Mobile device, mobile device system, control method and program for mobile device system

Abstract

To make it possible to share information on an operating state of a charging device 30 for charging a battery that is a power source of a robot 20 in a robot system 1 while simplifying the configuration of the charging device 30 as much as possible.SOLUTION: The robot 20 capable of autonomous movement with a battery as a power source is configured to receive charging device information obtained by associating charging device identification information that is identification information unique to the charging device from the charging device 30 for charging the battery with information representing an operating state of the charging device, and transmit the received charging device information to a management device 10 for managing operating states of the robot 20 and the charging device 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile device, a mobile device system, a control method for a mobile device system, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Autonomous robots have come to be used in various applications such as patrol monitoring and cleaning inside buildings. The autonomous robot uses the mounted battery as a power source and needs to charge the battery as necessary before and after operation or during operation. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a charging method and device for a cleaning robot. This charging method acquires the position information of each charging port of the cleaning robot, and when charging is necessary, acquires the current position information of the cleaning robot, and based on the position information of each charging port and the current position information, determines the closest charging port, and based on the position information, moves the cleaning robot to the closest charging port for charging.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In autonomous robots for business operations such as security and cleaning, a plurality of charging devices are provided in a wide operation range so that charging can be performed as necessary. However, in order to reduce initial costs and simplify maintenance, the configuration of each charging device is required to be simplified as much as possible. On the other hand, when a malfunction occurs in the charging device or the position of the charging device is shifted for some reason, there is a problem that such abnormal information regarding the charging device needs to be quickly grasped by the system and reflected in the control of the robot. In this regard, the charging method of Patent Document 1 does not show a configuration particularly useful for solving this problem.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a mobile device, a mobile device system, a control method for a mobile device system, and a program that enable the sharing of information regarding the operating status of a charging device for charging a battery, which is the power source of a mobile device, as a management system for the mobile device, while simplifying the configuration of the charging device as much as possible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a mobile device that is capable of autonomous movement using a battery as a power source, and includes a processing unit configured to receive charging device information from a charging device for charging the battery, the charging device information being an association between charging device identification information which is unique to the charging device and information representing the operating state of the charging device, and to transmit the received charging device information to a management device for managing the operating state of the mobile device and the charging device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, information regarding the operating status of a charging device for charging a battery, which is the power source of a mobile device, can be shared as a management system for the mobile device while simplifying the configuration of the charging device as much as possible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a system configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of a robot system in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hardware and functional blocks of a robot in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hardware and functional blocks of a charging device in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hardware and functional blocks of a management device in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]This is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the charging start process in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This flowchart illustrates the flow of the charging termination process in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This flowchart illustrates the flow of the charging interruption / restart process in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This flowchart illustrates the process performed when the charging plug is disconnected in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the configuration of charging device information in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the configuration of robot information in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the map information configuration in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in accordance with its embodiments. [System Configuration]

[0010] Figure 1 shows a system configuration diagram illustrating the system configuration of a robot system 1, which is a mobile device system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the robot system 1 comprises a management device 10, a robot 20, and a charging device 30.

[0011] The management device 10 and the robot 20 are connected to each other via a network 40, enabling mutual communication. The network 40 consists of wireless communication lines such as a mobile communication network, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN). The charging device 30 does not have the function of communicating with other devices via the network 40, but it has the function of broadcasting in one direction to the robot 20. The information sent and received through the above communication will be described later.

[0012] The management device 10 is a device for managing the operating state of the robot system 1. It collects information on the operating state from the robot 20 and the charging device 30, manages the collected information, and has functions such as outputting it to the outside as necessary. The management device 10 is typically realized by an electronic device such as a server device having a browser function, a personal computer, etc.

[0013] The robot 20 is a mobile device that can autonomously move using a motor driven by a battery as a power source. For example, it is suitably used for patrol operations within facilities such as office buildings, but is not limited to this, and can be widely applied to operations such as cleaning, guiding, and facility inspection. The robot 20 generally has a function of measuring the surrounding environment in real time using a precise distance measurement system using laser light generally referred to as LiDAR, while setting a path and moving. When the battery of the robot 20 needs to be charged, the robot 20 approaches a specifically designated charging device 30 and is configured to be mechanically and electrically connected to the charging device 30 to charge the battery.

[0014] The charging device 30 is a device equipped with a charger for charging the battery of the robot 20. It has a simple stand-alone configuration except that it is connected to an appropriate power source such as commercial AC100V. The charging device 30 broadcasts charging device information including information on its own operating state to the surroundings at all times in the operating state of being connected to the power source, but does not have a function of receiving operation inputs from the outside. The robot system 1 is provided with a necessary number of charging devices 30 according to the number of robots 20 to be arranged, the size of their operating area, etc.

[0015] [Configuration of Robot 20] Next, the configuration of the robot 20 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hardware and functional blocks of the robot 20 in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 20 is an information processing device having a function of setting a route based on recognition of the surrounding environment by sensors and autonomously moving, and a communication function. Specifically, the robot 20 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, an auxiliary storage unit 23, a network communication unit 24A, a charging device communication unit 24B, a data I / O unit 25, an input / output unit 26, a drive unit 27, a LiDAR device 281, a contact sensor 282, a battery 291, and a battery control unit 292. Note that the robot 20 does not necessarily have to be configured from the functional blocks illustrated in FIG. 2, and may be realized by other configurations that provide equivalent functions.

[0017] The processor 21 is configured using arithmetic devices such as a CPU and a GPU, reads various programs and data from the memory 22 and the auxiliary storage unit 23 described later, and is an arithmetic device that executes data processing for realizing the functions of the robot 20.

[0018] The memory 22 is a storage area for various programs and various data for causing the hardware group to function as the robot 20, and can be configured by storage devices such as a ROM, a RAM, and a flash memory. In the present embodiment, programs of a management control unit 221, a drive control unit 222, and a communication control unit 223 are stored in the memory 22. The functions of each program will be described later.

[0019] The auxiliary storage unit 23 is a storage device that provides a storage area for storing data and the like used by each program stored in the memory 22, and is configured by, for example, a semiconductor drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or the like. In the present embodiment, charging device information 231, robot information 232, and map information 233 are stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23.

[0020] The network communication unit 24A provides bidirectional communication functionality with the management device 10 via the network 40 and is composed of hardware such as a mobile communication module and a network interface card (NIC). The charging device communication unit 24B provides a function to receive one-way communication broadcast from the charging device 30 and is composed of hardware such as a wireless communication module compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

[0021] The data I / O unit 25 provides data input / output functions between the processor 21, the network communication unit 24A, the charging device communication unit 24B, and the input / output unit 26, and includes various interface circuits.

[0022] The input / output unit 26 consists of various input devices such as a keyboard, touch panel, and microphone that enable data input to the robot 20 from the outside, and output devices such as a monitor display and speaker for outputting output display data, output audio data, etc., generated by the processor 21.

[0023] The drive unit 27 includes a power source such as a motor, and hardware such as a reduction gear and transmission mechanism, to enable the robot 20 to move.

[0024] The LiDAR device 281 is a ranging device that uses laser light to measure the distance to objects around the robot 20. The obtained measurement data is passed to a program executed by the processor 21 and used for creating a map of the area around the robot 20, setting the robot's path based on the map, and controlling its movement. Other ranging devices, such as millimeter-wave radar, can also be used for the ranging function.

[0025] The contact sensor 282 is a sensor device that allows the robot 20 to confirm whether the charging plug of the robot 20 and the charging socket of the charging device 30 are properly engaged and in a state where power can be supplied. It can be configured with a limit switch or the like of an appropriate type that can detect when the charging plug of the robot 20 and the charging socket of the charging device 30 are properly engaged.

[0026] The battery 291 has the function of supplying power to the control system of the robot 20, including the drive unit 27 which includes a motor and the processor 21, and is composed of a rechargeable secondary battery of an appropriate type.

[0027] The battery control unit 292 is hardware that provides charge and discharge control functions for the battery 291, and includes a charge / discharge current sensor for the battery 291, a terminal voltage sensor, and a calculation circuit based on sensor measurement data.

[0028] The management control unit 221, drive control unit 222, and communication control unit 223, which are programs stored in memory 22, will now be described.

[0029] The control unit 221 has the function of controlling the overall operation of the robot 20 based on information regarding the operating status of the robot 20 and information regarding the operating status of the charging device received from the charging device 30. The functions of the control unit 221 include map creation based on distance measurement data from the LiDAR device 281, collection of information regarding the surrounding environment by various sensors and path control of the robot 20 based on the collected data, and control of a series of operations for charging the robot 20 based on information regarding the charge status of the battery 291. The control unit 221 can be configured as a combination of program modules that execute these individual controls.

[0030] The drive control unit 222, under the control of the management control unit 221, performs drive control of the motors constituting the drive unit 27 in order to perform movement control of the robot 20.

[0031] The communication control unit 223 has the function of controlling data communication between the processor 21 and the network communication unit 24A, the charging device communication unit 24B, etc.

[0032] The program stored in memory 22 uses the charging device information 231, robot information 232, and map information 233 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 to perform data processing to realize its assigned function.

[0033] Figure 9 shows an example of the configuration of the charging device information 231. The charging device information 231 is information collected by the charging device 30 that indicates the operating status of the charging device 30, and is sent to the robot 20 by one-way communication broadcast from each charging device 30. The charging device information 231 of each charging device 30 is sent from each robot 20 to the management device 10 and managed by the management device 10. In this embodiment, the charging device information 231 includes the following items: charging device ID, which is the unique identification information of each charging device 30; a unique manufacturing number for each charging device 30; charger on / off information, which indicates the status of the charger; error information, which is information regarding errors occurring in the charging device 30; temperature information, which indicates the temperature at a predetermined measurement point inside the charging device 30; plug voltage, which indicates the voltage of the charging plug terminal of the robot 20 connected to the charging device 30; charger on / off count, which indicates the total number of times the charger has been turned on and off; and error history, which indicates the history of errors that have occurred in the charging device 30 in the past. Note that the items included in the charging device information 231 are not limited to the example in Figure 9 and may be changed as appropriate.

[0034] Figure 10 shows an example of the configuration of robot information 232. Robot information 232 is information about the operating status of each robot 20, collected by the management control unit 221 in each robot 20. The robot information 232 collected in each robot 20 is transmitted to the management device 10 and used for the management of the robot 20 in the management device 10. In this embodiment, robot information 232 includes the following items: robot ID, which is unique identification information for each robot 20; location information, which indicates the location of each robot 20; speed information, which indicates the movement speed of each robot 20; battery voltage, which indicates the terminal voltage of the battery 291 mounted on each robot 20; and error information, which is information about errors occurring in each robot 20. Note that the items included in robot information 232 are not limited to the example in Figure 10 and may be changed as appropriate.

[0035] Figure 11 shows an example of the configuration of map information 233. Map information 233 quantifies the environment of the robot 20's operating area to enable autonomous movement of the robot 20, and is represented as a set of coordinates of feature points that represent the paths the robot 20 can move along. In the example in Figure 11, the X and Y coordinates of the feature points and information related to those feature points are recorded together. The feature points also include the coordinates of the installation location of the charging device 30, and the charging device ID of the corresponding charging device 30 is recorded. When each robot 20 needs to be charged, it can determine the nearest charging device 30 from its own position and the position of the charging device 30 recorded in the map information 233, and control itself to move to that charging device 30. Note that the items included in map information 233 are not limited to the example in Figure 11 and may be changed as appropriate.

[0036] [Configuration of the charging device 30] Next, the configuration of the charging device 30 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the charging device 30 in this embodiment.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the charging device 30 has the function of charging the robot 20's battery 291 and the function of transmitting its own operating status to the robot 20 via one-way communication. Specifically, the charging device 30 comprises a processor 31, memory 32, communication unit 33, and charger 34.

[0038] The processor 31 is a computing device configured using a CPU or other computing device, which reads various programs and data stored in the memory 32 (described later) and performs data processing to realize the functions of the charging device 30.

[0039] Memory 32 is a storage area for various programs and data necessary for the hardware group to function as a charging device 30, and can be composed of storage devices such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. In this embodiment, memory 32 stores the programs for the charging control unit 321 and the communication control unit 323, as well as the data for the charging device information 322. The functions of each program will be described later.

[0040] The communication unit 33 provides a one-way communication transmission function that broadcasts to the robot 20, and is composed of, for example, a wireless communication module compliant with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard.

[0041] The charger 34 is a device for charging the battery 291 mounted on the robot 20. It is a device that takes a commercial AC 100V power supply or the like as input and has a charging capability that corresponds to the specifications of the battery 291, such as its capacity, terminal voltage, and rated charging current.

[0042] Memory 32 stores the programs for the charging control unit 321 and the communication control unit 323. The charging control unit 321 provides a function to control the charging operation of the charger 34 based on the connection status between the robot 20's battery 291 and the charger 34.

[0043] The communication control unit 323 has the function of controlling data communication between the processor 31 and the communication unit 33, etc.

[0044] The charging device information 322 is information relating to the operating status of the charging device 30, which is collected by the charging control unit 321 and stored in the memory 32. The items included in the charging device information 322 are the same as those in the charging device information 231 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 of the robot 20.

[0045] [Configuration of the control device 10]

[0046] Next, the configuration of the management device 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the hardware and functional blocks of the management device 10 in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4, the management device 10 is an information processing device that collects and records information regarding the operating status of each robot 20 and the charging device 30 transmitted from each robot 20, and manages the robot system 1 based on this information. Specifically, the management device 10 includes a processor 11, memory 12, auxiliary storage unit 13, communication unit 14, data I / O unit 15, and input / output unit 16.

[0048] The processor 11 is an arithmetic unit configured using a CPU or other computing device, which reads various programs and data from the memory 12 and auxiliary storage unit 13 (described later) and performs data processing to realize the functions of the management device 10.

[0049] Memory 12 is a storage area for various programs and data necessary for the hardware group to function as a management device 10, and can be composed of storage devices such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. In this embodiment, the programs for the management control unit 121 and the communication control unit 122 are stored in Memory 12. The functions of each program will be described later.

[0050] The auxiliary storage unit 13 is a storage device that provides a storage area for data used by each program stored in the memory 12, and is composed of, for example, a semiconductor drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), etc. In this embodiment, the auxiliary storage unit 13 stores charging device information 131, robot information 132, and map information 133. The charging device information 131, robot information 132, and map information 133 are the same as the charging device information 231, robot information 232, and map information 233 stored in the auxiliary storage unit 23 of the robot 20. The charging device information 131 and robot information 132 are received from each charging device 30 and each robot 20 at appropriate timings and recorded in the auxiliary storage unit 13. The map information 133 is the same as the map information 133 held by the robot 20, but a master map as a system may be stored in the management device 10 in advance, and the master map may be distributed to each robot 20 for use in route control, etc. Map information 133 includes coordinate information indicating the installation location of the charging device 30.

[0051] The communication unit 14 provides communication functions with each robot 20 via the network 40 and is composed of hardware such as a mobile communication module and a network interface card (NIC).

[0052] The data I / O unit 15 provides data input / output functions between the processor 11, the communication unit 14, and the input / output unit 16, and includes various interface circuits.

[0053] The input / output unit 16 consists of various input devices such as a keyboard, touch panel, and microphone that enable data input to the management device 10 from an external source, and output devices such as a monitor display and speakers for outputting output display data, output audio data, etc., generated by the processor 11.

[0054] [Charging control of robot system 1] Next, we will describe the charging control performed in the robot system 1 having the configuration described above. <Control flow at the start of charging> First, we will explain the control flow executed when the robot 20 starts charging using the charging device 30. Figure 5 shows an example of the charging start control flow executed by the robot 20 when charging starts, as a flowchart. The control flow in Figure 5 is started when the robot 20 determines that charging is necessary due to a voltage drop in the battery 291.

[0055] In step S501, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 searches for the nearest charging device 30 from its current position using its current position, map information 233, and charging device information 231. In step S502, if the control unit 221 determines that there is no suitable charging device 30 (step S502 is NO), the control unit 221 terminates the charging start control flow. This means that no available charging devices 30 are recorded in the charging device information 231 held by the robot 20, so the control unit 221 will take action such as putting the robot 20 into standby mode or notifying the management device 10 that there are no available charging devices 30.

[0056] If it is determined in step S502 that there is an available charging device 30 (step S502 is YES), in step S503 the control unit 221 refers to the map information 233 to identify the location of the charging device 30 and controls the path of the robot 20 to move it toward the charging device 30.

[0057] In step S504, the control unit 221 determines whether the charging device 30 has been detected by the LiDAR device 281. This determination process is performed based on whether the LiDAR device 281 has captured reflected light from the retroreflective material provided on the charging device 30.

[0058] If it is determined that the charging device 30 has been detected (step S504 is YES), in step S505, the control unit 221 attempts to control the robot 20 to approach the charging device and connect the charging plug to the receptacle of the charging device 30. If it is determined that the charging device 30 has not been detected (step S504 is NO), the control unit 221 determines that it cannot detect the charging device 30 due to some abnormality, for example, that the charging device 30 has been moved without the control of system 1, and terminates the charging start control flow. In this case, the control unit 221 can take action such as putting the robot 20 into standby mode or notifying the control device 10 that the charging device 30 could not be detected.

[0059] In step S506, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 determines, based on the signal from the contact sensor 282, whether the charging plug of the robot 20 is properly connected to the receptacle on the charger 34 of the charging device 30. If it is determined that both are properly connected (step S506 is YES), in step S508, the control unit 221 makes the connection between the charging plug and the battery 291 conductive, turning the charging plug ON. At this time, on the charging device 30 side, in step S509, it determines that the device is ready to charge when the battery voltage appears at the charging plug, and turns on the charger 34 to start charging. In step S510, on the robot 20 side, the control unit 221 detects the charging current and determines that charging has started, and terminates the charging start control flow.

[0060] On the other hand, in step S506, if the signal from the contact sensor 282 does not determine that the connection between the charging plug and the charger 34 has been made successfully (step S506 is NO), the control unit 221 attempts to make the connection until a predetermined time has elapsed (step S507 is NO). If the control unit determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (step S507 is YES), it determines that the charging plug of the robot 20 and the receptacle of the charger 34 in the charging device 30 are not properly connected for some reason, and terminates the charging start control flow. In this case, the control unit 221 can take actions such as putting the robot 20 into a standby state or notifying the management device 10 that it is not possible to connect to the charging device 30 properly.

[0061] Furthermore, when the robot 20 notifies the management device 10 of an abnormality at the start of charging, the notification may include the serial number assigned to the corresponding charging device 30. In this way, the management device 10 can easily determine which charging device 30 experienced the abnormality at the start of charging and output it to the monitor display, send notifications to the manufacturer, maintenance personnel, etc. of the charging device 30 in question, and thus be able to manage the robot system 1.

[0062] According to the above charging start control flow, power is supplied between the robot 20 and the charging device 30 only when the charging plug of the robot 20 and the receptacle of the charger 34 in the charging device 30 are properly connected, so that the charging operation can be performed safely without the risk of electric shock. In addition, if an abnormality is detected in the charging device 30, the management device 10 is notified via the robot 20, so that the charging device 30 can be restored as soon as possible.

[0063] <Control flow at the end of charging> Next, we will describe the control flow executed when the robot 20 finishes charging using the charging device 30. Figure 6 shows an example of the charging termination control flow executed by the robot 20 when charging is complete, as a flowchart. The control flow in Figure 6 is started when the management control unit 221 of the robot 20 determines that the battery 291 is fully charged while the battery 291 is being charged.

[0064] In step S601, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 releases the conductivity between the battery 291 and the charging plug.

[0065] In step S602, the charging device 30 detects that no voltage is detected at the charging plug of the robot 20, determines that charging is complete, and turns off the charger 34.

[0066] In step S603, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 determines that the charger 34 has turned off because it is no longer detected to be charging current, and in step S604, it confirms that the charger is off and terminates the charging completion control flow.

[0067] According to this charging termination control flow, the charger 34 of the charging device 30 is turned off, and the charging plug of the robot 20 is also turned off, so when no voltage is present, the robot 20 is detached from the charging device 30, thus ensuring safe charging without the risk of electric shock.

[0068] <Control flow when charging is interrupted and when recharging is started> The charger 34 provided in the charging device 30 of this embodiment may need to interrupt charging and resume charging after a predetermined interval due to limitations on continuous charging time. Figure 7 shows an example of the control flow when charging is interrupted and recharged using a flowchart.

[0069] In step S701, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 determines whether the charging current of the battery 291 is detected. If it is determined that it is not detected (step S701 is YES), in step S702, the control unit 221 cuts off the conductivity between the battery 291 and the charging plug and turns off the charging plug.

[0070] In step S704, the control unit 221 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0071] In step S705, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 determines, based on the signal from the contact sensor 282, whether the charging plug is connected to the receptacle on the charger on the charging device 30 side. If it is determined that the charging plug is properly connected (step S705 is YES), the control unit 221 turns on the charging plug by making it electrically connected to the battery 291 in step S706.

[0072] In step S707, the charging device 30 determines that charging is possible when voltage appears at the charging plug of the robot 20, and turns on the charger to start recharging.

[0073] With the above control flow, even if charging by the charging device 30 is interrupted midway, the robot 20 disconnects the connection between the charging plug and the battery 291, and the charging device 30 turns off the charger 34. Therefore, safety is ensured even if the connection between the robot 20 and the charging device 30 is lost during an unforeseen interruption in charging.

[0074] <Control flow when charging plug connection is abnormal> Next, we will describe the control that occurs when the charging plug of the robot 20 becomes disconnected from the receptacle of the charger 34 of the charging device 30 during charging. Figure 8 shows an example of the control flow executed by the robot 20 when the charging plug becomes disconnected, as a flowchart. The control flow in Figure 8 is initiated when charging of the battery 291 begins.

[0075] In step S801, the control unit 221 of the robot 20 determines, based on the signal from the contact sensor 282, whether the charging plug is disconnected from the receptacle of the charger 34. If it is determined that the charging plug is disconnected (step S801 is YES), in step S802, the control unit 221 releases the conductivity between the charging plug and the battery 291. With this, the control unit 221 terminates the control flow for when the charging plug is disconnected.

[0076] In step S803, the charging device 30 turns off the charger 34 when it is determined that no voltage is detected at the charging plug of the robot 20.

[0077] This control is executed when the charging plug is disconnected, so that the power supply to the charging plug and the receptacle of the charging device 30 is immediately cut off when the plug is disconnected during charging, ensuring safety.

[0078] According to the robot system 1 of this embodiment described above, information regarding the operating status of the charging device 30 for charging the battery 291, which is the power source of the robot 20, can be shared by the robot system 1 while simplifying the configuration of the charging device 30 as much as possible.

[0079] The aforementioned charging device identification information may be the serial number assigned to the charging device.

[0080] In this way, the management device can immediately identify the manufacturer of the charging device that detected the abnormality based on the charging device information.

[0081] The charging device information may include at least one of the following: the on / off status of the charger, information regarding errors occurring in the charging device, temperature sensor measurements, charging terminal voltage, the number of times the charger has been turned on and off, and error history information, which indicates the history of errors occurring in the charging device.

[0082] In this way, the charging device can provide the management device with all the necessary information regarding its operating status, including all items that should be managed by the management device.

[0083] The charging device information can be broadcast from the charging device to the mobile device.

[0084] This approach simplifies the configuration because the charging device does not need to have a receiver for bidirectional communication. Furthermore, since it is not connected to an external network, there is no need to include robust information security features in the charging device.

[0085] The charging plug for connecting the robot's battery to the charging device can be configured to not be electrically connected to the battery when it is not connected to the charging device.

[0086] In this way, the battery voltage will not appear on the charging plug unless the robot's charging plug is properly connected to the charging device, thus ensuring safety even if the robot 20 becomes detached from the charging device 30 during charging.

[0087] The series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configurations in Figures 2 to 4 are merely illustrative and not particularly limiting. That is, it is sufficient that the management device 10, robot 20, or charging device 30 is equipped with a function that can execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the examples in Figures 2 to 4. Furthermore, a single functional block may be composed of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both. The functional configuration in this embodiment is realized by a processor that performs arithmetic processing, and processors that can be used in this embodiment include not only single-processor, multi-processor, and multi-core processors, but also combinations of these various processing units with processing circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays).

[0088] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Alternatively, the computer may be a computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a general-purpose personal computer.

[0089] Recording media containing such programs consist not only of removable media such as USB memory distributed separately from the main unit to the user to provide the program, but also of recording media provided to the user in a pre-installed state within the main unit. Removable media consist of, for example, magnetic disks (including floppy disks), optical disks, or magneto-optical disks. Optical disks consist of, for example, CD-ROMs (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks), Blu-ray® Discs, etc. Magneto-optical disks consist of, for example, MDs (Mini-Disks). Recording media provided to the user in a pre-installed state within the main unit consist of, for example, ROMs on which programs are recorded, or hard disks, etc.

[0090] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually.

[0091] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely illustrative and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The present invention can take on a variety of other embodiments, and it is also possible to combine the above embodiments with their modified configurations. Furthermore, various modifications such as omissions and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention as described herein, and are also included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0092] 1. Robot System 10 Management device 11,21.31 processor 12,22,32 memory 20 Robots 30 Charging device 40 Networks 121,221 Management and Control Unit 131,231,322 Charging device information 132,232 Robot Information 133,233 Map Information 291 batteries 321 Charging Control Unit

Claims

1. A mobile device that is capable of autonomous movement using a battery as its power source, Receiving charging device information from a charging device that does not have a function to accept external operation input for charging the aforementioned battery, the charging device information consists of charging device identification information, which is unique to the charging device and is constantly transmitted by one-way broadcast communication, and information representing the operating status of the charging device. The processing unit is configured to transmit the received charging device information to a management device for managing the operating status of the mobile device and the charging device. Mobile device.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the charging device identification information is the serial number assigned to the charging device.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the charging device information includes at least one of the following: the on / off status of the charger, information regarding errors occurring in the charging device, temperature sensor measurement values, charging terminal voltage, the number of times the charger has been turned on and off, and error history information which indicates the history of errors occurring in the charging device.

4. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the charging plug for connecting the battery of the mobile device to the charging device is not electrically connected to the battery when it is not connected to the charging device.

5. A mobile device that is capable of autonomous movement using a battery as its power source, A charging device for charging the aforementioned battery that does not have a function to accept external operation input, The system includes a management device for managing the operating status of the mobile device and the charging device, The charging device continuously transmits charging device information, which consists of charging device identification information unique to the charging device and information representing the operating status of the charging device, via one-way broadcast communication. The mobile device is configured to receive the charging device information and transmit the received charging device information to a management device for managing the operating status of the mobile device and the charging device. Mobile device system.

6. A mobile device that is capable of autonomous movement using a battery as its power source, A charging device for charging the aforementioned battery that does not have a function to accept external operation input, The system includes a management device for managing the operating status of the mobile device and the charging device. A control method for a mobile device system, The charging device has charging device identification information which is unique to the charging device, and the charging Charging device information, which is associated with information representing the operating status of the device, is continuously transmitted to the mobile device by one-way broadcast communication. The mobile device transmits the received charging device information to the management device. The management device manages whether the charging device is operating normally based on the charging device information it has received. A method for controlling a mobile device system.

7. A mobile device that is capable of autonomous movement using a battery as its power source, A charging device for charging the aforementioned battery that does not have a function to accept external operation input, The system includes a management device for managing the operating status of the mobile device and the charging device. A control program for a mobile device system, comprising the information processing of the management device. In the device, The charging device continuously transmits to the mobile device via one-way broadcast communication, and the mobile device receives and transmits to the management device charging device information, which is charging device identification information unique to the charging device, and information representing the operating status of the charging device. Based on the received charging device information, it is determined whether the charging device is operating normally. To have someone manage Control program for a mobile device system.

Images