CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.

62/716,647, filed August 9, 2018, entitled“Battery' Swapping System for Autonomous Guided Vehicle,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The subject matter described herein relates to battery replacement and more particularly to more efficient replacement of batteries in autonomously guided vehicles (AGV s).

BACKGROUND

[0003] In an automated factory where the production and transportation of goods relies heavily on AG Vs (e.g., autonomous vehicles, robots), the efficiency of the entire AGV system can directly affect the efficiency of production. Therefore, it is important to make sure that as many AGVs as possible are operational at any point in time.

[0004] Currently, AGVs working in automated factories or warehouse environments are required to leave or stop their task (e.g., to charge its battery) when their current battery' runs low on stored energy. The AGV might then be required to remain inactive at the charging station until its battery is substantially recharged or its depleted battery' is swapped for a charged battery.

[0005] While the AGV is offline, traveling to and from a battery charging station or charging, its task is not being performed and the chain of production or transportation is halted or slowed, decreasing the overall efficiency of the system. More AGVs could be purchased to sw ap into rotation when one is replacing its battery or recharging, but this w ould increase the system cost, especially if the AGV is complex or otherwise expensive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features ntay be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion.

[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an autonomously guided vehicle platform and a battery pulling mechanism for a mobile battery carrier.

[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates an autonomously guided vehicle platform and a batery pushing mechanism for a mobile battery carrier

[0009] FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of an autonomous battery carrier with a battery holding and rotating mechanism.

[0010] FIG. 4 illustrates a pair of vertical sliders for the battery holding and rotating mechanism.

[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates a horizontal slider for the battery holding and rotating mechanism.

[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates a mobile battery? carrier docked with an AGV to remove its battery for replacement with a charged battery in the carrier’s battery holding and rotating mechanism.

[0013] FIG. 7 illustrates a mobile battery carrier using the battery pulling mechanism to retrieve a depleted battery from the AGV. [0014] FIG. 8 illustrates a mobile battery carrier with the battery pulling mechanism engaged after it has pulled the battery' off the AGV and now has the battery' onboard.

[0015] FIG. 9 illustrates a battery carrier rotating the batteries in its battery holding and rotating mechanism

[0016] FIG. 10 illustrates a situation in which the vertical sliders need to change their arrangement so that the lowest battery can be lifted.

[0017] FIG. 11 illustrates the sliders trading off one by one so that each is only holding a single battery to reposition themselves so that the lowest battery can be lifted.

[0018] FIG. 12 illustrates the sliders at the end of their repositioning process, in position to lift the lowest battery _{' .}

[0019] FIG. 13 illustrates a battery-pushing mechanism flipped up and engaged with a battery to be pushed onto an AGV or charging station

[0020] FIG. 14 illustrates a mobile battery' carrier pushing a fully charged battery' onto an AGV using its battery pushing mechanism.

[0021] FIG. 15 illustrates a mobile battery carrier completing a battery swap by fully extending its battery' pusher to place the battery entirely on an AGV.

[0022] FIG. 16 illustrates a battery' carrier initiating a transfer of a dead battery' to the battery' charging station.

[0023] FIG. 17 illustrates a completed battery' transfer from the battery carrier to the battery charging station, with the transferred battery pulled to the far side of the battery' charging station. [0024] FIG. 18 illustrates the batteries rotating through the battery rotating mechanism on the batter _} ' charging station to lower a charged battery into position to be transferred to the battery carrier.

[0025] FIG. 19 illustrates a battery charging station with a charged battery lowered into position to be transferred to a battery' carrier.

[0026] FIG. 20 illustrates a battery' carrier with a charged battery that has been pushed onto the carrier by the charging station

[0027] FIG. 21 illustrates a battery' carrier with a charged battery pulled to the far side of the carrier by the carrier’s battery pulling mechanism after the battery' had been pushed onto the carrier by the charging station.

[0028] FIG. 22 illustrates the method through which an autonomous battery' carrier replaces depleted batteries and returns them to a charging station.

[0029] FIG. 23 illustrates an implementation of a method through which batteries may be rotated by a battery holding and rotating mechanism.

[0030] FIG. 24 illustrates an implementation of a method through which a battery' may be pulled by a battery' pulling mechanism

[0031] FIG. 25 illustrates an implementation of a method through which a battery may be pushed onto an AGV by a battery' pushing mechanism.

[0032] FIG. 26 illustrates an implementation of a method through which a battery carrier may exchange depleted batteries for charged batteries with a battery charging station.

[0033] FIG. 27 illustrates an implementation of a method through which an autonomous battery' carrier may remove a depleted battery from an AGV and replace it with a charged battery'. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following disclosure provides several embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed

[0035] Further, spatially relative terms, such as“beneath,” “below,” “lower,”

“above,”“upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature’s relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly

[0036] f he AGV battery swapping system disclosed herein includes, in one embodiment, two principal components: a battery carrier and a battery' charging station. The carrier can travel around in the AGV workspace, delivering charged batteries to AG Vs that need their batteries swapped. When the carrier has swapped (e.g., some or all) charged batteries it had onboard with depleted batteries from AGVs, the battery carrier can return to the battery charging station and swap the depleted batteries for fully charged batteries. The battery charging station can both recharge the depleted batteries and provide a supply of charged batteries to the carrier. In one embodiment, the carrier has an onboard power supply that can charge batteries without use of a dedicated battery _' charging station. [0037] Figure 1 depicts an example of an autonomous robotic platform, which comprises the base of a battery carrier. In one embodiment, one or more of three mechanisms are added to the platform to facilitate the carrier’s battery swapping function: a battery-pulling mechanism, a battery-pushing mechanism, and a mechanism for rotating and storing onboard batteries.

[0038] The autonomous robotic platform 100 in Figure 1 is depicted with the battery pulling mechanism 1 10 attached. The battery pulling mechanism comprises two locks 120 for securing a battery to be pulled. The locks 120 may be electromagnetic, mechanical, or electromechanical locks, for example, that interact with the battery or structures integrated therein to connect the battery to the locks 120. The locks 120 are actuated by one or more lead screws 140, which are driven by one or more electric motors 130. When an electric motor 130 turns a lead scre ^s 140, any lock 120 threaded by lead screw 140 moves forward or backward according to the direction of the threads on lead screw 140 and the direction in which motor 130 turns. If motor 130 is reversed and turned in the other direction, lock 120 moves linearly in the opposite direction. In this way, battery pulling mechanis 1 10 is extended and retracted. The locks 120 may in some embodiments reach over the front edge of the platform at one extreme so that they may engage with a battery- mounted in an AGV. In other embodiments, the locks may extend flush with the platform or reach less than even with the front edge of the platform. At the other extreme, locks 120 may in some embodiments move back far enough to pull a battery to the far side of the battery carrier from the docked AGV.

[0039] Figure 2 depicts the autonomous robotic platform 100 with a batterypushing mechanism 150, which consists of a small plate 160 mechanism mounted in a recess in the center of the battery carrier below the“floor” level. The plate 160 can rotate from an angle parallel with the floor up to an angle (e.g. 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, 75 degrees, 90 degrees, +/- 5 degrees) to the floor, including any angle in between, facing a docked AGV. When raised, plate 160 interfaces with a bottom portion of a batter} to transmit force from battery pushing mechanism 150 to the battery' to push the battery' off of the platform 100 onto an AGV. Plate 160 can slide linearly along two guide rails 170, driven by a form of linear actuator, including, but not limited to, a lead screw 180, which is attached to a stepper motor. When an electric motor turns a lead screw 180, plate 160, threaded by the lead screw 180, moves forward or backward according to the direction of the threads on lead screw 1 80 and the direction in which the motor turns. If the motor is reversed and turned in the other direction, plate 160 moves linearly in the opposite direction. In this way, battery' pushing mechanism 150 is extended and retracted.

[0040] An embodiment of an autonomous battery carrier 600 having a battery holding and rotating mechanism is depicted in Figure 3. The battery holding and rotating mechanism 650 is mounted atop autonomous robotic platform 100. In certain embodiments, a battery' holding and rotating mechanism has two primary parts, which separately actuate the verti cal and horizontal motions of the batteries. Two vertical battery actuators 250 are shown in Figure 3, along with a horizontal battery actuator 350.

[0041] A vertical battery' actuator 250 is depicted in further detail by Figure 4. Each actuator has a vertical slider 200 configured to be positioned on each side of a battery'. Each vertical slider 200 has two locks 210 to hold a battery. The locks 210 may, in one example, be either electromagnetic, mechanical, or electromechanical. The vertical sliders 200 each move along two vertical rails 220 and are driven by a form of linear actuator, such as belts 230 driven by electric motors 240. The battery rotating mechanism has two vertical battery' actuators 250: one on the side of the carrier that docks with an AGV to lower replacement batteri es to be pushed onto the AGV, and one on the far side 430 of the carrier from the AGV to lift dead batteries recently pulled from the AGV, as depicted in Figure 3.

[0042] A horizontal batter}' actuator 350 is depicted in further detail by Figure 5.

Horizontal motion is achieved by a horizontal slider 300, which contains two locks 310 on each side to hold a battery. The locks 310 may be, in one example, electromagnetic, mechanical, or electromechanical. The horizontal slider 300 slides along horizontal rails 320, which are mounted on the ends of the four vertical rails 220 on each side of the carrier. The horizontal slider 300 is actuated by a motor-driven belt 330.

[0043] In this embodiment, battery' carrier 600 has two sets of vertical rails 220 with three pairs of vertical sliders 200 per rail, as depicted in Figure 6. Carrying capacity of battery' carrier 600 may be increased by scaling the dimensions of the rails 220 or by adding sets of rails to the carrier to increase the number of AGV docking points 610. In one embodiment, fewer (e.g., one) railsssss may be utilized.

[0044] When an AGV 400 battery 410 runs low, AGV 400 sends a signal to a battery carrier 600, which docks with AGV 400, as shown in Figure 6 to replace a depleted battery' 410 with a charged battery 420 The signal may be sent directly to the battery carrier or indirectly, such as via a controller operating on a server.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, once docked, the carrier’ s battery' pulling mechanism

1 10 is then extended to an edge of the battery' carrier 600 docked with AGV 400 by the battery pulling mechanism’s lead screw's 140 and electric motors 130. Once battery pulling mechanism 1 10 is fully extended, one or more locks 120 engage with battery' 410 to pull it off the AGV.

[0046] Figure 8 depicts a depleted battery' 410 after it has been pulled off of the

AGV 400 by the battery pulling mechanism 1 10 and is in the process of being pulled to a far side 430 of the carrier before batteries on the carrier are rotated to lower a charged battery 420 into position to be pushed onto AGV 400.

[0047] After depleted battery 410 has been pulled to the far side 430 of the battery carrier 600, batteries are rotated in the direction depicted in Figure 9.

[0048] First, as depicted in Figure 9, the batteries nearest the AGV 400 are shifted one battery' position down, placing the charged battery' 420 to be loaded onto the AGV on the “floor’ of the robotic platform in a position to be pushed onto the AGV by the battery pushing mechanism. Upon reaching the robotic platform, the slider’s locks release the battery' so that it may be free to be pushed onto the AGV.

[0049] Next, the horizontal slider 300 is pulled toward the AGV by the motor- driven belt 330 while locked onto a battery to move the battery from the top-left position to the top-right position, as depicted in Figure 9.

[0050] Sliders on the far side 430 of carrier 600 from AGV 400 shuffle to shift one slider down to engage its locking mechanisms with depleted battery 410. The battery' carrier may need to move the battery between sliders, as in Figure 10 In such an event, the vertical sliders pass the batteries between them by interfacing with neighboring ports on one battery, as is shown by slider 202 shifting down to lock with battery 450 in Figure 11. Once slider 202 is locked onto the middle row' of ports on battery 450, slider 203 shifts down to the depleted battery 410 and engages its locks, as shown in Figure 12.

[0051] Once a charged battery is positioned at the ready -to-be loaded position (i e., the bottom right position), the plate 160 on the battery pushing mechanism flips up from parallel with the ground to engage with the charged battery' 420 to be pushed onto the AGV as depicted in Figure 13. [0052] The leadscrew 180 in Figure 2 is then driven by a stepper motor to actuate the battery pushing mechanism to extend the plate 160 along the guide rails 170. Figure 14 depicts a charged battery 420 being pushed off of the carrier by the pushing mechanism 150 and onto an AGV 400 by this process. Figure 15 depicts the pushing mechanism continuing to extend to the end of the carrier to push the battery onto the AGV.

[0053] With reference to Figure 13, an AGV battery may have interfaces thereon for connecting to the carrier’s locks for movement as described above. In one embodiment, the batteries have one or more interfaces 11 1 on the side facing the battery carrier to interface with the battery pulling mechanism’s locks 120 in Figure 8, and three sets of interfaces 222 per side to interface with the locks of the vertical and horizontal sliders to facilitate shuffling batteries between sliders during rotation.

[0054] Many variants of the above-noted structures are contemplated by this disclosure. For example, another embodiment omits a dedicated battery pushing mechanism, whereby a battery' pulling mechanism could be used in pushing a charged battery onto an AGV after the battery' to be replaced has been lifted by the rotation mechanism.

[0055] Figure 16 depicts a charging station connected to a power supply along with a battery carrier. The charging station 500 depicted in Figure 16 may utilize its own battery rotating mechanism 510, structured similarly or differently from the rotating mechanism on the battery carrier 600. The charging station in the depicted embodiment contains a similar battery pulling mechanism to the battery carrier and may also include a similar battery pushing mechanism. Additionally, the charging station has one or more battery charger interfaces 520 positioned so that the batteries stored at the station may be charged. In one embodiment, when the battery carrier 600 carries the depleted batteries to the battery charging station 500, the charging interfaces 520 are disconnected during operation of the rotation mechanism. When rotation is complete, the charging interfaces 520 are reconnected.

[0056] When a carrier 600 needs to exchange its batteries for charged batteries from a charging station 500, it docks with a charging station 500 similar to if it were an AGV. The carrier and the charging station transfer a depleted battery 410 onto the charging station to be recharged. The carrier and the charging station further exchange a depleted batter}' for a charged battery using their battery pulling and/or pushing mechanisms

[0057] Depleted battery 410 is then pulled to the far side of the charging station by the charging station’s pulling mechanism, as depicted in Figure 17, then rotated with a charged battery 420 by the battery' rotating mechanism through a similar process used by the battery' carrier as pictured in Figure 18.

[0058] Charged battery 420 is pushed or pulled onto carrier 600 as depicted in

Figures 19-20 by a pushing or pulling mechanism and pulled to the far side of the carrier as depicted in Figure 21, where it may then be rotated with a battery to be replaced by the carrier’s battery rotating mechanism. This process may be repeated until the carri er is full of new batteries.

[0059] In one embodiment, an AGV can be configured to dock directly to a charging station (e.g., without use of a carrier), such as a charging station having a battery rotating mechanism. In such an embodiment, the charging station pulls a low' or depleted battery from the AGV, rotates the depleted battery relative to other batteries, and pushes a charged batten,' onto the AGV.

[0060] The process of replacing and recharging depleted AGV batteries by an autonomous battery'- carrier is outlined in Figure 22. The process begins in block 700 when an AGV depletes its battery and a signal is sent conveying said AGV’s location. Said signal is then received by an autonomous battery carrier in block 710. In block 720, said autonomous battery carrier then navigates under its own control to said AGV with depleted battery in need of replacement and docks with it. In block 730 said depleted batter}' is transferred from said AGV to said autonomous batter}' carrier. Subsequently, in block 740, said batter}' is rotated with a charged battery on said autonomous battery carrier’ s battery holding and rotating mechanism . Said charged battery is then installed into said AGV in block 750.

[0061] After the installation is complete, said autonomous batten,' carrier may wait for another signal conveying the location of another AGV with a depleted batter _} ' in need of an exchange in block 780 if there are still charged batteries aboard said battery carrier, or it may navigate to a battery' charging station in block 760, particularly in the case that the autonomous battery' earner has no charged batteries available.

[0062] Once at said battery charging station, said autonomous battery carrier may exchange one or more depleted batteries with said charging station for charged batteries in block 770. In one embodiment, both said battery' charging station and said battery carrier are equipped with a battery holding and rotating mechanism. Once a depleted battery is transferred from an autonomous battery' carrier to a charging station, said charging station rotates said depleted battery with a charged battery'. Said charged battery' is then transferred to said autonomous battery carrier. Once transferred, said charged battery may then be rotated by a battery' holding and rotating mechanism and another depleted battery' may be rotated into position to be exchanged with said battery charging station for another charged battery. This process may continue until all depleted batteries are exchanged for charged batteries. At such a time, said autonomous battery carrier disengages from said battery' charging station and awaits a new signal to be sent to it conveying the location of another AGV with a depleted battery in block 780, and the process continues. [0063] An implementation of a method of rotating batteries with an embodiment of a battery holding and rotating mechanism is depicted in Figure 23. The actions in each block may be executed simultaneously or in numerous other sequences. In block 800, batteries on a first vertical battery actuator are shifted down and batteries on a second vertical battery' actuator are shifted up. A horizontal battery actuator slides an empty battery lock from said first vertical battery actuator to said second vertical battery' actuator. Additionally, a battery' pulling mechanism is actuated in the direction of said first vertical battery actuator

[0064] As block 801 depicts, said horizontal battery slider then locks onto the top battery of the second vertical battery' actuator and the sliders on the vertical battery actuators shuffle the batteries between them. The battery' pulling mechanism locks onto the lowest battery in the first vertical battery actuator. The sliders on the first vertical battery actuator shift up one by one, locking onto the next higher battery until there is a free slider at the top to receive a battery' from the horizontal battery actuator and the lowest battery' has been released by the locks on the lowest slider, allowing the battery' pulling mechanism to take sole possession of said lowest battery. The sliders on the second vertical battery actuator shift down one by one, releasing the top battery to be held exclusively by the horizontal battery slider, and locking onto the next lower battery until there is a free slider at the bottom to receive a battery from said battery pulling mechanism.

[0065] Subsequently, said horizontal battery actuator slides from said second vertical battery' actuator to said first vertical battery actuator with a battery locked in its slider, as depicted in block 802. The battery pulling mechanism pulls that battery it engaged with in block 801 to the second vertical battery' actuator, where the second vertical battery' actuator’s bottom slider freed in block 801 locks onto said battery, which is released by the batter}- pulling mechanism as depicted in block 803.

[0066] An implementation of a method of pulling a battery using an embodiment of a batter}^ pulling mechanism is depicted in Figure 24 First, one or more stepper motors rotate to actuate one or more leadscrews that drives one or more locking mechanisms towards a battery in block 810. Said locking mechanisms then engage with a batter _} ', securing it to the battery pulling mechanism in block 81 1. Once secured, said stepper motors rotate in the opposite direction, turning said !eadscrew(s) in a manner that pulls said batter}' to an opposite end of a battery carrier or battery charging station, whereupon said stepper motor or motors stop turning, as depicted in block 812.

[0067] An impl ementation of a method of pushing a batter _} ' using an embodiment of a battery pushing mechanism is depicted in Figure 25. A batter _} ' push plate is first rotated into a pushing position (e.g., up 60 degrees) from its stowed position parallel to ground in block 820. One or more stepper motors are rotated to drive said plate in a direction that moves a battery horizontally in block 821 until said battery reaches its intended location. Said stepper motor or motors are then rotated backwards until the battery pushing mechanism has been retracted to its initial position in block 822. Once retracted, said batter' pushing plate is then rotated to a stowed position parallel with the ground in block 823.

[0068] An implementation of a method of swapping batteries between an autonomous mobile battery' carrier and a charging station is depicted in Figure 26 An autonomous battery carrier first docks with a battery' charging station in block 830. A depleted battery' is then pushed or pulled from said carrier to said charging station in block 831. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by either a battery pushing mechanism on said autonomous mobile battery carrier or a battery pulling mechanism on said batten- charging station. Said depleted battery is then pulled into position to be rotated by a battery pulling mechanism on said charging station in block 832. Once in position, a batter _} ' holding and rotating mechanism may rotate said depleted battery with a charged battery- in block 833. Said charged battery- is then pushed or pulled from said charging station to said battery- carrier in block 834. Once aboard said autonomous battery- carrier, said charged battery is pulled into position to be rotated by a battery holding and rotating mechanism in block 835. Said battery- holding and rotating mechanism then rotates the charged battery- in block 836 If there are more depleted batteries on the batery carrier, it may repeat the process starting from block 831 as needed. Otherwise, said battery carrier may undock from the battery charging station in block 837.

[0069] An implementation of a method of swapping batteries between an autonomous mobile battery- carrier and an AGV is depicted in Figure 27. Said autonomous mobile battery carrier first docks with said AGV in block 840. A depleted battery- is then transferred from said autonomous vehicle in block 841. In some embodiments, transfer of said depleted battery- is accomplished through the use of a battery- pulling mechanism on said autonomous battery carrier. After said depleted battery- has been transferred to said autonomous mobile batery- carrier, a battery holding and rotating mechanism rotates said depleted battery- with a charged battery in block 842. Said charged battery' is then transferred to said AGV in block 843. In some embodiments, transfer of said charged battery is accomplished by a battery pushing mechanism on said autonomous mobile battery carrier. After said charged battery has been pushed onto said AGV, said autonomous battery- carrier undocks with the AGV in block 844.

[0070] The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0071] For example, in one embodiment, battery pulling and pushing mechanisms are positioned on the AGVs instead of the battery carrier. In those embodiments, the AG Vs are configured to push a low or depleted battery (e.g., using a secondary battery that is recharged by the main batten,') onto the earner and to pull a charged battery onto that AGV.