Information collection apparatus, information collection method, information collection program, recording medium containing infomation collection program, and information collection system

• US 20040236466A1
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ota, Shunji, Oyagi, Masayuki, Yamato, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,289,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0278 using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/10 Actuation by presence of smoke or gases , e.g. automatic alarm devices for analysing flowing fluid materials by the use of optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/14 Central alarm receiver or annunciator arrangements

Abstract

A robot includes a robot sensor for sensing abnormality around the robot, moving means for moving the robot main body, and a movement control unit for controlling the moving means so that the robot main body is moved to a destination determined according to the information sensed by a fixed-position sensor fixed to a predetermined position outside the robot. The moving destination may be determined by the total control unit of the robot main body according to the information from the fixed-position sensors or by a center communicating with the robot according to the information from the fixed-position sensors. Since abnormality is sensed by the fixed-position sensors together with the robot sensor, the fixed-position sensors may have low accuracy obtained at a low cost. That is, by reducing the cost required for means for collecting external information such as the fixed-position sensor, it is possible to provide a monitoring system capable of collecting ambient information (such as abnormality information) without lowering the accuracy.

Claims

1. An information collection apparatus comprising:

first information collection means, loaded in an apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

moving means for moving the apparatus main body,

the information collection apparatus characterized in that further included is movement control means for controlling the moving means so that the apparatus main body moves to a moving destination determined in accordance with information which is collected by one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment, and

the movement control means determines the moving destination of the apparatus main body in accordance with the number of second information collection means having sensed an abnormality in an environment.

2. An information collection method of collecting information by means of an information collection apparatus including moving means for moving the information collection apparatus,

the information collection method characterized by comprising the steps of:

(a) moving a main body of the information collection apparatus to a moving destination determined in accordance with information which is collected by one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the main body of the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

(b) at the moving destination, causing first information collection means, loaded in the main body of the information collection apparatus, to collect information corresponding to a state of an environment,

wherein;

in the step (b) the moving destination of the apparatus main body is determined in accordance with the number of second information collection means having sensed an abnormality in an environment.

3. An information collection program of realizing an information collection method of collecting information by means of an information collection apparatus including moving means for moving the information collection apparatus,

the information collection program characterized by causing a computer to execute the steps of:

moving a main body of the information collection apparatus to a moving destination determined by information which is collected by one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the main body of the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

at the moving destination, causing first information collection means, loaded in the main body of the information collection apparatus, to collect information corresponding to a state of an environment,

wherein;

in the step of moving the main body of the information collection apparatus, the moving destination of the apparatus main body is determined in accordance with the number of second information collection means having sensed an abnormality in an environment.

4. A recording medium containing an information collection program of realizing an information collection method of collecting information by means of an information collection apparatus including moving means for moving the information collection apparatus,

the information collection program characterized by causing a computer to execute the steps of:

moving a main body of the information collection apparatus to a moving destination determined by information which is collected by one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the main body of the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

at the moving destination, causing first information collection means, loaded in the main body of the information collection apparatus, to collect information corresponding to a state of an environment,

wherein;

in the step of moving the main body of the information collection apparatus, the moving destination of the apparatus main body is determined in accordance with the number of second information collection means having sensed an abnormality in an environment.

5. An information collection system characterized by comprising:

an information collection apparatus including;

first information collection means, loaded in an apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

moving means for moving the apparatus main body, wherein further included is movement control means for controlling the moving means so that the apparatus main body moves to a moving destination determined in accordance with information which is collected by one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment, and the movement control means determines the moving destination of the apparatus main body in accordance with the number of second information collection means having sensed an abnormality in an environment; and

one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment,

the information collection apparatus and the second information collection means being connected to each other so as to communicate with each other.

6. An information collection system characterized by comprising:

an information collection apparatus including;

first information collection means, loaded in an apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

moving means for moving the apparatus main body, wherein further included is movement control means for controlling the moving means so that the apparatus main body moves to a moving destination determined in accordance with information which is collected by one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment;

one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

a control device including moving destination determination means for determining a moving destination of the apparatus main body in accordance with information collected by the second information collection means and providing operation instructions to the information collection apparatus so that the apparatus main body moves to the moving destination,

the information collection apparatus, the second information collection means, and the control device being connected to one another so as to communicate with one another

wherein;

the moving destination determination means determines the moving destination of the apparatus main body in accordance with the number of second information collection means having sensed an abnormality in an environment.

7. The information collection system according to claim 6, wherein:

the second information collection means is a fixed-position sensor for sensing an abnormality in an environment.

8. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

the moving destination determination means in the control device, when there is one fixed-position sensor having sensed an abnormality, determine that the moving destination is a position where the fixed-position sensor having sensed the abnormality is located.

9. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

the moving destination determination means in the control device, when there are a plurality of fixed-position sensors having sensed an abnormality, determine that the moving destination is an overlapping part in respective sensing possible areas of the fixed-position sensors having sensed the abnormality.

10. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

the moving destination determination means in the control device, when there are a plurality of fixed-position sensors having sensed an abnormality, determines that the moving destination is a center of a circle containing only the fixed-position sensors having sensed the abnormality in two-dimensional location distribution of the fixed-position sensors.

11. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

the moving destination determination means in the control device, when there are a plurality of fixed-position sensors having sensed an abnormality, judges a position of a sensing object by finding respective distances from the fixed-position sensors having sensed the abnormality to the sensing object in accordance with output values being outputted from the fixed-position sensors and varying depending on an extent of abnormality, and determine that the position thus judged is the moving destination of the apparatus main body.

12. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

the control device further includes sensing object judgment means for judging what a sensing object of the fixed-position sensor is in accordance with information collected by the first information collection means in the information collection apparatus.

13. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

the control device further includes sensing object judgment means for judging what a sensing object of the fixed-position sensor is in accordance with information collected by the first information collection means in the information collection apparatus and information sensed by the fixed-position sensor.

14. The information collection system according to claim 12, wherein:

the information collection apparatus further includes action means for taking an action corresponding to the sensing object judged by the sensing object judgment means.

15. The information collection system according to claim 13, wherein:

the sensing object judgment means, when a plurality of the fixed-position sensors comprise different types of sensors, brings sensing capability of each of the fixed-position sensors into correspondence with a point with respect to each sensing object, add points obtained by fixed-position sensors having sensed an abnormality for each sensing object, and judge what a sensing object is in accordance with resultant total points and information obtained by the first information collection means.

16. The information collection system according to claim 7, wherein:

a plurality of the fixed-position sensors are provided, and which types and locations of the fixed-position sensors are decided in accordance with a target to be sensed.

17. An information collection apparatus including first information collection means, loaded in an apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment,

the information collection apparatus characterized in that further included is rotation means, when information corresponding to a state of an environment by one or more second information collection means which is fixed to a predetermined position outside the apparatus main body, for rotating the apparatus main body in accordance with information collected by the second information collection means.

18. An information collection system characterized by comprising:

an information collection apparatus including first information collection means, loaded in an apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment, wherein further included is rotation means, when information corresponding to a state of an environment by one or more second information collection means which is fixed to a predetermined position outside the apparatus main body, for rotating the apparatus main body in accordance with information collected by the second information collcction means; and

one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment,

the information collection apparatus and the second information collection means being connected to each other so as to communicate with each other.

19. An information collection system characterized by comprising:

an information collection apparatus including first information collection means, loaded in an apparatus main body, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment, wherein further included is rotation means, when information corresponding to a state of an environment by one or more second information collection means which is fixed to a predetermined position outside the apparatus main body, for rotating the apparatus main body in accordance with information collected by the second information collection means;

one or more second information collection means, fixed to a predetermined position outside the information collection apparatus, for collecting information corresponding to a state of an environment; and

a control device providing operation instructions to the information collection apparatus so that the rotation means of the information collection apparatus rotates the apparatus main body in accordance with information collected by the second information collection means,

the information collection apparatus, the second information collection means, and the control device being connected to one another so as to communicate with one another.