Robotic power delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10669768-B2
Application number	US-201816146482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A system includes a door, an external electrical connection electrically coupled to a charge store, an opening assembly including a controller, an actuator, a gear, and an actuator arm. The actuator arm is mechanically coupled to the actuator and removably coupled to the door such that the actuator arm opens or closes the door upon actuation of the actuator and the external electrical connection electrically couples to a mobile robotic power delivery device that includes a battery to provide electrical power to the actuator and the controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a door;
an external electrical connection electrically coupled to a charge store; and
an opening assembly including a controller, an actuator, a gear, and an actuator arm, wherein:
the actuator arm is mechanically coupled to the actuator and removably coupled to the door such that the actuator arm opens or closes the door upon actuation of the actuator,
the external electrical connection is able to be electrically coupled to a mobile robotic power delivery device that includes a battery to provide electrical power to the actuator and the controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile robotic power delivery device electrically couples to the external electrical connection through a wireless electrical connection to apply electrical power to the charge store.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile robotic power delivery device comprises a plurality of electrical contacts that, when contacted with the external electrical connection, electrically couple the battery to the charge store.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller receives an opening signal or a closing signal and the controller causes the actuator to open or close the door in response to the opening signal or the closing signal.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the opening signal and the closing signal are generated by the mobile robotic power delivery device.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the opening signal and the closing signal are generated as a result of a user input to open or close the door.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a charge sensor for sensing a charge storage level of the charge store.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the charge store comprises sufficient electrical power for a plurality of door openings and closings.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a low charge signal when the charge sensor senses a low charge condition of the charge store.

10. A robotic power delivery system comprising:
a robot comprising:
a battery electrically coupled to an end effector that is configured to contact a receiver of an external electrical circuit;
a mobile base; and
an electronic control unit comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable memory storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the robot to:
supply an electrical charge from the battery to the receiver,
send an opening signal or a closing signal to a controller that is communicatively coupled to the receiver such that the controller causes an actuator to open or close a door based on the opening signal and the closing signal.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the end effector is coupled to a robot arm.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the robot arm comprises a plurality of electrical contacts for contacting the external electrical circuit.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the robot arm supplies the electrical charge to the receiver of the external electrical circuit via a wireless electrical connection.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the mobile base is a motorized wheel assembly.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the opening signal and the closing signal are transmitted via Bluetooth low energy.

16. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a base station for charging the battery of the robot.

17. A system for applying an electrical charge, the system comprising:
a mobile robotic power delivery device comprising a battery;
a charging station for charging the battery of the mobile robotic power delivery device; and
an external device comprising a charge store and one or more of an electrical component and an electromechanical component,
wherein the mobile robotic power delivery device receives an electrical charge from the charging station, determines a location of the external device, moves to the external device, supplies a second electrical charge to the charge store of the external device, and sends an opening signal or a closing signal to the external device.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more of the electrical component and the electromechanical component of the external device comprise one or more of an opening assembly for a storage compartment, a lock, a smoke detector, and a door.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the external device includes a receiver, the opening signal or the closing signal being sent to a controller that is communicatively coupled to the receiver such that the controller causes an actuator to open or close the opening assembly based on the opening signal or the closing signal.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the mobile robotic power delivery device is communicatively coupled with the external device such that the external device transmits a signal to the robot to request an electrical charge to the charge store.

Assignees

• Toyota Res Inst Inc

Inventors

• Amacker Matthew
• Yao Jonathan
• Custer Andrew
• Taylor Joe

Classifications

• E05Y2900/20

  for furniture, e.g. cabinets · CPC title

• H04B5/0037

  Electricity · mapped topic

• E05F15/77 Primary

  using wireless control · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title