JP3319062B2 - Mobile robot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mobile robot that performs a work while moving independently using a battery as a power source, guides itself to a charger to automatically supply power, and charges from the charger. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to supply power to a battery of a mobile robot that moves without a path, an operator moves a main body to a position of a charger after the work is completed and mechanically connects a charging code. Was to do. Therefore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-54
No. 804 proposes an induction device and an induction charging device for a mobile robot using an asymmetrical alternating magnetic field. With this method, a mobile robot that can automatically charge in principle can be realized.

[0003]

However, in the control using an asymmetrical alternating magnetic field, it is difficult to generate an induced magnetic field with a weak electric power. Therefore, the magnetic field for guiding the mobile robot body is strongly transmitted. And lacked safety. Although the mobile work robot is used as an automatic device, only the charging work hinders full automation, and a reliable and safe method for automatic charging is desired.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and it is a first object of the present invention to provide a mobile robot capable of guiding a main body to a charger using a positive / negative symmetrical alternating magnetic field.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a mobile robot that switches between an induction magnetic field and a charging magnetic field, suppresses the induction magnetic field to a certain strength, and enables safe and reliable guidance.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a mobile robot having a simple configuration with a small number of control points for performing power control at one position on the charger side by feeding back the charging state to the charger side.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a mobile robot that uses infrared light as feedback means, separates current and voltage signals using shielding means, and reliably transmits a charge state without being affected by a magnetic field. Is provided.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a mobile robot that performs a switching operation of movement when guiding the main body to the charger and reliably guides the user to the charger.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a first technical means according to the present invention is to provide a battery as a power supply.
Terry, power receiving means for receiving power from the outside, and rear of the main unit
Steering and driving means of left and right independent driving wheel configuration provided in
Attitude detecting means provided at the rear left and right, and this steering and driving means
Of the vertical magnetic field detection coil and the body
And the first horizontal magnetic field detection coil arranged in the direction
Magnetic field direction detecting means, the vertical magnetic field detecting coil, and
Second horizontal magnetic field detection arranged at right angles to the forward and backward direction of the main body
And a magnetic field position detecting means comprising a coil,
The steering and driving means are controlled by the output of the magnetic field direction detecting means.
Robot body and the robot body
The first alternating magnetic field generating means to be induced and the power from outside
Composed of a charger and a power supply means for supplying to the body
It is a mobile robot .

The second technical means is that the mobile robot is charged by magnetic field position detecting means provided on the mobile robot body.
The magnetic field generated from the first alternating magnetic field generating means provided in the vessel
The position of the field is detected, and the direction of the magnetic field is detected by the magnetic field direction detecting means.
Direction, that is, in the direction of the charger,
After confirming that the main body has arrived at the
The power from the power supply means of the charger to the power receiving means of the main unit.
Power supply means as the second alternating magnetic field generating means, and the first
Magnetic field switching means driven alternately with magnetic field generating means
And a step of generating a first alternating magnetic field by the output of the magnetic field switching means.
Magnetic field intensity control means for controlling the magnetic field intensity to be constant during step driving
And the second alternating magnetic field generating means
Receives the induction power at the position facing the
The power receiving unit that is obtained by a configuration in which the robot body.

[0011] A third technical means, Te mobile robot odor according to the first technical means, the feeding means and the second alternating magnetic field generating means is switched alternately with the first alternating magnetic field generating means A magnetic field switching means for driving; and a magnetic field strength control means for controlling the magnetic field strength to be constant when the first alternating magnetic field generating means is driven by an output of the magnetic field switching means, provided in the charger, and the second alternating magnetic field generating means the power receiving means to charge the receiving and battery inductive power horizontally opposite positions with those provided in the robot body.

The fourth technical means is the second or third technical means .
Te technical means mobile robot odor by a charging state detecting means for detecting a than the charging current and the charging voltage power receiving unit,
The state of charge transfer means to feedback to the charger to the robot Tsu <br/> DOO body, provided a signal detection means for receiving a signal from the charging state transmission means to the charger, to the signal detecting means
The magnetic field strength control means controls the magnetic field strength of the second alternating magnetic field generation means.

[0013] A fifth technical means, Te mobile robot odor according to the fourth technical means, using an infrared light-emitting element to the charge state transmission means, the charging current and the infrared light pulse drive,
The charging voltage as the infrared light DC drive, a signal detecting means constituted by the infrared light receiving element, in which the charging current signal transmission path the charging voltage signal transduction pathways separated by shielding means.

A sixth technical means is a mobile robot according to any one of the first to fifth technical means.
After detecting the position of the magnetic field by the magnetic field position detecting means ,
The left and right wheels and reverse control and with the maximum speed of the left and right independently driven wheels constant depending on the relative angle of the body relative to the direction of magnetic lines of force transmitted from the first alternating magnetic field generating means of the electrodeposition vessel,
After detecting contact with the charger with one of the left and right attitude detecting means, the wheel on the side in contact with the charger is moved forward for a certain period of time, and then the reversing operation according to the relative angle of the main body with respect to the direction of the line of magnetic force is repeated. after detecting the contact between the charger on one of the posture detection means, which is provided with induction treatment means to induce body to the charger wheel on the opposite side to the contact side is backward at a constant speed in the robot body It is.

[0015]

According to the first technical means of the present invention configured as described above, the magnetic field position detecting means based on a combination of two coils provided on the main body of the mobile robot, The position, that is, the position of the magnetic field generated by the first alternating magnetic field generating means provided in the charger is detected, and similarly, the magnetic field direction detecting means using a combination of two coils detects the direction of generation of the symmetric magnetic field. Then, the body of the mobile robot is guided by the steering and driving means in the direction of the magnetic field, that is, in the direction of the external charger, and the posture detecting means confirms that the main body has reached a position facing the charger. The power is transmitted from the power supply means to the power receiving means of the main body to reliably charge the battery of the main body.

According to the second and third technical means, the power supply means of the charger is the second alternating magnetic field generating means, the power receiving means is provided in the main body, and the charging magnetic field and the induction are generated on the charger side. For this purpose, the magnetic field induced by the first alternating magnetic field generating means is switched and used, and the induced magnetic field is suppressed to a certain level by the magnetic field strength control means, thereby enabling safe and reliable guidance.

Further, according to the fourth technical means, a charging state detecting means for detecting a charging state of a voltage and a current supplied from the power receiving means of the main body to the battery, and a charging state transmitting means for feeding back to the charger side; With the magnetic field intensity control means on the charger side, electric power control is performed at one place on the charger side, so that the number of control points is reduced.

According to the fifth technical means, the charging current is fed back to the charger from the main body by the infrared light pulse driving means and the charging voltage by the infrared light DC driving means, and the voltage and current are shielded by the shielding means. In this case, the charging state is reliably transmitted without being affected by the magnetic field by using the infrared light.

Further, according to the sixth technical means, the guidance processing means is provided so that when the main body is guided to the charger, the switching operation of the movement is performed so that the guidance to the charger is reliably performed. is there.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a mobile robot according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1, 2 and 3
In the lower part of the main body 1 of the mobile robot, a steering and driving means 4 composed of steering and driving wheels 2R and 2L and motors 3R and 3L, and a rotatable caster 5 are provided. A magnetic field direction detecting means 8 comprising a first horizontal magnetic field detecting coil 6 and a vertical magnetic field detecting coil 7 arranged in the forward / rearward direction of the main body 1 is provided above the steering / drive means 4.
A magnetic field position detecting means 10 composed of a second horizontal magnetic field detecting coil 9 and a vertical magnetic field detecting coil 7 arranged at a right angle to the forward and backward moving directions is provided on a printed circuit board 11 and connected to an induction processing means 12. Have been. Reference numeral 13 denotes a power receiving unit that receives electric power from the outside, and has a coil configuration that receives a magnetic field transmitted by electric power. Reference numeral 14 denotes a charging state detecting unit that detects a charging voltage and a charging current supplied to the battery 15, and is connected to the charging state transmitting unit 16. 17R and 17L provided at the rear of the main body 1 are a pair of left and right contact switches, and constitute a posture detecting means 18 for detecting the posture of the main body 1 with respect to the charger 19 described below. Next, the charger 19 installed near the wall 20 is provided with a first alternating magnetic field generating means 21 for guiding the main body 1 and a power supply means 22 for supplying electric power to the main body 1. The first alternating magnetic field generating means 21 has
It is tilted by 5 ° and sends out the magnetic field in both vertical and horizontal directions. Also, here, the feeding means 22 is a coil,
It is configured as a second magnetic field generating means. Charger 1
Numeral 9 includes a magnetic field switching means 23, which is configured to alternately switch between the first alternating magnetic field generating means 21 and the power supply means 22, and is switched by a detection switch 24 of the main body 1 below the charger 19. 25 is a signal detecting means, 2
Reference numeral 6 denotes a magnetic field intensity control unit.

Next, the circuit configuration of the charger 19 will be described with reference to FIG. Transistors 31, 3 connected in series to power supply 30
2, a configuration for supplying power to an LC series resonance circuit composed of a coil as the first magnetic field generating means 21 and a coil as the power feeding means 22 connected in series via the capacitor 33 and the relay contact 34 I have. Note that diode 3
Numerals 5 and 36 are flywheel diodes. Charger 1
The relay coil 37 is driven by the detection switch 24 provided in the switch 9 and the relay contact 34 is switched. In the present embodiment, the magnetic field switching means 23 is constituted by this relay, and when the charger 19 and the main body 1 come into contact with each other, the detection switch 24 is turned on, and the magnetic field switching means 23 is driven so that the first magnetic field generating means 21 The coil of the LC resonance circuit is switched to the power supply means 22. The magnetic field strength control means 26 is connected to the bases of the transistors 31 and 32. The signal detection means 25 comprising an infrared light receiving element 38 for detecting a charging voltage and an infrared light receiving element 39 for detecting a charging current is connected to a magnetic field. Switching means 23 is connected.

Next, the output waveform and operation of this circuit will be described with reference to FIG. When the base voltages of the transistors 31 and 32 are alternately turned on by the magnetic field strength control means 26 as shown by SW1 and SW2 waveforms, the voltage of the first magnetic field generation means 21 becomes VL and the current becomes a sine wave like IL. A symmetric induction magnetic field is generated. At this time, the magnetic field intensity control means 26 controls to generate a weak constant output induction magnetic field. When the detection switch 24 is turned on, the circuit is switched to the power supply means 22 and, at the same time, the power to the power supply means 22 is controlled by the magnetic field strength control means 26 according to the outputs from the magnetic field switching means 23 and the signal detection means 25 as described above. .

Next, the circuit configuration of the magnetic field direction detecting means 8 and the magnetic field position detecting means 10 of the main body 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The output of the first horizontal magnetic field detection coil 6 is indicated by x, the output of the vertical magnetic field detection coil 7 is indicated by z, and the output of the second horizontal magnetic field detection coil 9 is indicated by y. From the outputs of x and z, | z−x | and | z +
The magnetic field direction detecting means 8 generates x | and outputs the output of | z−x | + | z + x |. Similarly, y and z
| Zy | and | z + y | from the output of |
The magnetic field position detecting means 10 extracts the output of + | z + y |. The amplitude of each of x, y, and z changes with the cycle of the alternating magnetic field, and z is constant regardless of the direction of the main body 1 if the distance between the main body 1 and the charger 19 is constant, and the amplitude | z | is constant. . On the other hand, the amplitude | x || y | of x and y changes depending on the direction of the main body 1.

FIG. 7 shows the output of the magnetic field direction detecting means 8. These are the outputs where the distance between the main body 1 and the charger 19 is constant and the relative angle θ between the main body 1 and the charger 19 is on the horizontal axis and the voltage output V is on the vertical axis. With | x |, the direction cannot be detected because the output is symmetrical, but | z−x | + |
In the case of z + x |, the output is different from -180 ° to + 180 °, and the direction can be detected in the entire range where the main body 1 exists. Output of magnetic field position detecting means 10 | z−y |
+ | Z + y |, so that the polarity of the output reverses at the moment when the magnetic field position detecting means 10 of the main body 1 passes through the first magnetic field generating means 21 of the charger 19, so that the charger 19 can be determined.

Next, a charging circuit of the main body 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Diode 4 connected to power receiving means 13
Rectifying smoothing is constituted by 0 and the capacitor 41. The rectified and smoothed charging voltage 42 and the reference voltage 43 are compared and amplified by an amplifier 44 to detect the charging voltage 42. Further, the charging current is converted into a voltage by the monitor resistor 45 and detected, and the amplifier 46 compares and amplifies the detected voltage to detect the charging current. The two amplifiers 44, 46, the reference voltage 43 and the monitor resistor 45 use the charge state detecting means 14.
Is composed. Further, the charging current is supplied to the battery 15 via the backflow prevention diode 47.
The output of the amplifier 44 is connected via a resistor 48 to an infrared light emitting element 49, which is the charging state transmitting means 16, and the charging current should be controlled to be always constant. It is connected to the infrared light emitting element 52 which is the charged state transmitting means 16 through the device 50 and the resistor 51. The infrared light emitting element 49 is driven by a direct current, and
0 is pulse-driven and the pulse frequency is transmitting the current value. 52 is a shielding means for separating the charging current signal transmission path and the charging voltage signal transmission path.

Next, the operation of guiding the main body 1 to the charger 19 will be described with reference to FIGS. This is a guidance processing operation performed by the guidance processing means 12 in the main body 1. When the guidance processing operation to the charger 19 starts at START, the wall 60 is activated.
(A in FIG. 10). When the position of the magnetic field from the charger 19 is detected, the vehicle enters the reverse operation while setting the left and right wheel speeds according to the relative angle θ between the main body 1 and the charger 19 (B in FIG. 10). When the contact switch 17L of the posture detecting means 18 operates (FIG. 10)
C), if the operation of the attitude detecting means 18 is the first time, the left wheel 2L is moved forward at a constant speed for a fixed time for the activated wheel. Again, the relative angle θ between the main body 1 and the charger 19
The vehicle enters the reverse operation while setting the left and right wheel speeds according to (D in FIG. 10). Contact switch 17 of posture detecting means 18
When L is actuated, the operation of the attitude detecting means 18 is the second time, so that the wheel on the side opposite to the operating side of the attitude detecting means 18 is moved backward at a constant speed, and
When the attitude detection means on the opposite side to 8 operates, the state becomes END,
The guidance operation ends (E in FIG. 10).

The trajectory of the magnetic field direction detecting means 8 in the main body 1 is indicated by an arrow in FIG.

[0028]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a mobile robot that reliably charges a battery of a main body.

Further, suppressing the constant intensity in the magnetic field intensity control means the induction magnetic field, but can provide a mobile robot to safely and reliably inducible.

Further, performs power control in the charger-side one place, but which can provide a small mobile robot of the control points.

Further, it is possible to provide a mobile robot that reliably transmits a charging state without being affected by a magnetic field .

[0032] is found are those that can provide a mobile robot to reliably perform induction into charger.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of the mobile robot.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the mobile robot.

FIG. 4 is a circuit configuration diagram of a charger in the mobile robot.

FIG. 5 is an output waveform diagram of the charger.

FIG. 6 is a circuit configuration diagram of a magnetic field detection unit in the mobile robot.

7A is an output waveform diagram of the same magnetic field detection unit. FIG. 7B is an output waveform diagram of the same magnetic field detection unit.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a charging circuit of the mobile robot.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a guidance processing operation in the mobile robot.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a guiding operation of the mobile robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 4 Steering and driving means 8 Magnetic field direction detecting means 10 Magnetic field position detecting means 13 Power receiving means 15 Battery 18 Attitude detecting means 19 Charger 21 First alternating magnetic field generating means 22 Power feeding means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Mitsuyasu Ogawa 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. In-company (72) Inventor Osamu Eguchi 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hirofumi Inui 1006 Okadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Person Yoshifumi Takagi 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture (72) Inside the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takafumi Ishibashi 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Pref. 1006 Kadoma, Ichidai-shi Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-5-23264 (JP, A) JP-A-4-54804 (JP A) (58) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ^7, DB name) G05D 1/02

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A battery as a power source, a power receiving means for receiving electric power from the outside, a steering and driving means having left and right independent driving wheels provided at a rear portion of the main body, an attitude detecting means provided at right and left rear portions of the main body, A magnetic field direction detecting means comprising a vertical magnetic field detecting coil provided on the upper part of the driving means and a first horizontal magnetic field detecting coil arranged in the forward / rearward direction of the main body;
Magnetic field position detecting means comprising the vertical magnetic field detecting coil and a second horizontal magnetic field detecting coil disposed at right angles to the forward and backward moving directions of the main body, and a steering and driving means is controlled by an output of the magnetic field direction detecting means. A mobile robot, comprising: a robot main body which is provided outside the main body; and a charger which is provided outside the main body and includes a first alternating magnetic field generating means for guiding the main body and a power supply means for supplying electric power to the main body from outside. 2. A magnetic field position detection provided on a mobile robot body.
From the first alternating magnetic field generating means provided in the charger
The position of the generated magnetic field is detected, and the
Guide the body in the direction of the magnetic field, i.
Confirmation that the main body has arrived at the position of the electric appliance with the posture detection means
Power from the power supply means of the charger to the power receiving means of the main unit.
And electrical transmission and the power supply means to the second alternating magnetic field generating means, and the magnetic field switching means for driving switching alternately a first alternating magnetic field generating means, the first alternating magnetic field generating means driven by the output of the magnetic field switching means A magnetic field strength control means for controlling the magnetic field strength to be constant at the time is provided in the charger, and a power receiving means for receiving the induction power and charging the battery at a position horizontally opposed to the second alternating magnetic field generating means is provided in the robot body. Digitized robot. <br/> 3. A magnetic field switching means, wherein the power supply means is a second alternating magnetic field generating means, and is driven by being alternately switched with the first alternating magnetic field generating means, and a first alternating magnetic field generating means based on an output of the magnetic field switching means. A magnetic field strength control means for controlling the magnetic field strength to be constant at the time of driving is provided in the charger, and a power receiving means for receiving the induction power at a position horizontally opposed to the second alternating magnetic field generating means and charging the battery is provided in the robot body. claim provided
The mobile robot according to 1 . 4. A charging current from the power receiving means and the charging state detecting means for detecting a charging voltage, a charging state transmission means to the feedback to the charger to the main body of the robot, receives a signal from the charging state transmission means provided a signal detecting means to the charger, claim 2 also controls the magnetic field intensity of the second alternating magnetic field generating means in a more magnetic field intensity control means to the signal detecting means
Is the mobile robot described in 3. 5. An infrared light emitting element is used as a charging state transmitting means, a charging current is infrared light pulse driving, a charging voltage is infrared light DC driving, and a signal detecting means is composed of an infrared light receiving element. The mobile robot according to claim 4, wherein the current signal transmission path and the charging voltage signal transmission path are separated by a shielding unit. 6. The left and right independent driving wheels according to the relative angle of the main body with respect to the direction of the line of magnetic force transmitted from the first alternating magnetic field generating means of the charger after the detection of the position of the magnetic field by the magnetic field position detecting means. The maximum speed of the left and right wheels is controlled to reverse, and after detecting contact with the charger by one of the left and right attitude detecting means, the wheel on the side contacted for a certain period of time is advanced and then the direction of the magnetic field lines is referred to. Repeat the reverse movement according to the relative angle of the main body, after detecting contact with the charger again with one of the posture detecting means, reverse the wheel on the side opposite to this contact at a constant speed and guide the main body to the charger mobile robot according to any one <br/> of claims 1 to 5 the induction treatment means provided in the robot body to be.