Charging apparatus

Abstract

To provide a charging system capable of suitably charging an apparatus such as a robot, a robot, and a charging device.SOLUTION: The charging system includes a device including a secondary battery and a driving unit that drives the device, and a charging device that charges the secondary battery in a state where the device is placed on a placement surface, and when the device is placed on the placement surface of the charging device, the device drives the driving unit, and generates a force in a predetermined one direction by bringing the driven portion into contact with the placement surface, so that the position of the device on the placement surface becomes a predetermined position for charging.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system, a robot, and a charging device. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to make the robot as familiar as a pet, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot provided with an exterior covering that covers the main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-191276 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Many of these robots have built-in rechargeable secondary batteries. One method for charging the robot's secondary battery is to notify the user when the robot's remaining charge is low, and the user can then set the robot in a dedicated charging station based on that notification. However, when charging such a robot using contact or wireless charging, if the user sets the robot in an incorrect position, efficient charging may not occur.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a charging system, a robot, and a charging device that can suitably charge devices such as robots. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The charging system according to the present invention comprises: a device including a secondary battery and a drive unit that drives the device itself; a charging device that includes a placement surface on which the device is placed and that charges the secondary battery while the device is placed on the placement surface, When the device is placed on the placement surface of the charging device, the drive unit is driven, and a force in a predetermined direction is generated when the driven part comes into contact with the placement surface, thereby positioning the device on the placement surface at a predetermined position for charging. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging system, a robot, and a charging device that can suitably charge devices such as robots. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a top view of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a charging device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a robot is placed on the charging device. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a guidance operation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a guiding operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a guiding operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a guiding operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the robot is performing a guiding operation. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a guiding operation in a modified example. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a guiding operation in a modified example. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a guiding operation in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. To facilitate understanding of the embodiments, the description will be made with reference to the front and back directions in FIG. 1 and the up and down directions in FIG. 2 as appropriate.

[0010] (Embodiment) First, the configuration of the robot 200 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the robot 200 is a pet robot modeled after a small animal. Two decorative parts 202, each having a decorative portion modeled after the eyes of a small animal, are provided on the front side of the robot 200. In this way, the front side of the robot 200 forms the face of the small animal. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 200 has a main body 207 and an exterior 201 that covers the main body 207.

[0011] 2, main body 207 has head 204, body 206 provided behind head 204, and connecting part 205 connecting head 204 and body 206. Main body 207 may be made of, for example, synthetic resin, and may be colored light pink so as not to give the user a mechanical impression.

[0012] Head 204, which constitutes part of main body 207, corresponds to the head of robot 200, which resembles a small animal. Body 206 has a shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, body 206 is provided with a convex part 241 as a first engaged part. Convex part 241 as the first engaged part engages with a first engaging part (engagement plate) provided on exterior 201. A second engaged part similar to the first engaged part is also provided on head 204 (not shown). By engaging the first engaging part and second engaging part provided on exterior 201 with the first engaged part attached to body 206 and the second engaged part attached to head 204, respectively, exterior 201 can be moved in accordance with the movement of main body 207. Hereinafter, when the first engaging part and second engaging part are not particularly distinguished from each other, they will simply be referred to as engaging parts. Furthermore, when the first engaged portion and the second engaged portion are not particularly distinguished from each other, they are simply referred to as engaged portions.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, the connecting unit 205 connects the rear end of the head 204 and the front end of the body 206. The connecting unit 205 is provided with an up-down motor 222 that rotates the head up and down. Although not shown in the figure, other motors, such as a twisting motor, may also be provided. The twisting motor may be any motor that rotates the head 204 around an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction. By moving the head 204 in this way, the small animal-like robot 200 shown in Fig. 1 can be made to move as if tilting its head.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 2, the up-down motor 222 rotates the head 204 in the direction indicated by the arrow Y1 around an axis 103 that is parallel to the direction through the figure. By moving the head 204 in this manner, the robot 200 modeled after a small animal can be made to move as if shaking its head up and down. The connecting unit 205 connects the head 204 and the body 206 so that the head 204 can move about the axis of rotation of the up-down motor 222. If a twist motor is provided, the connecting unit 205 may connect the head 204 and the body 206 so that the head 204 can move about two axes: rotation by the twist motor and rotation by the up-down motor 222.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1 , the exterior 201 is elongated in the front-rear direction and has a bag-like shape capable of accommodating the main body 207 ( FIG. 2 ). The exterior 201 is formed by overlapping sheet-like outer and inner linings and sewing them together with thread at multiple locations. By sewing the sheet-like outer and inner linings together with thread at multiple locations, the outer and inner linings can be handled as a single unit without slippage. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the outer lining is made of an artificial pile fabric simulating the fur 203 of a small animal. This allows the feel of the robot 200 to resemble that of a small animal. The lining is made of a woven fabric made of synthetic fibers. Alternatively, the lining may be made of natural leather, artificial leather, a synthetic resin sheet material, a rubber sheet material, or a cloth made of natural fibers. Furthermore, an engagement plate 260 serving as an engagement portion is provided on the inside of the exterior 201, as shown in FIG. 2 .

[0016] 1, a line fastener 208 is attached to the rear of exterior 201. With main body 207 (FIG. 2) housed inside exterior 201, sliding slider 208a to a closed state maintains main body 207 (FIG. 2) housed inside. On the other hand, sliding slider 208a to open line fastener 208 allows main body 207 (FIG. 2) housed inside to be removed or main body 207 (FIG. 2) to be housed inside exterior 201.

[0017] 2, the robot 200, which is modeled after a small animal, can move as if it were alive by moving the exterior 201 in accordance with the movement of the main body 207 caused by the driving of the up / down motor 222. To achieve this, the exterior 201 is appropriately engaged with the main body 207 using the first and second engaging portions and the first and second engaged portions, so that the exterior 201 follows the movement of the main body 207.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2 , a convex part 241 serving as a first engaged part that engages with the engaging plate 260 is attached to the trunk part 206, which constitutes a part of the main body part 207. The trunk part 206 is also provided with a power receiving coil 101. The power receiving coil 101 is, for example, a spirally wound planar coil, and its coil surface is arranged parallel to a floor surface 302 of the charging device 300 (described later). The power receiving coil 101 receives power through magnetic field coupling, such as electromagnetic induction, with a power transmitting coil 102 provided in the charging device 300 (described later). The power received by the power receiving coil 101 is output to a charging circuit (not shown). The charging circuit rectifies the AC power received by the power receiving coil 101 and converts it into DC current, which charges a secondary battery (not shown). This allows power to be supplied contactlessly from the charging device 300 to the secondary battery of the robot 200. The power charged in the secondary battery serves as the driving power for the up / down motor 222. Furthermore, a control unit 105 and a communication unit 106, which will be described later, function by consuming the power stored in the secondary battery. Hereinafter, the current supplied to the secondary battery is referred to as a charging current. Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which contactless charging is performed using the power transmitting coil 102 and the power receiving coil 101, but for example, contactless charging may be performed using an electric field coupling method by providing electrodes on each of the power transmitting side charging device 300 and the power receiving side robot 200. Furthermore, contactless charging is not limited to the electric field coupling method, and may also be performed using, for example, a magnetic field resonance method or a direct current resonance method.

[0019] Additionally, the body 206 is provided with at least a control unit 105 as a functional unit that controls the driving of the up / down motor 222, and a communication unit 106 as a functional unit that communicates with the charging device 300 described below.

[0020] The control unit 105 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a memory for storing various information. The control unit 105 also includes a storage unit. The storage unit is a storage device such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various information for the drive control of the up / down motor 222 performed by the control unit 105.

[0021] Specifically, when the remaining charge capacity of the built-in secondary battery of the robot 200 according to this embodiment falls below a predetermined level, the robot 200 notifies the user by sending a message to the user's device or emitting an alarm sound, urging the user to charge the battery. Therefore, the memory unit stores the remaining charge capacity of the secondary battery that triggers the notification. The control unit 105 sends the message to the user's device via the communication unit 106. To output the alarm sound, the control unit 105 outputs the alarm sound via an input / output unit (not shown). The remaining charge capacity stored in the memory unit is the remaining capacity that allows the robot 200 to perform a guidance operation (movement of the robot 200 to a suitable position in the charging device 300), which will be described later. The memory unit also stores the allowable charging current value (allowable current value) (described in detail below).

[0022] Furthermore, the control unit 105 is configured to detect the current value of the received current. Charging efficiency varies depending on the position of the robot 200 on the charging device 300. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the highest charging efficiency is achieved at the position where the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided on the robot 200 and the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300 overlap. That is, the closer the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided on the robot 200 is to the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300, the higher the charging efficiency. Therefore, the control unit 105 compares the allowable current value stored in advance in the storage unit with the current value of the charging current actually detected. If the detected current value of the charging current is less than the allowable current value, the control unit 105 determines that the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided on the robot 200 and the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300 are far apart, i.e., that the robot 200 is not placed in an appropriate position on the charging device 300. In this case, the control unit 105 executes a guidance operation process (to move the robot 200 to a suitable position in the charging device 300) described below, thereby controlling the drive of the up / down motor 222 and moving the robot 200 to the suitable position. The allowable current value is a preset value that indicates the charging current value that results in a charging efficiency that satisfies a predetermined level. In this embodiment, the position where the detected charging current value is equal to or greater than the allowable current value is determined to be the suitable position for charging.

[0023] The communication unit 106 includes an interface for communicating with the communication unit 306 of the charging device 300 and the user's terminal via wireless communication means such as radio waves or infrared rays. In this embodiment, the communication unit 106 wirelessly communicates with the communication unit 306 of the charging device 300 via near field communication (NFC) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), and identifies that the robot 200 has been placed on the charging device 300. Note that the method for identifying that the robot 200 has been placed on the charging device 300 is not limited to wireless communication. Any method may be used, for example, identification by a predetermined user voice input to an input / output unit (not shown), identification by an optical sensor, identification by a mechanical switch or weight sensor, or the like. In this embodiment, the robot 200 executes a continuous guidance operation process, and the robot 200 constantly determines whether it has been placed on the charging device 300. Note that the entity that identifies that the robot 200 has been placed on the charging device 300 may be the robot 200, the charging device 300, or both.

[0024] The above is the configuration of the robot 200 according to this embodiment. Next, the configuration of the charging device 300 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the charging device 300 according to this embodiment from above. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the charging device 300 according to this embodiment from the side with the robot 200 placed on it. As shown in FIG. 3, the charging device 300 has an oval shape, and includes an outer frame 301, a floor surface 302, and a guide 305. The floor surface 302 includes a guide portion 304.

[0025] Outer frame 301 is made of an insulating material such as plastic. Floor surface 302 is the surface on which body 206 of robot 200 is placed, and is configured so that when robot 200 is placed on it, it is parallel to power receiving coil 101 provided on body 206. Floor surface 302 may be made of a smooth material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that has little friction with exterior 201 and fur 203 of robot 200 so as not to interfere with the guidance operation of robot 200.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 , a power transmitting coil 102 is provided inside the charging device 300 below the floor surface 302. The power transmitting coil 102 is, for example, a spirally wound planar coil, and is arranged so that the coil surface is parallel to the floor surface 302. That is, as shown in Fig. 4 , the power transmitting coil 102 is arranged so as to face the power receiving coil 101 in parallel. In this manner, the charging device 300 is provided with a configuration including the power transmitting coil 102 for transmitting power in a contactless manner. In this embodiment, a power transmitting coil 102 is provided outside or inside the charging device 300, and converts a DC voltage supplied from an AC adapter connected to a household outlet into AC, and transmits the power from the power transmitting coil 102.

[0027] Guiding unit 304 is provided in front of floor surface 302, and as shown in FIG. 3, has a shape resembling a portion of a Baumkuchen cake (roughly fan-shaped) centered at the center of charging device 300. Guiding unit 304 has a sawtooth cross section and is formed so that back blade 304B of the sawtooth faces toward the body (the retreating direction) so that, as head 204 of robot 200 moves up and down during the guiding operation described below, exterior sheath 201 and bristles 203 at the tip portion (the front tip of robot 200) of robot 200 come into contact with each other, causing robot 200 to retreat reliably, as shown in FIG. 4. Of guidance unit 304 having a sawtooth cross section, the portion formed at an angle with respect to floor surface 302 is referred to as front blade 304A, and the portion formed perpendicular to floor surface 302 is referred to as back blade 304B. Guiding unit 304 may be made of a material, such as rubber, that has high friction with exterior sheath 201 and bristles 203 at the front tip of robot 200. Note that the guiding unit 304 may be fan-shaped instead of being generally fan-shaped. Also, as long as the guiding unit 304 can come into contact with the front end of the robot 200, it may not be generally fan-shaped with its center at the center of the charging device 300, but may be centered at another position. Also, the front end of the robot 200 may be, for example, a part that corresponds to the nose of the robot 200, in the case of a small dog robot 200.

[0028] Returning to FIG. 3 , guide 305 is a guide plate that guides robot 200 to a suitable position in charging device 300 during the guiding operation described below, i.e., guides robot 200 so that the center O of power receiving coil 101 approaches the center O' of power transmitting coil 102. Furthermore, guide 305 also functions as a stopper that prevents robot 200 from further retreating after it has reached a suitable position for charging. In this embodiment, the robot 200 stops moving upon detecting that it has reached a suitable position for charging. However, even if robot 200 is operated a predetermined number of times without detecting its position, guide 305 allows robot 200 to stop at the appropriate position. Guide 305 may be made of a smooth material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), that provides little friction with the exterior 201 and bristles 203 of robot 200 so as not to interfere with the guiding operation of robot 200. Note that guide 305 is configured so that the angle θ shown in the figure can be adjusted according to the size of robot 200. This allows the charging device 300 to be used to suitably charge robots 200 of different sizes.

[0029] In the illustrated example, charging device 300 has an elliptical shape, i.e., outer frame 301 has an elliptical shape, but this is merely an example and is not limited to an elliptical shape. For example, the charging device may have a shape that is more bulging at the front than at the rear, that is, an egg shape. In this case, since the rear is narrower than the front, the inner wall of the charging device functions as a guide plate and a stopper, and charging device 300 does not need to be provided with a separate guide 305.

[0030] The charging device 300 also includes a communication unit 306 as a functional unit that communicates with the robot 200. The communication unit 306 includes an interface that communicates with the communication unit 106 of the robot 200 by wireless communication means such as radio waves or infrared rays. In addition, although not shown, a control unit is provided as a functional unit that controls communication with the communication unit 106 of the robot 200 via the communication unit 306 and controls the power to be transmitted. The control unit is configured to include, for example, a microcomputer or FPGA that includes a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and a memory that stores various information.

[0031] The above is the configuration of the charging device 300 according to this embodiment. Next, charging using the robot 200 and the charging device 300 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the robot 200 placed on the charging device 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 4 shows the robot 200 placed in a suitable position on the charging device 300. The robot 200 and the charging device 300 together are also referred to as a charging system for the robot 200.

[0032] In this embodiment, the charging device 300 is provided either inside or outside the charging device 300, converts DC voltage supplied from an AC adapter connected to a household power outlet into AC voltage, and transmits the power from the transmitting coil 102 to the robot 200. The power receiving coil 101 provided in the robot 200 receives the power through magnetic field coupling such as electromagnetic induction, outputs the power to a charging circuit (not shown), and charges a secondary battery (not shown). In this way, power is supplied contactlessly from the charging device 300 to the secondary battery of the robot 200. As described above, the charging efficiency is highest at the position where the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided in the robot 200 and the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300 overlap. Therefore, the charging efficiency varies depending on the position of the robot 200 within the charging device 300.

[0033] As described above, the charging efficiency of the robot 200 varies depending on the position of the robot 200 in the charging device 300 when charging the robot 200. Therefore, in this embodiment, a guiding operation is performed to move the robot 200 to a suitable position in the charging device 300, thereby enabling the robot 200 to charge in a suitable manner. The guiding operation is performed by executing the guiding operation process shown in Fig. 5. As described above, the guiding operation process is a process that is constantly executed in the robot 200.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the guidance operation process. In the following, as shown in Fig. 6, an example will be described in which the robot 200 is placed on the charging device 300 so that the tip of the robot 200 (hereinafter referred to as the front tip of the robot 200) is at the position X shown in the figure. Also, it is assumed that the current value of the charging current detected when the front tip of the robot 200 is at the position X shown in the figure is less than the allowable current value stored in the storage unit.

[0035] 5 starts, the control unit 105 of the robot 200 determines whether communication between the communication unit 106 and the communication unit 306 of the charging device 300 is established, thereby determining whether the robot 200 is placed on the charging device 300 (step S100). If communication between the communication unit 106 and the communication unit 306 is not established, that is, if it is determined that the robot 200 is not placed on the charging device 300 (step S100; No), the control unit 105 ends the guiding operation process.

[0036] On the other hand, when communication between the communication unit 106 and the communication unit 306 is established, i.e., when it is determined that the robot 200 is placed on the charging device 300 (step S100; Yes), the control unit 105 determines whether the actually detected current value of the charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value previously stored in the storage unit (step S101). Specifically, in step S101, if the actually detected current value of the charging current is less than the allowable current value previously stored in the storage unit, it determines that the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided in the robot 200 and the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300 are far apart, i.e., the robot 200 is not placed in an appropriate position on the charging device 300. On the other hand, if the actually detected current value of the charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value previously stored in the storage unit, it determines that the robot 200 is placed in an appropriate position on the charging device 300. Note that the allowable current value may be changeable by the user. Also, in step S101, if it is determined that the current value of the detected charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value (step S101; Yes), the control unit 105 determines that the device is placed in a suitable position and terminates the guidance operation process.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, when the front tip of the robot 200 is at the position X shown in the figure, in the processing of step S101, the control unit 105 determines that the current value of the detected charging current is less than the allowable current value (step S101; No), and proceeds to the processing of step S102 shown in FIG. 5.

[0038] Next, the control unit 105 controls the drive of the up / down motor 222 to move the head 204 of the robot 200 up and down (step S102). That is, in the process of step S102, the up / down motor 222 is driven to cause the robot 200, which is modeled after a small animal, to shake its head up and down. Specifically, in the process of step S102, the drive control of the up / down motor 222 first causes the head 204 of the robot 200 to rotate in the direction of arrow Y2 shown in FIG. 7. As a result, as shown in the figure, the exterior 201 and the bristles 203 at the front end of the robot 200 come into contact with the guide unit 304. Next, the drive control of the up / down motor 222 causes the head 204 of the robot 200 to rotate in the direction of arrow Y3 shown in FIG. 8. As a result, a backward force is generated at part A shown in FIG. 7. Therefore, by executing the process of step S102 shown in Fig. 5, the head 204 of the robot 200 changes from the state shown in Fig. 7 to the state shown in Fig. 8, from facing downward to facing forward, and at this time, the robot 200 receives a backward force generated at part A in Fig. 7, and moves a distance from X to Y as shown in Fig. 8. That is, an operation is performed to bring the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided in the robot 200 closer to the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 5, after executing the process of step S102, the control unit 105 returns to the process of step S101 and determines again whether the current value of the detected charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value previously stored in the storage unit. If the detected current value of the charging current is less than the allowable current value, the control unit 105 executes the process of step S102 again, and so on, repeating the processes of steps S101 and S102 until the detected current value of the charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value. As a result, the robot 200 moves to a position where the detected current value of the charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value. Moving the robot 200 to a position where the charging current is equal to or greater than the allowable current value is referred to as a guidance operation.

[0040] 9 is a top view of the robot 200 performing the guiding operation when the guiding operation process is executed in the state shown in FIG. 6. As shown in the figure, the guiding unit 304 is formed in a generally fan shape, and therefore, even if the robot 200 is placed at an angle relative to the front-to-rear direction, the guiding operation process is executed to guide the center O of the power receiving coil 101 toward the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102. Furthermore, the provision of the guide 305 allows the robot 200 to be guided to a more suitable charging position.

[0041] As described above, in this embodiment, when the robot 200 is not placed in a suitable position in the charging device 300, the guidance operation process is executed to guide the robot 200. This brings the center O of the receiving coil 101 closer to the center O' of the transmitting coil 102, enabling suitable charging.

[0042] In this embodiment, the charging current is compared with the allowable current value in step S101 of FIG. 5 to determine whether the robot 200 is in a suitable position for charging, and the guiding operation is started and stopped accordingly. However, a method that does not involve comparing current values ​​can also be used. For example, the guide 305 may be used as a stopper. Specifically, upon detecting that the robot 200 has been placed on the charging device 300, the robot 200 is caused to perform a head-up and down motion a predetermined number of times, and the robot 200 is caused to move backward as described above. At this time, the guide 305 is appropriately positioned so that the robot 200 stops at a suitable position for charging. This allows the robot 200 to stop at a suitable position for charging. Furthermore, although this embodiment illustrates an example in which contactless charging is performed, contact charging may also be used. In this case, charging contact terminals are provided on both the robot 200 and the charging device 300, and the guiding operation is performed to guide the robot 200 to a position where the contact terminals of the two devices come into contact.

[0043] In this case, the number of times that the head 204 of the robot 200 is operated may be the number of times that the robot 200 can move to the suitable charging position when placed at the tip of the charging device 300 (the position farthest from the suitable charging position). Note that the robot 200 will also operate when placed at the suitable charging position from the beginning, but the installation of the guide 305 can prevent the robot 200 from moving.

[0044] (Variation) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. For example, the robot 200 and the charging device 300 do not need to have all of the technical features described in the above-described embodiment, but may have some of the configurations described in the above-described embodiment so as to solve at least one problem in the prior art. Furthermore, at least a portion of each of the following modifications may be combined.

[0045] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the guide portion 304 having a sawtooth cross section and a generally fan-shaped configuration is provided in front of the floor surface 302 of the charging device 300, but this is just one example. The charging device 300 does not need to be provided with the guide portion 304 as long as a backward force is generated at a contact portion between the front end of the robot 200 and the floor surface 302 of the charging device 300 as a result of the head 240 of the robot 200 moving up and down during the guiding operation process. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , a contact portion 299 may be provided at the tip portion of the robot 200 (the front end of the robot 200) so that a backward force is generated at a contact portion between the contact portion 299 and the floor surface 302 as a result of the head 240 of the robot 200 moving up and down during the guiding operation process. The contact portion 299 may be made of an elastic material with high friction, such as rubber. When contact portion 299 is provided at the front tip of robot 200, a portion of floor surface 302 of charging device 300 that comes into contact with contact portion 299 (a portion corresponding to guiding portion 304 in the above embodiment) may be made of a resin that has high friction with contact portion 299. In combination with the above embodiment, contact portion 299 may be provided at the tip portion of robot 200 (the front tip of robot 200), and guiding portion 304 having a sawtooth cross section may be provided in front of floor surface 302 of charging device 300. In this case, it is desirable that contact portion 299 is large enough to come into contact with guiding portion 304.

[0046] 10, a case will be described in which the robot 200 is placed on the charging device 300 so that the contact part 299 of the robot 200 is at the position X' shown in the figure, and the guidance operation process is executed. Also, it is assumed that the current value of the charging current detected when the contact part 299 of the robot 200 is at the position X' shown in the figure is less than the allowable current value.

[0047] When the process of step S102 in the guided operation process shown in Fig. 5 is executed, the robot 200 moves the head 204 up and down. Specifically, in the process of step S102, the drive control of the up-down motor 222 first rotates the head 204 of the robot 200 in the direction of arrow Y2 shown in Fig. 11. As a result, the contact portion 299 of the robot 200 comes into contact with the floor surface 302, as shown in the figure. Next, the drive control of the up-down motor 222 rotates the head 204 of the robot 200 in the direction of arrow Y3 shown in Fig. 12. As a result, a backward force is generated at the contact portion between the contact portion 299 of the robot 200 and the floor surface 302 shown in Fig. 11. 5, the head 204 of the robot 200 changes from the state shown in FIG. 11 to the state shown in FIG. 12, from facing downward to facing forward. At this time, the robot 200 receives a force generated between the contact portion 299 and the floor surface 302 shown in FIG. 11, and moves a distance from X' to Y' as shown in FIG. 12. That is, an operation is performed to bring the center O of the power receiving coil 101 provided in the robot 200 closer to the center O' of the power transmitting coil 102 of the charging device 300. This allows the robot 200 to perform a guided operation without providing the charging device 300 with the induction portion 304 having a sawtooth cross section. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to provide the contact portion 299 on the robot 200, the charging device 300 can be used to charge a variety of robots 200.

[0048] In the above embodiment, in the process of step S101 in FIG. 5 , the control unit 105 of the robot 200 determines whether the robot 200 is placed in a suitable position on the charging device 300, and if the robot 200 is not placed in a suitable position, performs drive control of the up / down motor 222. However, this is merely an example. For example, the charging device 300 may determine whether the robot 200 is placed in a suitable position on the charging device 300. In this case, the allowable current value may be stored in a memory unit of the charging device 300. Specifically, the charging device 300 receives from the robot 200 the current value of the charging current actually detected by the control unit 105. The charging device 300 then determines whether the received current value is equal to or greater than the allowable current value stored in the memory unit, thereby determining whether the robot 200 is placed in a suitable position. If the charging device 300 determines that the robot 200 is not placed in a suitable position, the control unit 105 of the robot 200 may transmit a drive command to control the up / down motor 222, causing the control unit 105 to execute the process of step S102 in FIG. 5 .

[0049] Furthermore, the current value of the charging current received by the charging device 300 may be associated with robot information indicating the type of robot 200, and the allowable current value stored in advance on the charging device 300 side may be a different allowable current value for each type of robot 200. In this way, even if the allowable current value differs for each type of robot 200, the same charging device 300 can determine whether or not different types of robots 200 are in an appropriate position.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the guiding operation is performed by moving the head 204 of the robot 200 up and down, but this is just one example. Alternatively, for example, the guiding operation may be performed by moving the head 204 of the robot 200 left and right. In this case, it is sufficient that the guiding portions 304 having a sawtooth cross section are provided on both side surfaces of the charging device 300 so that the guiding portions 304 come into contact with the front end of the robot 200 when the head 204 is moved left and right.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the robot 200 is moved to a suitable position in the charging device 300 by operating the robot 200. Alternatively, for example, a belt conveyor may be provided on the side of the charging device 300, and when it is determined that the robot 200 is not placed in a suitable position on the side of the charging device 300, the belt conveyor may be operated to move the robot 200 to a suitable position in the charging device 300.

[0052] While this embodiment illustrates an example of charging a small animal-like robot, the device being charged is not limited to robots; the present disclosure can be applied to any device with a drive unit. For example, a toy car with wheels or a toy tank with tracks may drive the wheels or tracks to guide the device to an appropriate charging position upon detecting that it has been placed on a charging stand. Furthermore, the present disclosure may also be applied to beauty tools that have a massage function due to the movement of a drive unit, provided that the drive unit and the charging device are in appropriate contact with each other.

[0053] The present invention allows for various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. The invention as originally described in the claims of this application is set forth below.

[0054] (Appendix 1) a device including a secondary battery and a drive unit that drives the device itself; a charging device that includes a placement surface on which the device is placed and that charges the secondary battery while the device is placed on the placement surface, When the device is placed on the placement surface of the charging device, the drive unit is driven, and a force in a predetermined direction is generated by contact between the driven part and the placement surface, thereby positioning the device on the placement surface at a predetermined position for charging.

[0055] (Appendix 2) The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the charging device further includes an inner wall surface formed so that both inner surfaces gradually narrow in the one direction.

[0056] (Appendix 3) the charging device further includes a guide portion for guiding the device in the one direction on a part of the placement surface on which the device is placed, The charging system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the induction portion has a longitudinal cross section formed in a sawtooth shape with the back edge of the saw facing in the one direction.

[0057] (Appendix 4) The charging system described in Appendix 3, wherein the induction portion is formed on the placement surface in a fan-shaped form when viewed from the direction opposite the placement surface, and the arc of the fan shape is arranged to face in the direction opposite to the one direction.

[0058] (Appendix 5) The charging system according to any one of appendices 1 to 4, further comprising a placement position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the device on the placement surface when the device is placed on the placement surface, and drives the drive unit when the placement position acquired by the placement position acquisition unit satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0059] (Appendix 6) The charging system of any one of Appendices 1 to 5, wherein the device is a robot having a head and a torso, the drive unit drives the head, and the one direction is a direction from the head to the torso when the robot is placed on the placement surface.

[0060] (Appendix 7) 7. The charging system of claim 6, wherein the driving head comes into contact with the resting surface, generating a force in one direction on the robot.

[0061] (Appendix 8) 8. The charging system according to claim 1, wherein the charging device charges the secondary battery of the device by contactless charging.

[0062] (Appendix 9) A robot including a head and a torso, an identification unit that identifies that the robot has been placed on a charging device; a determination unit that, when the identification unit identifies that the robot has been placed on the charging device, determines whether the robot's position on the charging device satisfies a predetermined condition; an operating unit that operates the head in accordance with the determination result by the determining unit, The operation of the operating unit causes the head to come into contact with the charging device, generating a force in a direction from the head to the torso. robot.

[0063] (Appendix 10) A charging device on which a robot including a head and a torso is placed, an identification unit that identifies that the robot has been placed; a determination unit that, when the identification unit identifies that the robot has been placed, determines whether the position of the robot is a position that satisfies a predetermined condition; a command transmission unit that transmits to the robot an operation command to operate the head in accordance with the determination result by the determination unit; a floor surface portion configured to generate a force in the robot in a direction from the head to the torso portion by contacting the head when the robot performs an action based on the action command; A charging device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 101 receiving coil, 102 transmitting coil, 103 shaft, 105 control unit, 106, 306 communication unit, 200 robot, 201 exterior, 202 decorative part, 203 bristles, 204 head, 205 connecting part, 206 body part, 207 main body part, 208 wire fastener, 208a slider, 222 up and down motor, 241 convex part, 260 engaging plate, 299 contact part, 300 charging device, 301 outer frame, 302 floor, 304 guiding part, 304A front blade, 304B back blade, 305 guide

Claims

1. a device including a secondary battery and a drive unit that drives the device itself; a charging device that includes a placement surface on which the device is placed and that charges the secondary battery while the device is placed on the placement surface, When the device is placed on the placement surface of the charging device, the drive unit is driven, and a force in a predetermined direction is generated by contact between the driven part and the placement surface, thereby positioning the device on the placement surface at a predetermined position for charging.

2. The charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the charging device further comprises an inner wall surface formed so that both inner surfaces thereof become gradually narrower in the one direction.

3. the charging device further includes a guide portion for guiding the device in the one direction on a part of the placement surface on which the device is placed, The charging system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide portion has a longitudinal cross section formed in a sawtooth shape with back edges of the saw teeth facing in the one direction.

4. 4. The charging system according to claim 3, wherein the induction portion is formed on the placement surface in a fan-shaped configuration when viewed from a direction facing the placement surface, and the arc of the fan-shaped configuration faces in a direction opposite to the one direction.

5. 5. A charging system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device further comprises a placement position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the device on the placement surface when the device is placed on the placement surface, and drives the drive unit when the placement position acquired by the placement position acquisition unit satisfies a predetermined condition.

6. 6. A charging system according to claim 1, wherein the device is a robot having a head and a torso, the drive unit drives the head, and the one direction is a direction from the head to the torso when the robot is placed on the placement surface.

7. The charging system according to claim 6 , wherein the driving head comes into contact with the placement surface, so that the force in one direction is generated on the robot.

8. The charging system according to claim 1 , wherein the charging device charges the secondary battery of the device by contactless charging.

9. A robot including a head and a torso, an identification unit that identifies that the robot has been placed on a charging device; a determination unit that, when the identification unit identifies that the robot has been placed on the charging device, determines whether the robot's position on the charging device satisfies a predetermined condition; an operating unit that operates the head in accordance with the determination result by the determining unit, The operation of the operating unit causes the head to come into contact with the charging device, generating a force in a direction from the head to the torso. robot.

10. A charging device on which a robot including a head and a torso is placed, an identification unit that identifies that the robot has been placed; a determination unit that, when the identification unit identifies that the robot has been placed, determines whether the position of the robot is a position that satisfies a predetermined condition; a command transmission unit that transmits to the robot an operation command to operate the head in accordance with the determination result by the determination unit; a floor surface portion configured to generate a force in the robot in a direction from the head to the torso portion by contacting the head when the robot performs an action based on the action command; A charging device comprising:

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