Autonomous mobile device and wireless charging system thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12233734-B2
Application number	US-202117221164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2021
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2025
Grant date	Feb 25, 2025

Abstract

An autonomous moving device wireless charging system, including an autonomous moving device and a wireless charging station, the wireless charging station includes a wireless charging transmitting end; the autonomous moving device includes: a wireless charging receiving end, the wireless charging transmitting end wirelessly transmits a charging signal to the wireless charging receiving end to transmit electric energy; a charging battery, electrically connected to the wireless charging receiving end, to receive the electric energy transmitted from the wireless charging receiving end; a wireless charging locating module, the wireless charging locating module determines whether the autonomous moving device is at a charging location; a driving module; and a control module, connected to the wireless charging locating module and driving module, when the wireless charging locating module determines that the autonomous moving device is at the charging location, controlling the driving module, to make the autonomous moving device dock at the charging location.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An autonomous moving device wireless charging system, comprising an autonomous moving device and a wireless charging station, wherein:
the wireless charging station comprises a wireless charging transmitting end;
the autonomous moving device comprises a wireless charging receiving coil and a battery;
the wireless charging receiving coil is configured to receive a charging signal transmitted by the wireless charging transmitting end, the charging signal transmitting an electric energy and being used for generating an induced voltage or current in the wireless charging receiving coil to charge the battery;
the battery is electrically connected to the wireless charging receiving coil and is configured to receive the electric energy transmitted from the wireless charging receiving coil; and
the autonomous moving device is configured to:
determine, based on a detected intensity, at the wireless charging receiving coil, of the charging signal transmitted by the wireless charging transmitting end, satisfying a threshold, that the autonomous moving device is at a charging location; and
in response to determining that the autonomous moving device is at the charging location, dock at the charging location.

2. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous moving device is further configured to:
locate a location of the wireless charging station; and
move towards the location of the wireless charging station.

3. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the autonomous moving device wireless charging system further comprises a directing line that extends outwards from the wireless charging station, and
the autonomous moving device is further configured to:
search for the directing line, and
move along the directing line to reach the wireless charging station.

4. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 3 , wherein: the directing line is a signal line for transmitting an electromagnetic signal outwards, and the autonomous moving device is configured to search for the directing line using an electromagnetic signal sensor.

5. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 2 , wherein: the autonomous moving device is configured to locate the location of the wireless charging station using at least one of a GPS module, a Bluetooth module, a Zigbee module, or a WiFi module.

6. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein: the autonomous moving device is configured to determine that the autonomous moving device is at the charging location based further on detecting that a current or a voltage generated on a charging circuit of the battery by the charging signal reaches a predetermined value.

7. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous moving device is further configured to: determine a distance from the autonomous moving device to the charging location according to the detected intensity of the charging signal, and move towards the charging location according to the distance or a change of the distance.

8. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 7 , wherein the autonomous moving device is further configured to: when the distance is decreased to a first preset distance, reduce a moving speed of the autonomous moving device.

9. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein:
a locating element is disposed on the wireless charging station,
the autonomous moving device further comprises a locating sensor for detecting the locating element, and
when the locating sensor detects that the locating sensor and the locating element are in a preset location relationship, the autonomous moving device is configured to determine that the autonomous moving device is at the charging location.

10. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 9 , wherein: the locating element is a magnet, and the locating sensor is a magneto sensitive element.

11. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein: the autonomous moving device and the wireless charging station are both provided with an electromagnet, or one of the autonomous moving device and the wireless charging station is provided with a permanent magnet; the autonomous moving device is further configured to monitor intensity of a magnetic force between the autonomous moving device and the wireless charging station, and when the magnetic force is greater than a preset value, determine that the autonomous moving device is at the charging location.

12. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein: a shielder is disposed above the wireless charging receiving coil, an area of the shielder is greater than respective areas of the wireless charging transmitting end and the wireless charging receiving coil.

13. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , further comprising a wireless charging transfer apparatus, wherein the wireless charging transfer apparatus is in communication with the wireless charging transmitting end and the wireless charging receiving coil, and is configured to receive the charging signal sent by the wireless charging transmitting end, and transmit the charging signal to the wireless charging receiving coil.

14. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 13 , wherein: the wireless charging transfer apparatus is disposed on either of the wireless charging station and the autonomous moving device.

15. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 13 , wherein: when the autonomous moving device is located at the charging location, a distance between the wireless charging transmitting end and the wireless charging receiving coil is greater than 5 centimeters.

16. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 13 , wherein: when the autonomous moving device is located at the charging location, an area of overlap between the wireless charging transmitting end and the wireless charging receiving coil is less than 80% of an area of the wireless charging transmitting end or the wireless charging receiving coil.

17. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein: the autonomous moving device is further configured to: detect a voltage of the battery, and when the voltage of the battery is less than a preset value, return to the wireless charging station.

18. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein: at the charging location, the wireless charging transmitting end and the wireless charging receiving coil are aligned.

19. The autonomous moving device wireless charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the autonomous moving device is further configured to:
roughly locate an approximate location of the wireless charging station by a wireless locating module of the autonomous moving device, and move towards the approximate location of the wireless charging station based at least in part on the wireless locating module; and
find a directing line extended outwards from the wireless charging station by a directing line search module of the autonomous moving device, and move along the directing line to reach the wireless charging station after the directing line is f

Assignees

• Positec Power Tools Suzhou Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Fangshi
• Sun Gen
• Dong Yongming
• Zhou Chang
• Jiao Shiping
• Du Jiang

Classifications

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• G05D1/248

  generated by satellites, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G05D1/661

  Docking at a base station (delivering or retrieving payloads G05D1/667) · CPC title

• A47L9/2873

  Docking units or charging stations (for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02) · CPC title

• A47L2201/02

  Docking stations; Docking operations · CPC title