Techniques for mobile device charging using robotic devices

• US 9,711,985 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoops, Michael Brian, Schwartz, Benjamin, Johnson, Joseph Edwin, Masters, Nathan Eugene, Hasan, Shiblee Imtiaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/673,764
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 320104, 320109, 320114, 320115
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/161 Hardware, e.g. neural networks, fuzzy logic, interfaces, processor
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and/or system for providing an action with respect to a mobile device using a robotic device that tracks the user. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a request to perform an action with respect to an electronic device is received. Information may be sent to one or more robotic devices within a proximity of the electronic device. A robotic device of the one or more robotic devices may be selected to perform the action. An indication may be received from the robotic device that indicates that the user has interacted with the robotic device. Instructions may be sent to the robotic device to perform the action with respect to the electronic device. A location of the user may be tracked while charging is performed by the robotic device. The robotic device may be instructed to follow the user at a threshold distance from the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing electronic device charging, comprising:

receiving a request to charge an electronic device of a user, the request including a location of the user;

selecting, from a plurality of robotic devices within a proximity of the location of the user, a robotic device to perform a charge of the electronic device;

dispatching the robotic device to the location of the user;

receiving, from the robotic device, an indication that the user has interacted with the robotic device;

in response to receiving the indication that the user has interacted with the robotic device, instructing the robotic device to perform the charge of the electronic device; and

instructing the robotic device to follow the user at approximately a threshold distance from the user.

2. The computer-implemented method for managing electronic device charging of claim 1, wherein the location of the user is obtained from an application program executing on the electronic device, from location data associated with the electronic device, or from user-specified data included in the request to charge the electronic device.

3. The computer-implemented method for managing electronic device charging of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the location of the user while the robotic device is performing the charge of the electronic device, wherein tracking the location of the user while the robotic device is performing the charge of the electronic device comprises;

receiving sensor data from the robotic device indicating movement of the user; and

determining the threshold distance based at least in part on the sensor data and the location of the user.

4. The computer-implemented method for managing electronic device charging of claim 1, wherein the instructing the robotic device to perform the charge of the electronic device further comprises instructing the robotic device to charge the electronic device for a period of time.

5. The computer-implemented method for managing electronic device charging of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that the period of time has elapsed; and

instructing the robotic device to cease charging the electronic device.

6. An electronic device charging management system comprising:

a plurality of robotic devices, wherein each robotic device of the plurality of robotic devices includes;

a power source for charging electronic devices;

a sensor for collecting sensor data;

a user interface that enables user interaction with the robotic device;

a communication interface that communicates data via a network; and

a processing unit in communication with the power source and the user interface; and

a computing system in communication with each robotic device of the plurality of robotic devices via the network, the computing system configured to at least;

receive a request to charge an electronic device;

dispatch a robotic device of the plurality of robotic devices to a location where a user is located;

receive, via the network from the robotic device responding to the request to charge the electronic device, an indication of a user interaction with the robotic device;

receive sensor data associated with the user from the robotic device; and

send instructions that cause the robotic device to maintain a threshold distance from the user.

7. The electronic device charging management system of claim 6, wherein the each robotic device further includes an image capture component, and wherein the computing system is further configured to at least:

receive video feed data related to the user; and

track the location of the user based on the video feed data.

8. The electronic device charging management system of claim 7, wherein the each robotic device further includes one or more sensors for collecting sensor data, wherein the sensor data includes information related to an obstacle between the user and the robotic device.

9. The electronic device charging management system of claim 8, wherein the computing system is further configured to at least:

send, based at least in part on the sensor data, instructions that cause the robotic device to alter a traversal path to avoid the obstacle.

10. The electronic device charging management system of claim 6, wherein the computing system is further configured to at least:

obtain an electronic representation of an area surrounding the location of the user; and

determine instructions that cause the robotic device to maintain a threshold distance from the user based on the electronic representation of the area surrounding the location of the user.

11. The electronic device charging management system of claim 10, wherein determining the instructions that cause the robotic device to maintain the threshold distance from the user comprises:

determining a speed and a heading of the robotic device;

periodically receiving sensor data indicating navigation information of the user; and

modifying the speed or the heading of the robotic device based on the received sensor data.

12. The electronic device charging management system of claim 11, wherein modifying the speed or the heading of the robotic devices is further based on the electronic representation of the area surrounding the location of the user.

13. The electronic device charging management system of claim 6, wherein the computing system is further configured to at least:

determine a period of time to charge the electronic device;

determine that the period of time has elapsed;

send instructions to the robotic device that cause the robotic device to halt the charging of the electronic device; and

send instructions that cause the robotic device to alert the user that the charging of the electronic device is halted.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform an action with respect to an electronic device;

selecting, from a plurality of robotic devices within a proximity of a location of the electronic device, a robotic device to perform the action;

instructing the robotic device to navigate to the location of the electronic device;

receiving, from the robotic device, an indication that a user has interacted with the robotic device;

in response to receiving the indication that the user has interacted with the robotic device, instructing the robotic device to perform the action with respect to the electronic device; and

instructing the robotic device to maintain a threshold distance from the electronic device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

sending instructions to the robotic device to present the user with one or more user activity options; and

receiving information from the robotic device indicating one or more user interactions with the robotic device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving tracking information associated with the electronic device while the robotic device is performing the action; and

providing updated instructions to the robotic device to maintain the threshold distance from the electronic device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the tracking information is collected by one or more sensors located on the robotic device.

18. A robotic device for managing electronic device charging, comprising:

a power source for charging electronic devices;

one or more sensors for collecting information related to surroundings of the robotic device;

a user interface that enables user interaction with the robotic device;

a communication interface that communicates data via a network; and

a processing unit in communication with the power source, the user interface and the communication interface, the processing unit configured to at least;

receive, from a computing system that is external to the robotic device, a request to charge an electronic device at a given location;

receive, via the user interface, an indication of a user interaction with the robotic device;

in response to the indication of the user interaction, send, via the communication interface, a request to the external computing system for authorization to charge the electronic device;

receive, via the communication interface, authorization from the external computing system to charge the electronic device;

enable charging of the electronic device of the user via the power source; and

instruct the robotic device to navigate to within a threshold of the user based on the given location.

19. The robotic device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to at least:

calculate a navigational path to the electronic device based on the given location of the electronic device and a location of the robotic device; and

instruct the robotic device to travel along the calculated navigational path.

20. The robotic device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to at least:

determine that the electronic device is located at a new location;

calculate a new navigational path to the electronic device based on the new location of the electronic device; and

instruct the robotic device to execute operations that cause the robotic device to travel along the new navigation path.

21. The robotic device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to at least receive, from the one or more sensors, biometric authentication information related to the user.

22. The robotic device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to at least:

receive, from one or more additional robotic devices, first capability information related to the one or more additional robotic devices;

compare second capability information of the robotic device to the first capability information of the one or more additional robotic devices; and

determine that the robotic device is optimally suited, with respect to the one or more additional robotic devices, to charge the electronic device based on the comparison.

23. The robotic device of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further configured to at least:

receive, from the computing system, navigational information associated with the robotic device, and wherein instructing the robotic device to navigate to within the threshold of the user is based on the navigational information received from the computing system.

24. The robotic device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors for collecting information related to the surroundings of the robotic device include at least one of a laser sensor, a sonar sensor, or a video camera.