AUTONOMOUS DEVICE BATTERY EXCHANGE
First Claim
1. A method of operating an autonomous device, the method comprising:
- autonomously moving to and operatively engaging with a battery exchange dock such that a discharged battery in the autonomous device is automatically removed from the autonomous device and placed into a charging receptacle on the battery exchange dock, and a charged battery is automatically received from the battery exchange dock by the autonomous device; and
autonomously disengaging from the battery exchange dock after receiving the charged battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments related to automatically exchanging a discharged battery for a charged battery in an autonomous device are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of operating an autonomous device, the method including autonomously moving to and operatively engaging with a battery exchange dock such that a discharged battery in the autonomous device is automatically removed from the autonomous device and placed into a charging receptacle on the battery exchange dock and a charged battery is automatically received from the battery exchange dock by the autonomous device. The method further includes autonomously disengaging from the battery exchange dock after receiving the charged battery.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of operating an autonomous device, the method comprising:
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autonomously moving to and operatively engaging with a battery exchange dock such that a discharged battery in the autonomous device is automatically removed from the autonomous device and placed into a charging receptacle on the battery exchange dock, and a charged battery is automatically received from the battery exchange dock by the autonomous device; and autonomously disengaging from the battery exchange dock after receiving the charged battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An autonomous device, comprising:
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a body; a first battery receptacle and a second battery receptacle each configured to accommodate a battery to independently supply power to the autonomous device; an electrically powered mobility subsystem; a logic subsystem; and a data-holding subsystem comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the logic subsystem to engage with a battery exchange dock to perform a battery exchange process in which a charged battery is received in one of the first battery receptacle and the second battery receptacle and a discharged battery is removed from another of the first battery receptacle and the second battery receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An autonomous device battery exchange dock, comprising:
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a battery charger configured to charge a battery held in the battery exchange dock; a battery exchange mechanism configured to exchange a first battery being charged on the battery exchange dock for a second battery in an autonomous device engaged with the battery exchange dock; a data holding subsystem; and a logic subsystem comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the data-holding subsystem to charge the first battery via the battery charger, detect the autonomous device engaging with the battery exchange dock, upon detecting the autonomous device engaging with the battery exchange dock, move the second battery from the autonomous device into the battery charger of the battery exchange dock and move the first battery from the battery charger of the battery exchange dock into the autonomous device, and charge the second battery in the battery charger. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification