Device and method for establishing a temporary connection between two movable objects

• US 10,093,189 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Sommarstrom, Mats
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancho, Ronnie M
• Application Number:
  US15/119,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20170050526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 700245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/089 Determining the position of the robot with reference to its environment
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/009 being mechanically linked with one another at their distal ends
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/28 Trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/35 Means for automatic or assisted adjustment of the relative position of charging devices and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 27/34 using pipe-lines anchoring arrangements for special vessels with mooring turrets B63B21/507; buoys specially adapted for mooring a vessel and for transferring fluids, e.g. liquids B63B22/021
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0403 Fuelling robots
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 9/02 using articulated pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40082 Docking, align object on end effector with target
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Device (100) for achieving a temporary connection between two objects (101,102) which are movable relative to each other, comprising •respective connecting means (114,154), being brought together in order to jointly establish said connection, •a movable robot (110), arranged to continuously displace the first connecting means relative to the first object, •a control means (120), arranged to control the movements of the robot relative to the first object, as well as •a sensor means (130), arranged to continuously read a relative position between the first connecting means and the second connecting means while the said objects move relative to each other. The invention is characterized in that the control means is arranged to, while the objects move relative to each other, continuously control the robot so that the first connecting means is displaced, relative to the first object and up to the second connecting means, and there connects to the second connecting means. The invention also relates to a method.

Claims

1. A method for providing a temporary connection between first and second objects that are movable in relation to each other, wherein the first of said objects comprises a first connecting means and the second of said objects comprises a second connecting means, said temporary connection is established by the first and second connecting means being brought together and connected to each other, the method comprising:

measuring, with a sensor means, a relative position between the first object or the first connecting means and the second connecting means while the first and second objects move relative to each other; and

while said first and second objects move relative to each other, controlling, with the control means and based upon a signal from the sensor means, motions of a moveable first robot to;

displace the first connecting means relative to the first object and up to the second connecting means, and

connect the first connecting means to the second connecting means so that said temporary connection is established;

wherein relative movement of the first and second objects including the first and second objects being brought together from a first separated position to a parked position, in the first separated position, the first and second objects are located at a distance from each other that is too great to establish the connection, and in the parked position, the first and second objects are located so close to each other that the first robot can reach to achieve said connection and in which respective equilibrium positions or centers of motion about which the first and second objects move are immobile in relation to each other, and

wherein the control means controls the first robot so that the connection is established while the objects are being brought together from the first separated position towards the parked position and before the objects have time to reach the parked position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first and second objects move relative to each other across at least two dimensions of motion, and the control means controls the first robot in at least two dimensions of motion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first or second objects is fixedly arranged while the other of the first or second object is movable relative to the fixedly arranged object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein one of the first or second objects is fixedly installed at a quay and the other of the objects is fixedly installed on a boat or a ship floating on a water surface by the quay, and the connection is a connection for delivering electrical power, fresh- or sewage water, and/or foodstuffs between the first and second objects.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fixedly installed object at the quay is fixedly installed by a boat- or ship sea-lock in which the water surface is movable in a height direction, the fixedly installed object at the quay comprises a height adjustment means on which the first robot is mounted, and the control means controls a height position of the first robot by controlling the height adjustment means to correspond to a current water surface level.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein one of the first or second objects is installed on a vessel which is movable on a support, and the other one of the first or second objects is a permanently installed station for, using said connection, deliver electrical power, fresh- or sewage water and/or supplies between the first and second objects, or to collect and remove exhaust fumes from an exhaust system of the vessel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein both the first and second objects are movably arranged relative to a fixed coordinate system as well as to each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control means controls the first robot so that the connection is broken while the first and second objects move from the parked position to a second, separated, position, in which the first and second objects again are arranged at a distance from each other, and after the first and second objects have left the parked position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein both of the first and second objects are movable relative to each other even after the connection has been established, and the control means actively and continuously controls the first robot so that a part of the first robot which is arranged to maneuver or maintain the first connecting means is immobile relative to the second connecting means.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control means actively and continuously controls the first robot so that the first connecting means is immobile relative to the second connecting means.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot is caused to, after the connection has been established, release itself from the first connecting means so that the first connecting means thereafter is freely movable within at least a limited surface or volume relative to the first robot.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one additional movable robot cooperates with the first robot, so that one of the robots maintains the connection and to thereafter release itself from the first connecting means, while the other of the robots breaks the connection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a second movable robot displaces the second connecting means relative to the second object, and a second sensor means measures a relative position between the second object or the second connecting means and the first connecting means while the first and second objects move relative to each other, as a second control means controls the movements of the second robot and the displacement of the second connecting means relative to the first connecting means.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot is permanently mounted on a coarse adjustment device by means of which the first connecting means is displaceable along at least one direction relative to the first object, and the control means controls the position of the coarse adjustment means relative to the second object, and the control means also controls the movements of the first robot in order to fine-tune the position of the first connecting means relative to the second connecting means.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first robot comprises an activating means configured to activate the second connecting means, and the method further comprising activating the second connecting means by controlling the activating means with the control means prior to establishing the connection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection is established only in case an amplitude and/or frequency of the relative movements of the first and second objects relative to each other during a certain time period fall within an acceptable respective interval, and the control means, before this condition is met, actively and continuously controls the first robot so that the first connecting means is immobile relative to the second connecting means.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object is permanently mounted on the ground, the second object is mounted on a flying vessel, and a counter force device is fastened to the vessel and applies a tension force between the vessel and the ground, counteracting a lifting force of the vessel while the connection is maintained.