Charging device and charging system for mobile robot

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a charging device and a charging system for a mobile robot are provided. The charging device comprises: at least one battery compartment adapted to receive a battery to be charged respectively; a smart charger coupled to the at least one battery compartment and configured to acquire battery parameters of the battery and charge the battery according to the battery parameters; and a first microcontroller coupled to the smart charger and configured to designate a charging compartment for the mobile robot from the at least one battery compartment according to charging reservation information acquired from the mobile robot to charge the battery of the mobile robot. The charging device according to embodiments of the present disclosure supports reservation, optimizes battery replacement; prolongs battery life through temperature control and fine charge-discharge management; integrates safety monitoring and remote data reporting to ensure safety and improve operational efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of mobile robots, and particularly to charging devices and charging systems for mobile robots. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of mobile robots in logistics, services, and manufacturing, the management and maintenance of batteries, their core power source, are particularly important. This not only affects the robot's endurance and operational efficiency but also directly impacts operating costs. Charging cabinets, as devices integrating charging and storage functions, provide robots with a convenient and rapid way to replenish energy, thus possessing significant advantages in robot applications and being increasingly widely adopted. However, many charging cabinets on the market today, especially some early designs intended for electric bicycles, have relatively basic and simple functions. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a charging device for a mobile robot is provided. The charging device includes: at least one battery compartment adapted to receive batteries to be charged; a smart charger coupled to the at least one battery compartment and configured to acquire battery parameters and charge the batteries according to the battery parameters; and a first microcontroller coupled to the smart charger and configured to designate a charging compartment from the at least one battery compartment for the mobile robot to charge the mobile robot's batteries based on charging reservation information obtained from the mobile robot.

[0004] In some embodiments, the charging device further includes: at least one door, respectively coupled to at least one battery compartment to close at least one battery compartment, and including a door lock, wherein the first microcontroller is further configured to lock the door lock of the designated charging compartment according to charging reservation information, and to allow the door to be opened when the mobile robot that issued the charging reservation information arrives near the charging device.

[0005] In some embodiments, the charging device further includes: a temperature sensor coupled to a first microcontroller and configured to acquire temperature information of at least one charging compartment and feed it back to the first microcontroller; and a temperature control device coupled to the first microcontroller and configured to adjust the temperature of at least one battery compartment according to a temperature adjustment command fed back by the first microcontroller.

[0006] In some embodiments, the temperature control device includes at least one of a heating element and a cooling element.

[0007] In some embodiments, the charging device further includes: a fire sensor coupled to a first microcontroller and configured to acquire at least one of smoke information and chemical information in at least one battery compartment and transmit it to the first microcontroller, wherein the first microcontroller is further configured to control the opening and closing of a fire switch based at least on the information acquired by the fire sensor.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first microcontroller is further configured to: acquire loading information regarding whether a battery is loaded in at least one battery compartment and parameter information of the loaded battery; acquire environmental information of at least the battery compartment containing the battery, the environmental information including at least one of temperature information, smoke information, and chemical information; and transmit the loading information, parameter information, and environmental information to a server.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first microcontroller is further configured to obtain a charging instruction from the server; determine whether there is an alarm message for the battery based on the parameter information; and, in response to the absence of the alarm message for the battery, charge the battery based on the charging instruction.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first microcontroller is further configured to: obtain a discharge command from a server to discharge the battery, wherein the discharge command is issued by the server in response to determining that the battery has been in the battery compartment for a period of time exceeding a predetermined threshold; control the temperature of the battery at a predetermined temperature threshold based on a temperature control command from the server; stop discharging the battery based on a stop discharge command from the server; and charge the battery to a second charge threshold based on a charging command from the server.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first microcontroller is further configured to: determine the communication status with the server; transmit loading information, parameter information, and environmental information to the server in response to determining that the communication status indicates that the first microcontroller and the server have established communication; and use default parameters to control the smart charger to charge or discharge the battery in response to determining that the communication status indicates that the first microcontroller and the server have not established communication.

[0012] In some embodiments, the smart charger includes: a battery-side interface circuit adapted to acquire parameter information about the battery during battery charging; a second microcontroller coupled to the battery-side interface circuit and adapted to acquire the parameter information; and an external-side interface circuit coupled to the second microcontroller and configured to transmit the parameter information to at least one of a server and a first microprocessor.

[0013] In some embodiments, the smart charger further includes: a charging circuit coupled to a second microcontroller and a power supply, and including a buck-boost circuit and a charging power switch, wherein the second microcontroller is configured to: obtain charging instructions for the battery from a first microcontroller or a server; and adjust the voltage and current values ​​output by the buck-boost circuit and / or control the charging power switch to turn the charging circuit on or off based on the charging instructions and parameter information.

[0014] In some embodiments, the smart charger further includes: a discharge circuit including a charge-to-discharge power switch coupled to a buck-boost circuit; and a discharge power switch coupled to a second microcontroller, the charge-to-discharge power switch, and the battery, wherein the discharge power switch is coupled to a load, and wherein the second microcontroller is further configured to: control the opening and closing of the charge-to-discharge power switch and the discharge power switch according to a discharge command from a first microcontroller or a server, so as to discharge the load using the power source or battery indicated in the discharge command.

[0015] The charging device according to embodiments of this disclosure facilitates user (mobile robot) use by supporting remote reservation, automatic bay allocation, and access control through bay door management. This avoids wasted trips searching for available bays or batteries, significantly improving battery swapping efficiency and the continuity of robot operations. Secondly, the device's active environmental temperature monitoring and control capabilities, along with the intelligent charger's refined charging / discharging strategy based on real-time battery parameters, effectively prevent damage to the battery caused by overcharging, over-discharging, and operation at unsuitable temperatures, ensuring charging safety and significantly extending battery life. Furthermore, the active power management function for long-term stored batteries effectively maintains battery activity, further enhancing the utilization and value of battery assets. In addition, the integrated fire sensing and response mechanism improves the safety of device operation. Finally, comprehensive information collection and remote transmission capabilities enable managers to accurately grasp the status of the equipment and batteries, providing strong data support for optimized operation, predictive maintenance, and refined management.

[0016] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a charging system for a mobile robot is provided. The charging system includes: a charging device according to the first aspect above; and a server, at least a first microcontroller coupled to the charging device, and configured to: acquire from the first microcontroller at least one of the following regarding loading information of at least one battery compartment of the charging device: whether a battery is loaded, parameter information of the loaded battery, and environmental information of the battery compartment containing the battery; and transmit at least one of the acquired loading information, parameter information, and environmental information to a remote device for querying via the remote device.

[0017] In some embodiments, the server is further configured to: determine a charging strategy based on the parameter information; determine a charging instruction based on the charging strategy; and transmit the charging instruction to the first microcontroller of the charging device.

[0018] In some embodiments, the server is further configured to: transmit a discharge command to a first microcontroller to discharge the battery in response to determining that the battery has been in the battery compartment for a period of time exceeding a predetermined threshold; send a temperature control command to the first microcontroller based on the acquired environmental information to control the temperature of the battery at a predetermined temperature threshold; transmit a stop discharge command to the first microcontroller to stop discharging the battery in response to the battery having a charge level below a first charge level; and transmit a charging command to the first microcontroller to charge the battery to a second charge level.

[0019] In some embodiments, the server is also configured to adjust the battery dwell time in the battery compartment to zero in response to determining that charging has reached a second power threshold.

[0020] It should be understood that the content described in this content section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0022] Figure 1 A simplified schematic diagram of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0023] Figure 2 A simplified schematic diagram of the battery compartment of a charging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0024] Figure 3 A simplified schematic diagram of a smart charger according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0026] It should be noted that the headings of any section / subsection provided herein are not limiting. Various embodiments are described throughout this document, and embodiments of any type may be included under any section / subsection. Furthermore, embodiments described in any section / subsection may be combined in any way with any other embodiments described in the same section / subsection and / or different sections / subsections.

[0027] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below. The terms "first", "second", etc., may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0028] As briefly mentioned earlier, mobile robots are increasingly used in warehousing, logistics, and service industries, and their battery life directly affects operational efficiency. Traditional charging methods may suffer from low charging efficiency, inconvenient battery management, and an inability to meet the high-frequency operation requirements of robots. Providing robots with efficient, intelligent, and safe charging solutions is an important direction for current technological development.

[0029] Traditional charging cabinets often lack intelligent management capabilities. For example, they typically do not support users (robots) remotely checking availability or reserving charging bays, causing robots to potentially spend extra time searching for available resources or face queuing. Furthermore, they generally cannot proactively acquire and process detailed battery parameters (such as voltage, temperature, and health status) and real-time operating status, making it difficult to optimize charging based on specific battery conditions. They also lack the ability to fine-tune battery power management, especially during long-term storage where improper charging or storage conditions can affect battery life. Therefore, existing technologies are significantly insufficient in meeting the needs of modern robots for efficient, intelligent, and safe charging and battery management.

[0030] Embodiments of this disclosure provide a charging device 100 and a charging system for a mobile robot to solve, or at least partially solve, the aforementioned problems or other potential problems existing in conventional charging devices 100 or charging systems. Generally, the charging device 100 according to embodiments of this disclosure includes at least one battery compartment 101, a smart charger 102, and a microcontroller (hereinafter referred to as a first microcontroller 103). The charging device 100 mentioned herein may refer to the charging cabinet or battery swapping cabinet mentioned above. The battery compartment 101 is sized and has an interface suitable for stably accommodating batteries 201 used by the mobile robot. These battery compartments 101 are the basic units for charging and storing the batteries 201. The charging device 100 also includes a smart charger 102, which is coupled to the battery compartment 101, for example, providing charging power to the batteries 201 placed within the compartment via internal wiring. The core function of the smart charger 102 is that it is configured to actively acquire battery parameters of the connected battery 201, such as voltage, current, temperature, and remaining power, and perform the charging process for the battery 201 based on these real-time parameters and the received control commands, rather than simply charging in a fixed mode.

[0031] Furthermore, the first microcontroller 103 of the charging device 100 is the central management core of the entire charging device 100. It is coupled with the smart charger 102, and can send instructions to the smart charger 102 and receive its feedback information. The first microcontroller 103 has processing power and a communication interface, enabling it to communicate with external devices (e.g., server 120). Through the server 120, the first microcontroller 103 can obtain charging reservation information from the mobile robot that needs charging services.

[0032] Specifically, after receiving the charging reservation information from the mobile robot, the first microcontroller 103, based on the current status of each battery compartment 101 inside the charging device 100 (e.g., whether it is idle, whether there is a fully charged battery 201), and the reservation request, designates a specific charging compartment for the particular mobile robot from at least one battery compartment 101 included in the device. This designation can be either allocating an empty compartment for the robot to place the battery 201 to be charged, or designating a compartment that already contains a fully charged battery 201 for the robot to directly access. Through the intelligent scheduling and designation by the first microcontroller 103, the orderly allocation of charging resources can be achieved, improving the utilization efficiency of the charging device 100 and the continuity of robot operations, and solving the problem that traditional charging cabinets cannot make reservations or intelligently allocate compartments.

[0033] In some embodiments, to further enhance the security and convenience of management, the charging device 100 also includes at least one compartment door. Each compartment door is coupled to a corresponding battery compartment 101 and is used to close the battery compartment 101 when the battery 201 is not being operated, thereby protecting the internal battery 201 and maintaining the internal environment. These compartment doors are typically equipped with an electronically controlled locking mechanism (e.g., a compartment door lock 104), the state of which is controlled by a first microcontroller 103.

[0034] The first microcontroller 103 can be coupled to the compartment door control system, thereby not only specifying the charging compartment according to the charging reservation information, but also locking the compartment door of the specified charging compartment. This locking state ensures that only the specific mobile robot that issued the reservation information has the right to access the compartment, effectively preventing the battery 201 from being taken away or occupied by unauthorized persons.

[0035] For example, when the mobile robot that made the reservation actually arrives near the charging device 100, it needs to be authenticated. This can be achieved through near-field communication technologies (such as NFC, Bluetooth) or by having the charging device 100 recognize the unique identifier carried by the robot. After successfully verifying the robot's identity, the first microcontroller 103 will issue a command to unlock the corresponding compartment door, allowing the door to open. This access control mechanism based on reservation and verification ensures the validity of the reservation, guarantees that the user (robot) can smoothly use its reserved resources, optimizes the experience of the entire battery swapping process, and also enhances the security of the charging device 100 and its internal battery 201 assets.

[0036] When a depleted mobile robot battery is inserted into an empty battery compartment 101 of the charging device, the charging process begins. First, the first microcontroller 103 detects the insertion of battery 201 (acquiring insertion information). Next, the first microcontroller 103 communicates with the smart charger 102 (specifically, its internal second microcontroller) and the battery's own BMS system (if a communication interface exists) to obtain detailed battery parameter information about the newly inserted battery. This information should at least include the battery type (to determine an appropriate charging strategy), current voltage, state of charge (SOC), and critical cell temperature. After obtaining this necessary battery parameter information, the first microcontroller 103 reports this information, along with the battery's location information, to an external device (i.e., a host computer or server) via the communication network.

[0037] After receiving battery information, the external device generates a corresponding charging command based on a preset user charging strategy (e.g., full charge, charging to a specific percentage, or using a specific charging curve) or the system default strategy. This charging command is then sent to the first microcontroller 103 of the charging device via the network. This command may include specific requirements such as charging target and maximum current limit. Upon receiving this charging command from the external device, the first microcontroller 103 does not execute it immediately but first performs a series of critical safety checks.

[0038] Before charging officially begins, the first microcontroller 103 (or the second microcontroller 1023 instructed by it) will determine the battery status based on the battery parameter information just acquired, checking for any alarm messages indicating that immediate charging is not suitable. Common alarm situations include low battery voltage, low cell temperature, or high cell temperature. If the check results show that the battery status is normal and there are no alarm messages hindering charging, then the first microcontroller 103 will send a command to the smart charger 102 (specifically the second microcontroller 1023) to control its internal charging circuit (boost-buck circuit and charging power switch) to begin charging the battery.

[0039] However, if a battery alarm is detected, the corresponding alarm handling procedure must be executed first, and charging can only begin after the alarm status is cleared. The specific alarm handling procedure is as follows.

[0040] Voltage alarm handling: If the battery voltage is detected to be too low (below the safe charging lower limit), directly charging with a large current may damage the battery. At this time, the first microcontroller 103 will instruct the smart charger 102 to execute a low-voltage, low-current pre-charging program, which slowly charges the battery with a gentle, controlled small current to help the battery cell restore its voltage to a safe range.

[0041] Low Temperature Alarm Handling: If the cell temperature is detected to be too low (below the minimum allowable charging temperature), low-temperature charging will seriously affect battery life and even cause safety issues. The first microcontroller 103 will first instruct the temperature control device to activate the heating element (charging compartment heating unit) to heat the battery compartment environment. Simultaneously, if it is determined that the battery currently has sufficient remaining charge (with ample capacity), the first microcontroller 103 can also attempt to send a command to activate the battery's own heating function (if the battery has this function) to accelerate the temperature rise process. Charging will only begin once the battery temperature has risen to a suitable charging range. If the battery charge is insufficient to support self-heating, heating will rely solely on the charging compartment heating unit.

[0042] High Temperature Alarm Handling: If the battery cell temperature is detected to be too high (exceeding the maximum allowable charging temperature), high-temperature charging also poses a safety risk. In this case, the first microcontroller 103 will instruct the temperature control device to activate cooling components (such as the ventilation system or fan in the charging compartment) to forcibly dissipate heat from the battery and lower its temperature. The charging process must wait until the battery temperature drops to a safe range before it can begin.

[0043] Once the alarm has been processed (if necessary) and the battery is in a suitable condition, the charging process officially begins. Throughout the charging process, the first microcontroller 103 (via the smart charger 102) continuously monitors various battery parameters (such as voltage, current, temperature, and charge level) and reports the status information to external devices in real time or periodically. The charging process strictly follows the instructions from the external device or the preset charging strategy.

[0044] When the first microcontroller 103 detects that the battery has been charged to a suitable target level (e.g., reaching the target SOC set in the external device command, or determining that it is fully charged based on the charging curve), it actively sends a command to the smart charger 102 (second microcontroller 1023) to stop charging. Upon receiving the command, the smart charger 102 disconnects the charging power switch, terminating the charging process. Simultaneously, the first microcontroller 103 reports the charging completion status information to the external device. This closed-loop monitoring and termination mechanism ensures that the battery is neither overcharged nor fails to accurately reach the expected charging target.

[0045] The performance and lifespan of the lithium battery 201 are highly sensitive to ambient temperature; excessively high or low temperatures can affect its charging efficiency and safety. Therefore, in some embodiments, the charging device 100 according to this disclosure integrates an ambient temperature monitoring and regulation system. Specifically, in some embodiments, the charging device 100 according to this disclosure is equipped with a temperature sensor 105, which is coupled to a first microcontroller 103. The temperature sensor 105 functions to acquire real-time temperature information inside or near at least one charging compartment. By reading the data from the temperature sensor 105, the first microcontroller 103 can accurately determine the ambient temperature of the battery 201.

[0046] Based on the acquired temperature information, the first microcontroller 103 can execute an intelligent temperature management strategy. In some embodiments, the charging device 100 further includes a temperature control device 106, which is also coupled to the first microcontroller 103 and configured to operate according to temperature adjustment commands issued by the first microcontroller 103. In some embodiments, the temperature control device 106 may include at least one or more of a heating element 1061 (e.g., a resistance heating element, hot air circulation, etc.) and a cooling element 1062 (e.g., a cooling fan, a thermoelectric cooler, a ventilation system, etc.).

[0047] When the first microcontroller 103 determines, based on data from the temperature sensor 105, that the temperature of the battery compartment 101 is below a preset suitable charging or storage threshold (e.g., in a cold environment), it sends a command to the temperature control device 106 to activate the heating element 1061 to heat the battery compartment 101. Conversely, when the temperature is determined to be too high (e.g., during high-power charging or in hot environments), the cooling element 1062 is activated to dissipate heat. This proactive environmental temperature management capability ensures that the battery 201 is always charged and stored under the most suitable temperature conditions, thereby maximizing charging efficiency, avoiding irreversible damage to the battery 201 caused by extreme temperatures, and significantly extending the battery 201's lifespan.

[0048] The charging process of battery 201 poses certain safety risks, especially the possibility of extreme situations such as thermal runaway. In some embodiments, to enhance safety, the charging device 100 according to this disclosure also incorporates a fire safety monitoring function. A fire sensor is configured in the device and coupled to a first microcontroller 103. This fire sensor is configured to acquire specific environmental information inside the battery compartment 101, including at least one of smoke information and / or chemical information (e.g., specific gases generated by electrolyte leakage).

[0049] The fire sensor continuously monitors the environmental conditions of its battery compartment 101. Once it detects excessive smoke concentration or the presence of specific chemicals, it immediately transmits this information to the first microcontroller 103. Upon receiving such an early warning signal, the first microcontroller 103 can react quickly, for example, by immediately cutting off the charging power 202 of the battery compartment 101, activating the built-in alarm device (audible and visual alarm), or triggering the fire extinguishing device (such as an automatic dry powder fire extinguisher) connected to the fire switch 107 in the compartment for early intervention.

[0050] By integrating fire sensors and linking them with the first microcontroller 103, the charging device 100 possesses the capability for early detection and response to potential fire risks. This significantly improves the operational safety of the charging device 100, protecting the device itself, the internal battery 201, and the surrounding environment.

[0051] The first microcontroller 103 is not only the control core but also the information hub of the entire charging device 100. In some embodiments, the first microcontroller 103 is configured to perform comprehensive information acquisition tasks. First, it needs to acquire loading information about whether at least one battery compartment 101 (preferably all battery compartments 101) within the device is loaded with batteries 201, that is, to determine whether the compartment is idle or occupied. Second, for compartments with loaded batteries 201, the first microcontroller 103 needs to acquire detailed parameter information of the battery 201, which is typically achieved by communicating with the smart charger 102 (which in turn communicates with the battery 201). The parameters may include battery 201 ID, voltage, current, state of charge (SOC), state of health (SOH), cell temperature, etc.

[0052] In addition, the first microcontroller 103 also needs to collect environmental information about the battery compartment 101 it manages. This environmental information includes at least one or more of the following: temperature information provided by the temperature sensor 105, smoke information provided by the fire sensor, and / or chemical information. The first microcontroller 103 collects this information from various sources periodically or on an event-triggered basis.

[0053] After data acquisition, the first microcontroller 103 will then transmit the loading information, battery parameter information, and environmental information to an external device via the device's communication interface (such as Ethernet, CAN, RS485, etc.). This external device is typically the background management server 120 mentioned earlier or a designated host computer. By uploading this real-time and comprehensive status information, remote administrators can accurately understand the status of each charging device 100 and its internal battery 201, providing necessary data support for remote monitoring, fault diagnosis, data analysis, and optimized scheduling.

[0054] To achieve more refined management of the battery 201, and particularly to address the issue of lifespan degradation caused by prolonged storage of the lithium battery 201 in high or low charge states, the first microcontroller 103 is configured to respond to and execute a series of management commands from an external device (e.g., server 120). For example, in some embodiments, when the external device determines, based on background data, that a battery 201 has remained in the battery compartment 101 for more than a predetermined threshold (e.g., one month), it sends a discharge command to the first microcontroller 103 to discharge the battery 201.

[0055] During the execution of the discharge command, to ensure the safety of battery 201, the external device can send a temperature control command to the first microcontroller 103 based on the real-time uploaded temperature information of battery 201. Based on this command, the first microcontroller 103 controls the temperature control device 106 (heating or cooling element 1062) to maintain the temperature of battery 201 within a predetermined safe temperature threshold range. The discharge process continues until the battery charge of 201 decreases to a first charge threshold specified by the external device or preset (e.g., 20%).

[0056] When the battery 201's charge level falls below a first charge threshold, the external device sends a stop-discharge command to the first microcontroller 103 to stop discharging the battery 201. The first microcontroller 103 then controls the smart charger 102 to stop the discharge process. Subsequently, to adjust the battery 201 to a charge state more suitable for long-term storage, the external device sends a charging command to the first microcontroller 103, instructing it to control the smart charger 102 to charge the battery 201 until its charge level reaches a preset second charge threshold (e.g., a value between 30% and 80%, such as 80%). This series of discharge, temperature control, parking, and charging operations initiated by the external device and executed by the first microcontroller 103 constitutes a complete process for actively managing and activating the long-term storage battery 201, effectively extending its lifespan. Of course, it should be noted that the first microcontroller 103 can also perform the above process based on its own charging and discharging commands.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first microcontroller 103 is also configured to determine its communication status with the external device. It periodically checks or confirms, through mechanisms such as heartbeats, whether the communication link is successfully established and maintained. When the first microcontroller 103 determines that the communication status indicates successful communication with the external device, it executes a normal reporting process, transmitting the collected loading information, battery parameter information, and environmental information to the external device according to a predetermined protocol and frequency. Simultaneously, it also normally receives and processes various control commands (such as charging, discharging, and temperature control) from the external device.

[0058] However, in practical applications, network failures may lead to communication interruptions. In such cases, if the first microcontroller 103 determines that the communication status indicates that communication with the external device has not been established (or communication has been lost), it is configured to use locally preset default parameters to control the smart charger 102 to charge or discharge the battery 201 in order to ensure that the basic functions of the charging device 100 are not affected. For example, it can charge the inserted battery 201 according to a standard, safe charging curve, or perform a basic discharge operation when certain locally defined simple conditions are detected. This fault-tolerant mechanism improves the robustness of the system, maintaining basic charging services even in the event of loss of remote management.

[0059] As a key component for performing charging and discharging tasks, the intelligent charger 102's internal structure reflects the requirements of intelligent design. In some embodiments, the intelligent charger 102 may include a battery-side interface circuit 1021, a second microcontroller 1023, and an external-side interface circuit 1022. The battery-side interface circuit 1021 is a channel for physically connecting the battery 201 and performing power transmission and information exchange. It is designed to obtain detailed parameter information about the connected battery 201 during the charging (or discharging) process, such as voltage, current, temperature, and SOC, through communication with the battery 201's own BMS (Battery Management System).

[0060] The second microcontroller 1023 of the smart charger 102 is coupled to the battery-side interface circuit 1021, and one of its main responsibilities is to acquire battery parameter information collected by the battery-side interface circuit 1021. The second microcontroller 1023 (which may be a programmable controller such as an MCU, DSP, or FPGA) has data processing capabilities and can parse and perform preliminary processing on the original battery parameters.

[0061] The external interface circuit 1022 of the smart charger 102 is coupled to the second microcontroller 1023 and configured to transmit the battery parameter information acquired and processed by the second microcontroller 1023 to an external device. Here, the "external device" can refer to the first microcontroller 103 of the charging device 100, or it can be directly connected to the server 120 or other host computer depending on the system architecture design. Through this structure, the smart charger 102 not only performs charging and discharging but also functions as a smart node capable of independently collecting battery 201 information and communicating externally.

[0062] One of the core functions of the smart charger 102 is precise control of the charging process. To this end, it includes a charging circuit coupled to a second microcontroller 1023 and an external power supply 202. Key components of this charging circuit include a buck-boost DC / DC converter 1024 and at least one charging power switch 1025. The buck-boost converter 1024 adjusts the voltage input from the external power supply 202 as needed to match the voltage required by the battery 201 at different charging stages, achieving wide-range voltage input adaptation and precise output control. The charging power switch 1025 controls the opening and closing of the charging current path.

[0063] During charging, the second microcontroller 1023 is configured to receive charging instructions for a specific battery 201 from the first microcontroller 103 or an external device (e.g., server 120). This instruction may include information such as the target charge level, charging mode, and maximum current / voltage limits. Based on the received charging instructions and combined with battery parameter information (such as current voltage and temperature) obtained in real-time from the battery-side interface circuit 1021, the second microcontroller 1023 dynamically adjusts the voltage and current values ​​output by the buck-boost circuit 1024 and / or controls the on / off state of the charging power switch 1025. For example, it can automatically switch between constant current charging, constant voltage charging, and trickle charging stages, and adjust the charging rate according to the battery 201 temperature to ensure safety. This closed-loop control method based on instructions and real-time feedback enables intelligent and precise charging of the battery 201, effectively improving charging efficiency and protecting the battery 201.

[0064] In addition to its charging function, the smart charger 102 disclosed herein also possesses controlled discharge capability, which is very useful for battery 201 maintenance (such as long-term storage management) and energy management. Specifically, in some embodiments, the smart charger 102 may further include a discharge circuit. The main components of this discharge circuit include a charge-to-discharge power switch 1026 coupled to the output of the buck-boost circuit 1024; and a discharge power switch 1027 coupled to the second microcontroller 1023, the charge-to-discharge power switch 1026, and the battery 201. Furthermore, the discharge power switch 1027 is also coupled to an external load 203.

[0065] The second microcontroller 1023 is also responsible for controlling the discharge process. It is configured to control the on / off states of the charge-to-discharge power switch 1026 and the discharge power switch 1027 according to discharge commands from the first microcontroller 103 or an external device. Flexible discharge path selection can be achieved through different combinations of control of these two switches.

[0066] In some embodiments, the discharge command may indicate the source and destination of the discharge energy. The second microcontroller 1023, according to the command, can control the circuit to discharge the load 203 using the external power supply 202 or the battery 201. For example, if the command requires discharging the battery 201 for maintenance, the control switch causes current to flow from the battery 201, through the discharge power switch 1027, to the load 203 (the load 203 may be a built-in energy-dissipating resistor, or the heating unit, fan unit, etc. mentioned above). If the command requires using the external power supply 202 to power a load 203 (such as a heater), the control switch causes current to flow from the external power supply 202, adjusted by the buck-boost circuit 1024, through the charge-to-discharge switch and the discharge power switch 1027, to the load 203. This flexible discharge control capability greatly expands the application scenarios of the smart charger 102.

[0067] This disclosure relates not only to the charging device 100 itself, but also to a charging system for a mobile robot. The charging system generally includes the charging device 100 described above. This means that the system possesses all the functional characteristics of the intelligent charging device 100, such as intelligent charging, reservation management, environmental control, safety protection, information collection, and advanced battery management capabilities.

[0068] The charging system also includes the server 120 mentioned above. The server 120 is coupled to at least the first microcontroller 103 of the charging device 100, typically communicating via a network (such as Ethernet, wireless network, etc.). The server 120 acts as the central backend of the system, managing one or more charging devices 100.

[0069] One of the core functions of server 120 is to acquire information from the first microcontroller 103 of the charging device 100 to which it is connected. This information includes at least one of the following: loading information regarding whether a battery 201 is loaded in at least one battery compartment 101 within the charging device 100; parameter information of the loaded battery 201; and environmental information of the battery compartment 101 containing the battery 201. Server 120 aggregates data from each charging device 100 to form a global view. Furthermore, server 120 is configured to send this acquired information (or processed and analyzed information) to remote devices, such as an operation and maintenance management platform, a robot scheduling system, or a user's mobile app, so that relevant parties can query and monitor the status of the charging device 100 and the battery 201 remotely.

[0070] The role of server 120 in the charging system goes far beyond information collection and forwarding; it also undertakes decision-making and instruction issuance functions for executing advanced intelligent management strategies. In some embodiments, server 120 is configured to proactively transmit a series of control instructions to the first microcontroller 103 of charging device 100 based on the data it collects and analyzes, in order to achieve more optimized battery 201 management and device operation.

[0071] For example, as mentioned above, server 120 continuously tracks the residence time of battery 201 in a specific battery compartment 101. When it is determined that the residence time of a battery 201 exceeds a preset threshold (such as one month), server 120 will actively transmit a discharge command to the first microcontroller 103 to discharge the battery 201, thereby initiating a long-term storage maintenance process. During the maintenance process, based on environmental information obtained from the first microcontroller 103 (especially the temperature of battery 201), server 120 can send a temperature control command to the first microcontroller 103 to control the temperature control device 106, ensuring that battery 201 is within a suitable temperature range during discharge or subsequent charging.

[0072] In addition, server 120 manages the process nodes of maintenance discharge and charging. When server 120 detects that the battery 201 undergoing discharge maintenance has a charge level below a preset first charge threshold, it transmits a stop discharge command to first microcontroller 103 to stop discharging the battery 201. Then, server 120 transmits a charging command to first microcontroller 103 to charge the battery 201 to a preset second charge threshold suitable for long-term storage. These commands, proactively issued by server 120 based on time and status judgments, demonstrate the system-level intelligent battery 201 management capability, helping to prevent battery 201 performance degradation due to improper storage.

[0073] As a closed-loop step in the long-term storage battery 201 management process, server 120 is also configured to perform a specific data update operation. In some embodiments, when server 120 determines that a maintenance charge of a battery 201 (i.e., the aforementioned process of charging to a second charge threshold) has been completed, it adjusts the residence time record of that battery 201 in the battery compartment 101 to zero. This operation has clear management significance. Resetting the residence time to zero signifies that the battery 201 has just completed a full storage maintenance cycle, its condition is relatively good, and a new round of storage time calculation can begin. This helps server 120 accurately track the maintenance status and storage duration of each battery 201 in the background.

[0074] This dwell time reset action may also affect subsequent resource scheduling. For example, when the robot requests a replacement of battery 201, the server 120 or the first microcontroller 103 may give higher priority to batteries 201 with "zero dwell time" or shorter dwell times (i.e., batteries 201 that have just undergone maintenance) when selecting recommended or allocated batteries 201. The benefit of doing so is that batteries 201 with updated status and maintained activity are used preferentially, further improving the utilization efficiency of battery 201 resources and the robot's user experience.

[0075] Various implementations of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or improvements to technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A charging device (100) for a mobile robot, comprising: At least one battery compartment (101) is adapted to receive a battery (201) to be charged; A smart charger (102) is coupled to the at least one battery compartment (101) and configured to acquire battery parameters of the battery (201) and charge the battery (201) according to the battery parameters; as well as A first microcontroller (103) is coupled to the smart charger (102) and configured to designate a charging compartment from the at least one battery compartment (101) for the mobile robot to charge the battery (201) of the mobile robot based on charging reservation information obtained from the mobile robot.

2. The charging device (100) according to claim 1 further includes: At least one door, coupled to each of the at least one battery compartment (101), is provided to close the at least one battery compartment (101), and includes a door lock (104). The first microcontroller (103) is also configured to lock the door lock (104) of the designated charging compartment according to the charging reservation information, and to allow the door lock to be opened when the mobile robot that issued the charging reservation information arrives near the charging device (100).

3. The charging device (100) according to claim 1 further includes: A temperature sensor (105), coupled to the first microcontroller (103), is configured to acquire temperature information of the at least one charging compartment and feed it back to the first microcontroller (103); and A temperature control device (106) is coupled to the first microcontroller (103) and configured to adjust the temperature of the at least one battery compartment (101) according to a temperature adjustment command fed back by the first microcontroller (103).

4. The charging device (100) according to claim 3, wherein the temperature control device (106) includes at least one of a heating element (1061) and a cooling element (1062).

5. The charging device (100) according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising: A fire sensor, coupled to the first microcontroller (103), is configured to acquire at least one of smoke information and chemical information in the at least one battery compartment (101) and transmit it to the first microcontroller (103). The first microcontroller (103) is also configured to control the opening and closing of the fire switch (107) based at least on information acquired by the fire sensor.

6. The charging device (100) according to claim 5, wherein the first microcontroller (103) is further configured to: Obtain loading information about whether a battery (201) is loaded in the at least one battery compartment (101) and parameter information of the loaded battery (201); At least environmental information of the battery compartment (101) containing the battery (201) is obtained, the environmental information including at least one of temperature information, smoke information, and chemical information; and The loading information, the parameter information, and the environment information are transmitted to the server (120).

7. The charging device (100) according to claim 6, wherein the first microcontroller is further configured to: Obtain a charging command from the server (120); Based on the parameter information, determine whether the battery has an alarm message; and In response to the absence of the alarm information in the battery, the battery is charged based on the charging command.

8. The charging device (100) according to claim 6, wherein the first microcontroller is further configured to: Obtain a discharge command from the server (120) to discharge the battery (201), wherein the discharge command is issued by the server (120) in response to determining that the battery (201) has been in the battery compartment (101) for a period of time exceeding a predetermined threshold; Based on the temperature control command from the server (120), the temperature control device (106) controls the temperature of the battery (201) at a predetermined temperature threshold. Based on the stop discharge command from the server (120), the discharge of the battery (201) is stopped; as well as The battery (201) is charged to a second power threshold based on a charging instruction from the server (120).

9. The charging device (100) according to any one of claims 1-4 and 6-8, wherein the first microcontroller (103) is further configured to: Determine the communication status with the server (120); In response to determining that the communication status indicates that the first microcontroller (103) and the server (120) have established communication, the loading information, the parameter information, and the environment information are transmitted to the server (120); and In response to determining that the communication status indicates that the first microcontroller (103) and the server (120) have not established communication, the default parameters are used to control the smart charger (102) to charge or discharge the battery (201).

10. The charging device (100) according to any one of claims 1-4 and 6-8, wherein the smart charger (102) comprises: A battery-side interface circuit (1021) is adapted to acquire parameter information about the battery (201) when the battery (201) is being charged; A second microcontroller (1023) is coupled to the battery-side interface circuit and is adapted to acquire the parameter information; as well as An external interface circuit (1022) is coupled to the second microcontroller (1023) and is configured to transmit the parameter information to at least one of the server (120) and the first microprocessor.

11. The charging device (100) according to claim 10, wherein the smart charger (102) further comprises: The charging circuit, coupled to the second microcontroller (1023) and the power supply (202), includes a buck-boost circuit (1024) and a charging power switch (1025). The second microcontroller (1023) is configured as follows: Obtain charging instructions for the battery (201) from the first microcontroller (103) or the server (120); and Based on the charging command and the parameter information, adjust the voltage and current values ​​output by the buck-boost circuit (1024) and / or control the charging power switch (1025) to turn the charging circuit on or off.

12. The charging device (100) according to claim 11, wherein the smart charger (102) further comprises: The discharge circuit includes a charge-to-discharge power switch (1026) coupled to the buck-boost circuit (1024); and a discharge power switch (1027) coupled to the second microcontroller (1023), the charge-to-discharge power switch (1026), and the battery (201), and the discharge power switch (1027) coupled to the load (203), and The second microcontroller (1023) is further configured as follows: According to the discharge command from the first microcontroller (103) or the server (120), the charging-to-discharging power switch (1026) and the discharge power switch (1027) are controlled to turn on and off, so as to discharge the load (203) using the power source (202) or the battery (201) indicated in the discharge command.

13. A charging system for a mobile robot, comprising: The charging device (100) according to any one of claims 1-12; as well as A server (120), at least coupled to a first microcontroller (103) of the charging device (100), and configured to: The first microcontroller (103) obtains at least one of the following: loading information of at least one battery compartment (101) of the charging device (100) regarding whether a battery (201) is loaded, parameter information of the loaded battery (201), and environmental information of the battery compartment (101) containing the battery (201); as well as At least one of the acquired loading information, parameter information, and environmental information is sent to a remote device so that it can be queried through the remote device.

14. The charging system according to claim 13, wherein the server (120) is further configured to: The charging strategy is determined based on the parameter information; The charging command is determined based on the charging strategy; and The charging command is transmitted to the first microcontroller (103) of the charging device.

15. The charging system according to claim 13, wherein the server (120) is further configured to: In response to determining that the residence time of the battery (201) in the battery compartment (101) exceeds a predetermined threshold, a discharge command to discharge the battery (201) is transmitted to the first microcontroller (103); Based on the acquired environmental information, the first microcontroller (103) sends a temperature control command to the temperature control device (106) so that the temperature control device (106) controls the temperature of the battery (201) at a predetermined temperature threshold. In response to the battery (201) having a charge level below a first charge threshold, a stop discharge command is transmitted to the first microcontroller (103) to stop discharging the battery (201); and A charging command is transmitted to the first microcontroller (103) to charge the battery (201) to charge the battery (201) to a second power threshold.

16. The charging system according to claim 14, wherein the server (120) is further configured to: In response to determining that the charging has reached a second power threshold, the residence time of the battery (201) in the battery compartment (101) is adjusted to zero.

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