payment billing device 410 server.

Fig. 5 shows a schematical illustration of a proposed automobile according to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention.

Therein, Fig. 5 shows an automobile 500 comprising: an automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 and an inductive-charging arrangement 520. The inductive-charging arrangement 520 is suitable for electrical charging the automotive electrical energy-providing device 510, when the automobile 500 is driving at a speed, which is maximum an allowed speed-limit, over an inductive-charging device 100 according to the invention, which is embedded into a respective driving-road 200.

In Fig. 5 the automobile 500 moreover comprises a micro-payment device 530, suitable for wireless payment of a billed amount of electrical energy provided to the automotive electrical energy-providing device 510 via an inductive-charging device 100 according to the invention. It is noted that it may also be possible in further refinements of the invention to combine features from different illustrative embodiments described herein. It should also be noted that reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. In order to recapitulate the above described

embodiments of the present invention one can state:

The claimed invention allows for an inductive

micro-charging of an automotive electrical

energy-providing device within an automobile with

electrical energy. This charging may be done during the movement of the automobile over an inductive charging pad embedded into the driving-road. The charging pad is designed in a modular way, in order to operate different kind of inductive charging pads simultaneously within an inductive charging system in a city. With this, such inductive charging pads may be embedded into the

driving-roads inside a city during normal driving-road service operations. The location for embedding the

inductive charging pads respectively the

inductive-charging devices should not be a driving-road junction and/or driving-road crossing. The inductive charging pads may be connected to the electrical city grid in order to provide an easy way for providing the needed electrical energy to the inductive charging pads. With increasing number of embedded driving pads into a cities driving-roads, an automobile may become more frequently micro-charged with electrical energy during its city drive. This may be particular important for automobiles, which are delivering services or people to their

destinations, like parcel-trucks, food-trucks, busses and taxis. If the density of inductive charging pads is high enough, it may be possible to provide a charging for an automotive electrical energy-providing device, which is good enough for allowing the automobile a continuously driving along the city roads without the need for staying at a charging point and waiting for a finished recharging. This may become possibly due to providing inductive charging pads capable of micro-charging automobiles during their movements and due to a modular way of embedding the inductive charging pads during normal driving-road service operations.

List of reference signs

10 providing an area for an inductive-charging

device

20 embedding the inductive-charging device into the location

25 providing the electrical power-supply device at least close to the location

30 connecting the inductive-charging device to an electrical power-supply device

40 sealing the location of the driving-road service operation

100 inductive-charging device

110 area

120 inductive-charging arrangement

130 first length

140 second length

200 driving-road

210 driving-road service operation

211 location of a driving-road service operation

300 electrical power-supply device

400 inductive-charging system

410 micro-payment billing device

500 automobile

510 automotive electrical energy-providing device

520 inductive-charging arrangement

530 micro-payment device