METHOD & APPARATUS FOR DOCKING A ROBOTIC DEVICE WITH A CHARGING STATION

• US 20120296511A1
• Filed: 05/20/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: nVideon, Inc., VGo Communications Incorporated (Vecna Technologies, Inc)
• Original Assignee: VGo Communications Incorporated (Vecna Technologies, Inc)
• Inventors: More, Grinnell, Root, Timothy, Johnston, David, Wolber, Barret
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/26
• 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 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals

Abstract

A docking system includes a mobile robotic device and a charging station to which the robotic device is to dock. The robotic device is comprised of sensors to capture a homing signal emitted by the charging station, docking logic that processes the homing signal so that it can be used to control the movements of the robotic device towards and dock with the charging station, and it is comprised of a mechanism for receiving a cylindrical charging post. The charging station is comprised of a circular platform in the center of which is located the charging post that is generally cylindrical in shape. The charging post includes a charging contact, ground contacts and an IR emitter. The geometry of the receiver mechanism elements and the shape of the charging post and geometry of the charging station generally permits the robotic device to approach the charging station and to dock with the charging station from any angle.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A station for charging a mobile robotic device battery, the station comprising:

a circular shaped platform having an upwardly facing surface connected to a substantially flat downwardly facing surface which rests upon a planar surface, the upwardly facing surface of the circular shaped platform comprising;

a platform threshold disposing around the entire circumference of the circular shaped platform, the outer circumference of the platform threshold at substantially the same elevation as the planar surface and the platform threshold having an upwardly sloping contour on a radius moving away from the outer circumference of the platform to a maximum threshold height above the elevation of the planar surface;

a circular wheel well formed in the circular shaped platform, the wheel well is disposed around the entire circumference of the circular shaped platform, is adjacent to and radially inward from the platform threshold and forms a circular depression having a depth and width to positively retain one or more wheels associated with the mobile robotic device;

a circular charging post disposed centrally to the circular platform having an uppermost, substantially planar surface disposed at an elevation above the maximum threshold height, the charging post having at least one emitter for transmitting a homing signal over a three hundred and sixty degree radius with respect to the circular platform; and

the circular charging post having power and ground contacts disposed on the top, planar surface of the post to which power and ground connections on the robotic device contact.

3. The charging station of claim 2, further comprising a docking detector for determining that the mobile robotic device is docked with the charging station.

4. The charging station of claim 3, wherein the docking detector operates to apply power to the power contact when it determines that the mobile robotic device is docked with the charging station.

5. The charging station of claim 4, wherein the power is direct current.

6. The charging station of claim 2, wherein the homing signal is an electromagnetic signal emitted in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

7. The charging station of claim 2, further comprising an infrared cavity disposed in the circular charging post, the at least one emitter being mounted in the infrared cavity.

8. The charging station of claim 7, wherein the infrared cavity is disposed around the entire circumference of the charging post.

9. The charging station of claim 2, wherein the power connection disposed on the top of the charging post is depressible.

10. A station for charging a mobile robotic device battery, the station comprising:

a circular shaped platform having an upwardly facing surface connected to a substantially flat downwardly facing surface which rests upon a planar surface, the upwardly facing surface of the circular shaped platform comprising;

a platform threshold disposing around at least a portion of the circumference of the circular shaped platform, the outer circumference of the platform threshold being at substantially the same elevation as the planar surface and the platform threshold having an upwardly sloping contour on a radius moving away from the outer circumference of the circular shaped platform to a maximum threshold height above the elevation of the planar surface;

a circular wheel well formed in the circular shaped platform, the wheel well is disposed adjacent to and radially inward from the platform threshold and forms a circular depression having a depth and width to positively retain one or more wheels associated with the mobile robotic device;

a circular charging post disposed centrally to the circular platform having an uppermost, substantially planar surface disposed at an elevation above the maximum threshold height and the charging post disposing centrally in the circular platform, the charging post having at least one emitter for transmitting a homing signal over at least a sixty degree radius with respect to the circular platform; and

the circular charging post having power and ground contacts disposed on the top planar surface of the post to which power and ground connections on the robotic device contact.

11. The charging station of claim 10, further comprising a docking detector for determining that the mobile robotic device is docked with the charging station.

12. The charging station of claim 11, wherein the docking detector operates to apply power to the power contact when it determines that the mobile robotic device is docked with the charging station.

13. The charging station of claim 12 wherein the power is direct current.

14. The charging station of claim 10, wherein the homing signal is an electromagnetic signal emitted in the infrared range of the spectrum.

15. The charging station of claim 10, further comprising an infrared cavity disposed in the circular charging post, the at least one emitter being mounted in the infrared cavity.

16. The charging station of claim 15, wherein the infrared cavity is disposed sixty degrees around the circumference of the charging post.

17. The charging station of claim 10, wherein the power connection disposed on the top of the charging post is depressible.

18. A mobile robotic device battery charging system;

comprising;

a charging station with a circular shaped platform having an upwardly facing surface connected to a substantially flat downwardly facing surface which rests upon a planar surface, the upwardly facing surface of the circular shaped platform having a charging post disposed centrally to it, the charging post is cylindrical in shape, has a vertical axis oriented normal to the plane of the circular shaped platform and has an uppermost, substantially planar surface that is disposed at a higher elevation with respect to the rest of the circular shaped platform, the uppermost, planar surface of the charging post having a ground contact ring and a power contact, and the charging post having a homing signal emitter for transmitting a homing signal over at least a sixty degree radius with respect to the circular platform; and

a mobile robotic device comprising docking logic, homing signal sensors, and a charging post receiver, the mobile robotic device operable to receive the homing signal transmitted by the homing signal emitter which is used by the docking logic to control movement of the mobile robotic device to dock with the charging station over at least a sixty degree radius with respect to the circumference of the circular platform.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising the charging station having a docking detector for determining that the mobile robotic device is docked with the charging station.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising the mobile robotic device having a docked detector for determining that a charging current is flowing to a robotic device battery.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the docked detector sends a signal to the mobile robotic device docking logic which operates to control the mobile robotic device to immediately stop movement.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile robotic device receives a homing signal from the charging station when it is positioned at any angle with respect to the three hundred and sixty degree circumference of the charging station.