Power feeder, and power feeding method

Abstract

To commonly feed power to a plurality of moving bodies whose types are different from each other.SOLUTION: According to a power feeder for feeding power to moving bodies, the power feeder comprises: a robot arm that is provided in an extendible / contractible operation manner and a rotatable operation manner, provided with a feed part for feeding the power to a tip thereof; a camera for imaging the moving bodies, to which a marker provided with an image pattern is attached; and a control unit for identifying a power-receiving part with which each of the moving bodies is provided and controlling the robot arm to feed the power to the power-receiving part, based on a captured image including the marker that is imaged by the camera.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device and a power supply method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, robots that perform a variety of tasks have been developed, and robots are sometimes used on a daily basis in ordinary homes, construction sites, and other places. For example, a cleaning robot that automatically cleans a room waits in a charging station dedicated to the cleaning robot when not in use, and receives power from the charging station to charge its battery. When in operation, the cleaning robot moves around the room using battery power to clean, and when cleaning is finished, it returns to the charging station to recharge the battery. Charging stations for cleaning robots are usually sold as a set with the cleaning robot, so different charging stations are available for each manufacturer and model.

[0003] For example, the batteries of electric vehicles are sometimes charged at designated charging stations. Electric vehicles come in a variety of sizes and uses, from personal to commercial use, and have a wide range of motor outputs and on-board batteries. However, for convenience, charging stations that charge electric vehicle batteries have standardized power supply connectors. This allows various electric vehicles to be charged at a common charging station.

[0004] However, at construction sites where a wide variety of robots are used, installing a charging station for each robot takes up space and is therefore unrealistic. Therefore, while a charging station capable of charging a variety of robots is desirable, there is a problem in that it is difficult to automatically charge each robot's battery. Specifically, the robots used at construction sites vary in shape depending on the work they perform, and the position and shape of their charging ports also vary. Furthermore, because the positioning accuracy of each robot's movement varies, there is also error in the robot's stopping position when charging, which can also lead to variations in the position of the charging port. For these reasons, it is difficult to automatically charge various robots at construction sites using a common charging station. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-285288 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-029652 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply device and a power supply method that can commonly supply power to a plurality of different types of moving bodies. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a power supply device is a power supply device that supplies power to a moving body, and includes a robot arm that is capable of extending and rotating and has a supply unit at its tip that supplies power, a camera that photographs the moving body to which a marker having an image pattern is attached, and a control unit that identifies a power receiving unit equipped on the moving body based on the captured image including the marker photographed by the camera and controls the robot arm to supply power to the power receiving unit.

[0008] According to this configuration, the shape and position of the power receiving unit of the mobile object are identified based on the marker attached to the mobile object, and power is supplied to the mobile object by moving the robot arm according to the shape and position of the power receiving unit. Therefore, even if the types of mobile objects differ and the shapes and positions of the power receiving units differ, power can be supplied according to the power receiving unit of each mobile object, and power can be supplied commonly to multiple mobile objects of different types.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the supply unit has a power supply plug that has a shape that varies depending on the type of the mobile body and supplies power, and the control unit identifies as the power receiving unit a charging port that is provided on the mobile body and is connected to the power supply plug to receive power to charge a battery.

[0010] According to this configuration, a power supply plug that fits the shape of the charging port of the mobile object can be inserted into the charging port by the robot arm, and power for charging the battery can be supplied.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the power supply device further includes a determination unit that determines whether the power supply plug and the charging port are connected.

[0012] According to this configuration, charging can be performed after confirming that the power supply plug and the charging port are connected, and charging of the mobile object can be performed appropriately.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the power supply plug has two electrical contacts, and the determination unit determines that the power supply plug and the charging port are connected when the two electrical contacts are short-circuited via a conductor provided in the charging port.

[0014] With this configuration, when the two electrical contacts of the power plug are short-circuited and current begins to flow, it can be determined that the power supplying surface of the power plug and the power receiving surface of the charging port are in proper contact.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the determination unit has a current sensor that detects a current supplied from the power supply plug, and determines that the power supply plug and the charging port are connected when a current is detected by the current sensor.

[0016] According to this configuration, if it is confirmed that charging is being performed normally and that a sufficient current is flowing, charging can be continued.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the control unit identifies the type of the moving object based on an image captured by the camera including the marker, and controls the robot arm to switch the power supply plug used to supply power to a power supply plug corresponding to the type of the moving object.

[0018] According to this configuration, a power supply plug corresponding to the type of moving object is attached to the robot arm based on the captured image of the marker, so that multiple moving objects of different types can be commonly charged.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the supply unit has a rotating plate to which a plurality of power supply plugs of different shapes are attached, and the control unit controls the robot arm to rotate the rotating plate so that the power supply plug corresponding to the type of the moving object is positioned at a predetermined charging position, thereby switching the power supply plug to be used for power supply.

[0020] According to this configuration, it is possible to easily switch between a plurality of power plugs with different shapes and charge the mobile object using the power plug that is appropriate for the type of mobile object.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the supply unit has a gripping unit that grips one of a plurality of power supply plugs having different shapes, and the control unit controls the robot arm to cause the gripping unit to grip a power supply plug that corresponds to the type of the moving object, thereby switching the power supply plug to be used for power supply.

[0022] According to this configuration, it is possible to easily switch between a plurality of power plugs with different shapes and charge the mobile object using the power plug that is appropriate for the type of mobile object.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above configuration, the supply unit has a gripping unit that grips the battery of the mobile body, and the control unit identifies as the power receiving unit a battery replacement port that is provided on the mobile body and into which the battery gripped by the gripping unit can be inserted and removed.

[0024] With this configuration, the robot arm can remove the battery from the mobile object, insert a charged battery compatible with the mobile object into the battery replacement port, and replace the battery to supply power to the mobile object. As a result, the mobile object does not need to be stopped until the battery is fully charged, improving the work efficiency of the mobile object. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to supply power commonly to a plurality of different types of moving bodies. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of the configuration of a power supply system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a power supply device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a power supply method according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a moving object. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of switching between power plugs. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining contact confirmation. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a power supply method according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment described below is an example and should not be construed as being limited by this description.

[0028] 1 is a diagram showing a specific example of the configuration of a power supply system according to an embodiment. The power supply system shown in FIG.

[0029] The power supply device 100 can be installed at a construction site, for example, and supplies power to a plurality of different types of moving objects 200 by charging or replacing batteries. Specifically, the power supply device 100 has a robot arm 101, a power supply plug 102, a housing 103, a power source 104, and an operation lamp 105.

[0030] The robot arm 101 is a six-axis robot having six degrees of freedom, corresponding to extension and contraction movements in the horizontal and vertical directions (x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis) and rotation around each of the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis. The robot arm 101 has a gripping unit at its tip that grips a power plug 102, and the gripped power plug 102 is inserted into a charging port of the mobile object 200 to charge the battery of the mobile object 200 with power from a power source 104. In addition, a camera (not shown) is installed at the tip of the robot arm 101, and captures images of markers attached to the mobile object 200. These movements of the robot arm 101 are controlled by a control unit housed in a housing 103.

[0031] The power supply plugs 102 have shapes that correspond to the charging ports of the different types of moving bodies 200, and when grasped by the robot arm 101 and inserted into the corresponding charging port of the moving body 200, they supply power to charge the battery of the moving body 200.

[0032] The housing 103 houses a control unit of the power supply device 100. As will be described in detail later, the control unit inside the housing 103 controls the operation of the robot arm 101 and the lighting of the operation lamp 105.

[0033] The power source 104 is a power source that provides power to the mobile object 200. The power source 104 may include, for example, a large battery that is charged using a commercial power source, or may include a generator.

[0034] The operation lamp 105 is a lamp that indicates the operation state of the power supply device 100 by blinking. The operation lamp 105 has, for example, a plurality of lamps of different colors, and lights up a lamp of a first color when power is being supplied normally to the mobile object 200, and lights up a lamp of a second color when an abnormality occurs in the power supply to the mobile object 200. Furthermore, the operation lamp 105 may light up a lamp of a third color to alert people in the vicinity when, for example, it is detected that the mobile object 200 is approaching the power supply device 100.

[0035] The mobile body 200 has a built-in battery (not shown) and moves using the battery's power. The mobile body 200 is, for example, a robot that moves within a construction site and performs various tasks. In FIG. 1, a robot that moves by walking on four legs is shown as an example of the mobile body 200, but there are various types of robots with different shapes and movement methods as the mobile body 200.

[0036] The moving body 200 has a marker 201 for identifying the type of the moving body 200, and a charging port 202 as a power receiving unit for receiving power for charging a battery (not shown).

[0037] Marker 201 has an image pattern that uniquely identifies the type of moving object 200, and is attached at a position that has a predetermined positional relationship with charging port 202. By detecting the image pattern of marker 201 with a camera, power supply device 100 can identify the type of moving object 200 and the position of charging port 202.

[0038] Charging port 202 is electrically connected to the built-in battery and has a shape that allows a corresponding power supply plug 102 to be inserted, and receives power supplied from power supply device 100 to charge the built-in battery. Although the position and shape of charging port 202 differ depending on the type of mobile object 200, since the type of mobile object 200 can be identified by marker 201, it is possible to identify the position and shape of charging port 202 from marker 201.

[0039] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a power supply device 100 according to one embodiment. The power supply device 100 shown in FIG.

[0040] The robot arm 101 operates under the control of the control unit 110 and supplies power to the moving object 200 for charging the battery. Specifically, the robot arm 101 grips the power supply plug 102 with a gripping portion at the tip, and inserts the gripped power supply plug 102 into the charging port 202 of the moving object 200. Then, the robot arm 101 supplies power from the power source 104 to the moving object 200 via the power supply plug 102.

[0041] The camera 106 captures an image of the surroundings of the power supply device 100 and acquires an image including the moving object 200. The camera 106 then outputs the acquired image of the surroundings to the control unit 110.

[0042] Control unit 110 is a control unit housed in housing 103, and controls each unit of power supply device 100. Specifically, control unit 110 has a marker detection unit 111, a charging port identification unit 112, an arm control unit 113, a contact point confirmation unit 114, and a current detection unit 115.

[0043] The marker detection unit 111 acquires an image captured by the camera 106 and detects the markers 201 attached to the moving object 200 from the image. The marker detection unit 111 then detects the image pattern of the markers 201 and identifies the type of moving object 200 that corresponds to the image pattern. In other words, since the image pattern includes information that identifies the type of moving object 200, the marker detection unit 111 identifies the type of moving object 200 from the markers 201.

[0044] Charging port identification unit 112 identifies the position and shape of charging port 202 of moving object 200 from the detection result of marker 201 by marker detection unit 111. That is, charging port identification unit 112 identifies the position of charging port 202 from the position of marker 201 detected in the image. Furthermore, charging port identification unit 112 identifies the shape of charging port 202 that corresponds to the type of moving object 200. Then, charging port identification unit 112 notifies arm control unit 113 of the identified position and shape of charging port 202.

[0045] The arm control unit 113 moves the robot arm 101 so as to grip the power plug 102 that fits the charging port 202 of the moving object 200, and then moves the robot arm 101 so as to insert the gripped power plug 102 into the charging port 202 of the moving object 200. In other words, the arm control unit 113 controls the robot arm 101 so as to move the power plug 102 that corresponds to the shape of the charging port 202 identified by the charging port identification unit 112 to the position of the identified charging port 202.

[0046] Furthermore, when arm control unit 113 is notified by contact confirmation unit 114 or current detection unit 115 that power plug 102 is not properly inserted into charging port 202, arm control unit 113 fine-tunes the position of power plug 102 held by robot arm 101. In other words, when power plug 102 is not properly positioned and normal charging is not occurring, arm control unit 113 controls robot arm 101 so that the held power plug 102 is properly inserted into charging port 202.

[0047] Then, when the arm control unit 113 confirms that the power supply plug 102 has been properly inserted into the charging port 202, it supplies power from the power source 104 to the charging port 202 of the moving body 200 via the robot arm 101 and the power supply plug 102.

[0048] When the power plug 102 is inserted into the charging port 202, the contact checker 114 checks whether two electrical contacts of the power plug 102 are short-circuited by a conductor of the charging port 202. That is, the contact checker 114 checks whether two electrical contacts on the power feeding surface of the power plug 102 abut against a metal plate or the like on the power receiving surface of the charging port 202. As a result, the contact checker 114 checks whether the power feeding surface of the power plug 102 and the power receiving surface of the charging port 202 are connected and whether the power plug 102 is properly inserted into the charging port 202. If the electrical contacts of the power plug 102 are short-circuited, the contact checker 114 notifies the arm control unit 113 that the position of the power plug 102 is correct. If the electrical contacts of the power plug 102 are not short-circuited, the contact checker 114 notifies the arm control unit 113 that the position of the power plug 102 is incorrect.

[0049] The current detection unit 115 detects the current flowing from the robot arm 101 to the power plug 102 and the charging port 202, for example, using a current sensor, and monitors whether a sufficient current is flowing during charging. If a sufficient current is flowing, the current detection unit 115 notifies the arm control unit 113 that charging is being performed normally, and if a sufficient current is not flowing, the current detection unit 115 notifies the arm control unit 113 that an abnormality has occurred in charging.

[0050] The communication unit 120 is a communication unit stored in the housing 103, and communicates wirelessly with the mobile body 200. Specifically, the communication unit 120 may receive, for example, a signal from the mobile body 200 indicating that the mobile body 200 has approached the power supply device 100, or may transmit, to the mobile body 200, a signal notifying the mobile body 200 of a state such as the start or end of charging. The communication unit 120 may also transmit, for example, a beacon signal for notifying the mobile body 200 of the installation location of the power supply device 100. The communication unit 120 may communicate directly with the mobile body 200, or may communicate with the mobile body 200 via a predetermined server or the like.

[0051] Next, a power supply method using the power supply device 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0052] The mobile object 200 moves and performs predetermined tasks using power from a built-in battery, and when the remaining battery power decreases, the mobile object 200 moves closer to the power supply device 100. At this time, the mobile object 200 may ascertain the position of the power supply device 100 by detecting a marker attached to the power supply device 100 with a camera, or may ascertain the position of the power supply device 100 by detecting the shape of the power supply device 100 with a camera. Furthermore, the mobile object 200 may ascertain the position of the power supply device 100 by wirelessly communicating with the communication unit 120 of the power supply device 100, or may approach the position coordinates of the power supply device 100 while ascertaining its own position using a GPS (Global Positioning System) or the like.

[0053] When the moving object 200 approaches the power supply device 100, the camera 106 captures an image including the moving object 200, and this image is input to the marker detection unit 111. Then, the marker detection unit 111 detects the marker 201 attached to the moving object 200 from the image (step S101). Since the marker 201 includes an image pattern that identifies the type of the moving object 200, the type of the moving object 200 is identified by detecting the marker 201 by the marker detection unit 111.

[0054] Then, charging port identification unit 112 identifies the position and shape of charging port 202 of moving object 200 based on the type of moving object 200 (step S102). That is, charging port identification unit 112 identifies the position of charging port 202 from the position of marker 201, and identifies the shape of charging port 202 corresponding to the type of moving object 200.

[0055] Here, a specific example of marker 201 and charging port 202 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing moving objects 200a and 200b of different types.

[0056] 4, a marker 201a with an image pattern that identifies the type of the moving body 200a is attached to the moving body 200a, and a marker 201b with an image pattern that identifies the type of the moving body 200b is attached to the moving body 200b. In this way, since the moving body 200 is attached with a marker 201 with an image pattern that identifies the type of the moving body 200, the type of the moving body 200 can be identified from the marker 201.

[0057] 4, different types of moving objects 200a and 200b have different shapes of charging ports 202a and 202b. However, by identifying the types of moving objects 200a and 200b from markers 201a and 201b, the shapes of charging ports 202a and 202b can be identified. Furthermore, because the positional relationship between markers 201a and 201b and charging ports 202a and 202b is predetermined, the positions of charging ports 202a and 202b can be identified from the positions of markers 201a and 201b by detecting markers 201a and 201b. At this time, the angle at which charging ports 202a and 202b are facing can also be identified from the distortion of markers 201a and 201b in the image.

[0058] In this way, by acquiring images of the markers 201a and 201b attached to the moving objects 200a and 200b, it is possible to identify the shapes and positions of the charging ports 202a and 202b of the different types of moving objects 200a and 200b.

[0059] 3, the identified position and shape of the charging port 202 are notified to the arm control unit 113, and the arm control unit 113 switches the power plug 102 attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 (step S103). Specifically, the arm control unit 113 controls the robot arm 101, causing the robot arm 101 to operate so as to grip the power plug 102 that matches the identified shape of the charging port 202.

[0060] There are various methods for switching the power plug 102. Figure 5 shows a specific example of a method for switching the power plug 102.

[0061] 5(a), for example, a rotary plate 101a that rotates in a horizontal plane may be provided at the tip of a robot arm 101, and a plurality of support arms extending from the outer periphery of one surface of the rotary plate 101a may have power plugs 102 attached to them. In this case, the power plugs 102 can be switched by rotating the rotary plate 101a so that the power plug 102 that fits the charging port 202 is positioned at a predetermined charging position.

[0062] 5(b), for example, a rotary plate 101b that rotates in a vertical plane may be provided at the tip of the robot arm 101, and multiple power plugs 102 may be attached to the outer periphery of one surface of the rotary plate 101b. In this case, the power plugs 102 can be switched by rotating the rotary plate 101b so that the power plug 102 that fits the charging port 202 is located at a predetermined charging position.

[0063] 5(c), for example, a rotating plate 101c may be provided at the tip of the robot arm 101, and a gripper 101d protruding from the rotating plate 101c may grip a power plug 102 placed at a predetermined position on the power supply device 100. In this case, the rotating plate 101c and the gripper 101d may be operated to grip a power plug 102 that fits into the charging port 202, thereby switching the power plug 102.

[0064] In this way, the power supply device 100 switches the power supply plug 102 used for charging depending on the mobile object 200 to be charged, and therefore can commonly charge a plurality of different types of mobile objects.

[0065] The number of power feeding plugs 102 attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 is not limited to one, and multiple power feeding plugs 102 may be attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 at the same time. That is, for example, multiple power feeding plugs 102 attached to the rotating plates 101a and 101b may be simultaneously positioned at different charging positions, so that different moving objects 200 are simultaneously charged from each power feeding plug 102. Furthermore, for example, the gripper 101d may simultaneously grip multiple power feeding plugs 102, so that different moving objects 200 are simultaneously charged from each power feeding plug 102.

[0066] Furthermore, when multiple power supply plugs 102 are attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 at the same time, these power supply plugs 102 may be inserted into different charging ports 202 of a single moving object 200. By supplying power to the moving object 200 from multiple power supply plugs 102, the current flowing from the power supply plugs 102 to the charging ports 202 can be dispersed, enabling charging with a large current.

[0067] Returning to FIG. 3 , when the power plug 102 attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 is switched, the robot arm 101 moves and inserts the power plug 102 into the charging port 202 of the moving object 200 (step S104). That is, because the position of the charging port 202 has been identified, the arm control unit 113 controls the robot arm 101, so that the power plug 102 attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 moves to the position of the charging port 202 and is inserted into the charging port 202. At this time, because the angle at which the charging port 202 is facing has also been identified by detecting the marker 201 in the captured image, the power plug 102 attached to the tip of the robot arm 101 is inserted from a direction directly facing the charging port 202.

[0068] Then, contact point checking unit 114 checks whether power plug 102 has been properly inserted into charging port 202 (step S105). Specifically, it checks whether two electrical contacts of power plug 102 have been short-circuited by a metal plate of charging port 202 when power plug 102 has been inserted into charging port 202.

[0069] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the power feeding surface of the power feeding plug 102 and the power receiving surface of the charging port 202. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 6, the power feeding surface of the power feeding plug 102 is provided with four power feeding terminals 131 for feeding power to the charging port 202 and two electrical contacts 132 for connection confirmation. Both the power feeding terminals 131 and the electrical contacts 132 are made of metal. Meanwhile, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 6, the power receiving surface of the charging port 202 is provided with four power receiving terminals 211 for receiving power from the power feeding plug 102 and a metal plate 212. The power receiving terminals 211 and the metal plate 212 are made of the same metal.

[0070] When the power feeding plug 102 is properly inserted into the charging port 202, the power feeding surface of the power feeding plug 102 comes into contact with the power receiving surface of the charging port 202, and the four power feeding terminals 131 are connected to the four power receiving terminals 211, respectively. This allows the power supplied from the power feeding plug 102 to be received by the charging port 202. Furthermore, when the power feeding plug 102 is properly inserted into the charging port 202, the two electrical contacts 132 are short-circuited by the metal plate 212. This allows current to flow between the two electrical contacts 132, making it possible to confirm that the power feeding surface of the power feeding plug 102 and the power receiving surface of the charging port 202 are in proper contact.

[0071] 3, if the contact checker 114 does not confirm that the electrical contacts of the power plug 102 are shorted (step S105 No), the arm controller 113 is notified that the position of the power plug 102 is not correct, and the position of the power plug 102 held by the robot arm 101 is fine-tuned (step S104). On the other hand, if the contact checker 114 confirms that the electrical contacts of the power plug 102 are shorted (step S105 Yes), the arm controller 113 is notified that the position of the power plug 102 is correct, and power is supplied from the power plug 102 held by the robot arm 101 to the charging port 202, and charging begins (step S106).

[0072] After charging starts, the current detection unit 115 detects the current flowing from the robot arm 101 to the power plug 102 and the charging port 202, and monitors whether a sufficient current is flowing during charging (step S107). If the result of monitoring shows that a sufficient current is not flowing (step S107 No), the arm control unit 113 is notified that an abnormality has occurred in charging, and the position of the power plug 102 held by the robot arm 101 is fine-tuned (step S104). On the other hand, if a sufficient current is flowing (step S107 Yes), power continues to be supplied from the power plug 102 to the charging port 202, and charging continues (step S108).

[0073] In this way, the contact confirmation unit 114 confirms the position of the power supply plug 102, and the current detection unit 115 confirms whether or not power is being supplied properly, so that charging of the mobile object 200 can be performed properly.

[0074] As described above, according to this embodiment, the shape and position of the charging port of the mobile object are identified based on the marker attached to the mobile object, and a power supply plug that matches the shape of the charging port is inserted into the charging port by the robot arm to supply power to the mobile object. Therefore, even if different types of mobile objects have different shapes and positions of their charging ports, power can be supplied that is tailored to the charging port of each mobile object, and power can be supplied commonly to multiple mobile objects of different types.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the case where power supply plug 102 is inserted into charging port 202 of moving object 200 to supply power for charging the battery has been described. However, if the battery of moving object 200 is replaceable, it is also possible to supply power to moving object 200 by replacing the battery. A power supply method when replacing the battery will be described below with reference to the flow diagram shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 7, the same parts as in Fig. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0076] When the moving object 200 approaches the power supply device 100, the camera 106 captures an image including the moving object 200, and this image is input to the marker detection unit 111. Then, the marker detection unit 111 detects the marker 201 attached to the moving object 200 from the image (step S101). Since the marker 201 includes an image pattern that identifies the type of the moving object 200, the type of the moving object 200 is identified by detecting the marker 201 by the marker detection unit 111.

[0077] Once the type of moving object 200 is identified, a battery corresponding to this type of moving object 200 is identified (step S201). That is, once the type of moving object 200 is identified, the type of battery built into this moving object 200 is also identified, and therefore the battery built into the moving object 200 to which power is to be supplied is identified. At the same time, the position of the marker 201 is used to identify the position of a battery replacement port, which serves as a power receiving unit through which the moving object 200 receives power. The battery replacement port is a power receiving unit into which a battery, which serves as a power source for driving the moving object 200, can be inserted or removed.

[0078] Then, the arm control unit 113 controls the robot arm 101, and the battery built into the moving body 200 is removed from the identified battery replacement opening (step S202). That is, by moving the robot arm 101, the battery with a low remaining charge is removed from inside the moving body 200 and placed in a predetermined used battery storage area or the like. Furthermore, the robot arm 101 moves to a predetermined charged battery storage area, and a charged battery corresponding to the type of moving body 200 is grasped (step S203), and the charged battery is inserted into the moving body 200 through the battery replacement opening (step S204).

[0079] In this way, by replacing the battery built into the mobile body 200 with a charged battery and supplying power to the mobile body 200, the mobile body 200 does not need to stop near the power supply device 100 until the battery charging is complete, thereby improving the working efficiency of the mobile body 200. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 100 Power supply equipment 101 Robot Arm 101a, 101b, 101c Rotating plates 101d Grip 102 Power plug 103 Case 104 Power supply 105 Operation lamp 106 Camera 110 control section 111 Marker detection unit 112 Charging port identification part 113 Arm control unit 114 Contact confirmation unit 115 Current detection unit 120 Communications Department 131 Power supply terminal 132 Electrical contacts 200 Mobile 201, 201a, 201b markers 202, 202a, 202b charging port 211 Power receiving terminal 212 Metal plate

Claims

1. A power supply device that supplies power to a mobile object, a robot arm that is capable of extending and rotating and has a power supply unit that supplies power to a tip thereof; a camera for capturing an image of the moving object to which a marker having an image pattern is attached; a control unit that identifies a power receiving unit included in the moving object based on a captured image including the marker captured by the camera, and controls the robot arm to supply power to the power receiving unit; A power supply device having:

2. The supply unit includes: a power supply plug having a different shape depending on the type of the moving object and for supplying power; The control unit A charging port provided in the moving body and connected to the power supply plug to receive power for charging a battery is identified as the power receiving unit. The power supply device according to claim 1 .

3. a determination unit that determines whether the power supply plug and the charging port are connected 3. The power supply device of claim 2, further comprising:

4. The power supply plug is having two electrical contacts; The determination unit When the two electrical contacts are short-circuited via a conductor provided in the charging port, it is determined that the power supply plug and the charging port are connected.

4. The power supply device according to claim 3.

5. The determination unit a current sensor for detecting a current supplied from the power plug; When the current sensor detects a current, it is determined that the power supply plug and the charging port are connected.

5. The power supply device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The control unit The type of the moving object is identified based on the captured image including the marker captured by the camera, and the robot arm is controlled to switch the power supply plug used to supply power to a power supply plug corresponding to the type of the moving object. The power supply device according to claim 2 .

7. The supply unit includes: a rotating plate on which a plurality of power supply plugs having different shapes are attached; The control unit The robot arm is controlled to rotate the rotary plate so that the power supply plug corresponding to the type of the moving body is positioned at a predetermined charging position, thereby switching the power supply plug used for power supply.

7. The power supply device according to claim 6.

8. The supply unit includes: a gripping portion configured to grip one of a plurality of power supply plugs having different shapes; The control unit The robot arm is controlled to have the gripper grip a power plug corresponding to the type of the moving body, thereby switching the power plug used for power supply.

7. The power supply device according to claim 6.

9. The supply unit includes: a gripping portion for gripping a battery of the moving body; The control unit A battery exchange port provided in the moving body and into which the battery held by the holding portion can be inserted and removed is identified as the power receiving portion. The power supply device according to claim 1 .

Images