CARRYING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SYSTEM AND METHODS

• US 20130338825A1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robo-Team Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Robo-Team Ltd.
• Inventors: WOLF, Yosi, LEVY, Elad, CANTOR, Daniel, ASHER, Yehonatan, ROTBART, Mor, VAYNBERG, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/00 Programme-controlled manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/00 Vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading, consolidating the load, or unloading vehicles for carrying harvested crops with means for self-loading or self-unloading A01D90/00; peculiar to refuse collecting-vehicles B65F; loading or unloading vehicles by means not incorporated therein B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/02 with tracks and additional ground wheels for multi-purpose tractors B62D49/0635
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/065 Multi-track vehicles, i.e. more than two tracks soil-shifting machines E02F; mining machines E21C
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 55/075 Tracked vehicles for ascending or descending stairs, steep slopes or vertical surfacesmagnetic or pneumatic ground-engaging parts B62D55/265; chairs or multi-track cycles specially adapted for invalids A61G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/022 consisting of members having both rotational and walking movements

Abstract

A carrying autonomous vehicle system, comprising: a carrying autonomous vehicle and at least one carried autonomous vehicle. The carrying autonomous vehicle has a main frame and at least one flipper. The carried autonomous vehicle uses at least one flipper to load and/or unload at least one carried autonomous vehicle on the main frame.

Claims

1. A carrying autonomous vehicle system, comprising:

a carrying autonomous vehicle having a main frame and at least one flipper; and

at least one carried autonomous vehicle;

wherein said at least one carried autonomous vehicle uses said at least one flipper to at least one of load and unload said at least one carried autonomous vehicle on said main frame.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said main frame has an essentially flat top part.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one carried autonomous vehicle comprises a plurality of carried autonomous vehicles and the total accumulated area of said plurality of carried autonomous vehicles is essentially the same as the area of said main frame.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said carrying autonomous vehicle coordinates said at least one carried autonomous vehicle use of said at least one flipper to at least one of load and unload said at least one carried autonomous vehicle on said main frame.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one flipper movement range and position allow said main frame to be angled towards said at least one carried autonomous vehicle thereby allowing said at least one flipper to at least one of load and unload.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one carried autonomous vehicle has a pair of carried flippers and said at least one flipper comprises a pair of flippers and the distance between said pair of flippers is essentially the same as the distance between said pair of carried flippers.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a locking mechanism mounted on said at least one flipper; and

a locking receiving mechanism on at least one carried autonomous vehicle;

wherein said locking mechanism locks into said locking receiving mechanism thereby allowing attachment of at least one carried autonomous vehicle to said at least one flipper.

8. A method for loading a carrying autonomous vehicle system, carrying an autonomous vehicle, comprising:

navigating a carried autonomous vehicle to a proximity of a carrying autonomous vehicle;

instructing the maneuvering of at least one flipper of said carrying autonomous vehicle to a loading angle; and

navigating said carried autonomous vehicle to climb said carrying autonomous vehicle in a loading angle.

9. A method for at least one of loading and unloading a carried autonomous vehicle of a carrying autonomous vehicle system comprising:

positioning a carried autonomous vehicle and a carrying autonomous vehicle so said carried autonomous vehicle'"'"'s pair of carried flippers is essentially in front of said carrying autonomous vehicle system'"'"'s pair of flippers; and

driving said pair of carried flippers on top of said pair of flippers.

10. A method for loading a carried autonomous vehicle on a carrying autonomous vehicle system comprising:

instructing a carried autonomous vehicle and a carrying autonomous vehicle system having at least one flipper to a close proximity;

securing a locking mechanism of said at least one flipper to a locking receiving mechanism of said carried autonomous vehicle;

lifting said at least one flipper; and

mounting said carried autonomous vehicle on top of said carrying autonomous vehicle system using said carried autonomous vehicle lifted position obtained by said at least one flipper.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising releasing said locking mechanism thereby allowing loading multiple said carried autonomous vehicles by the same said at least one flipper.

12. A multi robot system, comprising:

an autonomous vehicle;

an autonomous robot having an end effector; and

a controlling mechanism which coordinates manipulation of an external object by said end effector when said autonomous robot is mounted on said autonomous vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said autonomous robot has a sensor and said autonomous robot has a carried state on top of said autonomous vehicle and a non carried state as an autonomous vehicle and said sensor'"'"'s capability to at least one of gathering and transmitting data is greater in carried state compared to un-carried state.

14. A vehicle system, comprising:

a main frame;

a flipper axle mounted on said main frame;

at least one triangular obstacle climbing flipper rotatably connected to said flipper axle, having a moving mechanism and a bottom side; and

at least one mobilizing wheel mounted on said main frame;

wherein the distance between said flipper axle and said bottom side is greater than the radius of said at least at least one mobilizing wheel.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said moving mechanism is a continuous track.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one mobilizing wheel rotates around said flipper axle.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a powering element wherein said powering element powers said at least one triangular obstacle climbing flipper and said powering element powers said at least one mobilizing wheel.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one mobilizing wheel is laterally mounted on said main frame.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a reversible locking mechanism wherein said at least one mobilizing wheel is released by said reversible locking mechanism and said at least one mobilizing wheel is remounted on main frame by said reversible locking mechanism.

20. A method, comprising:

lowering at least one triangular obstacle climbing flipper thereby lifting at least one mobilizing wheel; and

switching from a driving mechanism based on at least one mobilizing wheel to a driving mechanism based on at least one triangular obstacle climbing flipper.