Wirelessly transferring energy to a mobile device

• US 9,397,518 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vecna Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Daniel Theobald
• Inventors: Theobald, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US13/773,689
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320107-108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/005 mounted on endless tracks or belts
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0087 Dual arms double SCARA arms B25J9/043
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/32 by charging in short intervals along the itinerary, e.g. during short stops
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/50 Charging stations characterised by energy-storage or power-generation means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A method is provided for operating a mobile device in an environment with a wireless energy transmitter, where the mobile device includes a drive system and a wireless energy receiver. The mobile device moves along a path using the drive system. Energy is wirelessly received from the energy transmitter using the energy receiver as the mobile device moves and/or is parked along at least a portion of the path.

Claims

1. A method for operating in an environment, the method comprising:

operating an autonomous mobile device to autonomously move along at least a first path within the environment during a first mode using a drive system, wherein the autonomous mobile device comprises the drive system, a wireless energy receiver and an energy storage device, and wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously selects to operate in the first mode where a charge level of the energy storage device is above a threshold;

operating the autonomous mobile device to autonomously move along at least a second path within the environment during a second mode using the drive system in order to charge the energy storage device while the autonomous mobile device moves along the second path, wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously selects to operate in the second mode where the charge level of the energy storage device is below the threshold;

wirelessly receiving energy from a wireless energy transmitter within the environment using the wireless energy receiver as the autonomous mobile device moves along at least a portion of the second path; and

charging the energy storage device with the transferred energy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the autonomous mobile device moves at a constant first speed along the at least a portion of the second path when operating in the second mode;

and

the autonomous mobile device moves at a constant second speed along at least a portion of the first path when operating in the first mode, and the second speed is faster than the first speed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the autonomous mobile device moves at a constant first speed along the at least a portion of the second path when operating in the second mode;

and

the autonomous mobile device moves at a constant second speed along at least a portion of the first path when operating in the first mode, and the second speed is equal to the first speed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating the autonomous mobile device to perform a task;

wherein the autonomous mobile device operates in the first mode while performing the task; and

wherein the autonomous mobile robot operates in the second mode before performing the task to ensure the charge level of the energy storage device is a high enough such that the autonomous mobile device is operable to perform at least the task.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

autonomously performing a task with the autonomous mobile device; and

delaying performance of the task to move the autonomous mobile device along the second path.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising autonomously performing a task with the autonomous mobile device at a first location, wherein the autonomous mobile device moves along the second path between the first location and a second location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile device comprises a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile device comprises a mobile robot with one or more manipulators.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the autonomous mobile device from a first route to a second route that includes the second path such that the wireless energy receiver wirelessly receives the energy from the wireless energy transmitter;

wherein a distance along the first route between a first location and a second location is less than a distance along the second route between the first location and the second location, and/or a travel time along the first route between the first location and the second location is less than a travel time along the second route between the first location and the second location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the autonomous mobile device uses more energy to move along the second route than to move along the first route.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing the autonomous mobile device from a first route to a second route that includes the second path such that the wireless energy receiver wirelessly receives the energy from the wireless energy transmitter;

wherein a distance along the first route between a first location and a second location is greater than a distance along the second route between the first location and the second location, and/or a travel time along the first route between the first location and the second location is greater than a travel time along the second route between the first location and the second location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second path is defined within an elevator.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

energizing a component of the wireless energy transmitter using a switch where the switch receives a command signal, wherein the wireless energy transmitter includes the switch;

wherein the wirelessly transferring comprises wirelessly transferring the energy from the wireless energy transmitter to the wireless energy receiver using the energized component.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating the command signal based on a second signal that is received from a proximity sensor, wherein the energy transmitter includes the proximity sensor.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a second signal from the mobile device at the energy transmitter; and

generating the command signal based on the received second signal.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising generating the command signal where a charge level of the energy storage device is below a threshold.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising de-energizing the component of the wireless energy transmitter using the switch where the switch receives a second command signal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile device is one of a plurality of autonomous mobile devices within the environment, and the method further comprise:

determining a plurality of operating parameters for a first of the autonomous mobile devices and a second of the autonomous mobile devices, the operating parameters comprising;

predicted amount of energy for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices to perform a task;

predicted amount of energy for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices to move to a location at which performance of the task will start; and

predicted charged level for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices and/or current charged level for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices;

processing the operating parameters for the first of the autonomous mobile devices and the second of the autonomous mobile devices to select which one of the first of the autonomous mobile devices and the second of the autonomous mobile devices should perform the task; and

instructing the selected one of the autonomous mobile devices to perform the task.

19. A method for operating in an environment, the method comprising:

operating an autonomous mobile robot to autonomously move along at least a first path within the environment during a first mode using a drive system, wherein the autonomous mobile robot comprises the drive system, a wireless energy receiver and an energy storage device, and wherein the autonomous mobile robot autonomously selects to operate in the first mode where a charge level of the energy storage device is above a threshold;

operating the autonomous mobile robot to autonomously move along at least a second path within the environment during a second mode using the drive system in order to charge the energy storage device while the autonomous mobile robot moves along the second path, wherein the autonomous mobile robot autonomously selects to operate in the second mode where the charge level of the energy storage device is below the threshold;

wirelessly receiving energy from a wireless energy transmitter within the environment using the wireless energy receiver as the autonomous mobile robot moves along at least a portion of the second path; and

charging the energy storage device with the transferred energy;

wherein the autonomous mobile robot moves at a first speed along the at least a portion of the second path when operating in the second mode; and

wherein the autonomous mobile robot moves at a second speed along at least a portion of the first path when operating in the first mode, and the second speed is faster than the first speed.

20. A method for operating in an environment, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of autonomous mobile devices within the environment, each of the autonomous mobile devices comprising a drive system, a wireless energy receiver and an energy storage device;

determining a plurality of operating parameters for a first of the autonomous mobile devices and a second of the autonomous mobile devices, the operating parameters comprising;

predicted amount of energy for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices to perform a task;

predicted amount of energy for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices to move to a location at which performance of the task will start; and

predicted charged level for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices and/or current charged level for each of the first and the second autonomous mobile devices;

processing the operating parameters for the first of the autonomous mobile devices and the second of the autonomous mobile devices to select which one of the first of the autonomous mobile devices and the second of the autonomous mobile devices should perform the task;

instructing the selected one of the autonomous mobile devices to perform the task;

operating one of the autonomous mobile robots to autonomously move along at least a first path within the environment during a first mode using its drive system, wherein the one of the autonomous mobile robots selects to operate in the first mode where a charge level of its energy storage device is above a threshold;

operating the one of the autonomous mobile robots to autonomously move along at least a second path within the environment during a second mode using its drive system in order to charge its energy storage device while the one of the autonomous mobile robots moves along the second path, wherein the one of the autonomous mobile robots selects to operate in the second mode where the charge level of its energy storage device is below the threshold;

wirelessly receiving energy from a wireless energy transmitter within the environment using the wireless energy receiver of the one of the autonomous mobile robots as the one of the autonomous mobile robots moves along at least a portion of the second path; and

charging the energy storage device of the one of the autonomous mobile robots with the transferred energy.