Autonomous mobile object and autonomous mobile object system

• US 10,228,697 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoshino, Shoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bendidi, Rachid
• Application Number:
  US15/502,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/283 the tools being disc brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4008 Arrangements of switches, indicators or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4016 specially adapted for collecting fluids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4038 Disk shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4072 Arrangement of castors or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4077 Skirts or splash guards
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

The extent of the movement area of an autonomous mobile object is appropriately fed back for the extent of the movement area in the next operation at a low cost. An autonomous mobile object (1) includes an operation result map creation unit (21) that creates, on the basis of a log of the position of a cleaning brush (9), an operation result map in which a cleaned area is indicated, and a next-cleaning-area setting unit (22) that sets a next cleaning area on the basis of the operation result map displayed on an operation panel (13).

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile object comprising:

an operation tool that performs a predetermined operation while moving through an operation area for which the predetermined operation is to be performed;

a detector that detects a position of the operation tool in the operation area;

an arithmetic unit including a processor;

the arithmetic unit including a creation unit that creates an operation result map indicating an area, within the operation area, through which the operation tool has moved as an operation-performed area on a basis of a log of the position of the operation tool detected by the detector;

a display that displays the operation result map created by the creation unit; and

the arithmetic unit further including a setting circuitry unit that sets, on a basis of the operation result map displayed on the display, a next movement area through which the operation tool moves to perform the predetermined operation next time.

2. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 1, wherein

the operation area includes a plurality of sub-areas, and

the creation unit determines an indication mode of each sub-area among the sub-areas indicated on the operation result map on a basis of a number of times that the operation tool has passed through the sub-area.

3. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 2, wherein the creation unit determines the indication mode of each sub-area among the sub-areas indicated on the operation result map in accordance with a degree of the predetermined operation performed by the operation tool at the position of the operation tool detected by the detector.

4. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 1, wherein the display displays a button used to make the setting unit set an area other than the operation-performed area within the operation area as an operation-prohibited area for which the predetermined operation is prohibited.

5. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 1, wherein the display displays a button used to make the setting unit set an area other than the operation-performed area within the operation area as a priority operation area for which the predetermined operation is preferentially performed.

6. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 1, wherein the creation unit creates the operation result map on a basis of a shape of the operation tool projected on the operation area and the log of the position.

7. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 1, wherein

the operation tool includes a first operation tool that performs a first operation and a second operation tool that performs a second operation different from the first operation, and

the creation unit creates a creation result map in which an area through which the first operation tool has moved is indicated as a first operation tool area and an area through which the second operation tool has moved is indicated as a second operation tool area.

8. The autonomous mobile object according to claim 7, wherein

the predetermined operation includes an operation of cleaning a floor,

the first operation tool includes a brush, and

the second operation tool includes a squeegee.

9. An autonomous mobile object system comprising:

an autonomous mobile object; and

a communication terminal, wherein

the autonomous mobile object includes;

an arithmetic unit including a processor,

an operation tool that performs a predetermined operation while moving through an operation area for which the operation is to be performed,

a detector that detects a position of the operation tool in the operation area,

the arithmetic unit including a creation unit that creates an operation result map indicating an area, within the operation area, through which the operation tool has moved as an operation-performed area on a basis of a log of the position of the operation tool detected by the detector, and

transmission circuitry that transmits information representing the operation result map created by the creation unit to the communication terminal,

the communication terminal includes;

terminal reception circuitry that receives the information transmitted by the transmission circuitry, and

a terminal display that displays the operation result map on a basis of the information received by the terminal reception circuitry, and

the arithmetic unit further includes a setting unit that sets, on a basis of the operation result map displayed on the terminal display, a next movement area through which the operation tool moves to perform the predetermined operation a next time.