Charging control system, charging station, autonomous traveling working machine and control method for charging control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11576302-B2
Application number	US-202016797254-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Mar 22, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A charging control system includes a lawn mower that has a battery and performs a lawn mowing work while traveling autonomously, and a charging station for charging the battery. The lawn mower includes a period calculator for calculating a shutoff period of supply power supplied from the charging station, and a first communication unit. The charging station includes a second communication unit communicating with the first communication unit, an information acquisition unit for acquiring shutoff period information indicating the shutoff period from the first communication unit via the second communication unit, a switch for shutting off the supply power, and a shutoff controller for controlling the operation of the switch. The shutoff controller releases the shutoff of the power supply to the lawn mower based on the shutoff period information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A charging control system comprising:
an autonomous traveling working machine that includes a battery and performs predetermined work while traveling autonomously; and
a charging station for charging the battery,
wherein the autonomous traveling working machine comprises a period calculator for calculating a shutoff period of supply power supplied from the charging station, and a first communication unit,
the charging station comprises:
a second communication unit communicating with the first communication unit;
a first processor for acquiring period information indicating the shutoff period from the first communication unit via the second communication unit; and
a switch for shutting off the supply power, wherein the first processor is configured for controlling an operation of the switch, and

the first processor releases the shutoff of the supply power based on the period information.

2. The charging control system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous traveling working machine comprises a calculator for calculating the shutoff period based on a current time and a date and time when the predetermined work is started.

3. The charging control system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous traveling working machine comprises a charging time calculator for calculating a charging time required to complete charging of the battery based on a residual amount of the battery, and the period calculator calculates the shutoff period based on the charging time and the date and time when the predetermined work starts.

4. The charging control system according to claim 1 , wherein when the charging of the battery has been completed, the first processor shuts off the supply power.

5. The charging control system according to claim 1 , wherein when the shutoff period has elapsed, the first processor releases the shutoff of the supply power.

6. The charging control system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous traveling working machine comprises a second processor for causing the autonomous traveling working machine to transition from a normal state to a power saving state when the charging of the battery has been completed.

7. The charging control system according to claim 6 , wherein when the shutoff period has elapsed, the second processor causes the autonomous traveling working machine to transition from the power saving state to the normal state.

8. The charging control system according to claim 6 , wherein the autonomous traveling working machine comprises an internal power supply circuit for generating operating power for the autonomous traveling working machine based on power stored in the battery, and the second processor shuts off power supply from the battery to the internal power supply circuit when the charging of the battery has been completed.

9. The charging control system according to claim 8 , wherein the charging control system is configured to be capable of supplying power from the charging station to the internal power supply circuit, and during a period when the supply of power from the battery is shut off, when supply of power from the charging station to the internal power supply circuit is started, the internal power supply circuit generates power for operating the second processor with the power supplied from the charging station.

10. A charging station for charging a battery of an autonomous traveling working machine for performing predetermined work while autonomously traveling, the charging station comprising:
a processor for acquiring, from the autonomous traveling working machine and by communicating with the autonomous traveling working machine, period information indicating a shutoff period of supply power supplied to the autonomous traveling working machine; and
a switch for shutting off the supply power, wherein the processor is configured for controller an operation of the switch, wherein the processor releases the shutoff of the supply power based on the period information.

11. An autonomous traveling working machine that includes a battery and performs predetermined work while traveling autonomously, the autonomous traveling working machine comprising:
a period calculator for calculating a shutoff period of supply power supplied from a charging station; and
a transmitter for transmitting period information defining the shutoff period to the charging station, wherein the charging station receives the period information and releases the shutoff of the supply power based on the period information.

12. A control method of a charging control system including an autonomous traveling working machine that has a battery and performs predetermined work while traveling autonomously, and a charging station for charging the battery, the control method comprising:
calculating a shutoff period of supply power supplied from the charging station, by the autonomous traveling working machine;
transmitting period information indicating the shutoff period to the charging station, by the autonomous traveling working machine,
receiving the period information to acquire the period information, by the charging station;
shutting off the supply power by the charging station; and
releasing the shutoff of the supply power based on the period information by the charging station.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawakami Toshiaki
• Sotome Atsushi
• Inoue Toshio
• Shiiyama Takumi

Classifications

• A01D34/008 Primary

  for automated or remotely controlled operation · CPC title

• A01D34/58

  electric · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• B60L53/305 Primary

  Communication interfaces · CPC title

• Y02T10/7072

  Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors · CPC title