GENERALIZED SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR PERIPHERAL CONNECTIVITY AND CONTROL

• US 20130285447A1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Original Assignee: DRS Sustainment Systems, Inc (Leonardo S.p.A.)
• Inventors: Wootton, Matthew, Dierks, Travis
• Granted Patent: US 9,287,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires

Abstract

Generally, systems, devices, and methods for a generalized architecture for power and networking in robotic systems is presented. On a robotic chassis, a branching cable harness routes multiple power connections and communications interfaces from an onboard computer and multiple power supplies to various locations on the chassis. Each branch carries all the power and communications connections that are needed by various peripherals, and all the branches terminate with identical connectors. A custom patch cable for each peripheral, such as a camera, taps the appropriate power and communications interfaces from the branches for the peripheral. The peripherals can be relocated on the chassis by unplugging their respective patch cables from the central cable, relocating, and then plugged the patch cables into the nearest branch.

Claims

1. A robotic system having multiple common interfaces for user-relocatable peripherals, comprising:

a chassis;

multiple power supplies;

at least one communication interface;

a plurality of common connectors located on positions distributed around the chassis, each common connector operatively connected with the multiple power supplies and the at least one communication interface, the common connectors having an identical power and communication layout with respect to one another; and

a set of patch cables for connecting the common connectors with different peripherals, each patch cable adapted to mate with any of the common connectors and tap appropriate power and communications lines for a respective peripheral,

whereby the different peripherals and associated patch cables can be moved to different positions around the chassis by an end user without re-wiring the chassis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the patch cables further comprises:

an embedded translator adapted to translate signals for an associated peripheral in correspondence with the communication interface.

3. A power and signal distribution system for a robotic system, comprising:

a first power supply, the first power supply adapted to provide a first voltage;

a second power supply, the second power supply adapted to provide a second voltage;

at least one communication interface, the at least one communication interface adapted to send or receive signals;

a central cable having a first end and a plurality of branches opposite the first end, each branch of the central cable having a common branch connector, each common branch connector having a same type and size as all of the other common branch connectors of the central cable, each common branch connector having an identical layout of power and signal connection points with respect to the other common branch connectors, the connection points of each common branch connector operatively connected through the first end of the central cable with the first power supply, the second power supply, and the communication interface; and

a first patch cable and a second patch cable, each patch cable having a common proximal connector configured to mate with any of the common branch connectors of the central cable, each patch cable having a distal connector opposite the respective proximal connector, wherein the first patch cable distal connector is not operatively connected with the second power supply and the second patch cable distal connector is not operatively connected with the first power supply.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the patch cables further comprises:

a translator adapted to translate signals in correspondence with the communication interface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the translator is embedded in the respective patch cable.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein voltages from the first and second power supplies are referenced to a common ground on each common branch connector.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein voltages from the first and second power supplies are referenced to separate ground conductors on each common branch connector.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein there are two or more communication interfaces and the first patch cable distal connector is not operatively connected with one of the two or more communication interfaces.

9. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a plurality of common rigid mechanical mounts for peripherals, each common rigid mechanical mount being identical to one another and located proximate to a common branch connector.

10. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a central connector having contacts operatively connected with the first power supply, the second power supply, and the communication interface, wherein the central cable is connected with the first power supply, the second power supply, and the communication interface through the central connector.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the central connector and common branch connectors are of the same type.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein a type of the central connector is selected from the group consisting of circular, D-sub, and MOLEX®

.

13. The system of claim 3 wherein the type of common branch connectors is selected from the group consisting of circular, D-sub, and MOLEX®

.

14. The system of claim 3 wherein the communication interface is selected from the group consisting of Ethernet, RS-170, RS-232, RS-422, Universal Serial Bus (USB), IEEE 1394, and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI®

).

15. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a peripheral configured to mate with the first patch cable distal connector, whereby the peripheral is able to connect to power and communications through the first patch cable to any of the common branch connectors.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the peripheral is selected from the group consisting of a camera, laser rangefinder, lidar, radar, sonar, microphone, explosives detector, Geiger counter, and end effector.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a mobile chassis upon which the central cable is mounted,

wherein the mobile chassis is enabled to automatically move using the peripheral for detection and collision avoidance.

18. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a first power conductor in the central cable operatively connected with the first power supply;

a second power conductor in the central cable operatively connected with the second power supply,

wherein the first and second power conductors are of a different gauge than one another.

19. The system of claim 3 wherein the connection points are selected from the group consisting of blades, pins, and sockets.

20. A method of reconfiguring peripherals on a robotic system, the method comprising:

providing a central cable on a robotic system, the central cable having multiple branches with identical common connectors, the common connectors each connected through the central cable to multiple power supplies and at least one communication interface;

providing a first peripheral and a second peripheral for a robotic system, the first and second peripherals having different power requirements from one another;

connecting a first patch cable between the first peripheral and a first branch of the central cable;

powering the first peripheral through the first branch of the central cable;

disconnecting the first patch cable from the first branch of the central cable;

connecting the first patch cable to a second branch of the central cable;

connecting the second patch cable between the second peripheral and the first branch of the central cable; and

powering the first and second peripherals through the second and first branches of the central cable, respectively.