Autonomous robot charging profile selection

• US 10,579,064 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Locus Robotics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Locus Robotics Corporation
• Inventors: Sussman, Michael, Insinga, Aron Klair
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US15/712,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20190092183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• 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

Abstract

An electrical charging station for charging an autonomous robot having a battery. The charging station includes a first charging member configured to receive a second charging member on the autonomous robot when the autonomous robot is docked with the charging station. There is a communications device configured to receive from the autonomous robot an identifier indicative of a type of battery on the autonomous robot. There is a power supply, electrically connected to the first charging member, configured to charge the autonomous robot according to a charging profile. The charging profile is selected based at least in part on the identifier received from the autonomous robot.

Claims

1. An electrical charging station for charging an autonomous robot having a battery, comprising:

a first charging member on the electrical charging station configured to receive a second charging member on the autonomous robot when the autonomous robot is docked with the charging station for charging;

a communications device configured to receive from the autonomous robot an identifier indicative of a type of battery on the autonomous robot;

a power supply, electrically connected to the first charging member, configured to charge the autonomous robot according to a charging profile;

wherein the charging profile is selected based at least in part on the identifier received from the autonomous robot;

a processor configured to control the power supply to charge the autonomous robot according to the charging profile and to provide the autonomous robot with a state of charge (SOC) periodically during charging;

wherein the processor is configured to terminate charging when an upper battery voltage threshold has been reached or when a predetermined current level is being output by the power supply, in both cases indicating a fully charged battery, and wherein a last SOC provided to the robot by the processor before terminating charging is used by the autonomous robot as the SOC when the autonomous undocks the charging station.

2. The electrical charging station of claim 1 wherein the identifier comprises one or more of a battery type, an autonomous robot type, or battery condition.

3. The electrical charging station of claim 2 wherein the battery condition includes a battery temperature and wherein for a certain battery type the charging profile for a normal battery temperature range is different than the charging profile for either a battery temperature above the normal temperature range or below the normal temperature range.

4. The electrical charging station of claim 2 wherein the charging station includes a memory for storing a plurality of charging profiles, at least one of which corresponds to the identifier.

5. The electrical charging station of claim 4 wherein the communications device includes a transceiver for communicating with a corresponding transceiver on the autonomous robot.

6. The electrical charging station of claim 5 wherein the transceiver of the charging station and the corresponding transceiver on the autonomous robot are optical transceivers and communicate using an IrDA communications protocol.

7. The electrical charging station of claim 6 further including a current sensor configured to sense a current output from the power supply to the autonomous robot and a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage across the first charging member applied by the power supply.

8. The electrical charging station of claim 7, wherein the charging profile includes a constant current portion and a constant voltage portion.

9. The electrical charging station of claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to charge the robot in the constant current charging portion of the charging profile using a constant current until a predetermined voltage level is reached and to then charge the robot in the constant voltage portion of the charging profile using a constant voltage.

10. The electrical charging station of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to control the power supply after the robot is fully charged but before the robot has undocked from the charging station to charge the robot using a float charging profile which provides a limited charge level to the robot by maintaining a constant voltage level until the robot is undocked.

11. The electrical charging station of claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to charge the robot in a dead battery state using a recovery profile having a constant current portion and a constant voltage portion, and wherein the processor is further configured to prompt a user to start the robot upon completion of the recovery charging profile so that communication between the robot and the charging station can be established to complete robot charging using a charging profile selected based at least in part on the identifier received from the autonomous robot.

12. A method for charging an autonomous robot having a battery, comprising:

docking an autonomous robot by mating a first charging member on an electrical charging station with a second charging member on the autonomous robot;

receiving a communication from the autonomous robot including an identifier indicative of a type of battery on the autonomous robot;

charging, using a power supply, a battery of the autonomous robot according to a charging profile;

wherein the charging profile is selected based at least in part on the identifier received from the autonomous robot;

providing the autonomous robot with a state of charge (SOC) periodically during charging;

terminating charging when an upper battery voltage threshold has been reached or when a predetermined current level is being output by the power supply, in both cases indicating a fully charged battery; and

using a last SOC provided to the autonomous robot before terminating charging as the SOC when the autonomous undocks the electrical charging station.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the identifier comprises one or more of a battery type, an autonomous robot type, or battery condition.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the battery condition includes a battery temperature and wherein for a certain battery type the charging profile for a normal battery temperature range is different than the charging profile for either a battery temperature above the normal temperature range or below the normal temperature range.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the method further includes storing in a memory in the charging station a plurality of charging profiles, at least one of which corresponds to the identifier.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the receiving step includes communicating with optical transceivers one on each of the autonomous robot and on the charging station using an IrDA communications protocol.

17. The method of claim 16 further including sensing a current output from the power supply to the autonomous robot using a current sensor and sensing a voltage across the first charging member applied by the power supply using a voltage sensor.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the charging profile includes a constant current portion and a constant voltage portion.

19. The method of claim 18 further including charging the robot in the constant current charging portion of the charging profile using a constant current until a predetermined voltage level is reached and charging the robot in the constant voltage portion of the charging profile using a constant voltage until a predetermined current level is reached.

20. The method of claim 19 further including controlling the power supply after the robot is fully charged but before the robot has undocked from the charging station to charge the robot using a float charging profile which provides a limited charge level to the robot by maintaining a constant voltage level until the robot is undocked.

21. The method of claim 19 further including charging the robot in a dead battery state using a recovery profile having a constant current portion and a constant voltage portion, and prompting a user to start the robot upon completion of the recovery charging profile so that communication between the robot and the charging station can be established to complete robot charging using a charging profile selected based at least in part on the identifier received from the autonomous robot.