METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY CHARGING ROBOT BASED ON ULTRASONIC WAVE

• US 20180069437A1
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nanjing Avatarmind Robot Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nanjing Avatarmind Robot Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: LI, Tingliang, LI, Zhen
• Application Number:
  US15/806,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/36 by positioning the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0217 Anthropomorphic or bipedal robot
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

In a method and system for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to the present disclosure, by configuring an ultrasonic transmitting module and a wireless communication module on a charging mount, and configuring two ultrasonic receiving modules and a wireless communication module on the robot, the robot calculates a distance and deflection of the robot relative to the charging mount according to signal strengths of received ultrasonic signals and a strength difference therebetween, and completes automatic tracing of the robot in combination with a motion control system and a posture adjustment strategy to automatically charge the robot. The method and system according to the present disclosure have a low cost, are suitable for a complicated application environment, and improve intelligence of the robots.

Claims

1. A method for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave, comprising the following steps:

detecting, by the robot, a battery level, and enabling a charging mount to send an ultrasonic pulse signal via wireless communication if the battery level is less than a predetermined threshold;

receiving, by the robot, an ultrasonic pulse signal sent by an ultrasonic transmitting module by using a first ultrasonic receiving module and a second ultrasonic receiving module that are configured on the robot;

calculating, by the robot, a distance and deflection of the robot relative to the charging mount according to the ultrasonic pulse signals respectively received by the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module;

approaching, by the robot, the charging mount according to the distance and deflection; and

interconnecting, by the robot, with the charging mount for charging when the robot moves to the front of the charging mount or the distance and deflection are less than predetermined thresholds.

2. The method for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic pulse signals respectively received by the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module further comprises:

signal strengths of the ultrasonic pulse signals respectively received by the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module, and a strength difference between the signal strengths of the ultrasonic pulse signals respectively received by the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module.

3. The method for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 2, wherein the calculating a distance and deflection of the robot relative to the charging mount comprises:

converting the two ultrasonic pulse signals respectively received by the first ultrasonic receiving module and the second ultrasonic receiving module into digital signals by using an analog-to-digital conversion module, subjecting the two digital signals to fast Fourier transformation (FFT), acquiring a finite-length sequence x(n) by data windowing and directly obtaining a spectrum X(e^jw) by the FFT, taking a square of a spectrum amplitude, dividing the square by N, and by using a result as an estimation of an actual power spectrum S_X(e^jw) of x(n), calculating power spectrum intensities P_L and P_R of the left and right signals and an intensity difference P□

between the left and right signals, such that the deflection and range of the ultrasonic transmitting module of the charging mount relative to the two ultrasonic receiving module of the robot are calculated and that an approximate position of the robot relative to the charging mount is calculated using the following formulae;

4. The method for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the robot, an ultrasonic pulse signal sent by an ultrasonic transmitting module by using a first ultrasonic receiving module and a second ultrasonic receiving module comprises:

upon receiving a response signal from the charging mount, initially judging, by the robot, whether the ultrasonic pulse signal sent by the charging mount is received; and

if the ultrasonic pulse signal is not received, rotating in place, by the robot, by 180 degrees to find the ultrasonic pulse signal.

5. The method for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 4, wherein the receiving, by the robot, an ultrasonic pulse signal sent by an ultrasonic transmitting module by using a first ultrasonic receiving module and a second ultrasonic receiving module further comprises:

upon rotating in place by 180 degrees, judging again, by the robot, whether the ultrasonic pulse signal sent by the charging mount is received; and

if the ultrasonic pulse signal is still not received after the robot rotates in place by 180 degrees, starting wall movement in a clockwise direction by the robot and returning to the initially judging whether the ultrasonic pulse signal sent by the charging mount is received.

6. The method for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 1, the interconnecting, by the robot, with the charging mount comprises:

rotating in place, by the robot, by 180 degrees, moving backwards until the robot is interconnected with the charging mount.

7. A system for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave, comprising:

a robot and a charging mount;

wherein

the robot comprises;

a robot control system, a robot power management system, a robot motion control system, a robot positioning and ultrasonic distance and deflection calculation control panel, a first ultrasonic receiving module and a second ultrasonic receiving module; and

the charging mount comprises;

an analog-to-digital conversion module, an ultrasonic transmitting module and a wireless communication module.

8. The system for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 7, wherein the robot further comprises:

a charging management unit, a battery voltage and current sampling unit and a battery unit.

9. The system for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 7, wherein the robot further comprises:

a servo motor control unit and a robot chassis motor speed and deflection sampling unit.

10. The system for automatically charging a robot based on ultrasonic wave according to claim 7, wherein the charging mount further comprises:

a charger voltage and current sampling unit.