Wheel-based charger for wireless smart controllers and carts

A cart, comprising:

• a cart frame providing at least one surface layer for holding one or more items, one or more electronic devices, and one or more rechargeable battery packs for the one or more electronic devices;
• a set of wheels connected to the cart frame;
• and
• a wheel-based charging system configured to charge the rechargeable battery packs as the cart is pushed across a floor in any direction including a forward direction, a backward direction, a forward lateral direction, or a backward lateral direction, the wheel-based charging system comprising:
• a direct current (DC) motor including a rotatable shaft;
• an omni-directional wheel coupled to the rotatable shaft and configured to drive the DC motor as the cart is pushed across the floor in any direction including the forward direction, the backward direction, the forward lateral direction, or the backward lateral direction, the DC motor being configured to transform mechanical energy from motion of the first omni-directional wheel into electrical energy for charging the rechargeable battery packs;
• a regulator coupled to the DC motor and configured to control an output voltage of the DC motor and a polarity of the output voltage of the DC motor based at least in part on the omni-directional wheel driving the DC motor, wherein:
• when the omni-directional wheel is pushed across the floor in the forward direction or in the forward lateral direction, the omni-directional wheel rotates the DC motor in a first direction and the regulator controls the output voltage and the polarity of the output voltage of the DC motor relative to the first direction for charging one or more batteries of the one or more electronic devices on the cart, and
• when the omni-directional wheel is pushed across the floor in the backward direction or in the backward lateral direction, the omni-directional wheel rotates the DC motor in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the regulator controls the output voltage and the polarity of the output voltage of the DC motor relative to the second direction for charging the one or more batteries of the one or more electronic devices on the cart;
• and
• a mounting assembly attaching the wheel-based charging system to the cart frame.

A cart, comprising:

• a cart frame having at least one surface for holding one or more electronic devices, and one or more rechargeable battery packs for the one or more electronic devices;
• a wheel-based charging system configured to charge the one or more rechargeable battery packs as the cart is pushed across a floor in any direction including a forward direction, a backward direction, a forward lateral direction, or a backward lateral direction, the wheel-based charging system comprising:
• an omni-directional wheel coupled to and configured to drive a DC motor as the cart is pushed across the floor in any direction including the forward direction, the backward direction, the forward lateral direction, or the backward lateral direction, the DC motor being configured to transform mechanical energy from motion of the omni-directional wheel into electrical energy for charging the one or more rechargeable battery packs;
• and
• a regulator coupled to the DC motor and configured to control an output voltage of the DC motor and a polarity of the output voltage of the DC motor based at least in part on the omni-directional wheel driving the DC motor, wherein:
• when the omni-directional wheel is pushed across the floor in the forward direction or in the forward lateral direction, the omni-directional wheel rotates the DC motor in a first direction and the regulator controls the output voltage and the polarity of the output voltage of the DC motor relative to the first direction for charging one or more batteries of the one or more electronic devices on the cart, and
• when the omni-directional wheel is pushed across the floor in the backward direction or in the backward lateral direction, the omni-directional wheel rotates the DC motor in a second direction opposite the first direction, and the regulator controls the output voltage and the polarity of the output voltage of the DC motor relative to the second direction for charging the one or more batteries of the one or more electronic devices on the cart.