Patents Examined by Urazula M Ceglelnik
  • Patent number: 6764373
    Abstract: A charging system for a mobile robot includes the mobile robot that is battery-driven and moves in a self-controlled way within a work space, and a charging station for accommodating the mobile robot for a battery charging operation. The charging system includes visible recognition data arranged in a predetermined location of the charging station, an image pickup unit mounted on the mobile robot, a calculating unit for calculating a range and a bearing from the mobile robot to the charging station, based on an image picked up by the image pickup unit, and a searching unit for causing the mobile robot to search for the charging station, based on the calculation result provided by the calculating unit. Since the mobile robot searches for the charging station using a camera for recognizing the visible recognition data, a charging operation is automated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Osawa, Naoyasu Hosonuma