Charging control system for moving robot system

In a charging control system for a moving robot system providing a plurality of charging stations, a control station for designating one of said plurality of charging stations and a plurality of moving robots each of which is automatically moved to a corresponding charging station by use of the power in a charging-type-battery equipped therein, said charging control system comprising:

• judging means, provided in each moving robot, for judging whether or not a charging operation is requested for said charging-type-battery in each moving robot;
• transmitting means, provided in each moving robot, for transmitting a charge request signal to said control station when said judging means judges that the charging operation is requested;
• receiving means, provided in said control station, for receiving said charge request signal;
• searching means, provided in said control station, for searching the nearest charging station for one moving robot within all charging stations other than the charging station designated for another moving robot;
• and
• designating means for designating the nearest charging station searched by said searching means to one moving robot, so that one moving robot automatically moves to the designated charging station at which it performs a charging operation, said control station providing a collision avoiding means by which said moving robots each requiring a charging operation are controlled not to simultaneously move to one charging station when performing the charging operation.

In a charging control method for a moving robot system providing a plurality of moving robots, a plurality of charging stations and a control station, said charging control method comprising steps of:

• judging whether or not each moving robot request a charging operation to be performed on a charging-type-battery thereof, thereby outputting a charge request signal from each moving robot to said control station when power level of the charging-type-battery becomes lower than a predetermined level;
• searching the nearest charging station for each moving robot which outputs said charge request signal within said plurality of charging stations other than the charging station which is used for another moving robot, thereby designating the searched charging station as a destination for each moving robot;
• and
• controlling the moving robots requiring a charging operation so as not to move simultaneously to one charging station when performing the charging operation,
• whereby under control of said control station, each moving robot is automatically moved without collision with the other moving robots to the designated destination at which the charging operation is to be performed.