Signaling device and system for increasing visibility of a mobile robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12361847-B2
Application number	US-202217574126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2022
Priority date	May 11, 2017
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A signaling device for increasing visibility of a mobile robot. The signaling device comprises (a) a base section, attached with a rotational joint to a side of the mobile robot, said rotational joint allowing the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise relative to the mobile robot, the rotational joint constructed and adapted to return the device to an equilibrium position; and (b) a body section comprising a mast, the body section flexibly attached to the base section at a lower extreme of the body section.

First claim

We claim:

1. A device configured with a mobile robot comprising:
(a) a base section, attached with a rotational joint to a side of the mobile robot, said rotational joint allowing the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise relative to the mobile robot, the rotational joint constructed and adapted to passively return the device to an equilibrium position; and
(b) a body section comprising a mast, the body section flexibly attached to the base section at a lower extreme of the body section.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rotational joint allows the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise with respect to an axis perpendicular to a surface of the rotational joint between the device and the mobile robot.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
(c) a signaling section at an upper portion of the body section, wherein the signaling section comprises at least one display area.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein at least one of the signaling section and the body section of the device further comprises at least one light emitting device (LED) and/or at least one high-intensity LED.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one light emitting device comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in a linear manner forming a line and/or array of LEDs.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one light emitting device is configured to create a plurality of light patterns to signal respective messages for each light pattern.

7. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one display area has a projected surface of at least 90 cm 2.

8. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one display area has a projected surface of at least 150 cm 2 , more preferably 200 cm 2 , even more preferably at least 300 cm 2 , most preferably around 360 cm 2.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the base section comprises a flexible component configured to bend when an external force acts on the device when the device is attached to the mobile robot.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the flexible component comprises a spring configured to bend when the device is under influence of an external force when the device is attached to the mobile robot, and wherein the spring has a spring constant of 5 to 20 N/mm, preferably of 10 to 15 N/mm.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the rotational joint comprises a second spring, configured to guide rotation of the device, and wherein the second spring is further configured to return the device to said equilibrium position.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the second spring comprises a torsion coefficient of 5 to 20 N mm/degree.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the body section comprises an elongated member and wherein the elongated member comprises a length of 10 to 130 cm, and a diameter of 5 to 12 mm, and wherein the elongated member comprises at least one telescoping section, said telescoping section electrically driven and fixable in height.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the body section further comprises reflective coating and at least one light emitting device.

15. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile robot has a height of 20-100 cm, and wherein the device has a height of between 100 and 250 cm.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the mast has a length of 10 cm to 130 cm.

17. A system for increasing visibility of a mobile robot, the system comprising:
a device attached to a side of the mobile robot with a rotational joint, wherein the rotational joint allows the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise relative to a side of the mobile robot, the rotational joint configured to passively return the device to an equilibrium position.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the rotational joint allows the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise with respect to an axis perpendicular to the side of the rotational joint between the device and the mobile robot.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the device further comprises a power source and/or control circuitry configured to at least one of (i) supplying at least one light-emitting device with power, and/or (ii) controlling the at least one light-emitting device, wherein the mobile robot comprises a power and/or control circuitry and wherein the power source and/or control circuitry of the device is fully integrated with the power and/or control circuitry of the mobile robot.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the device comprises a flexible component.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the rotational joint comprises a spring, configured to guide rotation of the device, and wherein the spring is further configured to return the device to said equilibrium position.

22. The device of claim 17 , wherein while in said equilibrium position, the device is positioned upright or substantially upright, thereby increasing the height of the device.

23. A device in combination with a mobile robot, the device comprising:
(a) a base section attached to an upper front portion of a side of the mobile robot with respect to forward motion of the mobile robot, said base section allowing the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise relative to the mobile robot, the base section constructed and adapted to passively return the device to an equilibrium position;
(b) a body section comprising a mast, the body section flexibly attached to the base section at a lower extreme of the body section; and
(c) a signaling section on or atop an upper extreme of the body section;
(d) wherein the base section is wider than the body section; and
(e) wherein the mast is wider at the lower extreme than at the upper extreme.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the base section is attached via a rotational joint to a side of the mobile robot, said rotational joint allowing the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise with respect to the mobile robot, the rotational joint configured to return the device to an equilibrium position.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the rotational joint allows the device to rotate clockwise and/or anticlockwise with respect to an axis perpendicular to a surface of the rotational joint between the device and the mobile robot.

26. The device of claim 23 , wherein the signaling section comprises (i) at least one display area; and/or (ii) a plurality of light-emitting devices.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the at least one display area comprises a plurality of display areas.

28. The device of claim 23 , wherein the base section comprises a flexible component configured to bend when an external force acts on the device when the device is attached to the mobile robot.

29. The device of claim 28 , wherein the flexible component comprises a spring configured to bend when the device is under influence of an external force when the device is attached to the mobile robot, and wherein the spring has a spring constant of 5 to 20 N/mm, preferably of 10 to 15 N/mm.

30. The device of claim 1 , wherein while in said equilibrium position, the device is positioned upright or substantially upright, thereby increasing the height of the device.

31. The device of claim 23 , wherein the base section comprises a spring, configured to guide rotation of the device, and wherein the spring is further configured to return the device to said equilibrium position.

Assignees

• Starship Tech Oue

Inventors

• Liivik Märt
• Macks Andrew
• Zimmermann Markus
• Viilup Siim
• Järve Markus
• Liivik Tiit
• Seppänen Mikko
• Mäkelä Antti

Classifications

• B60Q1/507

  specific to autonomous vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/503

  using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text · CPC title

• B60Q1/0491

  Shock absorbing devices therefor · CPC title

• G09F21/04

  by land vehicles · CPC title

• G09F2017/0075

  Flags on vehicles · CPC title