Power reception system, robot, power reception method and program

Abstract

To provide a power reception system, a robot, a power reception method and a program, which can suitably maintain a charged state even in a device which consumes power other than charging of a battery.SOLUTION: A power reception system includes: a power reception part; a battery 24; and a control part. The power reception part receives power from a power supply device for transmitting power corresponding to power consumption of a robot of a power supply object and power required for charging from a power supply device. The battery 24 is incorporated in the robot and is charged by power received by the power reception part. The control part controls the robot, sets to an energy saving mode of the robot when a charging amount of the battery 24 is determined to be less than a prescribed charging amount, cancels setting of the energy saving mode when the charging amount of the battery 24 is determined to be equal or greater than the prescribed charging amount and controls the robot to receive power equal to or more than standard power consumption corresponding to the energy saving mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power receiving system, a robot, a power receiving method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a contactless charging device including a resonant circuit and a rectifier circuit. This contactless charging device includes a charge / discharge control circuit and a voltage monitoring circuit between the rectifier circuit and the battery. When the battery is fully charged, the contactless charging device changes the impedance of the resonant circuit, and changes the resonant circuit from a first power receiving state, which is an optimal power receiving state, to a second power receiving state, which is a significantly lower power receiving state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-212043 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the non-contact charging device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the battery is fully charged, the power receiving state is changed to a second power receiving state in which the power receiving state is significantly lowered. At this time, in the device equipped with the non-contact charging device, if power consumption other than for charging the battery temporarily increases, the power received non-contactly becomes insufficient, and the power charged in the battery is consumed, so there is a risk that the charging state cannot be maintained favorably.

[0005] The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a power receiving system, robot, power receiving method, and program that can maintain a favorable charged state even in devices that consume power for purposes other than battery charging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the power receiving system according to the present invention comprises: a power receiving unit that receives power from a power supplying device that transmits power according to the power consumption of the target robot and the power required for charging; a battery that is built into the robot and is charged by the power received by the power receiving means; A control unit for controlling the robot; Equipped with the control unit sets an energy saving mode of the robot when it determines that the charge amount of the battery is less than a predetermined charge amount, and on the other hand, when it determines that the charge amount of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined charge amount, cancels the energy saving mode and controls the robot to receive power equal to or greater than a reference power consumption corresponding to the energy saving mode. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, even in a device that consumes power for purposes other than battery charging, the charged state can be maintained in an appropriate manner. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an overall configuration of a power receiving system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a housing of a robot according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a state in which power is supplied to a robot from a power supply device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a power supply device and a robot according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control module in the power supply device according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control module in the robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 8]4 is a flowchart showing a flow of a charging process according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0010] 1 shows a schematic configuration of a power receiving system 1 according to an embodiment. The power receiving system 1 includes a power supply device 10 and a robot 20. The power receiving system 1 is a system in which the robot 20 to be supplied with power receives power from the power supply device 10 via a non-contact power supply. The non-contact power supply, also called wireless power supply, is a technology for supplying power from a power supplying device to a power receiving device without connecting a cable or contacting metal electrodes.

[0011] Here, the contactless power supply is a control method that adjusts the transmission power to match the power of the receiving side, and when the charging state is close to full charge, the transmission power from the power supply device 10 is reduced. Therefore, if the robot 20 moves significantly during charging, there is a risk that the transmission power from the power supply device 10 will be interrupted.

[0012] The robot 20 is a device that operates autonomously without direct operation by a user. The robot 20 is a pet robot that imitates a small animal. The robot 20 has an exterior 201 that is equipped with decorative parts that imitate eyes and fluffy fur.

[0013] 2 and 3, the robot 20 includes a housing 207. The housing 207 is covered by the exterior 201 and is stored inside the exterior 201. The housing 207 includes a head 204, a connecting portion 205, and a body portion 206. The connecting portion 205 connects the head 204 and the body portion 206 together.

[0014] Exterior 201 is an example of an exterior member, and has a bag-like shape that is long in the front-rear direction and capable of housing 207 inside. Exterior 201 is formed in a cylindrical shape from head 204 to body 206, and integrally covers body 206 and head 204. With exterior 201 of such a shape, robot 20 is formed in a prone shape.

[0015] The outer surface of exterior 201 is made of artificial pile fabric that imitates the fur of a small animal in order to simulate the feel of the skin of a small animal. The lining of exterior 201 is made of synthetic fiber, natural fiber, natural leather, artificial leather, a synthetic resin sheet material, a rubber sheet material, or the like. Since exterior 201 is made of such a flexible material, it follows the movement of housing 207. Specifically, exterior 201 follows the rotation of head 204 relative to body 206.

[0016] The body 206 extends in the front-rear direction, and contacts a placement surface such as a floor or a table on which the robot 20 is placed via the exterior 201. The body 206 has a twist motor 221 at its front end. The head 204 is connected to the front end of the body 206 via a connection part 205. The connection part 205 has an up-down motor 222. Note that, although the twist motor 221 is provided in the body 206 in FIG. 2, it may be provided in the connection part 205. The twist motor 221 and the up-down motor 222 connect the head 204 to the body 206 so as to be rotatable about axes in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the robot 20. The body 206 is an example of a robot main body, and the head 204 is an example of a movable part.

[0017] As the XYZ coordinate axes, the X-axis and Y-axis are set in a horizontal plane, and the Z-axis is set in the vertical direction. The positive direction of the Z-axis corresponds to the vertical upward direction. For ease of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that the robot 20 is placed on the placement surface with the left-right direction (width direction) of the robot 20 being the X-axis direction, and the front-rear direction of the robot 20 being the Y-axis direction.

[0018] The connecting part 205 connects the body part 206 and the head 204 to be rotatable about a first rotation axis that passes through the connecting part 205 and extends in the front-rear direction (Y direction) of the body part 206. The twist motor 221 rotates the head 204 clockwise (right-handed) within a forward rotation angle range (forward rotation) and counterclockwise (left-handed) within a reverse rotation angle range (reverse rotation) relative to the body part 206.

[0019] Additionally, the connecting portion 205 connects the body portion 206 and the head portion 204 to be rotatable about a second rotation axis that passes through the connecting portion 205 and extends in the left-right direction (width direction, X direction) of the body portion 206. The up-down motor 222 rotates the head portion 204 upward within a forward rotation angle range (forward rotation) and rotates it downward within a reverse rotation angle range (reverse rotation).

[0020] 2 and 3, the robot 20 is provided with touch sensors 211 on the head 204 and the torso 206. The touch sensors 211 enable the robot 20 to detect when the user strokes or hits the head 204 or the torso 206.

[0021] The robot 20 includes an acceleration sensor 212, a microphone 213, a gyro sensor 214, an illuminance sensor 215, and a speaker 231 on the torso 206. The robot 20 can detect a change in the posture of the robot 20 itself by the acceleration sensor 212 and the gyro sensor 214, and can also detect that the robot 20 has been lifted up, turned around, or thrown by a user. The robot 20 can detect the illuminance around the robot 20 by the illuminance sensor 215. The robot 20 can detect external sounds by the microphone 213. The robot 20 can emit sounds by the speaker 231.

[0022] At least a portion of the acceleration sensor 212, microphone 213, gyro sensor 214, illuminance sensor 215 and speaker 231 may be provided in the head 204, not limited to the torso 206, or in both the torso 206 and the head 204.

[0023] Returning to FIG. 1 , the power supply device 10 is a device for supplying power to the robot 20 by non-contact power supply (wireless power supply). The power supply device 10 functions as a charging station for charging the robot 20. The power supply device 10 includes an alarm unit 16 on the outside of a side wall. The power supply device 10 receives power from a commercial power source via an AC (Alternate Current) adapter 17.

[0024] The power supply device 10 is installed at an appropriate location so that the robot 20 can autonomously move to the power supply device 10. When the charge level of the battery of the robot 20 falls below a lower limit or when a predetermined timing arrives, the robot 20 moves to the power supply device 10 to charge the battery.

[0025] 4, the power supply device 10 includes a base 18 that is a mounting portion for mounting the robot 20. When the robot 20 is mounted on the base 18, the power supply device 10 has a bowl-like shape with side walls surrounding the robot 20.

[0026] A power transmission coil is provided inside the base 18. When the robot 20 is placed on the base 18, the power supply device 10 can wirelessly charge the battery using a known method such as electromagnetic induction, magnetic field resonance, or electric field coupling. The following describes the electromagnetic induction method as an example.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the power supply device 10 includes a transmission module 11, a transmission antenna 12, a current sensor 13, a switch 14, a thermistor 15, a notification unit 16, and a control module 100.

[0028] The transmitting module 11 receives power supplied from the AC adapter 17 and supplies it to the transmitting antenna 12. The transmitting module 11 includes a conversion circuit and the like that converts the power supplied from the AC adapter 17 into power to be supplied to the transmitting antenna 12. The conversion circuit boosts the voltage value of the power supplied from the AC adapter 17 to a predetermined voltage value and converts it into an AC current of a predetermined frequency. The transmitting module 11 supplies the AC current converted by the conversion circuit to the transmitting antenna 12.

[0029] The transmitting antenna 12 includes a power transmission coil for transmitting power to the robot 20. The power transmission coil is formed by winding a conductor in a spiral shape inside the base 18. In the transmitting antenna 12, AC power supplied from the transmitting module 11 flows through the power transmission coil, thereby generating an induced magnetic flux. The transmitting antenna 12 transmits power to the robot 20 by the induced magnetic flux generated in the power transmission coil.

[0030] The transmitting module 11 and the transmitting antenna 12 are collectively referred to as a “power supply unit.” The power supply unit is an example of a power supplying means that supplies power to the robot 20 in a non-contact manner.

[0031] The current sensor 13 is installed between the AC adapter 17 and the transmission module 11, and measures the current flowing between the AC adapter 17 and the transmission module 11. The current sensor 13 supplies the control module 100 with the measured current value.

[0032] The switch 14 includes, for example, a field effect transistor (FET). The switch 14 switches between supplying and cutting off (ON and OFF) the power supplied from the AC adapter 17 to the transmission module 11 in accordance with a switching signal transmitted from the control module 100.

[0033] The thermistor 15 is installed in the transmitting antenna 12 and measures the temperature of the transmitting antenna 12. The thermistor 15 supplies the measured temperature to the control module 100.

[0034] The notification unit 16 is an example of a notification means that provides notification according to the state of the power supply device 10. Specifically, the notification unit 16 includes three LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) of red, green, and blue as indicator lights. The notification unit 16 lights up each of the three LEDs in various patterns to notify the user of the current state of the power supply device 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the notification unit 16 is installed on the outside of the side wall of the power supply device 10, which is a position that is easy for the user to check.

[0035] Returning to FIG. 5, the robot 20 includes a receiving antenna 21, a receiving module 22, a charging IC (Integrated Circuit) 23, a battery 24, a voltage sensor 25, and an operation unit 200.

[0036] The receiving antenna 21 receives the power supplied from the power supply device 10. The receiving antenna 21 includes a power receiving coil that receives the power transmitted from the transmitting antenna 12. The power receiving coil is wound around a position facing the power transmitting coil of the transmitting antenna 12 when the robot 20 is placed on the base 18. An electromotive force is induced in the receiving coil in response to a change in the induced magnetic flux generated in the power transmitting coil of the transmitting antenna 12. The receiving antenna 21 supplies the electromotive force induced in the receiving coil to the receiving module 22.

[0037] The receiving module 22 receives the power supplied from the receiving antenna 21 and supplies it to the charging IC 23. The receiving module 22 includes a conversion circuit that converts the AC power supplied from the receiving antenna 21 into DC power. The conversion circuit rectifies the electromotive force induced in the receiving coil of the receiving antenna 21 to generate DC power and supplies it to the charging IC 23.

[0038] The receiving antenna 21 and the receiving module 22 are collectively referred to as a “power receiving unit.” The power receiving unit is an example of a power receiving means that receives the power supplied from the power supply device 10.

[0039] The charging IC 23 controls charging and discharging of the battery 24. The charging IC 23 also measures the charge amount of the battery 24 and outputs data indicating the measured charge amount to the control module 230. The battery 24 is a rechargeable secondary battery, and stores power used in the robot 20. When power is supplied from the receiving module 22, the charging IC 23 charges the battery 24 with the supplied power. When the operating unit 200 requires power, the charging IC 23 discharges the power stored in the battery 24 and supplies it to the operating unit 200.

[0040] The voltage sensor 25 is installed between the receiving module 22 and the charging IC 23, and measures the output voltage from the receiving module 22 to the charging IC 23. Based on the measurement result of the voltage sensor 25, it can be determined whether the battery 24 is being charged or not.

[0041] The operational unit 200 is a unit for operating the robot 20. The operational unit 200 includes a sensor unit 210, a drive unit 220, and a control module 230. The operational unit 200 is an example of a control means for controlling the robot 20.

[0042] The sensor unit 210 includes the above-mentioned touch sensor 211, acceleration sensor 212, microphone 213, gyro sensor 214, and illuminance sensor 215. The control unit 110 acquires, via a bus line, detection values ​​detected by the various sensors included in the sensor unit 210 as external stimuli.

[0043] The driving unit 220 includes a twist motor 221 and an up-down motor 222, and is driven by the control module 230. The twist motor 221 is a servo motor for rotating the head 204 in the left-right direction (width direction) with respect to the torso 206, with the front-rear direction as an axis. The up-down motor 222 is a servo motor for rotating the head 204 in the up-down direction (height direction) with respect to the torso 206, with the left-right direction as an axis. The robot 20 can express the motion of twisting the head 204 sideways by the twist motor 221, and can express the motion of raising and lowering the head 204 by the up-down motor 222.

[0044] The control module 230 comprehensively controls the entire robot 20. Although not shown, the control module 230 includes a control unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage unit such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a flash memory, and a communication unit for communicating with external devices.

[0045] Next, the configuration of the control module 100 of the power supply device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The control module 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit .

[0046] The control unit 110 includes a CPU. The CPU is, for example, a microprocessor, and is a central processing unit that executes various processes and calculations. In the control unit 110, the CPU reads out a control program stored in a ROM and controls the operation of the entire power supply device 10 while using a RAM as a work memory. The control unit 110 may be called a "processor."

[0047] The storage unit 120 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, etc. The storage unit 120 stores programs and data used by the control unit 110 to perform various processes, including an OS (Operating System) and application programs. The storage unit 120 also stores data generated or acquired by the control unit 110 performing various processes. For example, the storage unit 120 stores a notification table 121.

[0048] The communication unit 130 includes a communication interface for communicating with devices external to the power supply device 10. For example, the communication unit 130 communicates with external devices such as the robot 20 and a PC (Personal Computer) in accordance with well-known communication standards such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and a USB (Universal Serial Bus). The communication unit 130 may also communicate with the robot 20 via short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0049] Next, a functional configuration of the control unit 110 will be described. As shown in Fig. 6, the control unit 110 functionally includes a power supply control unit 111 and a notification control unit 112. In the control unit 110, a CPU reads a program stored in a ROM into a RAM, and executes and controls the program, thereby functioning as each of these units.

[0050] The power supply control unit 111 controls the power supply from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20. The power supply control unit 111 transmits an ON / OFF switching signal to the switch 14 to switch between supplying and cutting off the power from the AC adapter 17 to the power supply unit (the transmission module 11 and the transmission antenna 12).

[0051] Specifically, when the power supply control unit 111 detects that the robot 20 has moved onto the pedestal 18, it transmits an ON signal to the switch 14 and starts supplying power to the transmission module 11. When the power supply control unit 111 detects that the robot 20 has left the pedestal 18, it transmits an OFF signal to the switch 14 and stops supplying power to the transmission module 11.

[0052] The power supply control unit 111 detects whether the robot 20 is located on the pedestal 18 and whether the battery 24 has reached full charge by communicating with the robot 20 via the communication unit 130. For example, the power supply control unit 111 communicates with the robot 20 via appropriate wireless communication such as LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or NFC. In the robot 20, when the robot 20 moves onto the pedestal 18, the control module 230 notifies the power supply device 10 that the robot 20 has moved onto the pedestal 18 via wireless communication. The same applies when the robot 20 leaves the pedestal 18 and when the battery 24 has reached full charge.

[0053] The notification control unit 112 lights the LED of the notification unit 16 in white in the standby state, blinks the LED of the notification unit 16 in orange during charging, and blinks the LED of the notification unit 16 in green when fully charged. This allows the user to know whether the robot 20 is charging or has finished charging.

[0054] Next, the configuration of the control module 230 of the robot 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The control module 230 includes a control unit 240, a storage unit 250, and a communication unit 260.

[0055] The control unit 240 includes a CPU. The CPU is, for example, a microprocessor, and is a central processing unit that executes various processes and calculations. In the control unit 240, the CPU reads out a control program stored in a ROM and controls the overall operation of the robot 20 while using a RAM as a work memory. The control unit 240 may also be called a "processor."

[0056] The storage unit 250 includes a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, and the like. The storage unit 250 stores programs and data, including an OS and application programs, that are used by the control unit 240 to perform various processes. The storage unit 250 also stores data that is generated or acquired by the control unit 240 performing various processes. For example, the storage unit 250 stores data indicating a reference charge amount and data indicating a reference power consumption. The reference charge amount is an example of a predetermined charge amount.

[0057] The communication unit 260 includes a communication interface for communicating with devices external to the robot 20. For example, the communication unit 260 communicates with external devices such as the power supply device 10 and a PC in accordance with known communication standards such as LAN and USB. The communication unit 260 may also communicate with the power supply device 10 via short-range wireless communication such as NFC and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0058] Next, a functional configuration of the control unit 240 will be described. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 240 functionally includes a power receiving control unit 241 and a robot control unit 242. In the control unit 240, a CPU reads out a program stored in a ROM into a RAM, and executes and controls the program, thereby functioning as each of these units.

[0059] When the power receiving control unit 241 determines that the robot 20 is present at the power supply position, it starts charging the battery 24. In addition, the power receiving control unit 241 accepts data indicating the charge amount of the battery 24 measured by the charging IC 23, and when it determines that the charge amount of the battery 24 is not equal to or greater than the reference charge amount, it turns on the energy saving mode to reduce the power consumed by the operating unit 200. In the energy saving mode, in order to reduce power consumption, the robot 20 is put into a sleep state (for example, a state in which the operation of the servo motor is suppressed) while the operating unit 200 and the like are not operating. The sleep state is a mode in which the operating unit 200 and the like use the minimum power so that the robot 200 can be restarted immediately. On the other hand, when the power receiving control unit 241 determines that the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount (for example, equal to or greater than the charge amount corresponding to 99% of full charge, which is close to full charge), it turns off the energy saving mode. As a result, the operating unit 200 is able to consume power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption based on the power consumption in the energy saving mode, since the power consumed by the servo motor increases. In addition, a full charge may be used as the reference charge amount. When the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount, the power used to charge the battery 24 is small, and therefore, if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 temporarily rises due to the erratic operation of the robot 20, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 is insufficient. In this case, the power charged in the battery 24 is consumed, so there is a risk that the battery 24 is difficult to fully charge. In addition, if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 temporarily increases, the difference in power transmitted from the power supply unit (transmitting module 11 and transmitting antenna 12) of the power supply device 10 to the power receiving unit (receiving antenna 21 and receiving module 22) of the robot 20 becomes large, and there is a risk that power supply will be stopped due to an error. To prevent this, the operating unit 200 is made to consume power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, so that the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 does not become insufficient even if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 temporarily rises. In this way, the power stored in the battery 24 is not consumed, and the battery 24 can be easily fully charged.Furthermore, if the operational unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, it is possible to prevent power supply from being stopped due to an error even if the power consumed by the operational unit 200 temporarily increases. Furthermore, when the power receiving control unit 241 determines that the battery 24 is fully charged, it stops charging the battery 24. However, since the operational unit 200 consumes power other than that used for charging the battery 24, the power supply from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 is not stopped. This makes it possible to prevent the power stored in the battery 24 from being consumed after the battery 24 is fully charged.

[0060] Since the robot 20 is a pet robot that imitates a small animal, the robot control unit 242 controls the drive unit 220 to perform a breathing action or a whimsical action that imitates a small animal. The breathing action is performed by an action of raising and lowering the head 204 at regular intervals by the up-down motor 222 of the drive unit 220. Also, the whimsical action is performed by an action of raising and lowering the head 204 irregularly by the up-down motor 222 of the drive unit 220. When the energy saving mode is turned on, if the up-down motor 220 is not driven, the up-down motor 220 is put into sleep mode, so that power consumption can be reduced. Also, in the energy saving mode, the sensor unit 210, the drive unit 220, and the control module 230 are put into sleep mode as necessary to reduce power consumption. As a result, for example, the current value flowing through the operating unit 200 can be reduced to a minimum of about 60 mA, and power consumption other than charging the battery 24 can be reduced. On the other hand, when the energy saving mode is turned off, the operational unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, so that even if the power consumed by the operational unit 200 fluctuates temporarily, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 will not be insufficient. In this way, the power stored in the battery 24 is not consumed, so the battery 24 can be easily fully charged. Also, by having the operational unit 200 consume power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, it is possible to prevent power supply from being stopped due to an error, even if the power consumed by the operational unit 200 temporarily increases.

[0061] Next, the flow of the charging process executed by the robot 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The charging process shown in Fig. 8 is executed by the control unit 240 of the control module 230. It is assumed that the power supply device 10 is supplied with power from the AC adapter 17 and is in a standby state in which the power supply device 10 can operate normally. At this time, the control unit 110 of the power supply device 10 lights up the LED of the notification unit 16 in white to indicate the standby state.

[0062] When the power supply process starts, the control unit 240 determines whether or not the robot 20 is present at the power supply position (step S101). Specifically, when the control unit 240 receives a notification via the communication unit 260 that the robot 20 has moved onto the pedestal 18 of the power supply device 10, the control unit 240 determines that the robot 20 is present at the power supply position.

[0063] If it is determined that the robot 20 is not at the power supply position (step S101; NO), the control unit 240 remains in step S101 and waits until the robot 20 moves to the power supply position.

[0064] When it is determined that the robot 20 is present at the power supply position (step S101; YES), the control unit 240 starts charging the battery 24 (step S102). Specifically, when the control unit 110 of the power supply device 10 detects that the robot 20 is present at the power supply position, it switches the switch 14 ON and starts supplying power to the power supply unit (the transmitting module 11 and the transmitting antenna 12). This causes an induced magnetic flux to be generated from the transmitting antenna 12, and non-contact power supply is started. The receiving antenna 21 of the robot 20 supplies the electromotive force induced in the power receiving coil to the receiving module 22. The receiving module 22 supplies power to the charging IC 23. The charging IC 23 charges the battery 24 and supplies power to the operating unit 200. Furthermore, when power supply to the robot 20 is started, the control unit 110 of the power supply device 10 lights up the LED of the notification unit 16 in orange to indicate that the battery 24 is being charged.

[0065] Next, the control unit 240 turns on the energy-saving mode to reduce the power consumed by the motion unit 200 (step S103). To be more specific, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 is used to charge the battery 24 and for the power consumption of the motion unit 200. The robot 20 is a pet robot imitating a small animal. For this reason, the motion unit 200 controls the driving unit 220 to perform a breathing motion or a whimsical motion imitating a small animal. The breathing motion is performed by an operation of raising and lowering the head 204 at regular intervals by the up-down motor 222 of the driving unit 220 under the control of the control unit 240. Also, the whimsical motion is performed by an operation of raising and lowering the head 204 irregularly by the up-down motor 222 of the driving unit 220 under the control of the control unit 240. By turning on the energy-saving mode, when the up-down motor 220 is not driven, the up-down motor 220 is put to sleep, thereby reducing power consumption. In addition, in the energy saving mode, the sensor unit 210, the driving unit 220, and the control module 230 are put into a sleep state as necessary to reduce power consumption. This allows the current value flowing through the operating unit 200 to be a minimum of about 60 mA, for example, and reduces power consumption other than that for charging the battery 24. When the charge amount of the battery 24 is not equal to or greater than the reference charge amount, the amount of current required for charging the battery 24 is large, so even if the sleep state is released, there is little fluctuation in the overall current value used for charging the battery 24 and the power consumption of the operating unit 200, and there is little risk of power supply from the power supply device 10 being interrupted.

[0066] Next, the control unit 240 receives data indicating the charge amount of the battery 24 measured by the charging IC 23 (step S104).

[0067] Next, the control unit 240 determines whether the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than a reference charge amount (step S105).

[0068] If it is determined that the charge amount of the battery 24 is not equal to or greater than the reference charge amount (step S105; NO), the control unit 240 returns to step S104 and repeats steps S104 to S105.

[0069] When it is determined that the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount (step S105; YES), the control unit 240 turns off the energy saving mode (step S106). As a result, the operating unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption. When the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount, the power used to charge the battery 24 is small, so that if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 fluctuates temporarily, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 is insufficient. In this case, the power charged in the battery 24 is consumed, so there is a risk that the battery 24 will not be fully charged. Also, if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 temporarily increases, the difference in power transmitted from the power supply unit (transmission module 11 and transmission antenna 12) of the power supply device 10 to the power receiving unit (reception antenna 21 and reception module 22) of the robot 20 increases, and there is a risk that power supply will be stopped due to an error. To prevent this, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 is prevented from running short even if the operational unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption and the power consumed by the operational unit 200 fluctuates temporarily. In this manner, the power stored in the battery 24 is not consumed, so the battery 24 can be easily fully charged. Also, if the operational unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, it is possible to prevent power supply from being stopped due to an error even if the power consumed by the operational unit 200 temporarily increases.

[0070] Specifically, when the energy saving mode is turned off, the current value flowing through the operating unit 200 can be reduced to a minimum of about 120 mA. Even if the operating unit 200 controls the driving unit 220 to perform a breathing motion or a whimsical motion and the current value flowing through the operating unit 200 becomes about 200 mA, the current value fluctuates from about 120 mA to about 200 mA, but with this fluctuation range, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 is not insufficient and the power charged in the battery 24 is not consumed, so the battery 24 can be easily fully charged and it is possible to prevent power supply from being stopped due to an error.

[0071] In contrast, when the energy saving mode is turned on, the minimum current value flowing through the operating unit 200 is about 60 mA. When the operating unit 200 controls the driving unit 220 to perform a breathing motion or a whimsical motion, the current value flowing through the operating unit 200 becomes about 200 mA, and since the current value fluctuates from about 60 mA to about 200 mA, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 becomes insufficient, the power charged in the battery 24 is consumed, the battery 24 is not easily fully charged, and there is a risk that the power supply will be stopped due to an error.

[0072] Next, the control unit 240 receives data indicating the charge amount of the battery 24 measured by the charging IC 23, and determines whether the charge amount of the battery 24 is full charge or not (step S107).

[0073] If it is determined that the battery 24 is not fully charged (step S107; NO), the control unit 240 remains in step S107 and waits until the battery 24 is fully charged.

[0074] When it is determined that the battery 24 is fully charged (step S107; YES), the control unit 240 stops charging the battery 24 (step S108). At this time, the control unit 110 of the power supply device 10 turns on the LED of the notification unit 16 in green to indicate that the battery 24 is fully charged. However, since power is consumed by the operating unit 200 other than for charging the battery 24, the control unit 240 continues receiving power from the power supply device 10 and controls so as not to use the power charged in the battery 24. This makes it possible to prevent the power charged in the battery 24 from being consumed after the battery 24 is fully charged.

[0075] Next, the control unit 240 determines whether or not the robot 20 is present at the power supply position (step S109).

[0076] If it is determined that the robot 20 is present at the power supply position (step S109; YES), the control unit 240 remains in step S109 and waits until the robot 20 moves from the power supply position.

[0077] If it is determined that the robot 20 is not present at the power supply position (step S109; NO), the power supply process ends.

[0078] As described above, the robot 20 according to the first embodiment turns off the energy saving mode when it is determined that the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount. As a result, the operating unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, so that even if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 fluctuates temporarily, the power supplied from the power supply device 10 to the robot 20 is not insufficient. In this way, the power stored in the battery 24 is not consumed, so the battery 24 can be easily fully charged and the charged state can be appropriately maintained. Furthermore, if the operating unit 200 consumes power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption, it is possible to prevent power supply from being stopped due to an error even if the power consumed by the operating unit 200 temporarily increases.

[0079] (Modification) Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the above embodiment is merely an example, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the embodiment of the present invention can be applied in various ways, and all embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention.

[0080] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 240 turns off the energy saving mode when it determines that the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount. When the control unit 240 determines that the charge amount of the battery 24 is equal to or greater than the reference charge amount, the control unit 240 may consume power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption by a method other than turning off the energy saving mode. For example, the control unit 240 may consume power equal to or greater than the reference power consumption by passing a current through a resistor. In this way, the power stored in the battery 24 is not consumed, so that the battery 24 can be easily fully charged and the charged state can be appropriately maintained.

[0081] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the head 204 of the robot 20 is connected to the body 206 by the twist motor 221 and the up-down motor 222 so as to be rotatable about the left-right and front-back directions of the robot 20. When the control unit 240 determines that the robot 20 is at the power supply position, the control unit 240 may limit the movable ranges of the twist motor 221 and the up-down motor 222. This makes it possible to limit the movable range in which the movable parts operate relative to the robot body. For example, the movable range of the twist motor 221 may be set to 0 degrees, and the movable range of the up-down motor 222 may be set to 50 degrees or less. In this way, it is possible to prevent the power receiving unit of the robot 20 from shifting from the power supply unit of the power supply device 10 when the robot 20 is at the power supply position.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the exterior 201 is formed in a cylindrical shape from the head 204 to the torso 206, and the robot 20 is in a crawling shape. However, the robot 20 is not limited to being modeled after a crawling creature. For example, the robot 20 may be modeled after a creature with arms and legs, and may be modeled after a four-legged or two-legged creature.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the control unit 110 functions as each of the power supply control unit 111 and the notification control unit 112 by executing a program stored in the ROM by the CPU. In addition, in the control unit 240, the control unit 240 functions as each of the power receiving control unit 241 and the robot control unit 242 by executing a program stored in the ROM by the CPU. However, in the present invention, the control units 110 and 240 are not limited to being processed by only one CPU, and multiple CPUs may jointly execute processing. In addition, the control units 110 and 240 may include dedicated hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or various control circuits instead of a CPU, and the dedicated hardware may function as each of the power supply control unit 111, the notification control unit 112, the power receiving control unit 241, and the robot control unit 242. In this case, the functions of each unit may be realized by individual hardware, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single piece of hardware. Furthermore, some of the functions of each unit may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware.

[0084] Moreover, the method of applying such a program is arbitrary. For example, the program can be applied by storing it in a computer-readable storage medium such as a flexible disk, a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM, or a memory card. Furthermore, the program can be superimposed on a carrier wave and applied via a communication medium such as the Internet. For example, the program can be posted and distributed on a bulletin board (BBS: Bulletin Board System) on a communication network. Then, the program can be started and executed under the control of the OS in the same way as other application programs, thereby enabling the above-mentioned processing to be executed.

[0085] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1...power receiving system, 10...power supply device, 11...transmission module, 12...transmission antenna, 13...current sensor, 14...switch, 15...thermistor, 16...alarm unit, 17...AC adapter, 18...base, 20...robot, 21...receiving antenna, 22...receiving module, 23...charging IC, 24...battery, 25...voltage sensor, 30...alarm device, 100, 230...control module, 110, 240...control unit, 111...power supply control unit, 112...alarm control unit, 120, 250...storage unit , 121...alarm table, 130, 260...communication unit, 200...operation unit, 201...exterior, 204...head, 205...connection unit, 206...torso unit, 207...casing, 210...sensor unit, 211...touch sensor, 212...acceleration sensor, 213...microphone, 214...gyro sensor, 215...illumination sensor, 220...drive unit, 221...twist motor, 222...up and down motor, 230...control module, 231...speaker, 241...power receiving control unit, 242...robot control unit

Claims

1. a power receiving unit that receives power from a power supplying device that transmits power according to the power consumption of the target robot and the power required for charging; a battery that is built into the robot and is charged by the power received by the power receiving unit; A control unit for controlling the robot; Equipped with the control unit sets an energy saving mode of the robot when it determines that the charge amount of the battery is less than a predetermined charge amount, and on the other hand, when it determines that the charge amount of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined charge amount, cancels the energy saving mode and controls the robot to receive power equal to or greater than a reference power consumption corresponding to the energy saving mode. A power receiving system comprising:

2. When the control unit determines that the battery is fully charged as the predetermined charge amount, the control unit continues receiving power from the power supply device and controls so as not to use the power charged in the battery. The power receiving system according to claim 1 .

3. The predetermined charge amount is near full charge. The power receiving system according to claim 1 .

4. The predetermined charge amount is a full charge. The power receiving system according to claim 1 .

5. A robot comprising the power receiving system according to claim 1 or 2, The robot includes a robot body and a movable part connected to the robot body and movable by the control unit, When the control unit determines that the robot is present at a power supply position, the control unit limits a movable range of the movable unit. A robot characterized by:

6. a power receiving unit that receives power from a power supplying device that transmits power according to the power consumption of the target robot and the power required for charging; a battery that is built into the robot and is charged by the power received by the power receiving unit; Using a power receiving system comprising: when it is determined that the charge amount of the battery is less than a predetermined charge amount, an energy saving mode of the robot is set, whereas when it is determined that the charge amount of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined charge amount, the energy saving mode is cancelled and the robot is controlled to receive power equal to or greater than a reference power consumption corresponding to the energy saving mode. A power receiving method comprising:

7. a power receiving unit that receives power from a power supplying device that transmits power according to the power consumption of the target robot and the power required for charging; a battery that is built into the robot and is charged by the power received by the power receiving unit; A computer for controlling the robot comprising: a control unit that sets an energy saving mode of the robot when it is determined that the charge amount of the battery is less than a predetermined charge amount, and that cancels the energy saving mode and controls the robot to receive power equal to or greater than a standard power consumption corresponding to the energy saving mode when it is determined that the charge amount of the battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined charge amount; A program to function as a

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