Robot Control Apparatus

• US 20080109114A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Orita, Atsuo, Sumida, Naoaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/248
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/005 using batteries, e.g. as a back-up power source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A robot control apparatus (3) for controlling tasks to be executed by a plurality of robots which are capable of moving. The robot control apparatus (3) includes: a battery level determination device (330) which determines a battery level of each robot from a predetermined plurality of battery levels based on a remaining amount of charge in a battery of each robot; a task manager (340) which sets a task executive plan to be executed by each robot for the plurality of robots and rearranges the task executive plan for one or more tasks registered in the task executive plan in accordance with a process predetermined for each battery level; an executive instruction generator (350) which generates executive instructions requesting the robots to execute the tasks that are set in the task executive plans; and a transmitter which transmits the executive instructions to the robots.

Claims

1. A robot control apparatus for controlling tasks to be executed by a plurality of robots which are capable of moving, comprising:

a battery level determination device which determines a battery level of each robot from a predetermined plurality of battery levels based on a remaining amount of charge in a battery of each robot;

a task manager which sets a task executive plan to be executed by each robot for the plurality of robots and rearranges the task executive plan for one or more tasks registered in the task executive plan in accordance with a process predetermined for each battery level;

an executive instruction generator which generates executive instructions requesting the robots to execute the tasks that are set in the task executive plans; and

a transmitter which transmits the executive instructions to the robots.

2. A robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the task manager rearranges the tasks registered in the task executive plan, the task manager registers one or more tasks that are determined to be difficult for execution in one or more task executive plans of other robots.

3. A robot control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the battery level determination device comprises:

a battery charge determination unit which determines whether or not each robot requires battery charge based on the remaining amount of charge in the battery;

a battery charge area selection unit which selects one battery charge area among a predetermined plurality of battery charge areas if it is determined that a robot requires battery charge, and sets the selected battery charge area as a target traveling area of the robot; and

a battery level determination unit which compares the remaining amount of charge in the battery of the robot with at least one threshold that is calculated in consideration given to at least one of an amount of battery expense required for the robot to complete a currently executing task and an amount of battery expense required for the robot to move to the target traveling area, and determines to which level status of the battery belongs among the predetermined plurality of battery levels.

4. A robot control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the battery charge area selection unit sets the target traveling area based on a current position of the robot or a task end position where the robot finishes the currently executing task.

5. A robot control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein if the battery charge determination unit determines that the robot requires battery charge, the task manager registers a traveling task requesting the robot to move to the target traveling area in the task executive plan of the robot.