Battery and hard drive exchange station for robots

• US 9,937,621 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Dynamics, Inc. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zevenbergen, John William, Rublee, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): MANCHO, RONNIE M
• Application Number:
  US15/685,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20170368684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 700245, 700253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• 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: 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
• 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: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/50 Miscellaneous

Abstract

An example method includes receiving, by a mobile robotic device, power from a battery of a first battery pack in order to operate within an environment. The method further includes establishing a first data channel between the mobile robotic device and the first battery pack. The method also includes using the first data channel to transfer sensor data acquired by the mobile robotic device during operation to a local data storage component of the first battery pack. The method additionally includes navigating, by the mobile robotic device, to a battery exchange station to transfer the first battery pack containing the battery and the local data storage component with the sensor data to the battery exchange station. The method further includes after transferring the first battery pack to the battery exchange station, receiving a second battery pack from the battery exchange station to continue operation within the environment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a port of a battery exchange station, a battery pack from a mobile robot, the battery pack comprising a battery and a local data storage component;

establishing, by a communication interface of the port of the battery exchange station, a data channel with the battery pack;

capturing stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack through the established data channel to a data storage system of the battery exchange station wherein capturing the stored sensor data comprises erasing, by the battery exchange station, the stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack; and

while capturing the stored sensor data to the data storage system of the battery exchange station and erasing the stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack, charging the battery of the battery pack with a battery charger of the port of the battery exchange station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the battery pack to the port of the battery exchange station using a robotic arm of the battery exchange station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the battery of the battery pack has been recharged;

determining that the local data storage component of the battery pack has been emptied; and

after determining that the battery of the battery pack has been recharged and that the local data storage component of the battery pack has been emptied, transferring the battery pack to a different mobile robot located proximate to the battery exchange station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the battery pack is transferred to the different mobile robot using a robotic arm of the battery exchange station.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the communication interface of the port of the battery exchange station to communicate through a wired connection with a local control system of the battery pack.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing usage data indicative of usage histories of individual battery packs; and

based on the usage data, selecting battery packs with recharged batteries and empty local data storage components to transfer to mobile robotic devices located proximate to the battery exchange station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage system of the battery exchange station is a temporary cache, the method further comprising relaying the captured stored sensor data from the temporary cache to a remote central data storage system over a wireless channel.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a rate and future time to relay the captured stored sensor data over the wireless channel to avoid interfering with wireless network traffic from a plurality of proximate robotic devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data channel is established using a short-range wireless connection.

10. A control system for a battery exchange station, wherein the control system is configured to:

cause a port of a battery exchange station to receive a battery pack from a mobile robot, the battery pack comprising a battery and a local data storage component;

cause a communication interface of the port of the battery exchange station to establish a data channel with the battery pack;

capture stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack through the established data channel to a data storage system of the battery exchange station wherein capturing the stored sensor data comprises erasing, by the battery exchange station, the stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack; and

while capturing the stored sensor data to the data storage system of the battery exchange station and erasing the stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack, charge the battery of the battery pack with a battery charger of the port of the battery exchange station.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the control system is further configured to:

determine that the battery of the battery pack has been recharged;

determine that the local data storage component of the battery pack has been emptied; and

after determining that the battery of the battery pack has been recharged and that the local data storage component of the battery pack has been emptied, transfer the battery pack to a different mobile robot located proximate to the battery exchange station.

12. The control system of claim 10, wherein the control system is further configured to cause the communication interface of the port of the battery exchange station to communicate through a wired connection with a local control system of the battery pack.

13. The control system of claim 10, wherein the data storage system of the battery exchange station is a temporary cache, wherein the control system is further configured to relay the captured stored sensor data from the temporary cache to a remote central data storage system over a wireless channel.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the control system is further configured to determine a rate and future time to relay the captured stored sensor data over the wireless channel to avoid interfering with wireless network traffic from a plurality of proximate robotic devices.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform functions comprising:

causing a port of a battery exchange station to receive a battery pack from a mobile robot, the battery pack comprising a battery and a local data storage component;

causing a communication interface of the port of the battery exchange station to establish a data channel with the battery pack;

capturing stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack through the established data channel to a data storage system of the battery exchange station wherein capturing the stored sensor data comprises erasing, by the battery exchange station, the stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack; and

while capturing the stored sensor data to the data storage system of the battery exchange station and erasing the stored sensor data from the local data storage component of the battery pack, charging the battery of the battery pack with a battery charger of the port of the battery exchange station.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the functions further comprising:

determining that the battery of the battery pack has been recharged;

determining that the local data storage component of the battery pack has been emptied; and

after determining that the battery of the battery pack has been recharged and that the local data storage component of the battery pack has been emptied, transferring the battery pack to a different mobile robot located proximate to the battery exchange station.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, the functions further comprising:

storing usage data indicative of usage histories of individual battery packs; and

based on the usage data, selecting battery packs with recharged batteries and empty local data storage components to transfer to mobile robotic devices located proximate to the battery exchange station.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data storage system of the battery exchange station is a temporary cache, the functions further comprising relaying the captured stored sensor data from the temporary cache to a remote central data storage system over a wireless channel.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, the functions further comprising determining a rate and future time to relay the captured stored sensor data over the wireless channel to avoid interfering with wireless network traffic from a plurality of proximate robotic devices.