# US 11,298,831 B2 · Robotic system capable of facilitating return alignment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,831 B2 - Document ID: US11298831B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/166,268 - Filed: 2018-10-22 - Published: 2020-01-02 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-22 - Assignees: Quanta Computer Inc. - Applicants: Quanta Computer Inc. - Inventors: Sheng-An Tsai; Lu-Lung Tsao; Yu-Ching Tsai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298831B2 ## CPC - B25J 11/008: {Manipulators for service tasks} - B25J 11/0085: {Cleaning} - A47L 9/0063: {External storing devices; Stands, casings or the like for the storage of suction cleaners} - A47L 11/24: Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven - A47L 11/28: Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven (A47L11/29 takes precedence) - A47L 11/4011: {Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor} - B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels} - B25J 9/0009: {Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases} - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - A47L 2201/022: Recharging of batteries - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract A robotic system for facilitating return alignment includes a docking station and a mobile working machine. The docking station includes a charging module and a confirmation element. The mobile working machine includes a power module and a sensing device electrically connected to the power module. When the mobile working machine is moved to one side of the docking station to trigger the sensing device by the confirmation element, the charging module starts to electrically charge the power module. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A robotic system capable of facilitating return alignment, comprising: a docking station comprising a confirmation element having an optical control surface, and a charging module having a first contact; and a mobile working machine comprising a machine body, a transmission wheel device disposed on a bottom surface of the machine body, at least one sensing device disposed on the bottom surface of the machine body, and a power module electrically connected to the at least one sensing device and the transmission wheel device, wherein the power module comprises a second contact, wherein the at least one sensing device is an optical transceiver, wherein, when the machine body of the mobile working machine is moved to one side of the docking station above the optical control surface by the transmission wheel device, the optical transceiver emits lights towards the optical control surface, and when the optical transceiver does not receive any reflective light from the optical control surface after the optical transceiver emits lights to the optical control surface, the optical transceiver is triggered by the optical control surface, the power module is electrically charged by the charging module as the first contact and the second contact are contacted with each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein when the mobile working machine moves to the one side of the docking station, and when the at least one sensing device is not triggered by the confirmation element in a period of time, the transmission wheel device moves the mobile working machine away from the docking station for attempting to return to the docking station again. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises: two guiding portions disposed on the one side of the docking station, and arranged at two opposite sides of the first contact, and configured to guide the mobile working machine to dock correctly such that the at least one sensing device is able to be triggered by the confirmation element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The robotic system of claim 3, wherein each of the two guiding portions is provided with a guiding sidewall and the guiding sidewalls of the two guiding portions are faced opposite to each other, and one part of each of the guiding sidewalls is gradually adjacent to the first contact; and the mobile working machine further comprises two rotating members, the two rotating members are rotatably disposed on the mobile working machine, and arranged opposite to each other, the two rotating members are able to directly roll on the guiding sidewalls, respectively. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The robotic system of claim 3, wherein the confirmation element comprises a plate body and an optical control coating layer, the plate body is connected to one of the two guiding portions, and the optical control coating layer is formed on one surface of the plate body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the docking station further comprises at least one first alignment portion which is located at the one side of the docking station; and the mobile working machine further comprises at least one second alignment portion which is complementarily matched to the first alignment portion and configured to splice with the first alignment portion so as to determine the correct positions of the mobile working machine and the docking station. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The robotic system of claim 1, wherein the mobile working machine is a vacuum sweeping machine, a mopping machine, a security patrol machine, or a detachable base of an intelligent robot. ### Claim 8 A robotic system capable of facilitating return alignment, comprising: a mobile working machine comprising a machine body, at least one sensing device and a transmission wheel device, wherein the transmission wheel device and the at least one sensing device are respectively disposed on a bottom surface of the machine body, the at least one sensing device is an optical transceiver, and the transmission wheel device is configured to load and move the machine body; and a docking station comprising a station base, a confirmation element having an optical control surface, and two guiding elements, wherein the two guiding elements are connected to the station base so that a docking concave is collectively defined by the station base and the two guiding elements, and the confirmation element is located within the docking concave, each of the two guiding elements is provided with a guiding portion, the guiding portions of the two guiding elements are configured to guide the mobile working machine to dock correctly such that the at least one sensing device is able to be triggered by the confirmation element, wherein, when the machine body of the mobile working machine is moved to one side of the docking station to park above the optical control surface by the transmission wheel device, the optical transceiver emits lights towards the optical control surface, and when the optical transceiver does not receive any reflective light from the optical control surface after the optical transceiver emits lights to the optical control surface, the optical transceiver is triggered by the optical control surface, when the at least one sensing device is not triggered by the optical control surface in a period of time, the transmission wheel device moves the machine body away from the docking concave, and then attempts to return to the docking concave again. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The robotic system of claim 8, wherein the mobile working machine further comprises two rotating members, the two rotating members are rotatably disposed on the machine body, and arranged opposite to each other, each of the two rotating members is able to directly roll on one of the guiding portions. ### Claim 10 A mobile working machine, comprising: a machine body; at least one rotating member rotatably disposed on the machine body, and configured to directly roll on one sidewall of a docking station; at least one sensing device disposed on a bottom surface of the machine body, wherein the at least one sensing device is an optical transceiver; and a transmission wheel device disposed on the bottom surface of the machine body, and configured to load and move the machine body on a ground surface, wherein a rotation axis line of the at least one rotating member is orthogonal to a rotation axis line of the transmission wheel device, wherein when the machine body attempts to dock to the docking station, the optical transceiver starts to emit lights to the ground surface.