Charging assembly for an autonomous-navigation vehicle with safety monitoring

Abstract

A charging assembly (1) for autonomous vehicles, comprising: - a charging docking station (20) configured to be arranged fixedly in a working area, said charging docking station comprising a battery charger (21), a first operating safety monitor (22) configured to generate and send operating safety information, and a first wireless communication transmitter (23) configured to receive said operating safety information sent by the first safety monitor (22) and to generate and send a safety frame comprising said operating safety information; - an autonomous-navigation vehicle (10) configured to move in the working area, said vehicle (10) comprising a rechargeable electric battery (11) able to be electrically connected to the terminals of the battery charger (21), a second operating safety monitor (12) connected to the rechargeable electric battery (11), and a second wireless communication transmitter (13) configured to receive said safety frame comprising said safety information sent by the first wireless communication transmitter (23) and to transmit said safety information to the second operating safety monitor (12), said second operating safety monitor (12) being configured to process said operating safety information.

Description

CHARGING KIT FOR AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION VEHICLES WITH SAFETY CONTROL technical field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to charging assemblies for autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), and more specifically, to self-docking and charging assemblies for autonomously navigating vehicles. Previous technique

[0002] The use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) is becoming increasingly widespread in various industrial sectors. In retail warehouses, for example, picking carts are used to replenish stock or to retrieve items from the warehouse for a customer order. These vehicles move autonomously and freely in an environment without human intervention or external interference, thanks to geoguidance technologies.

[0003] Currently, autonomous vehicles are equipped with an onboard battery that is recharged at a base or docking station. To minimize human intervention for tasks such as battery recharging, autonomous vehicles are configured to determine the position of the docking station and dock there autonomously using guidance systems.

[0004] For example, vehicles are guided by wires that impose a fixed trajectory and require specific infrastructure. To avoid hindering the movement of autonomous vehicles, the wires are generally buried underground in the work area, making installation costly. If the wires are installed above ground, they can be damaged by the vehicle itself or other equipment moving within the work area. Furthermore, the wiring installation must be modified when the location of the docking stations is changed.

[0005] Another solution involves equipping docking stations with a beacon or laser beam emitter to guide autonomous vehicles. However, this technology still has many limitations.

[0006] Furthermore, in factories and warehouses, there may be operators and other vehicles in motion. In such dynamic environments, it is therefore essential to be able to control the trajectory of the autonomous vehicle to ensure its proper functioning while guaranteeing the safety of the moving operators during the The autonomous vehicle is not only performing its tasks but also moving towards the docking station to recharge its battery. Conventional docking stations lack the capability to guide autonomous vehicles and stop them if obstacles are detected in their path. Safety information is processed by separate, secure radio transmission systems, distinct from the docking station, which require their own power supply and dedicated communication mode. This results in a distributed, relatively complex, and expensive architecture, poorly suited to installations with multiple autonomous vehicles and docking stations.

[0007] This disclosure aims to address these drawbacks by proposing a new overall charging architecture for autonomous vehicles that integrates and combines location and data transmission functions for various types of information, including operational safety data, within a single physical entity. This architecture avoids multiplying infrastructure requirements, unlike conventional solutions that require separate components such as mains-connected chargers, stationary location beacons powered by, for example, an Ethernet network, and secure radio transmission systems.

[0008] Another objective of this disclosure is to propose a charging package with a reduced size and final cost. Summary

[0009] This disclosure improves the situation.

[0010] According to the first aspect of this disclosure, a charging package for autonomous vehicles is proposed, comprising: - a charging docking station configured to be permanently located in a work area, said charging docking station comprising a battery charger, a first dependability controller configured to generate and transmit dependability information, and a first wireless communication transmitter configured to receive said dependability information transmitted by the first dependability controller and to generate and transmit a safety frame comprising said dependability information; - an autonomous navigation vehicle configured to move within the work area, said vehicle comprising a rechargeable electric battery adapted to be electrically connected to the terminals of the battery charger, a second functional safety controller connected to the electric charging battery, and a second wireless communication transmitter configured to receive said safety frame comprising said safety information emitted by the first wireless communication transmitter and to transmit said safety information to the second functional safety controller, said second functional safety controller being configured to process said functional safety information.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the first wireless communication transmitter is configured to transmit positioning information from the docking station to the second wireless communication transmitter, and the vehicle further includes a navigation controller configured to calculate the location of the vehicle relative to the charging docking station in the work area from said positioning information.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the assembly comprises a plurality of charging docking stations and a plurality of autonomous vehicles, each autonomous vehicle being configured to receive positioning information from at least three of the charging docking stations in the work area in order to calculate the location of said autonomous vehicle by triangulation.

[0013] The features described in the following paragraphs may optionally be implemented, independently of each other or in combination with each other:

[0014] The first wireless communication transmitter and the second communication transmitter are wireless radio transmitters, with radio communication between the first transmitter and the second transmitter being established periodically.

[0015] The first communication transmitter is configured to encapsulate safety information from the first dependability controller in a safety frame, and the second communication transmitter is configured to decapsulate the safety frame to extract the safety information.

[0016] In one embodiment, the first wireless communication transmitter and the second wireless communication transmitter are wireless radio transmitters and receivers configured to transmit and receive information. Communication between the two transmitters is bidirectional. Thus, communication between the charging docking station and the vehicle is bidirectional.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the second wireless communication transmitter can be configured to transmit vehicle status information and vehicle location information within the work area to the first wireless communication transmitter. The vehicle status information might indicate, for example, that the engine is off and the vehicle is stationary. Vehicle status information may also indicate, for example, that the vehicle has been in an impact.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the assembly further includes an emergency stop button connected to the first functional safety controller.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the second dependability controller is configured to cut the power supply link between an electric motor and the battery to stop the vehicle's motor from dependability information from the charging docking station, or to engage a vehicle motor stop safety function from dependability information from the charging docking station.

[0020] Preferably, the assembly also includes a suitable electrical network to power said charging docking station.

[0021] From another perspective, a method for managing the charging of an autonomous vehicle in a charging system as defined above is proposed, comprising the following steps: - navigation of the autonomous mobile vehicle to a charging docking station in a work area from positioning information emitted by at least one charging docking station; - docking at the charging station to which the vehicle is associated and charging of the charging battery; - Remote shutdown of the autonomous vehicle when it receives a safety-related operational information from the charging docking station.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the autonomous vehicle comes to a stop according to the following steps: - generation of dependability information by the first dependability controller; - transmission of a reliability information from the first reliability controller to the first communication transmitter; - encapsulation of the reliability information by the first communication transmitter in a security frame; - transmission of the security frame from the first communication transmitter to the second communication transmitter; - decapsulation of the security frame by the second communication transmitter to extract the security information; - transmission of security information from the second communication transmitter to the second functional safety controller; - cutting off the electrical supply connection between an engine and the battery to stop the vehicle's engine.

[0023] Preferably, safety information is generated by an emergency stop button connected to the first operational safety controller of a charging docking station. Brief description of the drawings

[0024] Other features, details, and advantages will become apparent upon reading the detailed description below and analyzing the attached drawings, on which: Fig. 1

[0025] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 schematically represents a charging system for an autonomous vehicle according to one embodiment, comprising a charging docking station and an autonomous vehicle. Fig. 2

[0026] [Fig. 2] Figure 2 schematically represents a variant of the autonomous vehicle charging assembly of Figure 1. Fig. 3

[0027] [Fig. 3] Figure 3 schematically represents another embodiment of a charging system comprising three charging docking stations and an autonomous vehicle. Fig. 4

[0028] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 represents a recharge management process according to one embodiment. Fig. 5

[0029] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 represents a method for managing the stopping of the autonomous vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0030] Description of the implementation methods

[0031] In the different figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

[0032] For the purposes of this disclosure, the environment means, for example, a warehouse, a production plant, or any other industrial space in which a light vehicle travels.

[0033] Within the context of this disclosure, the autonomously navigating light vehicle that moves autonomously in an environment could, for example, be a material handling cart or any other rolling material handling equipment or an autonomous mobile robot.

[0034] For the purposes of this disclosure, “operational safety information” refers to a safety command that requires the vehicle to stop. This safety information is generated by a stop button located at the docking station when activated by an operator.

[0035] For the purposes of this disclosure, "positioning information" refers to a set of coordinates indicating the location of docking stations within a work area. This information is used to feed the autonomous mobile vehicle's navigation algorithms to determine the vehicle's position relative to docking stations located within the work area in which the vehicle is moving. This allows the vehicle's onboard computer to calculate a navigation trajectory to move towards a predefined docking station.

[0036] With reference to Figure 1, a charging assembly for an autonomous vehicle with motorization 1 according to one embodiment is shown.

[0037] Such a set 1 includes for example a charging docking station 20, an autonomous electric vehicle 10. This set may further include an electrical network 3 supplying the docking station 20. This set is installed in a work area, for example an article storage warehouse.

[0038] According to another embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, the charging system 1 comprises three docking stations 20 and an autonomous vehicle 10. The number of docking stations and the number of autonomous vehicles operating in the work area are not limited. Preferably, each autonomous vehicle can be associated with at least three docking stations 20. The autonomous vehicle operates in the work area and can recharge at one of the fixed docking stations by connecting electrically to the terminals of the onboard charger in the docking station.

[0039] The autonomous electric vehicle 10 generally comprises one or more wheels (not shown in Figure 1) coupled to an electric motor to provide traction or propulsion for the vehicle's movement. The wheel may be a non-directional drive wheel that moves the vehicle forward or backward in a specific direction. The main direction of travel is linked to the vehicle, with the direction of travel perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the non-directional wheels. The wheel can be a directional drive wheel. The wheel can be steered by pivoting around a vertical pivot axis to guide the vehicle along its path. Depending on the size and geometry of the vehicle, the number of wheels, and the load distribution, several drive wheel configurations can be considered to ensure the proper functioning of the drive wheel(s).

[0040] According to one embodiment, each charging docking station 20 comprises a battery charger 21 equipped with two connection terminals 25, a first functional safety controller 22, and a first wireless communication transmitter 23. The first functional safety controller is configured to generate functional safety information and to transmit this information to the first wireless communication transmitter 23. The first wireless communication transmitter 23 is configured to transmit functional safety information and positioning information of the docking station to the vehicle 10. The first transmitter 23 is configured to generate a safety frame 4 containing the received functional safety information and to transmit the safety frame containing the functional safety information to the vehicle 10.

[0041] The vehicle 10 includes a battery 11 that stores and releases the energy required for the autonomous operation of the drive system, a second safety controller 12 capable of processing safety information from the docking station to control the shutdown of the motor's power supply, and a second communication transmitter 13 configured to exchange data with the docking station. Specifically, the second transmitter 13 is configured to receive the safety frame 4, which includes safety information and positioning information, transmitted by the first transmitter 23. The safety information is then forwarded to the second safety controller 12 for processing.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the first transmitter 23 and the second transmitter can be radio transceivers configured to transmit and receive information. Thus, the first transmitter 23 can, for example, transmit information to the vehicle and receive information from the vehicle, and the second transmitter 13 can, for example, receive data from the charging docking station and transmit data to the docking station. charging. Thus, communication between the charging docking station and the vehicle is bidirectional.

[0043] In one embodiment, the vehicle further comprises a navigation controller 14 capable of processing positioning information from one or more docking stations to locate the vehicle within the work area. The positioning information is transmitted by the second transmitter 13 to the navigation controller 14.

[0044] In one embodiment, the second safety controller 12 is configured to generate vehicle status information and transmit it to the second communication transmitter 13. The navigation controller 14 is configured to calculate the vehicle's location information within the work area and transmit it to the second wireless communication transmitter 13. The second wireless communication transmitter 13 is configured to transmit this vehicle status information and location information to the first communication transmitter 23. The vehicle status information may indicate, for example, that the engine is off and the vehicle is stationary. The vehicle status information may also indicate, for example, that the vehicle has been impacted.

[0045] The vehicle's battery 11 is equipped with two terminals 15 adapted to connect to the terminals 25 of the battery charger 21 of the charging docking station 20 when the autonomous vehicle 10 is docked to the station.

[0046] In one embodiment, the battery 11 comprises rechargeable cells capable of storing and releasing the energy required for the autonomous operation of the drive system. In one embodiment, the cells comprise a Ni-MH battery. In another embodiment, the cells comprise a Li-ion battery.

[0047] Thanks to the presence of the two communication transmitters 23 and 13, a radio link 2 is periodically established between the vehicle 10 and the docking stations 20 in the work area. Preferably, each vehicle communicates with at least one station in the work area. According to another embodiment, each vehicle can communicate with all the fixed docking stations present in the work area when the range of the radio link allows.

[0048] According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the radio communication link 2 between the first communication transmitter 23 and the second communication transmitter 13 allows the transmission, on the one hand, of the positioning information of the docking stations, and on the other hand, of the operational safety. Thus, in the example of Figure 2, the transmitter 23 of the charging docking station 20 is configured to transmit positioning information of the associated station and operational safety information to the second transmitter 13 of the vehicle 10.

[0049] The dependability information is generated by the first dependability controller 22 of the charging docking station 20.

[0050] As an example and with reference to Figure 2, the docking station may further include an emergency stop button 24 connected to the inputs of the first functional safety controller 22. In case of emergency, an operator may activate the emergency stop button which sends a signal indicating the stop of the vehicle to the first functional safety controller 22 which generates a functional safety information and transmits it to the first communication transmitter 23.

[0051] To do this, the communication transmitter 23 is configured to encapsulate the functional safety information to be transmitted to the vehicle on radio communication frames 4 in order to guarantee the safety of the transmitted information.

[0052] The safety frames 4 are received by the second safety transmitter 13, which then transmits them to the second functional safety controller 12 to control the vehicle's engine. More specifically, the second transmitter 13 is configured to decapsulate the functional safety information from the transmitter before transmitting it to the second safety controller.

[0053] The second dependability controller 12 is configured to command the motor to stop, and in particular to stop the motor when safety information represents an emergency requiring the motor to stop.

[0054] Positioning information from the docking stations is processed by the navigation controller 14 and allows the autonomous vehicle to determine its position in the work area relative to the docking stations and to calculate a trajectory to move to a predefined docking station where the vehicle will recharge its battery.

[0055] The navigation controller 14 is configured to control the vehicle's navigation from docking station to docking station for charging, using location information from one or more docking stations. The navigation controller 14 is capable of determining the vehicle's position from the data transmitted by the docking stations within the work area using triangulation and calculating a trajectory for the vehicle to follow within the work area towards the associated charging docking station.

[0056] Safety information and positioning information are thus processed by two separate controllers, the second functional safety controller 12 and the navigation controller 14, both of which are integrated into the vehicle 10.

[0057] The second functional safety controller 12 is coupled to the vehicle's motor 10 and configured to control the motor. The second functional safety controller 12 is capable of cutting off the motor's power supply to eliminate torque and thus stop the vehicle.

[0058] The second dependability controller 12 is connected to the second communication transmitter 13 which receives the safety frames from the docking station.

[0059] The navigation control 14 is connected to the second communication transmitter 13 which receives positioning information from several docking stations and to the second reliability controller 12.

[0060] Enabling the charging station to provide power, transmit station positioning information, and provide security information avoids multiplying infrastructure requirements. Thanks to the specific configuration of the charging system described in this disclosure, it is possible to combine three functions: - recharging the autonomous vehicle; - geographical location of the autonomous vehicle in relation to the docking stations; - exchange of security information between the docking stations which are fixed in the work area and the autonomous vehicle.

[0061] In existing solutions, location tracking and security information are handled by separate modules. Location tracking is provided, for example, by stationary tracking beacons powered via an Ethernet network. Security information is transmitted by secure radio transmission systems that require their own power supply and a dedicated communication mode. Therefore, a large number of modules and significant infrastructure are required to support all three functions.

[0062] With reference to Figure 4, the different implementation steps of a charging process for an autonomous vehicle using the charging assembly in Figure 1 are described below.

[0063] When vehicle 10 detects that its battery charge level requires recharging or when it has completed its assigned operations, vehicle 10 moves to find a charging docking station.

[0064] In a localization step 110, the transmitter 13 installed on the autonomous vehicle 10 operating in the work area receives localization information from the transmitter 23 installed on the docking station 20. Preferably, the vehicle receives localization information from three docking stations.

[0065] Location information is transmitted by the second transmitter 13 of the vehicle to the navigation controller 14 and is processed to determine the geographical positioning of the autonomous vehicle 10 in the work area relative to the docking station 20. The navigation controller 14 determines, from the geographical positioning of the vehicle, the trajectory to be followed by the vehicle towards the docking station 20 for battery recharging.

[0066] In a docking and charging step 120, the vehicle 10 moves along the trajectory determined by the navigation controller 14, approaching the docking station 20 for docking and battery charging. The vehicle 10 moves until the terminals 15 of the battery 11 are connected to the terminals 25 of the charger 21 at the station. Charging is carried out autonomously. The circuit inside the docking station detects the connection established between the vehicle and the charger and activates charging at its terminals 25.

[0067] During a vehicle stop step 130, while the vehicle is moving towards the docking station, safety information can be generated by the first safety controller 22 of the docking station and transmitted to the autonomous vehicle. This safety information may indicate, for example, a command to stop the vehicle. In response to the safety information, the second safety controller 12 cuts off the power supply to the vehicle's electric motor or activates a safety function (e.g., STO: Safe Torque Off, SS1: Safe Stop, or SBC: Safe Brake Control) to stop the motors and bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

[0068] With reference to figure 5, a method for carrying out an emergency stop of the vehicle is described in more detail.

[0069] In step 131, an emergency stop command is triggered, for example using an emergency stop button 24 connected to a safety input of a station. The station's dependability controller 22 generates dependability information.

[0070] In step 132, the first dependability controller 22 of the station transmits dependability information to the first communication transmitter 23.

[0071] In step 133, the reliability information is encapsulated by the first communication transmitter 23 in a security frame 4.

[0072] In step 134, the security frame 4 is transmitted by the first transmitter 23 of the station to the second transmitter 13 of the vehicle.

[0073] In a step 135, the safety frame 4 is decapsulated by the second communication transmitter 13 and the dependability information is extracted from the safety frame by the second communication transmitter 13.

[0074] In step 136, the second transmitter 13 transmits the safety information to the second reliability controller 12.

[0075] In step 137, the second dependability controller 12 cuts off the electrical supply to the vehicle's engine in response to the safety information received.

[0076] Thanks to the direct integration of safety controllers on the docking stations and on the autonomous vehicle, the charging system described in this disclosure combines several functions: - the charging function of an autonomous vehicle; - the vehicle's geographic location function allowing the autonomous vehicle to determine its position relative to the stations and to navigate towards the chosen charging station; - the safety function allowing the vehicle to be stopped remotely, without the operator having to physically approach the vehicle to activate the emergency stop button located on the vehicle.

[0077] The solution proposed by this disclosure allows for optimal and secure control of workstations or production areas equipped with multiple autonomous vehicles, by providing the docking station with the ability to remotely stop the vehicle operating in a work area. Industrial application

[0078] These technical solutions can be used in various industrial application areas, such as the automotive industry, the food industry, the logistics industry, to load industrial handling equipment to transport spare parts or items between stations or work units in order to optimize the logistics flow while preserving the safety of operators.

Claims

DEMANDS

1. Charging kit (1) for autonomous vehicles comprising: - a charging docking station (20) configured to be permanently located in a work area, said charging docking station comprising a battery charger (21), a first dependability controller (22) configured to generate and transmit dependability information, and a first wireless communication transmitter (23) configured to receive said dependability information transmitted by the first dependability controller (22) and to generate and transmit a safety frame comprising said dependability information; - an autonomous navigation vehicle (10) configured to move within the work area, said vehicle (10) comprising an electric rechargeable battery (11) adapted to be electrically connected to the terminals of the battery charger (21), a second functional safety controller (12) connected to the electric charging battery (11), and a second wireless communication transmitter (13) configured to receive said safety frame comprising said safety information emitted by the first wireless communication transmitter (23) and to transmit said safety information to the second functional safety controller (12), said second functional safety controller (12) being configured to process said functional safety information.

2. Assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication transmitter (23) is configured to transmit positioning information from the docking station (20) to the second wireless communication transmitter (13), the vehicle (10) further comprising a navigation controller (14) configured to calculate the location of the vehicle relative to the charging docking station (20) in the work area from said positioning information.

3. Assembly according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of charging docking stations (20) and a plurality of autonomous vehicles (10), each autonomous vehicle (10) being configured to receive positioning information from at least three of the charging docking stations (20) in the work area in order to calculate the location of said autonomous vehicle by triangulation.

4. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first wireless communication transmitter (23) and the second communication transmitter (13) are wireless radio transmitters, radio communication between the first transmitter and the second transmitter being established periodically.

5. Assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first wireless communication transmitter (23) and the second wireless communication transmitter (13) are wireless radio transmitters and receivers configured to transmit and receive information.

6. Assembly according to claim 5, wherein the second wireless communication transmitter (13) is configured to transmit vehicle status information and vehicle location information to the first wireless communication transmitter (23).

7. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first communication transmitter (23) is configured to encapsulate the safety information from the first dependability controller (22) in a safety frame (4) and the second wireless communication transmitter (13) is configured to decapsulate the safety frame (4) to extract the safety information.

8. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an emergency stop button (24) connected to the first dependability controller (22).

9. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second dependability controller (12) is configured to cut the power supply link between an electric motor and the battery (11) to stop the vehicle motor from dependability information from the charging docking station (20), or to engage a vehicle motor stop safety function from dependability information from the charging docking station (20).

10. Assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an electrical network (3) adapted to supply said charging docking station (20).

11. A method (100) for managing the charging of an autonomous vehicle in a charging unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the following steps: - navigation of the autonomous mobile vehicle (10) to a charging docking station (20) in a work area from a positioning information emitted by at least one charging docking station (110); - docking at the charging station to which the vehicle is associated and charging of the charging battery (120); - stopping the autonomous vehicle remotely when it receives a safety-of-operation information from the charging docking station (130).

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the stopping of the autonomous vehicle (130) is produced according to the following steps: - generation of dependability information by the first dependability controller (131); - transmission of a dependability information from the first dependability controller to the first communication transmitter (132); - encapsulation of the reliability information by the first communication transmitter in a security frame (133); - transmission of the security frame from the first communication transmitter to the second communication transmitter (134); - decapsulation of the security frame by the second communication transmitter to extract the security information (135); - transmission of safety information from the second communication transmitter to the second functional safety controller (136); - cutting off the electrical supply connection between the engine and the battery to stop the vehicle's engine (137).

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the safety information is generated by an emergency stop button connected to the first functional safety controller of a charging docking station (20).

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