Charging system for unmanned vehicles

Abstract

To provide a charging system of an unattended traveling body which protects forgetting operation of charging the unattended traveling body when it becomes possible to charge by a charger.SOLUTION: A charging system 10 of an unattended traveling body has the unattended traveling body which travels with the electric power by power of a battery 17, and a charger 12 capable of charging the battery 17. The charging system comprises: a detection part which detects that a traveling body side charging part and a charging side charging part are in a chargeable state that the battery can be charged; a charging operation part which performs execution of charging the battery 17; a controller which controls the charger 12; and a notification body which can communicate with the controller and has a notification function notifying that it is in a state that the charging of the battery 17 is not executed. When the detection part detects the chargeable state and a preset set time elapsed, the controller transfers a signal indicating that the battery 17 is not charged to the notification body and notifies that the notification body is in a non-charged state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a charging system for an unmanned vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Known prior art related to charging systems for unmanned mobile vehicles is, for example, the vehicle charging system disclosed in Patent Document 1. The vehicle charging system disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a communication unit provided outside the vehicle that transmits information indicating a charger to the parked vehicle, a communication unit provided in the vehicle that receives the information, and a display unit and audio output unit provided in the vehicle that notify the presence of a charger based on the information.

[0003] According to the vehicle charging system disclosed in Patent Document 1, even if a vehicle is parked in a parking space where a charger is installed, it is possible to prevent the driver from overlooking the charger or being unable to find its location, resulting in the driver forgetting to charge the vehicle even though the charger is located there. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-135135 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the vehicle charging system disclosed in Patent Document 1 prevents overlooking the presence of a charger, etc., and even if the vehicle and charger are connected, there is a problem in that, for example, if the occupant forgets to start charging, the vehicle will be left uncharged. Incidentally, charging systems for unmanned mobile vehicles sometimes employ a configuration in which the unmanned mobile vehicle autonomously travels to a charging device, connects to the charging device, and automatically charges. However, if the unmanned mobile vehicle cannot be brought into a state where it can be charged with the charging device for some reason, the unmanned mobile vehicle must be manually electrically connected to the charging device to make it chargeable. In this case, if the operator forgets to start charging, the unmanned mobile vehicle may be left uncharged.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle, comprising: an unmanned mobile vehicle that travels electrically using battery power; and a charging device that enables charging of the battery, wherein the unmanned mobile vehicle is equipped with a mobile vehicle-side charging unit for charging the battery, and the charging device is equipped with a charger-side charging unit that enables charging of the battery through the mobile vehicle-side charging unit, The unmanned vehicle includes a vehicle-side optical communication unit that communicates by optical communication, and the charging device includes a charging device-side optical communication unit that faces the vehicle-side optical communication unit and is capable of optical communication when the unmanned vehicle is connected to the charging device by an operator, and when the unmanned vehicle is connected to the charging device by an operator in a chargeable state, communication is performed by optical communication via the vehicle-side optical communication unit and the charging device-side optical communication unit. The system includes a detection unit that detects whether the vehicle-side charging unit and the charging-side charging unit are in a chargeable state where they can charge the battery, a charging operation unit that operates to charge the battery, a controller that controls the charging device based on the operation of the charging operation unit, and an alarm that can communicate with the controller and has an alarm function that notifies that charging of the battery is not being executed, and the controller When the unmanned traveling vehicle is connected to the charging device by an operator in a chargeable state, the unmanned traveling vehicle is charged by optical communication via the traveling vehicle side optical communication unit and the charging device side optical communication unit. When the detection unit detects the chargeable state, and no operation to execute charging is performed by the charging operation unit, and a preset time has elapsed, a signal indicating that charging of the battery is not being performed is transmitted to the alarm device, and the alarm device notifies that charging of the battery is not being performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a charging system for an unmanned vehicle comprising an unmanned vehicle that travels electrically using battery power and a charging device that enables charging of the battery, wherein the unmanned vehicle is equipped with a vehicle-side charging unit for charging the battery, and the charging device is equipped with a charging-side charging unit that enables charging of the battery through the vehicle-side charging unit, and the charging system comprises a detection unit that detects whether the vehicle-side charging unit and the charging-side charging unit are in a chargeable state where they can charge the battery, a charging operation unit that operates to execute charging of the battery, a controller that controls the charging device based on operation of the charging operation unit, and an alarm that can communicate with the controller and has an alarm function that alerts when charging of the battery is not being performed, wherein when the detection unit detects the chargeable state, no operation to execute charging is performed by the charging operation unit, and a preset time has elapsed, the controller transmits a signal to the alarm device indicating that charging of the battery is not being performed, and the alarm device alerts that charging of the battery is not being performed.

[0008] In the present invention, the controller When the unmanned vehicle is connected to the charging device by an operator in a state where it can be charged, The detection unit By optical communication via the optical communication unit on the vehicle side and the optical communication unit on the charging device side The electrical connection between the vehicle-side charging unit and the charger-side charging unit is detected, and when no charging operation is performed by the charging operation unit and a preset time has elapsed, a signal indicating that battery charging is not being performed is transmitted to the notification device. The notification device then notifies the operator that battery charging is not being performed. Therefore, the notification device can make the operator involved with the unmanned vehicle aware that the battery of the unmanned vehicle is not being charged by notifying the operator, and can encourage the operator to charge the battery of the unmanned vehicle. As a result, it is possible to prevent the operator from forgetting to perform the charging operation for the battery of an unmanned vehicle that is in a chargeable state where it can be charged by a charging device.

[0009] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle described above, the unmanned mobile vehicle may be configured to include the controller. In this case, the unmanned mobile vehicle in a chargeable state has its power turned on, and the controller provided on the unmanned mobile vehicle can transmit a signal indicating that the vehicle is not yet charged to the alarm body when the detection unit detects the chargeable state and a preset time has elapsed.

[0010] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle described above, the unmanned mobile vehicle may be configured to include the notification body. In this case, the unmanned mobile vehicle is provided with an alarm, and the alarm of the unmanned mobile vehicle can make the worker aware by issuing an alarm that the unmanned mobile vehicle is not being charged.

[0011] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle described above, the unmanned mobile vehicle may be configured to include the charging operation unit. In this case, the unmanned mobile vehicle is equipped with a charging operation unit, so once the operator recognizes from the notification that charging is not being performed on the battery of the unmanned mobile vehicle, he or she can perform charging by operating the charging operation unit of the unmanned mobile vehicle.

[0012] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle described above, the charging device may be configured to include the notification body. In this case, the charging device is equipped with an alarm, which can alert the operator that the unmanned mobile vehicle is not being charged. This eliminates the need to equip the unmanned mobile vehicle with an alarm, which can contribute to making the unmanned mobile vehicle smaller and lighter.

[0013] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle, the charging device may include the controller. In this case, since the charging device is equipped with a controller, the controller of the charging device can detect the electrical connection between the vehicle-side charging unit and the charger-side charging unit using the detection unit, and transmit a signal indicating that charging is not yet complete to the notification device when a preset time has elapsed. Therefore, the controller of the unmanned vehicle does not perform control related to the notification that the battery is not being charged, thereby reducing the load on the controller of the unmanned vehicle.

[0014] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle, the charging device may include the charging operation unit. In this case, since the charging device is equipped with a charging operation unit, once the worker recognizes from the notification that charging is not being performed by the charging device, he or she can perform charging by operating the charging operation unit of the charging device.

[0015] The charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle described above may further include a portable communication device capable of communicating with the unmanned mobile vehicle, the portable communication device including the notification body. In this case, the portable communication device is provided with an alarm, so that even if the worker is away from the unmanned mobile vehicle that is in a chargeable state, the alarm can notify the worker that charging is not being performed on the battery of the unmanned mobile vehicle.

[0016] In the charging system for the unmanned mobile vehicle, the portable communication device may include the charging operation unit. In this case, since the portable communication device is equipped with a charging operation unit, once the operator recognizes from the notification that the unmanned mobile vehicle is not being charged, he or she can operate the charging operation unit to charge the battery of the unmanned mobile vehicle in a chargeable state. Therefore, even if the operator is away from the unmanned mobile vehicle in a chargeable state, charging of the unmanned mobile vehicle can be carried out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle that can prevent forgetting to operate the charging execution for an unmanned mobile vehicle that is in a chargeable state where it can be charged by a charging device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a charging system for an automated guided vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view of a charging system for an automated guided vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a charging system for an automated guided vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of charging control by the charging system for an automated guided vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a charging system for an automated guided vehicle according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of charging control by the charging system for an automated guided vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a charging system for an automated guided vehicle according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, a charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The unmanned mobile vehicle is an electric unmanned mobile vehicle that travels electrically, and in this embodiment, a charging system having an unmanned guided vehicle as the unmanned mobile vehicle and a charging device that charges the unmanned guided vehicle will be described as an example.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a charging system 10 for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "charging system") has an unmanned mobile vehicle 11 as an unmanned mobile vehicle, and a charging device 12. The unmanned mobile vehicle 11 has the function of autonomously traveling while avoiding obstacles. The unmanned mobile vehicle 11 has a cylindrical machine base 13, on the upper part of which is provided a loading platform 14 on which a load W can be placed. The machine base 13 has a plurality of drive wheels 15 on the lower part.

[0021] The drive wheels 15 are omnidirectional wheels. An omnidirectional wheel is a wheel that rotates integrally with the axle and is also capable of moving in the direction of the axis X of the axle, such as an omniwheel. In this embodiment, the machine base 13 is provided with four drive wheels 15. When distinguishing between the four drive wheels 15, they are referred to as a first drive wheel 15A, a second drive wheel 15B, a third drive wheel 15C, and a fourth drive wheel 15D. The first drive wheel 15A and the second drive wheel 15B are drive wheels on the front side of the machine base 13, and the third drive wheel 15C and the fourth drive wheel 15D are drive wheels on the rear side of the machine base 13.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the automated guided vehicle 11 is equipped with a travel motor 16 for rotating the drive wheels 15. A travel motor 16 is provided for each drive wheel 15. Therefore, the number of travel motors 16 is the same as the number of drive wheels 15. When distinguishing between the four travel motors 16, they are referred to as a first travel motor 16A, a second travel motor 16B, a third travel motor 16C, and a fourth travel motor 16D.

[0023] The machine base 13 is equipped with a battery 17 as an electricity storage device. The battery 17 is a dischargeable secondary battery, such as a lithium-ion battery. The battery 17 is connected to each part requiring power, such as the travel motor 16, via power wiring (not shown). Therefore, power from the battery 17 is supplied to each part of the machine base 13 via the power wiring. Furthermore, power generated during regeneration is stored in the battery 17 via the power wiring. A battery monitoring circuit (not shown) is provided to monitor the state of the battery 17.

[0024] In this embodiment, a power receiving unit 18 serving as a vehicle-side charging unit for charging the battery 17 is provided at the front of the machine base 13. The power receiving unit 18 includes a positive terminal 19 and a negative terminal 20 serving as vehicle-side electrodes. The positive terminal 19 and the negative terminal 20 are disposed in a recess 21 formed in the front of the machine base 13. The power receiving unit 18 is fixed to the machine base 13 so that the positive terminal 19 and the negative terminal 20 are positioned above and below each other (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 3, the positive terminal 19 and the negative terminal 20 are connected to terminals of the battery 17 via power lines 22 and 23. The power receiving unit 18 includes an optical communication unit 24 for optically communicating with the charging device 12. Because the positive terminal 19 and the negative terminal 20 are disposed in the recess 21, they are less likely to interfere with obstacles.

[0025] The base 13 is equipped with multiple laser range finders (LRFs: electro-optical distance meters). Laser range finder 25 is a first laser range finder (hereinafter referred to as "first LRF 25"), and laser range finder 26 is a second laser range finder (hereinafter referred to as "second LRF 26"). The first LRF 25 and second LRF 26 are range finders that measure distance by irradiating the surrounding area with a laser and receiving light reflected from the area where the laser hits, and can obtain information about the shapes of objects present around the automatic guided vehicle 11 as surrounding objects.

[0026] In this embodiment, a two-dimensional laser range finder is used that emits a laser while changing the irradiation angle in the horizontal direction. The first LRF 25 is fixed to the front of the machine base 13, and the second LRF 26 is fixed to the rear of the machine base 13. They can scan the laser in the horizontal direction and detect the direction and distance to an object as a point cloud. A certain area (not shown) around the machine base 13 is the area searched by the first LRF 25 and the second LRF 26.

[0027] The vehicle base 13 is equipped with an on-board controller 27. The on-board controller 27 includes a CPU 28 and a storage unit 29 including RAM, ROM, and the like. The on-board controller 27 may include dedicated hardware for executing at least some of the various processes, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The on-board controller 27 may be configured as a circuit including one or more processors that operate according to a computer program, one or more dedicated hardware circuits such as ASICs, or a combination thereof.

[0028] The storage unit 29 stores program codes or commands configured to cause the CPU 28 to execute processing. The storage unit 29 stores various programs for controlling each part of the automated guided vehicle 11. The on-board controller 27 can control the traveling direction and traveling speed of the automated guided vehicle 11, for example, by controlling the traveling motor 16.

[0029] The memory unit 29 stores various programs for controlling the vehicle 13, as well as an environmental map of the movement space in which the vehicle 13 moves. The environmental map is a map that the vehicle 13 creates while moving through the movement space. The technology that simultaneously estimates the self-position of the automated guided vehicle 11 and constructs the environmental map is called SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). The memory unit 29, i.e., the computer-readable medium, includes anything that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0030] The automated guided vehicle 11 of this embodiment includes an input operation unit 30, a wireless communication unit 31, and a light-emitting unit 34. The input operation unit 30 includes a numeric keypad 32 for inputting data to the automated guided vehicle 11 and a charge execution button 33 for manually charging the automated guided vehicle 11. The charge execution button 33 corresponds to the charge operation unit, and is connected to the on-board controller 27. When the battery 17 is in a state where it can be charged, turning on the charge execution button 33 starts charging by the charging device 12.

[0031] The wireless communication unit 31 enables wireless communication with a portable communication device 35 carried by a worker who handles the load W and who is in charge of the operation status of the automated guided vehicle 11. The portable communication device 35 is, for example, a tablet or a smartphone. The portable communication device 35 therefore includes a CPU (not shown), a memory unit (not shown) including RAM, ROM, etc., and a communication unit (not shown). The portable communication device 35 includes a display 36 capable of displaying information and a built-in speaker (not shown). The display 36 is a touch panel that can be operated by touch. The display 36 and the built-in speaker correspond to an alarm device on the portable communication device 35 side that has an alarm function. The portable communication device 35 is carried by, for example, a worker who not only manages the automated guided vehicle 11 but also handles the load W.

[0032] The automated guided vehicle 11 is equipped with eight light-emitting units 34 on the outer periphery of the base 13. The eight light-emitting units 34 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the upper outer periphery of the base 13, and emit light in eight directions. These light-emitting units 34 are connected to and controlled by the on-board controller 27. In other words, the light-emitting units 34 correspond to notification bodies on the base 13 side.

[0033] The on-board controller 27 of this embodiment controls charging based on communication with the charging device 12. When the automated guided vehicle 11 is connected to the charging device 12 in a state where charging is possible, it issues a charge command to the charging device 12 to charge the battery 17. The procedure for controlling charging will be described later.

[0034] Next, we will explain the charging device 12. The charging device 12 of this embodiment is installed on the road surface (floor surface). The charging device 12 has a device main body 41, a charging circuit unit 42, a charging side controller 43, a charging arm 44, and an optical communication unit 45.

[0035] Box-shaped device main body 41 houses charging circuit section 42 and charging-side controller 43. Charging circuit section 42 is connected to an external power source via wiring and is electrically connected to charging arm 44. Charging-side controller 43 controls charging circuit section 42. Charging arm 44 is provided with a positive terminal 46 and a negative terminal 47 as charging-side electrodes, with positive terminal 46 connected to charging circuit section 42 via power line 48 and negative terminal 47 connected to charging circuit section 42 via power line 49.

[0036] The charging-side controller 43 includes a CPU (not shown) and a storage unit (not shown) including RAM, ROM, etc. The charging-side controller 43 controls the charging circuit unit 42 and also the optical communication unit 45. The charging arm 44 protrudes laterally from the device main body 41. A positive terminal 46 and a negative terminal 47 are exposed from the tip of the charging arm 44, and the positive terminal 46 can be connected to the positive terminal 19 of the power receiving unit 18 of the automatic guided vehicle 11, and the negative terminal 47 can be connected to the negative terminal 20. The charging arm 44, the positive terminal 46, and the negative terminal 47 correspond to the charging-side charging unit.

[0037] When the automatic guided vehicle 11 is connected to the charging device 12, the optical communication unit 45 faces the optical communication unit 24 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 and is capable of optical communication. The on-board controller 27 can check the status (presence or absence of abnormalities, etc.) of the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 by optical communication via the optical communication units 24, 45. In other words, the on-board controller 27 corresponds to a detection unit that detects whether the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are in a chargeable state where they can charge the battery 17.

[0038] Next, the control of charging in the charging system 10 of this embodiment will be described. 8) will be described. When the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected in a state where charging is possible, the on-board controller 27 determines whether the power of the charging device 12 is ON or not (step S001). The power status of the charging device 12 can be confirmed by the on-board controller 27 communicating with a portable communication device 35 that can communicate with the charging device 12. Note that the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 being connected in a state where charging is possible refers to a state where the power receiving unit 18 of the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging arm 44 are electrically connected.

[0039] When the on-board controller 27 determines that the power supply of the charging device 12 is ON, it determines whether or not the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected (step S002). The state of connection between the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 can be confirmed by optical communication between the optical communication units 24, 45. When the on-board controller 27 determines in step S001 that the power supply of the charging device 12 is not ON, charging of the battery 17 is not possible, and therefore the flow ends.

[0040] In step S002, if the on-board controller 27 determines that the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected, it determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 (step S003). The presence or absence of an abnormality in the battery 17 can be confirmed by a battery monitoring circuit (not shown) that monitors the state of the battery 17. In step S002, if the on-board controller 27 determines that the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are not connected, charging of the battery 17 is not possible, and therefore the flow ends.

[0041] In step S003, if the on-board controller 27 determines that there is no abnormality in the battery 17, it determines whether or not the charge execution button 33 has been operated (step S004). In step S003, if the on-board controller 27 determines that there is an abnormality in the battery 17, charging of the battery 17 is not possible, and the flow ends. In this way, in step S003, it is determined whether or not the battery 17 is in a state where it can be charged.

[0042] In step S004, if the in-vehicle controller 27 determines that the charge execution button 33 has not been operated and charging is not being performed, it determines whether a set time has elapsed (step S005). In step S004, if the in-vehicle controller 27 determines that the charge execution button 33 has been operated, charging of the battery 17 has started, and the flow ends.

[0043] The set time is a threshold value of the time that has elapsed since the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected. The elapse of the set time can be checked using the timer function of the on-board controller 27. The set time is set in advance and stored in the memory unit 29. Incidentally, when an operator connects the automatic guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 in a state in which charging is possible, there is a high possibility that the operator will be staying near the connected automatic guided vehicle 11 within 60 seconds after the connection. For this reason, the set time may be set to, for example, 60 seconds.

[0044] If the in-vehicle controller 27 determines in step S005 that the set time has elapsed, it notifies the portable communication device 35 that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed (step S006). Specifically, the in-vehicle controller 27 transmits a signal indicating that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed to the portable communication device 35. In the portable communication device 35 that receives the signal indicating that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed, the display 36 displays a message indicating that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed. At the same time, the built-in speaker emits a warning sound indicating that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed. If the in-vehicle controller 27 determines in step S005 that the set time has not elapsed, it repeats step S005.

[0045] Next, the on-vehicle controller 27 determines whether the charge execution button 33 is ON or not (step S006). When the worker carrying the portable communication device 35 is notified in step S006 that the battery 17 is not charged, the worker recognizes that charging of the battery 17 is not being executed. This allows the worker to recognize that charging of the battery 17 is not being executed. Next, the on-vehicle controller 27 determines whether the charge execution button 33 is ON or not (step S007).

[0046] In step S007, if the on-board controller 27 determines that the charge execution button 33 has been turned on, it starts charging the battery 17 (step S008). In step S007, if the on-board controller 27 determines that the charge execution button 33 has not been turned on, it returns to step S006. Therefore, it continues to notify that charging is not being performed. When charging of the battery 17 starts, the control according to this series of flows ends.

[0047] Next, the operation of the charging system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In the charging system 10 according to this embodiment, when the automated guided vehicle 11 connects to the charging device 12 by autonomous travel, the on-board controller 27 automatically charges the battery 17. On the other hand, for an automated guided vehicle 11 that cannot connect to the charging device 12 for some reason (such as an inability to detect the current position or a malfunction), an operator connects the automated guided vehicle 11 to the charging device 12 and then charges the vehicle. A case where an operator connects the automated guided vehicle 11 to the charging device 12 and then charges the vehicle will be described.

[0048] When an operator connects the automated guided vehicle 11 to the charging device 12, the on-board controller 27 determines whether the power of the charging device 12 is ON. If the power of the charging device 12 is ON, the on-board controller 27 determines whether the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected so that charging is possible. If the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected so that charging is possible, the on-board controller 27 determines whether there is an abnormality in the battery 17. If there is no abnormality in the battery 17, the charging system 10 causes the portable communication device 35 to notify the user that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed when a set time has elapsed since the automated guided vehicle 11 connected to the charging device 12. The portable communication device 35 notifies the user by a visual display on the display 36 and an audible warning from the built-in speaker.

[0049] The notification from the portable communication device 35 allows the worker to recognize the presence of an automatic guided vehicle 11 whose battery 17 is not being charged. When the worker turns on the charge execution button 33 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 that is connected to the charging device 12 and whose battery 17 is not being charged, the charging system 10 starts charging the battery 17.

[0050] The charging system 10 of this embodiment has the following advantages. (1) The on-board controller 27 detects an electrical connection between the power receiving unit 18 and the charging arm 44 through communication between the optical communication units 24, 45, and when the charging execution operation is not performed using the charging execution button 33 and a preset time has elapsed, the on-board controller 27 transmits a signal to the portable communication device 35 indicating that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed. The portable communication device 35 then notifies the worker involved with the automatic guided vehicle 11 that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed. Therefore, the portable communication device 35 can make the worker aware by notifying the worker that charging of the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 is not being performed, and can prompt the worker to charge the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11. As a result, it is possible to prevent forgetting to perform the charging operation on the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 that is in a chargeable state where it can be charged by the charging device 12.

[0051] (2) The automated guided vehicle 11 is equipped with an on-board controller 27. Therefore, an automated guided vehicle 11 that is in a chargeable state has its power turned on. The on-board controller 27 provided in the automated guided vehicle 11 can transmit a signal indicating that the automated guided vehicle 11 is not yet charged to the portable communication device 35 when the optical communication units 24, 45 detect the chargeable state and a preset time has elapsed. In particular, if the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 are connected within 60 seconds of each other, there is a high possibility that a worker is staying near the connected automated guided vehicle 11. Therefore, if the set time, which is the threshold time elapsed since the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 12 were connected, is set to, for example, 60 seconds, it can be recognized that the automated guided vehicle 11 is not yet charged near the connected automated guided vehicle 11.

[0052] (3) The charging system 10 includes a portable communication device 35 capable of communicating with the automated guided vehicle 11, and the portable communication device 35 includes a display 36 and a built-in speaker as notification devices. In other words, the portable communication device 35 is provided with a notification device. Therefore, even if the worker is away from the automated guided vehicle 11 that is in a chargeable state, the display 36 and the built-in speaker can notify the worker by the screen display and warning sound that charging of the battery 17 of the automated guided vehicle 11 is not being performed.

[0053] (4) The unmanned guided vehicle 11 is equipped with a charging execution button 33. Therefore, when the operator recognizes from the notification that charging of the battery 17 of the unmanned guided vehicle 11 is not being performed, the operator can perform charging by operating the charging execution button 33 of the unmanned guided vehicle 11.

[0054] In the first embodiment, the charge execution button 33 as a charge operation unit is included in the input operation unit 30 provided on the base 13 of the automatic guided vehicle 11, but for example, an operation button (not shown) having a function equivalent to the charge execution button 33 may be displayed on the display 36 of the portable communication device 35. When the worker turns on the operation button displayed on the display 36, charging is performed via the portable communication device 35.

[0055] The portable communication device 35 is provided with an operation button for executing charging. Therefore, if the worker recognizes from the notification that charging of the automatic guided vehicle 11 is not being performed, he or she can operate the operation button displayed on the display 36 to charge the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 in a chargeable state. Therefore, even if the worker is away from the automatic guided vehicle 11 in a chargeable state, charging of the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be performed. Furthermore, by providing the portable communication device 35 with an operation button for executing charging, it is also possible to omit the charge execution button 33 on the automatic guided vehicle 11.

[0056] (Second embodiment) Next, a charging system according to a second embodiment will be described. The charging system according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the controller of the automated guided vehicle does not control the charging system, but the charging controller of the charging device controls the charging system. In this embodiment, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be referred to and the same reference numerals will be used.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 5, a charging system 50 of this embodiment includes an automated guided vehicle 11 and a charging device 51. The charging device 51 includes a wireless communication unit 52. The wireless communication unit 52 enables wireless communication between a portable communication device 35 and the automated guided vehicle 11. In this embodiment, a charging-side controller 43 controls charging of the charging system 10. That is, the charging-side controller 43 controls a series of steps shown in Fig. 6. Steps S101 to S108 in Fig. 6 correspond to steps S001 to S008 shown in Fig. 4.

[0058] The charging side controller 43 determines whether the power supply of the automated guided vehicle 11 is ON. If the power supply of the automated guided vehicle 11 is ON, the charging side controller 43 determines whether the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 51 are connected so that charging is possible. If the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 51 are connected so that charging is possible, the charging side controller 43 determines whether the charging execution button 33 has been operated to execute charging.

[0059] If it is determined that no operation to execute charging has been performed using the charging execution button 33, the charging-side controller 43 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the battery 17. If there is no abnormality in the battery 17, the charging-side controller 43 transmits a signal indicating that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed to the portable communication device 35 via the wireless communication unit 52 when a set time has elapsed since the automatic guided vehicle 11 was connected to the charging device 51. The worker recognizes from the notification by the portable communication device 35 that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed. When the worker turns on the charging execution button 33 of the automatic guided vehicle 11, charging of the battery 17 is performed.

[0060] According to this embodiment, the charging device 51 includes a charging-side controller 43 as a controller. Therefore, the charging-side controller 43 of the charging device 51 detects the electrical connection between the power receiving unit 18 and the charging arm 44, and can transmit a signal indicating that charging is not yet performed to the portable communication device 35 when a preset time has elapsed. Therefore, the on-board controller 27 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 does not perform control related to announcing that charging of the battery 17 is not being performed, and the load on the on-board controller 27 of the automatic guided vehicle 11 can be reduced.

[0061] (Third embodiment) Next, a charging system according to a third embodiment will be described. The charging system according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a charging controller of the charging device controls the charging system, and the charging device has an alarm and a charging operation unit. In this embodiment, the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be referred to, and common reference numerals will be used.

[0062] 7, a charging system 60 of this embodiment includes an automated guided vehicle 61 and a charging device 62. The automated guided vehicle 61 includes an input operation unit 63, but the input operation unit 63 does not include a charging execution button. The charging device 62 includes a wireless communication unit 64, a plurality of light-emitting units 65, and a charging execution button 66.

[0063] The wireless communication unit 64 enables wireless communication between the portable communication device 35 and the automatic guided vehicle 61. A plurality of light-emitting units 65 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the upper outer periphery of the device main body 41, and emit light toward the periphery of the charging device 62. These light-emitting units 65 are connected to and controlled by the charging-side controller 43. In other words, the light-emitting units 65 correspond to the notification body on the charging device side. The charging execution button 66 provided on the charging device 62 corresponds to the charging operation unit.

[0064] The charging side controller 43 determines whether the power supply of the automated guided vehicle 11 is ON. If the power supply of the automated guided vehicle 11 is ON, the charging side controller 43 determines whether the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 51 are connected so that charging is possible. If the automated guided vehicle 11 and the charging device 51 are connected so that charging is possible, the charging side controller 43 , Mitsuru The charging controller 43 determines whether or not the charging execution operation has been performed using the charging execution button 66. If it determines that the charging execution operation has not been performed using the charging execution button 66, the charging controller 43 determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the battery 17.

[0065] If there is no abnormality in the battery 17, when a set time has elapsed since the automatic guided vehicle 11 connected to the charging device 51, the charging-side controller 43 transmits a signal indicating that the battery 17 is not being charged to the portable communication device 35 via the wireless communication unit 52. Furthermore, the charging-side controller 43 causes the light-emitting unit 65 of the charging device 62 to emit light, and in the portable communication device 35 that receives the signal, the display 36 displays a message indicating that the battery 17 is not being charged. In addition, the built-in speaker emits a warning sound indicating that the battery 17 is not being charged. The display and warning sound alert nearby workers that the battery 17 is not being charged.

[0066] The worker recognizes from the notification by the portable communication device 35 and the light emitted by the light emitting section 65 that the battery 17 is not yet charged, and charges the battery 17 by pressing the charge execution button 66 on the charger 62.

[0067] According to this embodiment, the charging device 62 is provided with the light-emitting unit 65, which can emit light to notify the operator that charging of the automated guided vehicle 61 is not being performed. Therefore, there is no need to provide an alarm device on the automated guided vehicle 61, which can contribute to making the automated guided vehicle 61 smaller and lighter.

[0068] Since charging device 62 includes charging-side controller 43 as a controller, charging-side controller 43 detects the electrical connection between power receiving unit 18 and charging arm 44, and can transmit a signal indicating that charging is not yet complete to light-emitting unit 65 when a preset time has elapsed. Therefore, on-board controller 27 of automatic guided vehicle 61 does not perform control related to the notification of an uncharged state, and the load on on-board controller 27 can be reduced.

[0069] Since the charging device 62 is provided with the charging execution button 66, if the worker recognizes from the notification that charging by the charging device 62 is not being performed, charging can be performed by turning on the charging execution button 66 of the charging device 62. Therefore, since the charging device 62 is provided with the charging execution button 66, the worker can confirm that charging is being performed on the battery 17 of the automatic guided vehicle 61.

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications may be made.

[0071] In the first to third embodiments, the charging system is equipped with a portable communication device, but this is not limited to this. The charging system may be, for example, a charging system that does not include a portable communication device. In this case, the operator receives a notification from a notification device provided on the unmanned vehicle or the charging device and recognizes that the battery is not yet charged. Therefore, the operator can reliably charge the battery by operating a charging operation unit provided on the unmanned vehicle or the charging device. In the first to third embodiments, the vehicle-side charging unit and the charge-side charging unit are in physical contact to charge the battery, but this is not limiting. The charging system may also use non-contact charging, in which the vehicle-side charging unit and the charge-side charging unit charge the battery without contact. In this case, a marker is provided on the charging device, the marker is detected by a laser range finder, and the distance to the marker is calculated. The unmanned vehicle is then moved closer to the charging device so that the distance between the vehicle-side charging unit and the charge-side charging unit is a distance that allows charging. When the battery is in a state where non-contact charging is possible, the unmanned vehicle and the charging device are connected in a state where charging is possible. In the first to third embodiments, the vehicle controller (or charging controller) detector detects whether the vehicle charging unit and the charging unit are in a chargeable state, allowing charging of the battery, via an optical communication unit. However, the detector may be provided separately from the vehicle controller (or charging controller), and may use a means other than optical communication. In the first to third embodiments, the charging operation unit is described as being a charging execution button, but this is not limiting. The charging operation unit may be a lever other than a button, and any means can be used as long as it can be operated to perform charging. In the first to third embodiments, the notification means is exemplified by a light emitting unit or buzzer of the unmanned vehicle, or a screen display and warning sound of a portable communication device, but is not limited to these. For example, a vibration generator that generates vibrations may be used as the notification means, and any means that can notify the operator may be used. In the first to third embodiments, the preset time is set to 60 seconds, but is not limited to this. The preset time is not limited to 60 seconds and may be shorter or longer. In the first to third embodiments, an unmanned guided vehicle is used as an example of an unmanned mobile object, but the present invention is not limited to this. The unmanned mobile object may be, for example, a security robot capable of autonomous travel, or any electrically powered unmanned mobile object equipped with a rechargeable battery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10, 50, 60 charging systems 11, 61 Automated guided vehicle (unmanned vehicle) 12, 51, 62 Charging device 13 machines 15 drive wheels 16. Travel motor 17 Battery 18 Power receiving unit (charging unit on the running body side) 24 Optical Communications Department 25 1st LRF 26 2nd LRF 27 In-vehicle controller (controller) 33, 66 Charging execution button (charging operation section) 34, 65 Light-emitting unit (alert body) 35 Portable communication devices 36 Display 43 Charging side controller 44 Charging Arm 45 Optical Communications Department

Claims

1. an unmanned vehicle that runs electrically using battery power; a charging device that enables charging of the battery, the unmanned vehicle includes a vehicle-side charging unit for charging the battery, The charging device is a charging system for an unmanned traveling vehicle including a charging-side charging unit that can charge the battery through the traveling-vehicle-side charging unit, the unmanned vehicle includes a vehicle-side optical communication unit that communicates by optical communication, the charging device includes a charging device-side optical communication unit that faces the traveling body-side optical communication unit and is capable of optical communication when the unmanned traveling body is connected to the charging device by an operator, a detection unit that detects, when the unmanned vehicle is connected to the charging device by an operator in a chargeable state, that the vehicle-side charging unit and the charger-side charging unit are in a chargeable state capable of charging the battery through optical communication between the vehicle-side optical communication unit and the charging device-side optical communication unit; a charge operation unit for operating the charging of the battery; a controller that controls the charging device based on an operation of the charging operation unit; an alarm capable of communicating with the controller and having an alarm function of notifying that charging of the battery is not being performed; When the unmanned traveling vehicle is connected to the charging device by an operator in a chargeable state, the detection unit detects the chargeable state through optical communication between the traveling vehicle-side optical communication unit and the charging device-side optical communication unit, and when no operation to execute charging is performed by the charging operation unit and a preset time has elapsed, the controller transmits a signal to the notification unit indicating that charging of the battery is not being executed, The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle, wherein the notification unit notifies that charging of the battery is not being performed.

2. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned mobile vehicle is equipped with the controller.

3. 3. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned mobile vehicle is provided with the notification unit.

4. 4. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the unmanned mobile vehicle is provided with the charging operation unit.

5. 2. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the charging device includes the notification unit.

6. 6. The charging system for an unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the charging device includes the controller.

7. 7. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the charging device includes the charging operation unit.

8. a portable communication device capable of communicating with the unmanned vehicle; 3. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication device includes the notification unit.

9. 9. The charging system for an unmanned mobile vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the portable communication device includes the charging operation unit.

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