Charging control system for moving robot system

• US 5,220,263 A
• Filed: 03/26/1991
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Muratec Automation Co., Ltd. (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Company Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Tabata, Hidemitsu, Murata, Masanao, Onishi, Masanori, Yamashita, Teppei
• Primary Examiner(s): IP, SHIK LUEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US07/675,482
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 318/568-589, 318/139, 364/424.01, 364/424.02, 364/424.06, 307/10, 320/15, 320/2, 180/168-169, 180/65.1-65.7
• US Class Current: 318/587
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31003 Supervise route, reserve route and allocate route to vehicle, avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31004 Move vehicle to battery charge or maintenance area
• 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 1/0265 using buried wires
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A moving robot system, employing a charging control system for robots, is configured by plural moving robots, at least one charging station and a control station. Each moving robot is designed to perform an operation thereof in accordance with programs stored therein under control of the control station. When the power of a charging-type-battery equipped in each moving robot is consumed and lowered to the predetermined level, it automatically moves to its nearest charging station designated by the control station other than the charging station which is used for another moving robot. In this case, the control station controls the moving robots such that plural moving robots are not simultaneously concentrated to one charging station.

Claims

1. A moving robot system employing a charging control system comprising:

a plurality of moving robots each including a charging-type-battery by which each moving robot is moved, each moving robot being automatically moved to perform its operation in accordance with programs stored therein;

at least one charging station at which each moving robot is moved to perform a charging operation when power of the charging-type-battery is below a predetermined level; and

a control station for controlling movement and operation of each moving robot by communicating with each moving robot, said control station providing a collision avoiding means by which said moving robots each requiring a charging operation are controlled not to simultaneously move to one charging station when performing the charging operation.

2. A moving robot system as defined in claim 1 wherein each moving robot provides judging means for judging whether or not a charging operation is required for the charging-type-battery by detecting the charged power to be consumed while each moving robot moves.

3. A moving robot system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control station provides searching means for searching and designating the nearest charging station for each moving robot within plural charging stations other than the charging station which is used for another moving robot, so that each moving robot is moved to the designated charging station to perform its charging operation.

4. In a charging control system for a moving robot system providing a plurality of charging stations, a control station for designating one of said plurality of charging stations and a plurality of moving robots each of which is automatically moved to a corresponding charging station by use of the power in a charging-type-battery equipped therein, said charging control system comprising:

judging means, provided in each moving robot, for judging whether or not a charging operation is requested for said charging-type-battery in each moving robot;

transmitting means, provided in each moving robot, for transmitting a charge request signal to said control station when said judging means judges that the charging operation is requested;

receiving means, provided in said control station, for receiving said charge request signal;

searching means, provided in said control station, for searching the nearest charging station for one moving robot within all charging stations other than the charging station designated for another moving robot; and

designating means for designating the nearest charging station searched by said searching means to one moving robot, so that one moving robot automatically moves to the designated charging station at which it performs a charging operation, said control station providing a collision avoiding means by which said moving robots each requiring a charging operation are controlled not to simultaneously move to one charging station when performing the charging operation.

5. In a charging control method for a moving robot system providing a plurality of moving robots, a plurality of charging stations and a control station, said charging control method comprising steps of:

judging whether or not each moving robot request a charging operation to be performed on a charging-type-battery thereof, thereby outputting a charge request signal from each moving robot to said control station when power level of the charging-type-battery becomes lower than a predetermined level;

searching the nearest charging station for each moving robot which outputs said charge request signal within said plurality of charging stations other than the charging station which is used for another moving robot, thereby designating the searched charging station as a destination for each moving robot; and

controlling the moving robots requiring a charging operation so as not to move simultaneously to one charging station when performing the charging operation,

whereby under control of said control station, each moving robot is automatically moved without collision with the other moving robots to the designated destination at which the charging operation is to be performed.