Field deployable docking station for mobile robots

• US 10,133,277 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Carrasco Zanini, Pablo, Outa, Ali, Abdellatif, Fadl, Parrott, Brian, Patel, Sahejad, Trigui, Hassane, Amer, Ayman, Shehri, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US16/106,407
• Time in Patent Office: 91 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320109, 320137
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/30 Constructional details of charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/00 Protection or supervision of installations arrangements for protecting foundations E02D31/00; protecting pipes from damage or internal or external wear F16L57/00, against corrosion and scale F16L58/00; investigation of the fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00
• 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: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: 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 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

A deployable docking station for supporting at least one mobile robot is provided. The deployable docking station includes a housing and an anchor connected to the housing. The anchor can engage with a surface to maintain the position of the deployable docking station. The deployable docking station is further configured to couple and decouple with the at least one mobile robot. The deployable docking station can be configured to selectively alternate between a first and second condition. In the first condition, the deployable docking station is coupled with the at least one mobile robot and the at least one mobile robot can transport the deployable docking station to a desired location on the surface. In the second condition, the deployable docking station is de-coupled from the at least one mobile robot.

Claims

1. A deployable docking station coupleable to a mobile robot to provide support services to the mobile robot and to selectively move in tandem with the mobile robot, the mobile robot being of the type that is capable of traversing a surface, the deployable docking station comprising:

a housing;

an anchor connected to the housing, wherein the deployable docking station is configured to selectively engage and disengage with the surface via the anchor;

a coupling connected to the housing and configured to selectively connect and disconnect with the mobile robot, wherein when the anchor is engaged with the surface, the coupling is disconnected from the mobile robot, and when the anchor is disengaged with the surface, the coupling is connected to the mobile robot; and

a sensor connected to the housing and configured to verify engagement of the anchor with the surface and connection of the coupling with the mobile robot, wherein confirmation by the sensor of engagement of the anchor with the surface is required before the coupling is configured to disconnect from the mobile robot.

2. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the deployable docking station further comprises a control module comprising a storage medium and a processor operatively coupled to the storage medium, the processor being configured to execute one or more software modules stored on the storage medium, wherein the control module is connected to the housing and configured to receive data from and transmit data to the mobile robot.

3. The deployable docking station of claim 2, wherein the control module is configured to selectively connect and disconnect the coupling with the mobile robot via one or more signals from the control module to the mobile robot.

4. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the support services comprise at least one resource, and wherein the deployable docking station further comprises:

a tether connected to the housing, wherein the at least one resource is provided by the tether.

5. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the support services comprise at least one resource, and wherein the deployable docking station further comprises:

an on-board supply source, wherein the at least one resource is provided by the on-board supply source.

6. The deployable docking station of claim 4, wherein the support services comprise at least one resource, and wherein the at least one resource is a consumable resource comprising at least one of power, air, pressurized air, gas, oil, fuel, paint or water.

7. The deployable docking station of claim 4, wherein the support services comprise at least one resource, and wherein the at least one resource is a nonconsumable resource comprising at least one of a communication resource or an environmental protection feature.

8. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the engagement between the anchor and the surface is at least one of magnetic adhesion, electromagnetic adhesion, vacuum adhesion, suction adhesion, electrostatic adhesion, dry adhesion, or friction-based adhesion.

9. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the anchor comprises one or more permanent magnets and the deployable docking station further comprises an adjustable mount on the anchor, and wherein positioning of the one or more permanent magnets on the anchor is adjustable.

10. The deployable docking station of claim 9, wherein the magnetic flux circuit created by the one or more permanent magnets can be short circuited via a signal from the deployable docking station to disengage the anchor from the surface.

11. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the connection between the coupling and the mobile robot is at least one of magnetic coupling, mechanical coupling, electrical coupling, or electromechanical coupling.

12. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the connection between the coupling and the mobile robot results in the transfer of power from the deployable docking station to the mobile robot.

13. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the deployable docking station further comprises an actuator connected to the housing and configured to shift the docking station vertically relative to the mobile robot to correct misalignment between the coupling and the mobile robot.

14. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein the deployable docking station is configured to emit a signal that is capable of being received by the mobile robot to assist the mobile robot in locating the deployable docking station, the signal being at least one of a visible light source, infrared light source, radio signal, or GPS signal.

15. The deployable docking station of claim 1, wherein confirmation by the sensor of connection of the coupling with the mobile robot is required before the anchor is configured to disengage from the surface.

16. A system for providing support services to one or more robots, the system comprising:

a first mobile robot having a connection mechanism and configured to traverse a surface;

a deployable docking station configured to provide support services including at least one resource to the first mobile robot when coupled thereto, wherein the deployable docking station comprises;

a housing;

an anchor connected to the housing, wherein the deployable docking station is configured to selectively engage and disengage with the surface via the anchor;

a coupling connected to the housing and configured to selectively connect and disconnect with the first mobile robot via the connection mechanism, wherein when the anchor is engaged with the surface, the coupling is disconnected from the connection mechanism of the first mobile robot, and when the anchor is disengaged with the surface, the coupling is connected to the first mobile robot via the connection mechanism; and

a sensor connected to the housing and configured to verify engagement of the anchor with the surface and connection of the coupling with the connection mechanism of the first mobile robot, wherein confirmation by the sensor of engagement of the anchor with the surface is required before the coupling is configured to disconnect from the connection mechanism of the first mobile robot; and

a control center remote from the first mobile robot and the deployable docking station and configured to receive data from and transmit data to the deployable docking station.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a second mobile robot having a connection mechanism and configured to traverse the surface, wherein the deployable docking station is further configured to selectively provide support services to the first mobile robot or the second mobile robot when coupled thereto.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one resource is a consumable resource comprising at least one of power, air, pressurized air, gas, oil, fuel, paint or water.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one resource is a nonconsumable resource comprising at least one of a communication resource or an environmental protection feature.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the anchor comprises one or more permanent magnets and, when engaged with the surface, the anchor acts as a failsafe such that the deployable docking station remains engage to the surface in the event of an unexpected power failure to the deployable docking station.