Autonomous movement device, autonomous movement method and non-transitory recording medium
First Claim
1. An autonomous movement device comprising:
- an image picker;
an image memory;
a position change history memory;
a controller; and
a driver,wherein;
the image memory stores information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker, andthe controller;
executes a drive process for the driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by the image picker;
executes a local device position estimating process that estimates a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image memory;
determines whether or not an estimation result of the local device position is uniquely defined;
records, every time the local device position is changed by the drive process, an amount of change in position in the position change history memory; and
upon determination that the estimation result is not uniquely defined;
(i) executes a reverse-direction movement control that controls the drive process so as to move the autonomous movement device in a reverse direction to the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position is uniquely defined; and
(ii) by executing the local device position estimating process in a real-time manner during execution of the reverse-direction movement control, estimates the local device position using the information on the plurality of images picked up by the image picker during the execution of the reverse-direction movement control and stored in the image memory.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To quickly recover from a status in which a local device position estimation is unavailable. A movement processor of an autonomous movement device executes a drive process for a driver so as to move autonomously. A position estimator estimates the local device position. An estimation determiner determines whether or not the estimation result of the local device position by the position estimator is uniquely defined. A movement process controller controls the movement processor so as to move to a position where the estimation result of the local device position by the position estimator is uniquely defined when the estimation determiner determines that the estimation result is not defined uniquely.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An autonomous movement device comprising:
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an image picker; an image memory; a position change history memory; a controller; and a driver, wherein; the image memory stores information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker, and the controller; executes a drive process for the driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by the image picker; executes a local device position estimating process that estimates a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image memory; determines whether or not an estimation result of the local device position is uniquely defined; records, every time the local device position is changed by the drive process, an amount of change in position in the position change history memory; and upon determination that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; (i) executes a reverse-direction movement control that controls the drive process so as to move the autonomous movement device in a reverse direction to the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position is uniquely defined; and (ii) by executing the local device position estimating process in a real-time manner during execution of the reverse-direction movement control, estimates the local device position using the information on the plurality of images picked up by the image picker during the execution of the reverse-direction movement control and stored in the image memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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7. An autonomous movement device comprising:
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an image picker; an image memory; a position change history memory; a position history memory; a controller; and a driver, wherein; the image memory stores information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker, and the controller; executes a drive process for the driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by the image picker; executes a local device position estimating process that estimates a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image memory; determines whether or not an estimation result of the local device position is uniquely defined; records, every time the local device position is changed by the drive process, an amount of change in position in the position change history memory; records, upon determination that the estimation result is uniquely defined, information on the position at a time point of the determination that the estimation result is uniquely defined, together with clock time information indicating a clock time at the time point, in the position history memory; estimates a present local device position by cumulating, to the position recorded in the position history memory, the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory from the clock time corresponding to the position and up to a present clock time upon determination that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; and upon determination that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; (i) executes a return movement control that controls the drive process so as to move the autonomous movement device toward the position recorded in the position history memory from the position estimated by the cumulating such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position is uniquely defined, and (ii) by executing the local device position estimating process in a real-time manner during execution of the return movement control, estimates the local device position using the information on the plurality of images picked up by the image picker during execution of the return movement control and stored in the image memory. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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17. An autonomous movement method comprising:
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a movement process step of executing a drive process for a driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by an image picker; an image storing step of storing information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker; a position estimating step of estimating a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image storing step; an estimation determining step of determining whether or not an estimation result of the local device position in the position estimation step is uniquely defined; a recording step of recording, every time the local device position is changed in the movement process step, an amount of change in position in a position change history memory; and upon determination in the estimation determining step that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; (i) a movement process control step of controlling the drive process in the movement process step so as to move the autonomous movement device in a reverse direction to the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position in the position estimation step is uniquely defined; and (ii) a movement and estimation step of estimating, by executing the position estimating step in a real-time manner during the movement process control step, the local device position using the information on the plurality of images that are picked up by the image picker during execution of the movement process control step and are stored in the image storing step.
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18. A non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a program that causes a computer to execute:
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a movement process step of executing a drive process for a driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by an image picker; an image storing step of storing information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker; a position estimating step of estimating a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image storing step; an estimation determining step of determining whether or not an estimation result of the local device position in the position estimation step is uniquely defined; a recording step of recording, every time the local device position is changed in the movement process step, an amount of change in position in a position change history memory; and upon determination in the estimation determining step that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; (i) a movement process control step of controlling the drive process in the movement process step so as to move the autonomous movement device in a reverse direction to the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position in the position estimation step is uniquely defined; and (ii) a movement and estimation step of estimating, by executing the position estimating step in a real-time manner during the movement process control step, the local device position using the information on the plurality of images that are picked up by the image picker during execution of the movement process control step and are stored in the image storing step.
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19. An autonomous movement method comprising:
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a movement process step of executing a drive process for a driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by an image picker; an image storing step of storing information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker; a position estimating step of estimating a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image storing step; an estimation determining step of determining whether or not an estimation result of the local device position in the position estimation step is uniquely defined; a position change history recording step of recording, every time the local device position is changed in the movement process step, an amount of change in position in a position change history memory; a position history recording step of recording, upon determination that the estimation result is uniquely defined in the estimation determining step, information on the position at a time point of the determination that the estimation result is uniquely defined, together with clock time information indicating a clock time at the time point, in a position history memory; a cumulated position estimating step of estimating a present local device position by cumulating, to the position recorded in the position history memory, the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory from the clock time corresponding to the position and up to a present clock time upon determination that the estimation result is not uniquely defined in the estimation determining step; and upon determination in the estimation determining step that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; (i) a movement process control step of controlling the drive process in the movement process step so as to move the autonomous movement device toward the position recorded in the position history memory from the position estimated in the cumulated position estimating step, such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position obtained in the position estimating step is uniquely defined; and (ii) a movement and estimation step of estimating, by executing the position estimating step in a real-time manner during the movement process control step, the local device position using the information on the plurality of images that are picked up by the image picker during execution of the movement process control step and are stored in the image storing step.
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20. A non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a program that causes a computer to execute:
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a movement process step of executing a drive process for a driver so as to move autonomously based on information on an image picked up by an image picker; an image storing step of storing information on a plurality of images picked up by the image picker; a position estimating step of estimating a local device position in a real-time manner, using the information on the plurality of images stored in the image storing step; an estimation determining step of determining whether or not an estimation result of the local device position in the position estimation step is uniquely defined; a position change history recording step of recording, every time the local device position is changed in the movement process step, an amount of change in position in a position change history memory; a position history recording step of recording, upon determination that the estimation result is uniquely defined in the estimation determining step, information on the position at a time point of the determination that the estimation result is uniquely defined, together with clock time information indicating a clock time at the time point, in a position history memory; a cumulated position estimating step of estimating a present local device position by cumulating, to the position recorded in the position history memory, the amount of change in position recorded in the position change history memory from the clock time corresponding to the position and up to a present clock time upon determination that the estimation result is not uniquely defined in the estimation determining step; and upon determination in the estimation determining step that the estimation result is not uniquely defined; (i) a movement process control step of controlling the drive process in the movement process step so as to move the autonomous movement device toward the position recorded in the position history memory from the position estimated in the cumulated position estimating step such that the autonomous movement device moves to a position where the estimation result of the local device position obtained in the position estimating step is uniquely defined; and (ii) a movement and estimation step of estimating, by executing the position estimating step in a real-time manner during the movement process control step, the local device position using the information on the plurality of images that are picked up by the image picker during execution of the movement process control step and are stored in the image storing step.
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Specification