Automated guided cart system control

• US 9,268,334 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Vavrick, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US14/457,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 180/168, 180/12
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• 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 2219/24136 Monitor load state of battery
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50393 Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• 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: 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A method of operating an automated guided cart may include directing, using a controller, the cart on a production operation path; automatically detecting a state-of-charge in an on-board battery pack; signaling to a remote station the state-of-charge; and when the state-of-charge is below a predetermined charge limit, the remote station automatically signaling the cart to automatically veer from the production operation path to a low battery charge path and stop at a battery station.

Claims

1. A method of operating an automated guided cart, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) directing, using a controller, the cart on a production operation path;

(b) automatically detecting a state-of-charge in an on-board battery pack;

(c) signaling to a remote station the state-of-charge; and

(d) when the state-of-charge is below a predetermined charge limit, the remote station automatically signaling the cart to automatically veer from the production operation path to a low battery charge path and stop at a battery station.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) when the cart arrives at the battery station, activating a battery change indicator.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

(e) swapping the on-board battery pack for a spare battery pack at the battery station, and (f) activating the cart to return to the production operation path.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) swapping the on-board battery pack for a spare battery pack at the battery station, and (f) activating the cart to return to the production operation path.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) is further defined by the controller being located on-board of the cart.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is further defined by the state-of-charge of the battery pack being determined on-board the cart.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) is further defined by a transceiver on the cart communicating with a stationary transceiver in communication with the remote station.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein step (c) is further defined by the communication between the transceivers being via infrared transmissions.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein step (c) is further defined by the communication between the transceivers being via radio wave transmissions.

10. A method of operating an automated guided cart, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) directing, using a controller, the cart on a production operation path;

(b) automatically detecting a state-of-charge in an on-board battery pack;

(c) wirelessly signaling to a remote station the state-of-charge;

(d) when the state-of-charge is below a predetermined charge limit, the remote station automatically signaling the cart to automatically veer from the production operation path to a low battery charge path and stop at a battery station;

(e) swapping the on-board battery pack for a spare battery pack at the battery station; and

(f) activating the cart to return to the production operation path.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step (c) is further defined by the communication between the transceivers being via infrared transmissions.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

(e) when the cart arrives at the battery station, activating a battery change indicator.