Method of charging electric autonomous moving body

1. A method of charging an electric autonomous moving body by a charging system in which a plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies including batteries are aligned in a serial state, a charger unit and the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are electrically connected to each other, power is supplied from the charger unit to the respective electric autonomous moving bodies, and the batteries of the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are charged, wherein

the charger unit is provided with connection member electrically connected to the electric autonomous moving body,

each of the electric autonomous moving bodies is provided with a first connection capable of being electrically connected to the connection member of the charger unit and a second connection member capable of being electrically connected to the first connection member of another one of the electric autonomous moving bodies,

the charging system comprises a controller configured to execute control for

switching a charging state and a non-charging state of the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies in such a way that a battery of the electric autonomous moving body that is the closest to the charger unit or a battery of the electric autonomous moving body that is the farthest from the charger unit among the electric autonomous moving bodies that are electrically connected to the charger unit is preferentially charged, each of the electric autonomous moving bodies includes a communication function; and

when the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are aligned in the serial state, the charger unit and the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are electrically connected to each other via the connection member, the first connection member, and the second connection member, and the batteries of the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are charged, each of the electric autonomous moving bodies sends charging state information indicating the charging state of the battery of the electric autonomous moving body and the controller executes control for switching the charging state and the non-charging state of the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies based on the charging state information of the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies in such a way that the total amount of current that flows through the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies does not exceed an allowable current of the charger unit and a power supply line.

2. The method of charging the electric autonomous moving body according to claim 1 , wherein

each of the electric autonomous moving bodies is provided with a power limiting circuit configured to limit the power that has been directly or indirectly supplied from the charger unit and has been input via the first connection member and output the limited power to the other electric autonomous moving bodies via the second connection member, and

the amounts of power to be supplied to the respective electric autonomous moving bodies are separately changed by the power limiting circuit in such a way that the total amount of power that flows through the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies does not exceed the allowable current of the charger unit and the power supply line.

3. The method of charging the electric autonomous moving body according to claim 1 , wherein each of the connection member, the first connection member, and the second connection member is a charging connector or a non-contact charging terminal.

4. A method of charging an electric autonomous moving body by a charging system in which a plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies including batteries are aligned in a serial state, a charger unit and the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are electrically connected to each other, power is supplied from the charger unit to the respective electric autonomous moving bodies, and the batteries of the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are charged, wherein

the charger unit is provided with connection member electrically connected to the electric autonomous moving body,

each of the electric autonomous moving bodies is provided with a first connection capable of being electrically connected to the connection member of the charger unit and a second connection member capable of being electrically connected to the first connection member of another one of the electric autonomous moving bodies,

each of the electric autonomous moving bodies is provided with a power limiting circuit configured to limit the power that has been directly or indirectly supplied from the charger unit and has been input via the first connection member and output the limited power to the other electric autonomous moving bodies via the second connection member,

the amounts of power to be supplied to the respective electric autonomous moving bodies are separately changed by the power limiting circuit in such a way that the total amount of power that flows through the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies does not exceed the allowable current of the charger unit and the power supply line,

the charging system comprises a controller configured to execute control for switching a charging state and a non-charging state of the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies,

each of the electric autonomous moving bodies includes a communication function; and

when the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are aligned in the serial state, the charger unit and the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are electrically connected to each other via the connection member, the first connection member, and the second connection member, and the batteries of the plurality of electric autonomous moving bodies are charged, each of the electric autonomous moving bodies sends charging state information indicating the charging state of the battery of the electric autonomous moving body and the controller executes control for switching the charging state and the non-charging state of the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies based on the charging state information of the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies in such a way that the total amount of current that flows through the batteries of the respective electric autonomous moving bodies does not exceed an allowable current of the charger unit and a power supply line.

5. The method of charging the electric autonomous moving body according to claim 4 , wherein each of the connection member, the first connection member, and the second connection member is a charging connector or a non-contact charging terminal.