Docking system

• US 20080012518A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,501,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/568.12
• 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: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

A docking system includes: a station including: a light emitter comprising light emitting elements arranged in a circular arc form so as to cause optical axes of light generated from the light emitting elements to pass through a curvature center of the circular arc; and a self-moving robot including: a body part having a circular arc part being substantially the same in curvature radius as the circular arc of the station; a movement mechanism attached to the body part to move the body part and capable of causing the body part to conduct on-the-spot rotation at a curvature center of the circular arc part; light receivers attached to the body part to receive a light signal from the light emitter; a direction detector detecting a direction in which the light signal is emitted; and a controller controlling the movement mechanism to move the body part in the direction detected by the direction detector.

Claims

1. A docking system comprising:

a station comprising;

a light emitter comprising a plurality of light emitting elements arranged in a circular arc form so as to cause optical axes of light generated from the light emitting elements to pass through a curvature center of the circular arc; and

a first connection terminal, and

a self-moving robot comprising;

a body part having a circular arc part which is substantially the same in curvature radius as the circular arc included in the station;

a movement mechanism attached to the body part to move the body part and capable of causing the body part to conduct on-the-spot rotation at a curvature center of the circular arc part;

a first controller which generates a movement route on the basis of a position of the station and map information input thereto, and which controls the movement mechanism to self-move the robot to a vicinity region of the station along the generated movement route;

light receivers attached to the body part to receive a light from the light emitter;

a direction detector which detects a direction in which the light is emitted;

a second controller which controls the movement mechanism to move the body part in the direction detected by the direction detector; and

a second connection terminal for docking with the first connection terminal.

2. The docking system according to claim 1, wherein

the station comprises a light emission controller to control the light emitting elements so as to generate different light beams respectively, and

the direction detector detects and discriminates a direction of one of the light emitting elements.

3. The docking system according to claim 1, wherein

the second connection terminal comprises a concave part,

the first connection terminal comprises a plug and a spring element, and

the plug is pushed by the spring element to fit in the concave part of the second connection terminal and thereby conduct positioning of the self-moving robot.

4. The docking system according to claim 1, wherein

the self-moving robot comprises means for communication with the station,

the second controller controls the movement mechanism via the communication means to make a position of the second connection terminal coincide with a position of the first connection terminal.

5. The docking system according to claim 1, wherein

the second controller controls the movement mechanism to move the body part in the direction detected by the direction detector,

when the body part has reached the curvature center of the circular arc of the light emitting elements arranged in the circular form in the station, the second controller controls the movement mechanism to stop the body part, cause on-the-spot rotation, and thereby conduct positioning of the self-moving robot so as to connect the first connection terminal to the second connection terminal.

6. The docking system according to claim 5, wherein

the light emitting elements comprise a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element disposed so as to be symmetrical to the first light emitting element,

the first connection terminal is disposed under the first light emitting element, and

when light from the first light emitting element is detected, the second controller controls the movement mechanism to stop the on-the-spot rotation.

7. The docking system according to claim 5, wherein

the station comprises a light emission controller to control the light emitting elements so as to generate different light beams respectively, and

the direction detector detects and discriminates a direction of one of the light emitting elements.

8. The docking system according to claim 7, wherein

the light emitting elements comprise a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element disposed so as to be symmetrical to the first light emitting element,

the first connection terminal is disposed under the first light emitting element, and

when light from the first light emitting element is detected, the second controller controls the movement mechanism to stop the on-the-spot rotation.

9. The docking system according to claim 5, wherein

the second connection terminal comprises a concave part,

the first connection terminal comprises a plug and a spring element, and

the plug is pushed by the spring element to fit in the concave part of the second connection terminal and thereby conduct positioning of the self-moving robot.

10. The docking system according to claim 5, wherein

the self-moving robot comprises means for communication with the station,

the second controller controls the movement mechanism via the communication means to make a position of the second connection terminal coincide with a position of the first connection terminal.