US 10,832,499 B2Granted

System including base stations connectable with mobile bodies, base station in system, and control method for controlling base station in system

AssigneePanasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America

InventorsEiichi Naito, Takenobu Aoshima

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Abstract

A system includes a controller and base stations each including first and second transmitters and a detector. The controller, when a first base station is not connected with any mobile body, causes the first transmitter of the first base station to transmit a first signal and the second transmitter of the first base station to transmit a second signal, thereby guiding a mobile body around the first base station toward the first base station. The controller, when the first base station is connected with a mobile body and a second base station closest to the first base station is not connected with any mobile body, causes the first transmitter of the first base station to transmit the second signal and/or the second transmitter of the first base station to transmit the first signal, thereby guiding the mobile body around the first base station toward the second base station.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a plurality of base stations each being connectable with one of a plurality of mobile bodies, each of the plurality of base stations including
a first transmitter that transmits, in a forward-left direction of an own base station, a first guidance signal for causing a course of each of the plurality of mobile bodies to change to a left side with respect to an advancing direction, or a second guidance signal for causing the course of each of the plurality of mobile bodies to change to a right side with respect to the advancing direction;
a second transmitter that transmits the first guidance signal or the second guidance signal in a forward-right direction of the own base station, and
a detector that detects whether or not the own base station is connected with one of the plurality of mobile bodies;
and
a controller that,
(A) when a first base station of the plurality of base stations is not connected with any of the plurality of mobile bodies, guides at least one of the plurality of mobile bodies located around the first base station toward the first base station by
(a1) causing the first transmitter of the first base station to transmit the first guidance signal, and
(a2) causing the second transmitter of the first base station to transmit the second guidance signal, and,
(B) when the first base station is connected with one of the plurality of mobile bodies, and a second base station, which is a closest base station to the first base station, of the plurality of base stations is not connected with any of the plurality of mobile bodies, guides at least one of the plurality of mobile bodies located around the first base station toward the second base station by
(b1) causing the first transmitter of the first base station to transmit the second guidance signal, and/or
(b2) causing the second transmitter of the first base station to transmit the first guidance signal.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/912,593Filed 6 Mar 2018
Priority: JP 2017-06347628 Mar 2017
Published: US 2018/0286147 A14 Oct 2018
Granted: 10 Nov 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification23 codes

G07C 5/008
Registering or indicating the working of vehicles: communicating information to a remotely located station
A47L 9/2873
Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof: docking units or charging stations
A47L 11/4011
Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles,…:…
A47L 11/4061
Parts or details of machines not provided for in groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, or not restricted to one of these groups, e.g. handles,…: steering…