Rover charging system

• US 9,469,208 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Original Assignee: Symbotic, Llc
• Inventors: Dorval, Rick K., Puskarevic, Predrag, Matthews, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/209,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20140312838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/114, 320/115, 320/104, 320/109
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/66 Data transfer between charging stations and vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 characterised by data exchange
• 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 10/70 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: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A charging system for an autonomous rover includes a charging interface with contacts that interface with the autonomous rover, a rover power source for the autonomous rover, and circuitry operated by the autonomous rover for controlling charging of the rover power source.

Claims

1. A charging system for an autonomous rover, the charging system comprising:

a charging interface with contacts that interface with the autonomous rover;

a rover power source for the autonomous rover; and

circuitry operated by the autonomous rover for controlling an operational charging mode of the charging interface to effect charging of the rover power source, wherein the circuitry operated by the autonomous rover is configured to control an output of the charging interface to effect charging of the rover power source independent of a charging interface status when the autonomous rover accesses and de-accesses the contacts.

2. The charging system of claim 1, wherein an output of the charging interface is enabled when the rover accesses and de-accesses the contacts.

3. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising one or more charging stations each of which includes the charging interface and rover entry to a charging station is decoupled or independent from a charging station status.

4. The charging system of claim 1, further comprising a charging supply connected to the charging interface, the charging supply being configured to switch between one or more of a constant current output mode, a constant voltage output mode, and a constant power output mode.

5. The charging system of claim 4, wherein switching between different output modes may be effected by one or more of automatically by the charging supply and by commands received from the circuitry operated by the autonomous rover.

6. The charging system of claim 1, wherein the charging interface is disposed at a charging location and the circuitry operated by the autonomous rover is configured to cause an output of the charging interface to change between a safe and unsafe state to effect a hot swap entry and departure of the autonomous rover with respect to the charging location.

7. A charging system for an autonomous rover, the charging system comprising:

a charging interface with contacts that interface with the autonomous rover;

a rover power source for the autonomous rover; and

circuitry operated by the autonomous rover for controlling an operational charging mode of the charging interface to effect charging of the rover power source;

wherein the charging system for the autonomous rover is part of a storage and retrieval system.

8. A charging system for an autonomous rover, the charging system comprises:

a charging station having contacts configured to engage the autonomous rover;

a power source for the autonomous rover; and

circuitry operated by the autonomous rover, the circuitry being configured to cause an output of the charging station to change between a safe and unsafe state, wherein the contacts of the charging station are energized in both of the safe and unsafe states so that the autonomous rover effects a hot swap entry and departure with respect to the charging station, changed from the unsafe state to the safe state with the contacts being energized.

9. The charging system of claim 8, wherein an output of the charging station is enabled when the rover accesses and de-accesses the contacts.

10. The charging system of claim 8, wherein the charging supply is configured to switch between one or more of a constant current output mode, a constant voltage output mode, and a constant power output mode.

11. The charging system of claim 10, wherein switching between different output modes may be effected by one or more of automatically by the charging supply and by commands received from the circuitry operated by the autonomous rover.

12. A charging system for an autonomous rover, the charging system comprises:

a storage and retrieval system controller; and

a charging station with one or more charging interfaces configured to engage the autonomous rover for charging, the charging station being connected to the storage and retrieval system controller;

wherein entry to the charging station is under control of the autonomous rover and independent of the storage and retrieval system controller.

13. The charging system of claim 12, wherein an output of the charging interface is energized when the autonomous rover accesses and de-accesses the contacts.

14. The charging system of claim 12, wherein entry to the charging station is independent of communication between the autonomous rover and the system controller.