Vehicle docking and control systems for robots
First Claim
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1. A vehicle for transporting and communicating with a robot comprising:
- a vehicle body;
a robot dock mechanically coupled to the vehicle body and configured to mechanically couple the robot to the vehicle body;
a vehicle power source configured to at least one of store or generate power to propel the vehicle;
an input device configured to receive user input corresponding to a mission to be performed by the robot;
an input/output port configured to be electrically coupled to the robot; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the input/output port and the power source, and configured to;
at least partially control the vehicle power source to generate the power to propel the vehicle during movement of the vehicle,predict a mission amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the robot to complete the mission,determine a robot charging event when a current battery charge level of a robot battery of the robot is less than the mission amount of power,transfer power from the vehicle power source of the vehicle to the robot battery to cause the current power level of the robot battery to reach or exceed the mission amount of power in response to determining the robot charging event,transmit the mission to the robot via the input/output port to cause the robot to perform the mission,determine or predict a route or a route set to be traveled by the vehicle,determine or predict a route amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the vehicle power source to complete the route or the route set,determine a vehicle charging event when the route amount of power is greater than a current vehicle power level of the vehicle power source, andtransfer at least some power from the robot battery to the vehicle power source in response to determining the vehicle charging event.
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Abstract
A vehicle for transporting and communicating with a robot includes a vehicle body and a robot dock mechanically coupled to the vehicle body and configured to mechanically couple the robot to the vehicle body. The vehicle also includes an input/output port configured to be electrically coupled to the robot. The vehicle also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the input/output port and configured to transmit a signal to the robot via the input/output port to at least one of program the robot or control the robot.
18 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A vehicle for transporting and communicating with a robot comprising:
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a vehicle body; a robot dock mechanically coupled to the vehicle body and configured to mechanically couple the robot to the vehicle body; a vehicle power source configured to at least one of store or generate power to propel the vehicle; an input device configured to receive user input corresponding to a mission to be performed by the robot; an input/output port configured to be electrically coupled to the robot; and an electronic control unit (ECU) coupled to the input/output port and the power source, and configured to; at least partially control the vehicle power source to generate the power to propel the vehicle during movement of the vehicle, predict a mission amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the robot to complete the mission, determine a robot charging event when a current battery charge level of a robot battery of the robot is less than the mission amount of power, transfer power from the vehicle power source of the vehicle to the robot battery to cause the current power level of the robot battery to reach or exceed the mission amount of power in response to determining the robot charging event, transmit the mission to the robot via the input/output port to cause the robot to perform the mission, determine or predict a route or a route set to be traveled by the vehicle, determine or predict a route amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the vehicle power source to complete the route or the route set, determine a vehicle charging event when the route amount of power is greater than a current vehicle power level of the vehicle power source, and transfer at least some power from the robot battery to the vehicle power source in response to determining the vehicle charging event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A docking station for docking a robot to a vehicle comprising:
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a robot dock configured to be mechanically coupled to a vehicle body of the vehicle and to the robot; a communication port coupled to the robot dock and configured to be electrically coupled to an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, to be electrically coupled to the robot, to transmit a signal from the ECU to the robot to at least one of program the robot or control the robot, and to transmit a current battery charge level of a robot battery of the robot to the ECU of the vehicle, the ECU being configured to; predict a mission amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the robot to perform a mission, determine a robot charging event when the current battery charge level of the robot battery is less than the mission amount of power, determine or predict a route or a route set to be traveled by the vehicle, determine or predict a route amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the vehicle power source to complete the route or the route set, determine a vehicle charging event when the route amount of power is greater than a current vehicle power level of the vehicle power source, and control a vehicle power source to generate power to propel the vehicle; and a power port coupled to the robot dock and configured to be electrically coupled to a vehicle power source of the vehicle that is used to propel the vehicle, to be electrically coupled to the robot battery, and to facilitate power transfer from the vehicle power source to the robot battery in response to the robot charging event and to facilitate power transfer of at least some power from the robot battery to the vehicle power source in response to the vehicle charging event. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for controlling a robot by a vehicle comprising:
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at least partially controlling, by an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle, a power source of the vehicle to generate power to propel the vehicle during movement of the vehicle; receiving, by an input device of the vehicle, user input corresponding to a request for the robot to perform a mission; predicting, by the ECU, a mission amount of power corresponding to an amount of power to be used by the robot to complete the mission; determining, by the ECU, a robot charging event when a current robot battery charge level of a robot battery of the robot is less than or equal to the mission amount of power; controlling, by the ECU, the vehicle power source of the vehicle to transfer power to the robot battery based on the robot charging event; programming, by the ECU, the robot to perform the mission; instructing, by the ECU, the robot to begin performing the mission; determining or predicting, by the ECU, a route of the vehicle; determining or predicting, by the ECU, a route amount of power corresponding to an amount of power that the vehicle power source will use to complete the route; determining, by the ECU, a current vehicle amount of power stored in the vehicle power source of vehicle; determining, by the ECU, a vehicle charging event when the current vehicle amount of power is less than the route amount of power; and controlling, by the ECU, the robot to transfer at least some power from the robot power source to the vehicle power source in response to determining the vehicle charging event. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification