WO2017109431A2

WO2017109431A2 - Docking station for a mobile robot

Info

Publication number: WO2017109431A2
Application number: PCT/FR2016/053655
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ramesh CAUSSY; Cyril HASSON; Antoine Marie Anne ROLLAND DE RENGERVE; Pierre Jean-Luc Sylvain DELARBOULAS
Original assignee: Partnering 3.0
Priority date: 2015-12-24
Filing date: 2016-12-22
Publication date: 2017-06-29
Also published as: WO2017109431A3; FR3046259A1; FR3046259B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a docking station for a mobile robot, comprising: a robot parking zone; sources (21, 22, 23) emitting attracting rays, disposed around the parking zone so as to emit attracting rays (R1, R2, R3) in a robot approach region; and sources (24, 25) emitting repelling rays, disposed on each side of the parking zone so as to emit repelling rays (R4, R5) outside the approach region, said repelling rays having a shorter range than the attracting rays.

Description

HOSTING STATION FOR MOBILE ROBOT

The present invention relates to a system comprising one or more mobile robots and one or more associated docking stations.

BACKGROUND [0002] Service robotics is a rapidly expanding field. Mobile robots can be dedicated to various functions such as soil cleaning (for example US 2006/190133 A1), transporting loads (for example WO 2013/119942 A1), monitoring round in warehouses (for example FR 2 987 689 Al), air quality monitoring in enclosed environments (eg WO 2015/063119 A1), etc. [0003] Mobile robots are associated with docking stations. The primary role of docking stations is that of energy source. This is usually electrical energy, the robot is equipped with a battery that is recharged when it comes to the docking station. Most often, each robot has its own dock, where it parks when it is not fulfilling its mission, reloading being performed during that time.

The docking station has a load management system that tracks the load of the robot launch until full reloading.

The docking station often has a guiding feature of the robot, allowing it to reach the appropriate position on the station to allow the launch of the load. Various devices exist to carry out this guidance. The most common are based on a system of infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs) allowing the robot to determine the direction to take according to its position relative to the docking station. See for example US 2015/0057800 Al concerning a docking station of a robot vacuum cleaner. [0006] Sometimes, there is also a physical guidance system for docking at the station. Such a physical guidance system, however, poses problems of limitation in the design of the robot / docking station pair.

[0007] More generally, it seems desirable to improve the robustness of the guiding of the robot to the correct position relative to the docking station, that is to say to improve the success rate of the robot positioning procedure on the station.

Existing docking stations usually offer mobile robots station that the energy reloading service, while robots may have other needs based on the services they themselves render.

Service robotics allows the introduction, in places of life and collaboration, new types of robots. These have shapes, sizes, needs for energy consumption and food safety, of different natures. All of these emerging needs and the need to integrate cohorts of potentially reloading robots on a single station have generally not been taken into account in the design of the current docking stations. This hinders the development of service robotics and the multitude of services that must result from new relationships between the station and robots of different capacities.

To promote the deployment of mobile robot parks on a specific site, the design of the docking station should allow it to accommodate different robots, including robots of different sizes. This deployment will also be promoted if one makes sure that the same robot can cooperate with different docking stations.

[001! Another aspect to consider is the safety of load management procedures. EP 1 841 038 A2 discloses a charging station having a safety function to prevent short circuits if a metal object comes into contact with its charging contactors. This type of measurement may however be insufficient. If, in particular, robots of different types are likely to be accommodated by the same station, it is appropriate to offer charging characteristics that are appropriate for each of them, while monitoring that the charging process takes place under conditions acceptable and avoiding that the station delivers electrical power in the absence of a duly authorized and identified robot.

An object of the present invention is to meet at least part of the above needs.

SUMMARY [0013] There is provided a docking station for a mobile robot, comprising: - a robot parking area;

- attracting ray sources arranged around the parking area to emit attracting rays in a robot approach region; and

repulsive ray sources disposed on either side of the parking zone to emit, outside the approach region, repulsor rays of shorter range than the attracting rays.

These provisions ensure that the robot can approach the station in appropriate directions, defined by the attractors, while avoiding hitting the station approaching in inappropriate directions, defined by the repulsive rays. Typically, the attracting rays are emitted in front of the station, while the repulsive rays are emitted laterally.

[001S] In one embodiment, the sources of attracting rays are arranged so that the attracting rays are emitted in directions that intersect at a fixed point of the parking area. One of the sources of attracting rays can then be arranged to emit an attractor beam having a priority characteristic, so that a mobile robot executes a terminal race between the fixed point and a docking position in the parking area. This method ensures precise positioning of the robot docked on the docking station, without the need for mechanical guidance.

In a particular configuration of the docking station, the attracting ray sources are arranged to emit an attractor ray in a first direction and two attracting rays in two respective directions oriented symmetrically with respect to the first direction. The sources of repulsive rays are disposed on either side of the parking zone to emit two attracting rays outside the approach region in two respective directions oriented symmetrically with respect to the first direction.

The repulsive rays, shorter in scope than the attracting rays, may have an angular aperture larger than the attracting rays. Guidance to a precise direction is made by attracting rays which are relatively thin, while approach directions to be avoided are marked by wider repulsor rays. An embodiment of the docking station further comprises: an activation controller for the ray sources for activating the ray sources in turn according to an activation time cycle; and

a beacon signal source for emitting around the docking station a beacon signal indicating a current stage of the activation time cycle. The activation time cycle may include a step of emitting repulsive rays and, for each attractor ray source, a step of emitting the attractor ray of said source. The detection of the signal beacon by a robot approaching the docking station allows him to identify which ray, attractor or repeller, he is receiving. He can then decide what to do to connect to the docking station.

The activation time cycle may also include a step of non-emission of rays during which a measurement of ambient noise is performed. From this measurement, the detection criteria of the infrared signals can be adjusted taking into account the signal-to-noise ratio, which is variable. This makes it possible to determine if what the infrared sensors detect corresponds to a useful signal or to ambient noise to be ignored.

[002!] In one embodiment, the beacon signal further indicates an identifier of the docking station. By decoding the beacon signal, a mobile robot can then ensure that it is approaching a docking station in a list of authorized stations that it has registered. When the docking station provides the basic function of electric charging of a mobile robot, it comprises a pair of contactors typically arranged in the parking area. It may further comprise a communication interface with a mobile robot in the docking position in the parking area, controlled to issue a mobile robot identification request in response to a voltage detected on the contactors. The communication interface with the mobile robot, when it is contactless, will generally also work while the robot is approaching without having docked at the docking station.

Advantageously, a recharging manager is configured to provide a reloading power on the contactors provided that a mobile robot identifier authorized for the station is received via the communication interface following the issuance of the request of 'identification. A docking station according to the invention may also be equipped with a wireless communication access point with mobile robots, and a network interface for transmitting data obtained by a data collection server to a data collection server. mobile robots.

The network interface may be configured to retrieve software update files embedded in the mobile robots, the update files being transmitted to the mobile robots via the wireless communication access point. The station itself can be updated according to this method.

Regardless of the foregoing features, or in combination therewith, there is provided an air quality monitoring system in at least one environment, comprising:

at least one mobile robot in the environment;

- a docking station placed in the environment and having a parking area to receive the robot;

air quality sensors embedded on the mobile robot;

- air quality sensors installed in the docking station; and

a calibration manager to collect, on the one hand, measurements made by at least a first air quality sensor on board the mobile robot while the mobile robot is received in the parking zone of the docking station, and on the other hand measurements made at the same time by a second air quality sensor installed in the docking station and of the same type as said first air quality sensor.

This system takes advantage of the time that robots must spend on docking stations, usually to recharge, by checking the measurements made on the same air surrounding the docking station, by the sensors embedded in robots and those permanently installed in the docking station. This considerably reduces the maintenance required to verify the correct calibration of the sensors.

The calibration manager of the system may be configured to transmit to the mobile robot drift correction parameters observed in the collected measurements. This calibration manager can be more or less delocalised. However, it is advisable to install it at least partially in the docking station, another part can be in the robots. The system may then further include a collection server communicating with the calibration manager to process the collected measurements and provide drift correction parameters observed in the collected measurements. The collection server can then determine the drift correction parameters in order to calibrate the first air quality sensor on board the mobile robot with respect to the second air quality sensor installed in the docking station. When the docking station is able to successively receive several mobile robots in the parking area, the collection server can be configured to process measurements made by first air quality sensors of the same type embedded on respective mobile robots while said mobile robots are successively received in the parking area, in comparison with measurements made at the same time by the second air quality sensor installed in the docking station and of the same type as said first sensors of quality of air. 'air. Another interesting possibility is that the processing of the measurements by the collection server includes an analysis of the differences observed between the measurements made by the first air quality sensors and those made at the same time by the second air quality sensor. and triggering an alert when the analyzed discrepancies fulfill a predefined alert condition. When the system includes multiple docking stations, the collection server is advantageously configured to communicate with calibration managers installed at least in part in several docking stations.

In another aspect, a mobile robot docking station comprises:

a parking zone for receiving at least one mobile robot in an environment where the docking station is placed;

reference sensors of the same type as air quality sensors embedded on a mobile robot; and

a calibration manager for firstly collecting air quality measurements taken by at least one air quality sensor on a mobile robot while said mobile robot is received in the parking zone, and on the other hand measurements taken at the same time by a reference sensor of the docking station. [003! The docking station may further comprise a network interface for transmitting to a collection server data obtained by the mobile robot, the calibration manager being configured to transmit to the collection server, via the network interface, the measurements of air quality performed by the onboard air quality sensor on the mobile robot while said mobile robot is received in the parking area, and the measurements made at the same time by a reference sensor of the docking station . The calibration manager may be configured to transmit to the mobile robot drift correction parameters observed in the collected measurements.

Independently of the foregoing features, or in combination therewith, there is provided a method of recharging the battery of a mobile robot in an environment using a docking station placed in the environment. The method comprises:

- move the mobile robot to the docking station;

- send a wireless beacon signal from the docking station;

- Following the detection of the beacon signal by the mobile robot, communicating the mobile robot with the docking station, so that the docking station retrieves information relating to the mobile robot; and

- Launch an electric recharging of the battery of the mobile robot in a manner dependent on the information retrieved relative to the mobile robot.

The establishment of an exchange of information between the docking station and the robot that comes to it allows to secure the process of reloading the robot, and / or to adapt the characteristics to the robot type which it is. The method thus makes it possible to manage the reloading of a robot fleet having different identities or characteristics by means of one or more docking stations.

In one embodiment of the method, the information retrieved by the docking station relative to the mobile robot comprises an identifier of the mobile robot, the electric recharging being launched provided that the mobile robot identifier included in the information retrieved. corresponds to an identifier of a list of authorized robots stored in the docking station. In particular, the power of electric recharging can be selected according to the information retrieved by the docking station relative to the mobile robot.

An advantageous embodiment of the reloading method comprises:

in response to the detection of the beacon signal by the mobile robot, presenting an electric voltage on an electric power reception interface that the mobile robot has for recharging the battery, for example a pair of accessible charging pads of the mobile robot; outside the robot;

in response to the detection of the electrical voltage on an electrical power supply interface that the docking station comprises, for example a pair of contactors accessible from outside the station, to issue an identification request from the station home to the mobile robot; and

transmitting the information relating to the mobile robot to the docking station in response to the identification request.

Typically, the beacon signal carries an identifier of the docking station. It can then be made sure that the mobile robot is prevented from transmitting the information relating to the mobile robot when the docking station identifier received in the detected beacon signal does not correspond to any identifier of a list of docking stations. allowed stored in the mobile robot.

During the electric recharging of the battery of the mobile robot, the method may comprise:

monitoring parameters among at least one voltage of the battery of the mobile robot, a charging current delivered to the mobile robot and a temperature of a recharging circuit of the docking station; and

- stop the reloading power when reloading conditions are no longer met.

In another aspect, a robotic equipment comprises:

at least one mobile robot, the mobile robot comprising:

• a battery ;

• a battery powered motor system for moving the mobile robot into an environment; • an interface for receiving electrical power for recharging the battery; and

• a first communication interface; and

at least one docking station to be placed in the environment, the docking station comprising:

• a parking area to receive at least one mobile robot;

• a source of electrical power;

An electrical power supply interface for cooperating with the electric power reception interface of a mobile robot received in the parking zone and recharging the battery of said mobile robot from the electric power source;

A wireless beacon signal source for transmitting a beacon signal around the docking station;

A second communication interface for cooperating with the first communication interface of the mobile robot and retrieving information relating to the mobile robot received in the parking zone after transmission of the beacon signal by the beacon signal source; and

A recharging manager for recharging the battery of the mobile robot received in the parking area in a manner dependent on the information retrieved relative to the mobile robot via the second communication interface. In another aspect, a mobile robot docking station includes:

- a source of electrical power;

an electric power output interface coupled to the electric power source for recharging a battery of a mobile robot received in the parking zone;

a wireless beacon signal source for transmitting a beacon signal around the docking station; a communication interface with the mobile robot received in the parking zone for retrieving information relating to said mobile robot after transmission of the beacon signal by the beacon signal source; and

a recharging manager for recharging the battery of the mobile robot received in the parking zone in a manner dependent on the information retrieved relative to said mobile robot via the communication interface.

In another aspect, a mobile robot comprises:

- a battery ;

a motor system powered by the battery for moving the mobile robot in an environment;

an interface for receiving electrical power for recharging the battery from a docking station placed in the environment;

a wireless beacon signal detector from the docking station;

- a communication interface with the docking station; and

- a controller configured for:

In response to the detection of the beacon signal, presenting an electric voltage on the electrical power receiving interface; and

In response to the reception of an identification request via the communication interface with the docking station after presentation of the electrical voltage on the electrical power reception interface, transmitting identification information of the mobile robot at the docking station.

When the beacon signal carries an identifier of the docking station, the controller may be configured not to transmit the identification information of the mobile robot when the docking station identifier received in the beacon signal detected does not correspond to any identifier of a list of authorized docking stations memorized in the mobile robot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear in the following description of a nonlimiting exemplary embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary docking station having features of the present invention, seen in plan;

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram of the docking station of FIG. 1, with a stationary mobile robot;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of units forming part of a docking station in an exemplary architecture suitable for an implementation of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of units forming part of a mobile robot in an exemplary architecture suitable for an implementation of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram in plan view showing attractor and repulsive rays in an exemplary embodiment;

FIGS. 6A-E are diagrams illustrating several steps of an exemplary activation cycle of sources of attractor and repulsive rays;

FIGS. 7A-E are diagrams illustrating several steps of an exemplary approach and identification process of a mobile robot with the docking station;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts illustrating steps implemented respectively by a mobile robot and by a docking station according to an exemplary method of recharging the battery of the robot;

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating a mobile robot calibration procedure using the docking station; and

- Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of communication architecture adapted to an implementation of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The docking station 10 shown by way of example in Figures 1 and 2 is based on the ground by a plate-shaped base 11 which defines a parking area of a mobile robot 20. It further comprises a housing 12 which contains a number of components described below, and a column 13 at the rear of the station relative to the robot parking area.

In this example, the docking station 10 is intended to be placed in a corner of a room. The rear side of the housing 11 and the column 12 has a right angle to be placed against the corner, and the structure of the docking station is generally symmetrical with respect to the bisector of this right angle. A connection is provided at the rear of the housing 12, with a plug 14 for the station's power supply and a network plug 15.

The front of the housing 12 to a concave profile for receiving on the parking area a mobile robot 20 whose base is of generally circular shape. The opening of this facade of the housing can be provided to accommodate on the parking area robots 20 of different diameters or different shapes.

In front of the front of the housing 12, the base 11 has two contactors 16 to cooperate with charging pads located on the underside of the mobile robots 20. the contactors 16 are connected to electrical components housed in the housing 12.

Sources of guide spokes, typically infrared LEDs, 21-25 are placed on the front of the housing 12 to assist the robot 20 when approaching the station 10. An infrared transmitter-receiver 26 is also provided to allow short-range communication between the docking station 10 and a robot 20 arrived at station.

FIG. 3 gives an illustration of electronic components that can be found inside the docking station 10. Of course, the indicated architecture, organized around a bus 30, is a simple example not limiting. In this example, the bus 30 is controlled by a processor 31, housed in the housing 12, which supervises the operation of the various components, using appropriate software modules. These components include here:

a memory 45 associated with the processor 31;

a network interface 32, for example of the Ethernet type, coupled to an IP router, enabling a connection of the docking station 10 to the network of a company using a fleet of mobile robots, and / or to the Internet via the network socket 15;

a wifi access point 33 providing a wireless communication interface with mobile robots operating in the environment where the docking station is installed;

an infrared communication interface 34, for example of the IrDA type;

a controller 35 of the infrared LEDs 21-25; an omnidirectional source, such as an infrared LED, which emits a beacon signal near the docking station;

a detector 37 for the presence of a robot station on the docking station, which cooperates with the contactors 16 apparent on the parking area;

a reload manager 38 which supervises the reloading process of the mobile robots;

a component 39 which collects the measurements made by a set of reference sensors 40 whose docking station 10 is equipped.

Note that some of the components 32-39 shown separately in Figure 3 may optionally be implemented for all or part of their functionality in the form of software modules executed by the processor 31 or one of its peripherals.

[005! Figure 4 gives an illustration of electronic components that can be found inside a robot 20. Of course, the indicated architecture, organized around a bus 70, is a simple non-limiting example. In this example, the bus 70 is controlled by a controller 71, such as a microprocessor or microcontroller, embedded in the robot 20, which supervises the operation of the various components, using appropriate software modules. These components include here:

a memory 85 associated with the controller 71;

a wifî terminal 73 for wireless communication with the access point 33 of a docking station 10, or another wifî access point;

an infrared communication interface 34, for example of the IrDA type, for short-range communication with the infrared interface 34 of a docking station 10;

a motor system 78 comprising one or more motors arranged to move the robot 20 autonomously with a power supply coming from the battery 75 of the robot;

a set of infrared sensors 76 making it possible to detect the guide radii emitted by the sources 21-25 of a docking station 10 and the beacon signal emitted by the source 36 of such a station; a switch 81 making it possible, on instruction from the controller 71, to present the voltage of the battery 75 on a pair of charging pads 28 which are accessible from outside the robot, for example under its chassis, for recharging the battery 75; and

a component 79 which collects the measurements made by a set of sensors 80 embedded in the robot 20.

It will also be noted that some of the components 73, 74, 79, 81 shown separately in FIG. 4 may possibly be implemented, for all or part of their functionalities, in the form of software modules executed by the controller 71 or a controller. of its peripherals.

FIG. 5 shows an example of geometry of the attractor and repulsor rays emitted by the infrared LEDs 21-25 of the docking station 10.

The LED 21 emits an attractor ray RI oriented in the horizontal direction XI passing through the plane of symmetry of the docking station 10.

[00S5] The LEDs 22, 23, arranged on the sides of the front of the housing 12, emit respective attractor rays R2, R3 in directions X2, X3 arranged symmetrically with respect to the direction XI. The directions XI, X2 and X3 intersect at a point P located in the parking area of the docking station. In the example shown, the angle formed between the directions XI, X2 and between the directions XI, X3 is of the order of 50 °.

The infrared LEDs 24, 25 are arranged laterally on the front of the docking station 10, near the corners thereof. They emit repellent rays R4, R5 of shorter range than the attractor RI, R2, R3 rays (for example 15 to 30 cm against 50 to 100 cm). As shown in FIG. 5, the angular aperture of the repulsor rays R4, R5 is preferably greater than that of the attractor R1, R2, R3 rays (for example 60 ° against 15 °, approximately). The angle formed between the directions XI, X4 and between the directions XI, X5 is for example 10 to 20 °.

When it has to join the docking station 10, to recharge its battery 75 or for other services, a mobile robot 20 can no longer rely on its obstacle avoidance systems to determine its trajectory. Otherwise, it would never reach the docking position on the docking station, which is the position in which its pads load 28 on the lower face reach the contactors 16. The robot must be guided from the outside, which is the role of infrared sources 21-25.

The mobile robots 20 are equipped with infrared sensors 76 at the height of the LEDs 21-25. When one of the R1-R3 attractor rays is picked up by a mobile robot, its controller 71 determines the origin direction of this ray and controls the motor system 78 so that the robot moves towards the LED from which this ray has been emitted. . On the other hand, if it is a repulsive ray R4, R5, the motor system 78 is controlled so that the robot moves away from the LED from which it comes. The distinction between the attractor and repulsor rays is made by the robot 20 by receiving the beacon signal emitted by the LED 36 of the docking station 10, the rays being emitted sequentially following an activation cycle controlled by the controller 35. .

The LEDs 21-25 are activated successively by the controller 35 following a cycle whose frequency is for example 20 Hz. The activation cycle is composed of several steps during which the LEDs 21-25 are activated in turn. of role. At the same time, a specific coded signal is emitted by the beacon LED 36. This activation cycle makes it possible to guide the robot 20 towards the station 10 while managing priorities between the rays, by measuring the ambient infrared noise and by having identified the station by the robot.

The beacon LED 36 thus transmits omnidirectional infrared signal frames having a header which includes an identifier of the docking station 10, and a frame body which provides codes indicative of the current steps of the activation cycle. . There are, for example, five steps of the same duration in the activation cycle, illustrated by FIGS. 6A-E:

a first step (FIG. 6A) in which none of the LEDs 21-25 is powered, the docking station can then measure the ambient infrared noise by means of an infrared sensor 41 associated with the controller 35 (FIG. 3);

a second step (FIG. 6B) in which only the LEDs 24, 25 are activated to emit the repulsive rays R4, R5;

a third step (FIG. 6C) in which only the LED 22 is activated to emit the attractor ray R2;

a fourth step (FIG. 6D) in which only the opposite LED 23 is activated to emit the attractor ray R3; and a fifth step (FIG. 6E) in which only the central LED 21 is activated to emit the attractor ray R1.

When a robot detects one of the infrared rays R1-R5 near the docking station 10, it reads the code transmitted on the beacon signal to determine what radius it is. He can then move and move towards the parking area of the docking station. When the activation cycle is in the first step (FIG. 6A), the robot can also measure the ambient infrared noise using its sensors 76.

During guidance, the robot (at least its infrared receiver) arrives near the point of intersection P R1-R3 radii (Figure 5). The ambiguity on the direction that the robot must then follow to complete the docking procedure is lifted thanks to the codes transmitted by the LED beacon: the robot is programmed to continue towards the source 21 of the ray RI detected during the fifth step of the cycle illustrated in Figures 6A-E, which brings it into the docking position. In other words, the radius RI has a priority characteristic which, in the example considered here, results in the codes emitted by the beacon LED 36.

The measurement of ambient infrared noise made by the sensors 41 and / or 76 during the first step of the activation cycle allows the controller 35 and / or 71 to take into account the signal-to-noise ratio. The higher the ambient noise measured, the more stringent the criterion used to separate a signal from the ambient noise. This method prevents the guiding signals from being altered by environmental disturbances such as variations in brightness or pollution by the waves.

Each mobile robot 20 has in its memory 85 a prerecorded list of docking stations to which it is allowed to dock. The identifier of the docking station 10 which it is approaching, broadcast in the beacon signal emitted by the LED 36, allows the robot to check whether it is a docking station allowed for him.

Alternatively, the identification of the docking station 10 by a mobile robot 20 can be performed using the association identifier broadcast on the beacon channel IEEE 802.11 by the access point wifi 33 of the station 10. It is advisable that the docking stations 10 can also identify in a secure manner the robots 20 which are presented to them. For this, one can use the robot presence detector 37 and the infrared communication interface 34, according to a procedure illustrated in Figures 7A-E.

FIG. 7A shows a mobile robot 20 that approaches a docking station 10. The detection of a guidance signal, namely one of the R1-R3 radii and the beacon signal emitted by the LED. 36, from a station 10 authorized for a given robot allows it to verify that the station is authorized and then present the voltage of its battery on the load pads 28 located under its frame (Figure 7B). Thus, once a robot is properly positioned on a station (Figure 7C), it detects it by reading on its contactors 16 the residual voltage of the battery of the robot. This is the role of the robot presence detector 37 coupled to the contactors 16.

In order to secure the procedure for launching the load, the station 10 then initiates a dialogue by infrared communication with the robot 20. The station 10 first verifies that the voltage it detects is indeed that coming from a robot. For this, the station 10 asks the robot 20 to identify itself via the infrared interface 34 (FIG. 7D). If the response provided by the robot 20 (FIG. 7E) identifies it correctly, that is to say if the robot identifier that it returns is in a list of authorized identifiers for this station. reception 10, stored in the memory 45 of the station, it puts the service robot 20 all its capabilities (reloading and other services). On the other hand, it records, by making it accessible to the robot park manager via the network interface 32, the information that the robot in question is actually stationed on the station 10.

If the station 10 does not receive a response or if the robot returns an invalid or unauthorized identifier (Figure 7E), it does not provide load current, nor any other services it has. The method described above of dual identification of docking stations by robots and robots by the docking stations allows to manage in a simple and flexible manner the operation of a fleet of robots having a set docking stations.

The pairing between the robots and the docking stations, that is to say the recording of the lists of robots and stations authorized to work together, can be performed during the deployment of robots and stations on a site of exploitation. A a simple way of doing this is to present a robot 20 on a station 10 with which it will be authorized to operate and to activate a coupling procedure using a button provided on the robot or on the station, this procedure consisting of to register the identifier of the robot in the memory 45 of the docking station and that of the docking station in the memory 85 of the robot. Another way to perform the pairing is to provide the lists of robots and stations to which they can connect using a computer interface available to the fleet manager (computer or tablet), then to transmit the appropriate lists to the stations. home via their network interfaces 32, and to robots via wifï network. The management of the reloading process for high capacity robots advantageously comprises a number of measures ensuring greater reliability and better security. The docking station 10 may receive robots 20 having batteries of different electrical characteristics. It must then be provided with recharging circuits 42 able to deliver different voltage / current characteristics. By identifying the robots that are present, the reload manager 38 of the station can select the proper operating mode of the reload circuits 42 for each robot.

The currents involved may be important, securing the reloading process becomes critical. When the voltage exceeds 5 volts and the current a few amperes (for example 25V / 7A or more), the safety constraints are more severe.

This is why it is appropriate that the reloading manager 38 controls the recharging circuits 42 (transformers, switches and associated electronics) so that, by default, the charging voltage is not available on the contactors 16 of the station 10. This prevents the risk of an accidental short circuit. The reloading procedure implies that the robot identifies itself (FIGS. 7D-E) and that it has applied the residual voltage of its battery 75 to its pads 28. It is under these conditions that the power of recharging is delivered on the contactors 16 of the station. The battery charge of the robot 20 can then begin.

The management of the robot approach for reloading can be carried out according to the procedures illustrated in FIG. 8 with regard to the mobile robot (controller 71) and in FIG. 9 with respect to the charging station. home (processor 31 and / or reload manager 38). In response to the detection of a beacon signal by an infrared sensor 76 of the robot (step 90), the controller 71 first checks whether the docking station identifier carried by this beacon signal is in the list. authorized stations whose robot has in its memory 85 (test 91). If it is an unauthorized identifier, the controller 71 controls the motor system 78 so that the robot 20 moves away from the docking station 10 which does not suit him (step 92).

If the identifier received in the beacon signal is that of a docking station authorized for the robot, the controller 71 controls the switch 81 so that the battery voltage 75 is presented on the charging pads 28 of the robot (step 93). Then the robot waits for reception of an identification request from the docking station (test 94). On receipt of this request, the controller 71 controls the infrared interface 74 so that the identifier of the robot 20 is transmitted to the docking station 10 in step 95.

After transmitting its identifier, the controller 71 of the robot examines whether a rejection message is received on the infrared interface 74 from the docking station 10 (test 96). If rejected by the docking station, step 92 is executed for the robot to move away from the station. If the robot is accepted by the docking station, it begins to receive on its charging pads 28 the power delivered by the docking station to recharge its battery 75 (step 97).

On the side of the docking station 10, the procedure illustrated in FIG. 9 is triggered by the detection 100 of an electrical voltage on the contactors 16 placed in the parking zone, by the detector 37. In response to this detection of an electrical voltage on the contactors 16, the processor 31 controls the infrared interface 34 for issuing the identification request of the robot 20 which has presented itself in the parking zone (step 101). Then the docking station 10 is waiting to receive a message providing the identification of the mobile robot (test 102). Upon receipt of this message, the processor 31 checks (test 103) whether the received identifier is in the list of authorized robots for the docking station, stored in the memory 45. - Authorized, the processor 31 controls the emission, by the infrared interface 34, of a rejection message from the robot that has presented itself in the parking area. If the mobile robot 20 is authorized for the docking station 10, the processor 31 thereof controls the recharging manager 38 so that the recharging power of the battery the robot is sent to the contactors 16.

Once the electric charge of the battery 75 of the robot has been launched, measurements are made continuously by means of sensors 43 whose docking station is equipped with:

- battery voltage 75 of the robot measured across the contactors 16;

- amperage of the load current; and

- temperature of charging circuits.

These measurements, to which can be added the temperature of the battery 75 of the robot measured by it and transmitted to the station via the infrared or wifI interface (step 98 of FIG. 8), make it possible to define the state of charge (robot absent, load initialization, load, end of charge) but also to define measuring ranges qualifying normal operation.

The measurements made by the docking station 10 and those received from the robot 20 being recharged are analyzed by the processor 31 at step 106 shown in FIG. 9. If one of the indicators goes out of its operating range. normal, an alert is triggered by the reload manager 38. The alert leads the reloading manager 38 to automatically stop the reloading power on the contactors 16. It can thus detect and stop any malfunction, potentially dangerous or not. In case of detection of an anomaly, an alert message is emitted by the docking station 10 via the Ethernet network to inform the robot park manager.

Other interesting features of the docking station 10 described here by way of example relate to the sensors 80 embedded in the mobile robots 20. In particular, in the application where a set of robots is used to perform air quality measurements in a closed environment where the docking station is also located, the robots embark sensors 80 measuring quantities such as:

- Room temperature ;

- relative humidity;

- the content of the ambient air in toxic or undesirable gases (carbon dioxide, ozone, volatile organic compounds, etc.);

- the content of the ambient air in dust, allergens, or other particles. In known manner, the responses of these sensors 80 are not perfectly stable over time. It is therefore useful to provide dynamic maintenance to correct their drift. Indeed, a robot that can ship many sensors, some of which operate in a network to make more robust the expected service, can see, because of drift of its sensors, its services decline or generate false data, which will be integrated into data base.

To detect the drifts of a given sensor 80, it is necessary to compare the value it measures with that provided by a reference sensor which is juxtaposed with it. Traditionally, this involves either moving a technician to the robot deployment site, or a return of the robot or its sensor to another test site.

In the context of a network of sensors 80 embedded on mobile robots, this problem can be alleviated by the presence of reference sensors 40 in the docking station 10 presented in this document. The reference sensors 40 (FIG. 3) can in particular be housed inside the column 13 of the docking station. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, ventilation grilles 44, 45 are provided on the column 13, on the front and at the top, so that the air measured by the sensors 40 of the docking station 10 is shared with that measured by the sensors 80 which is equipped with a robot 20 in the docking position. As all robots 20 regularly appear at a docking station to recharge, they spend a long enough time, allowing a consistent sampling to compare the data of the onboard sensors 80 and reference sensors 40. The calculation drift correction factors and the detection of a failure are performed for each robot that comes to recharge. The maintenance operation of checking the sensors 80 on the robots can be done exclusively using the sensors of the docking station 10.

The sensors may for example be maintained in the following manner. The measured data (raw data and corrected data) by the docking station 10 and by the robots 20 are transmitted to a collection server 50 via the network interface 32 (FIG. 10: step S1). The measured data is analyzed by the server 50 to calculate correction parameters. The correction calculation for a given sensor 80 of a robot 20, to which corresponds a reference sensor 40 of a docking station 10, may comprise:

- Comparison of the data measured by the robot 20 located on a docking station 10 (detection by the presence of the robot on the station);

use of the value measured by the sensor 40 of the station 10 as a reference;

- estimation of the correction based on the differences between the measurements made by the post robot and those made by the station. Depending on the type of sensor, a regression on the data, linear (for example by least squares), polynomial or other, is applied to define the correction parameters;

if the drift represented by the correction parameters is too great, an on-site maintenance operation may optionally be decided for the sensors 40 of the docking station or those 80 of a robot (FIG. 10: step S2);

transmitting the correction parameters to the docking station 10 via the network interface 32 (FIG. 10: step S3) and thence to the robots 20 via the access point wif 33.

An interesting possibility is to carry out a counter-evaluation of the measurements of the reference sensors 40 by the measurements made by the same type of sensors 80 embedded in a population of robots, according to a principle: "the majority can question the reference ". In this case, the measurements of the robot sensors 80 are expressed as deviations from the reference measurement of a sensor 40 of the docking station. These deviations given for the different robots of the population are compared with each other. If a majority of robots confirm a deviation in the same direction, the reference sensor 40 is questioned, and an alert is triggered to the fleet manager to decide whether a maintenance operation on the reference sensor 40 of the docking station is to revalidate the calibration of the reference sensors 40 if it was done recently.

The exploitation of the data of the reference sensors 40, of which the docking station 10 is equipped, greatly reduces the need for on-site maintenance for the robots 20.

As part of the application of the fleet of robots to measure air quality, the data measured by the on-board sensors 80 are permanently reassembled at the collection server 50 via the access point wif 33 of a docking station 10 and the network interface 32 thereof (represented diagrammatically by the arrows 51, 52 in Figure 11). If necessary, the collection server 50 sends correction parameters to the robots, as just described.

The network interface 32 furthermore makes it possible to communicate with a software update server 60 (FIG. 10) which can be distinct from the collection server 50. When new versions of the software embedded in the robots are developed, they can be downloaded from the update server 60 to the robot 20 via the network interface 32 of the docking station 10 (arrow 53) and its access point wif 33 (arrow 54).

Again, the proposed architecture, based on the features offered by the docking station 10, facilitates the maintenance, this time software, the fleet of robots.

The embodiments described above are merely an illustration of the present invention. Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention which emerges from the appended claims.

If the electrical power delivery interface which is provided with a docking station has been described as consisting of a pair of contactors 16, while the electrical power receiving interface of a robot has been described as consisting of a pair of load pads 28, it is not the only type of usable power interface. Induction charging is also possible, for example.

It will also be noted that the technical elements described above, relating to the method of guiding the robot to the docking station, to the mutual identification of the docking stations and robots, to the secure management of the reloading robots, the robot / docking / server (s) communication architecture, robot sensor calibration procedures and the update of their embedded software can be implemented independently of each other. others, even if their combination offers, for the users of robots, a particularly powerful docking station, well adapted in particular to the deployment of rather large parks of robots offering a variety of services.

Claims

1. Docking station of a mobile robot, comprising:

a robot parking area;

attracting ray sources (21, 22, 23) disposed around the parking area for emitting attracting rays (R1, R2, R3) in a robot approach region; and

repulsive ray sources (24, 25) disposed on either side of the parking zone to emit, outside the approach region, repulsive rays (R4, R5) of shorter range than the attractor rays.

2. Docking station according to claim 1, wherein the attracting ray sources (21, 22, 23) are arranged so that the attracting rays (R1, R2, R3) are emitted in directions (XI, X2, X3 ) that intersect at a fixed point (P) in the parking area,

and wherein one of the attracting ray sources (21) is arranged to emit an attractor ray (RI) having a priority characteristic, so that a moving robot (20) executes an end race between the fixed point and a position docking in the parking area.

3. Docking station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the attracting ray sources (21, 22, 23) are arranged to emit an attractor ray (RI) in a first direction (XI) and two attracting rays (R2, R3) in two respective directions (X2, X3) oriented symmetrically with respect to the first direction, and wherein the repulsive ray sources (24, 25) are arranged on either side of the parking area for emitting two attracting rays (R4, R5) outside the approach region in two respective directions (X4, X5) oriented symmetrically with respect to the first direction.

4. Docking station according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the repulsive rays (R4, R5) have an angular aperture larger than the attractor rays (R1, R2, R3).

The docking station of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

a ray source activation controller (35) for activating the ray sources (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) in turn according to an activation time cycle; and

a beacon signal source (36) for transmitting around the docking station (10) a beacon signal indicating a current step of the activation time cycle.

6. Docking station according to claim 5, wherein the activation time cycle comprises a step of emitting repulsive rays (R4, R5) and, for each source of attractor ray (21, 22, 23), a emission step of the attractor ray (R1, R2, R3) of said source.

The docking station of claim 6, wherein the activation time cycle comprises a non-ray emission step during which an ambient noise measurement is performed.

8. Docking station according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the beacon signal further indicates an identifier of the docking station (10).

9. Docking station according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising:

a pair of contactors (16) disposed in the parking area for reloading a mobile robot (20); and

an interface (34) communicating with a mobile robot in the docking position in the parking area, controlled to issue a mobile robot identification request in response to a detected voltage on the contactors.

The docking station of claim 9, including a reload manager (38) configured to provide a reloading power on the contactors (16) provided that a mobile robot identifier authorized for the station is received via the communication interface (34) following the transmission of the identification request.

The docking station of any preceding claim, further comprising a wireless communication access point (33) with mobile robots (20), and a network interface (32) for transmitting to a server collecting (50) data obtained by the mobile robots.

The docking station of claim 11, wherein the network interface (32) is configured to retrieve software update files embedded in the mobile robots (20), the update files being transmitted to the mobile robots via the wireless communication access point (33).