Charging system for legged walking robot

• US 7,525,281 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Koyanagi, Takuro, Kaneko, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US11/212,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20060043930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 320/114, 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/113, 320/115, 320/109, 320/128, 320/122, 320/121, 307/66
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

An inexpensive charging system with a simple construction can supply charging current to a battery of a legged walking robot while maintaining the supply of required current to an electric load of the legged walking robot by an external power source. The charging system includes a connection circuit having a first, a second diode, a third diode, and a circuit that brings various negative electrode and a negative input terminal of the electric load into conduction, and an output electric power controller that sets an output voltage of the external power source to be higher than a total voltage of a voltage across electrodes of the battery when the battery is fully charged and a forward voltage of the third diode, while setting a current of the external power source that can be output to be larger than a required current of the electric load.

Claims

1. A charging system for a legged walking robot for charging a battery by connecting an external power source to a legged walking robot having a battery and an electric load connected to the battery, comprising:

a connection circuit that is provided in the legged walking robot and has a first diode that brings the positive electrode of the battery and the positive input terminal of the electric load into conduction, defining the direction from the positive electrode of the battery to the electric load as a forward direction, a second diode that brings the positive electrode of the external power source and the positive input terminal of the electric load into conduction, defining the direction from the positive electrode of the external power source to the positive input terminal of the electric load as a forward direction, a third diode that brings the positive electrode of the external power source and the positive electrode of the battery into conduction, defining the direction from the positive electrode of the external power source to the positive electrode of the battery as a forward direction, and a circuit that brings the negative electrode of the external power source, the negative electrode of the battery, and the negative input terminal of the electric load into conduction; and

output electric power control means comprising a voltage sensing means for sensing the voltage across electrodes of the battery, wherein the output voltage of the external power source is set so that a total voltage of the voltage sensed by the voltage sensing means and a forward voltage of the third diode is higher than the total voltage of the voltage across electrodes of the battery when the battery is fully charged and the forward voltage of the third diode, while setting a current of the external power source that can be output to be larger than a required current of the electric load, wherein the output electric power control means comprises a CPU that sets the voltage and the current of the external power source,

wherein the electric load connected to the battery comprises a joint motor,

wherein the legged walking robot comprises a power receiving connector, the external power source comprises a power feeding connector configured to be attached to and detached from the power receiving connector, and the power feeding connector is maintained at a connecting state with the power receiving connector when the legged walking robot is maintained at a predetermined posture by an output power of the joint motor, wherein the joint motor is maintained at a power supplied state when the legged walking robot is maintained at the predetermined posture during the charging of the battery, and

wherein the connection circuit is connected to the external power source when the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are connected.

2. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 1, further comprising:

charging amount detecting means for detecting the charging amount of the battery;

a current breaker switch for cutting off a current supply path from the positive electrode of the external power source to the positive electrode of the battery through the intermediary of the third diode; and

charging control means for cutting off the current supply path from the external power source to the battery through the intermediary of the third diode by the current breaker switch when the charging amount detecting means detects that the charging amount of the battery has reached a fully charged level after the legged walking robot and the external power source are connected to begin supply of current to the battery from the external power source through the intermediary of the third diode.

3. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 2, further comprising:

current detecting means for detecting output current of the external power source; and

detaching control means for causing the legged walking robot to detach from the power feeding connector when the current detecting means detects that an output current of the external power source has decreased to a vicinity of a required current of the load after the operation of the current breaker switch is begun by the charging control means.

4. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 3, the legged walking robot being a biped walking robot, the charging system further comprising:

posture retaining means for holding the biped walking robot at a predetermined posture; and

connection detecting means for detecting whether the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are in a connected state,

wherein the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are disposed at positions such that they are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot is retained at the predetermined posture by the posture retaining means, and

the charging control means supplies current from the external power source to the connection circuit when the connection detecting means detects that the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are in the connected state.

5. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined posture is a seated posture, and the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot sits on the posture retaining means and is retained at the seated posture.

6. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined posture is a half-sitting posture, and the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot leans against the posture retaining means and is retained at the half-sitting posture.

7. The charging system of a legged walking robot according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined posture is a standing posture, and the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot leans against the posture retaining means and is retained at the standing posture.

8. A charging system for a legged walking robot for charging a battery by connecting an external power source to a legged walking robot having a battery and an electric load connected to the battery, comprising:

a connection circuit that is provided in the legged walking robot and has a first diode that brings the positive electrode of the battery and the positive input terminal of the electric load into conduction, defining the direction from the positive electrode of the battery to the electric load as a forward direction, a second diode that brings the positive electrode of the external power source and the positive input terminal of the electric load into conduction, defining the direction from the positive electrode of the external power source to the positive input terminal of the electric load as a forward direction, a third diode that brings the positive electrode of the external power source and the positive electrode of the battery into conduction, defining the direction from the positive electrode of the external power source to the positive electrode of the battery as a forward direction, and a circuit that brings the negative electrode of the external power source, the negative electrode of the battery, and the negative input terminal of the electric load into conduction;

output electric power control means comprising a voltage sensing means for sensing the voltage across electrodes of the battery, wherein the output voltage of the external power source is set so that a total voltage of the voltage sensed by the voltage sensing means and a forward voltage of the third diode is higher than the total voltage of the voltage across electrodes of the battery when the battery is fully charged and the forward voltage of the third diode, while setting a current of the external power source that can be output to be larger than a required current of the electric load, wherein the output electric power control means comprises a CPU that sets the voltage and the current of the external power source;

charging amount detecting means for detecting the charging amount of the battery;

a current breaker switch for cutting off a current supply path from the positive electrode of the external power source to the positive electrode of the battery through the intermediary of the third diode;

charging control means for cutting off the current supply path from the external power source to the battery through the intermediary of the third diode by the current breaker switch when the charging amount detecting means detects that the charging amount of the battery has reached a fully charged level after the legged walking robot and the external power source are connected to begin supply of current to the battery from the external power source through the intermediary of the third diode;

current detecting means for detecting output current of the external power source; and

detaching control means for causing the legged walking robot to detach from the power feeding connector when the current detecting means detects that an output current of the external power source has decreased to a vicinity of a required current of the load after the operation of the current breaker switch is begun by the charging control means,

wherein the electric load connected to the battery comprises a joint motor,

wherein the legged walking robot comprises a power receiving connector, the external power source comprises a power feeding connector configured to be attached to and detached from the power receiving connector, and the power feeding connector is maintained at a connecting state with the power receiving connector when the legged walking robot is maintained at a predetermined posture by an output power of the joint motor, wherein the joint motor is maintained at a power supplied state when the legged walking robot is maintained at the predetermined posture during the charging of the battery, and

wherein the connection circuit that is connected to the external power source when the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are connected.

9. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 8, the legged walking robot being a biped walking robot, the charging system further comprising:

posture retaining means for holding the biped walking robot at a predetermined posture; and

connection detecting means for detecting whether the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are in a connected state,

wherein the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are disposed at positions such that they are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot is retained at the predetermined posture by the posture retaining means, and

the charging control means supplies current from the external power source to the connection circuit when the connection detecting means detects that the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are in the connected state.

10. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined posture is a seated posture, and the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot sits on the posture retaining means and is retained at the seated posture.

11. The charging system for a legged walking robot according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined posture is a half-sitting posture, and the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot leans against the posture retaining means and is retained at the half-sitting posture.

12. The charging system of a legged walking robot according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined posture is a standing posture, and the power receiving connector and the power feeding connector are placed in the connected state when the biped walking robot leans against the posture retaining means and is retained at the standing posture.