Charging system and charging method

• US 10,457,152 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, En-Feng, Chang, Ting-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Diao, M Baye
• Application Number:
  US15/481,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20180105048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 320109, 320108, 701 22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/37 using optical position determination, e.g. using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/38 specially adapted for charging by inductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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

Abstract

A charging system, comprising: a charging apparatus; and at least one guiding apparatus, comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus. The charging apparatus moves to a charging location according a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus.

Claims

1. A charging system, comprising:

a charging apparatus; and

at least one guiding apparatus, comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus moves to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus determines a battery power of the target apparatus according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging apparatus comprises a front camera and an upper camera, wherein the step that the charging apparatus moves to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device comprises:

moving to a temporary location according to a location of the light emitting device via the front camera; and

moving from the temporary location to the charging location according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device via the upper camera.

3. The charging system of claim 1, if a plurality of target apparatuses are to be charged, the charging apparatus further charges the target apparatus with a low battery power according to battery powers for the target apparatuses which are to be charged.

4. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging apparatus further determines identification information of the target apparatus according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device.

5. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging apparatus further receives battery power information from the target apparatus via wireless communication.

6. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the guiding apparatus further comprises a cover, wherein the cover is in a close state if the target apparatus is in a normal mode, and the cover is in an open state if the target apparatus is in a to-be-charged mode.

7. A charging system, comprising:

a charging apparatus, comprising at least one light emitting device; and

a guiding apparatus, provided in at least one target apparatus;

wherein the guiding apparatus moves the charging apparatus to the charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus;

wherein the guiding apparatus further comprises a cover, wherein the cover is in a close state if the target apparatus is in a normal mode, and the cover is in an open state if the target apparatus is in a to-be-charged mode.

8. The charging system of claim 7, wherein the charging apparatus further receives battery power information from the target apparatus via wireless communication.

9. A charging method, applied to a charging system comprising a charging apparatus comprising a processor and a guiding apparatus comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus and comprising a cover, the charging method comprises:

(a) detecting a light emitting state of the light emitting device by the charging apparatus; and

(b) automatically moving the charging apparatus to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus when the target apparatus is in a to-be-charged mode;

wherein the charging method further comprises;

automatically determining a battery power of the target apparatus by the charging apparatus according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device;

wherein the cover is in a close state if the target apparatus is in a normal mode, and the cover is in an open state if the target apparatus is in the to-be-charged mode.

10. The charging method of claim 9, wherein the charging apparatus comprises a front camera and an upper camera, wherein the step (b) comprises:

automatically moving the charging apparatus to a temporary location according to a location of the light emitting device via the front camera; and

automatically moving the charging apparatus from the temporary location to the charging location according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device via the upper camera.

11. The charging method of claim 9, further comprising:

if a plurality of target apparatuses are in the to-be-charged mode, controlling the charging apparatus by the processor to automatically charge the target apparatus with a low battery power according to battery powers for the target apparatuses which are to be charged.

12. The charging method of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically determining identification information of the target apparatus according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device by the charging apparatus.

13. The charging method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling the charging apparatus to automatically receive battery power information by the processor from the target apparatus via wireless communication.

14. A charging system, comprising:

a charging apparatus; and

at least one guiding apparatus, comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus moves to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus comprises a front camera and an upper camera, wherein the step that the charging apparatus moves to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device comprises;

moving to a temporary location according to a location of the light emitting device via the front camera; and

moving from the temporary location to the charging location according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device via the upper camera.

15. A charging system, comprising:

a charging apparatus; and

at least one guiding apparatus, comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus moves to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus determines identification information of the target apparatus according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device.

16. A charging system, comprising:

a charging apparatus; and

at least one guiding apparatus, comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus moves to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus;

wherein the guiding apparatus further comprises a cover, wherein the cover is in a close state if the target apparatus is in a normal mode, and the cover is in an open state if the target apparatus is in a to-be-charged mode.

17. A charging method, applied to a charging system comprising a charging apparatus and a guiding apparatus comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus, the charging method comprises:

(a) detecting a light emitting state of the light emitting device by the charging apparatus; and

(b) automatically moving the charging apparatus to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus;

wherein the charging apparatus comprises a front camera and an upper camera, wherein the step (b) comprises;

automatically moving the charging apparatus to a temporary location according to a location of the light emitting device via the front camera; and

automatically moving the charging apparatus from the temporary location to the charging location according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device via the upper camera.

18. A charging method, applied to a charging system comprising a charging apparatus and a guiding apparatus comprising at least one light emitting device provided in at least one target apparatus, the charging method comprises:

detecting a light emitting state of the light emitting device by the charging apparatus;

automatically moving the charging apparatus to a charging location according to a light emitting state of the light emitting device, to charge the target apparatus; and

automatically determining identification information of the target apparatus according to a light emitting pattern of the light emitting device by the charging apparatus.