Dynamically maintaining a map of a fleet of robotic devices in an environment to facilitate robotic action

• US 10,296,995 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Saboo, Rohit Ramesh, Kuffner, James Joseph, Mason, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/008,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20180300835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 700245-255
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0625 provided with a valve
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1661 characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1674 characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3807 characterised by the type of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3833 characterised by the source of data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31006 Monitoring of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31007 Floor plan, map stored in on-board computer of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45056 Handling cases, boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes

Abstract

Methods and systems for dynamically maintaining a map of robotic devices in an environment are provided herein. A map of robotic devices may be determined, where the map includes predicted future locations of at least some of the robotic devices. One or more robotic devices may then be caused to perform a task. During a performance of the task by the one or more robotic devices, task progress data may be received from the robotic devices, indicative of which of the task phases have been performed. Based on the data, the map may be updated to include a modification to the predicted future locations of at least some of the robotic devices. One or more robotic devices may then be caused to perform at least one other task in accordance with the updated map.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a digital map of a plurality of robotic devices within a physical environment, wherein the digital map includes a predicted future location of at least one of the plurality of robotic devices;

causing one or more robotic devices of the plurality to perform a task comprising one or more task phases;

during a performance of at least one of the one or more task phases by the one or more robotic devices, receiving, from the one or more robotic devices, task progress data indicative of which of the one or more task phases have been performed by the one or more robotic devices;

based on the received task progress data, updating the digital map of the plurality of robotic devices within the physical environment, wherein the updated digital map includes a modification to the predicted future location of at least one of the plurality of robotic devices;

determining a prioritization of the plurality of robotic devices, the prioritization defining relative priority levels among the robotic devices of the plurality, wherein the prioritization is based on a determination of whether each robotic device is involved in the performance of the task; and

transmitting the updated digital map to the plurality of robotic devices in accordance with the determined prioritization.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices involved in the performance of the task than for robotic devices not involved in the performance of the task.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the task occurs within an area of interest of the physical environment, and

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective distances from each robotic device to the area of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the task occurs within an area of interest of the physical environment, and

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective anticipated times each robotic device will take to reach the area of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the task occurs within an area of interest of the physical environment, and

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of whether respective anticipated trajectories of each robotic device include at least a portion of the area of interest.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital map is one of at least one version of the digital map, each version of the digital map having a respective map version number,

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective map version numbers of the respective digital map used by each robotic device, and

wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices with older map version numbers than robotic devices with more recent map version numbers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an obstacle detected within the physical environment,

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective distances from each robotic device to the obstacle, and

wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices whose trajectories are within a predetermined threshold distance from the obstacle than for robotic devices whose trajectories are not within the predetermined threshold distance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the task is a first task, the method further comprising:

controlling the plurality of robotic devices to perform, in accordance with the updated digital map, a second task or at least one other task phase of the first task.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the task involves a transfer of an object within the physical environment from one robotic device to another robotic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance of the task involves at least one robotic device of the plurality delivering an object within the physical environment to a target location.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, upon execution by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

determining a digital map of a plurality of robotic devices within a physical environment, wherein the digital map includes a predicted future location of at least one of the plurality of robotic devices;

causing one or more robotic devices of the plurality to perform a task comprising one or more task phases;

during a performance of at least one of the one or more task phases by the one or more robotic devices, receiving, from the one or more robotic devices, task progress data indicative of which of the one or more task phases have been performed by the one or more robotic devices;

based on the received task progress data, updating the digital map of the plurality of robotic devices within the physical environment, wherein the updated digital map includes a modification to the predicted future location of at least one of the plurality of robotic devices;

determining a prioritization of the plurality of robotic devices, the prioritization defining relative priority levels among the robotic devices of the plurality, wherein the prioritization is based on a determination of whether each robotic device is involved in the performance of the task; and

transmitting the updated digital map to the plurality of robotic devices in accordance with the determined prioritization.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices involved in the performance of the task than for robotic devices not involved in the performance of the task.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the performance of the task occurs within an area of interest of the physical environment, and

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective distances from each robotic device to the area of interest.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the performance of the task occurs within an area of interest of the physical environment, and

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective anticipated times each robotic device will take to reach the area of interest.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the performance of the task occurs within an area of interest of the physical environment, and

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of whether respective anticipated trajectories of each robotic device include at least a portion of the area of interest.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the digital map is one of at least one version of the digital map, each version of the digital map having a respective map version number,

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective map version numbers of the respective digital map used by each robotic device, and

wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices with older map version numbers than robotic devices with more recent map version numbers.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an obstacle detected within the physical environment,

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective distances from each robotic device to the obstacle, and

wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices whose trajectories are within a predetermined threshold distance from the obstacle than for robotic devices whose trajectories are not within the predetermined threshold distance.

18. A system comprising:

a plurality of robotic devices within a physical environment;

at least one processor; and

data storage comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

determining a digital map of the plurality of robotic devices within the physical environment, wherein the digital map includes a predicted future location of at least one of the plurality of robotic devices;

causing one or more robotic devices of the plurality to perform a task comprising one or more task phases;

during a performance of at least one of the one or more task phases by the one or more robotic devices, receiving, from the one or more robotic devices, task progress data indicative of which of the one or more task phases have been performed by the one or more robotic devices;

based on the received task progress data, updating the digital map of the plurality of robotic devices within the physical environment, wherein the updated digital map includes a modification to the predicted future location of at least one of the plurality of robotic devices;

determining a prioritization of the plurality of robotic devices, the prioritization defining relative priority levels among the robotic devices of the plurality, wherein the prioritization is based on a determination of whether each robotic device is involved in the performance of the task; and

transmitting the updated digital map to the plurality of robotic devices in accordance with the determined prioritization.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices involved in the performance of the task than for robotic devices not involved in the performance of the task.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the digital map is one of at least one version of the digital map, each version of the digital map having a respective map version number,

wherein the prioritization is further based on a determination of respective map version numbers of the respective digital map used by each robotic device, and

wherein the prioritization defines higher priority levels for robotic devices with older map version numbers than robotic devices with more recent map version numbers.