CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM

• US 20110231018A1
• Filed: 03/08/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NAGASAKA, Kenichiro, TANAKA, Akichika, SUTO, Yasuhiro, KITO, Takashi, IWAI, Yoshiaki
• Application Number:
  US13/042,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1664 characterised by motion, path, trajectory planning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1694 characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40393 Learn natural high level command, associate its template with a plan, sequence

Abstract

Provided is a control apparatus comprising an executing unit for allowing a movable body to perform a predetermined process, a storage unit for storing an environment map of a movable area of the movable body, a detection unit for detecting information on the surroundings of the movable body, an update unit for updating the environment map based on the information on the surroundings of the movable body, which is detected by the detection unit, and an acquisition unit for acquiring instruction information representing an instruction of a user according to user input, wherein the executing unit allows the movable body to perform the process based on the instruction information with reference to the environment map, and the update unit updates the environment map based on the instruction information and the process performed by the movable body based on the instruction information.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

an executing unit for allowing a movable body to perform a predetermined process;

a storage unit for storing an environment map of a movable area of the movable body;

a detection unit for detecting information on the surroundings of the movable body;

an update unit for updating the environment map based on the information on the surroundings of the movable body, which is detected by the detection unit; and

an acquisition unit for acquiring instruction information representing an instruction of a user according to user input,

wherein the executing unit allows the movable body to perform the process based on the instruction information with reference to the environment map, and

the update unit updates the environment map based on the instruction information and the process performed by the movable body based on the instruction information.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environment map includes information representing an existence probability of an object, the detection unit detects the object around the movable body, and the update unit updates the existence probability of the object which is included in the environment map.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the update unit updates the environment map by relating information regarding the object, which is included in the instruction information, to the existence probability of the object.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the update unit updates the environment map by relating an instruction word, which is included in the instruction information, to the existence probability of the object.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the update unit updates an appearance probability of the instruction word at a predetermined time interval.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the executing unit analyzes the instruction information and allows the movable body to perform a process of moving an object indicated by a user, which is included in the instruction information, to a user'"'"'s position.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the executing unit allows the movable body to move to a place of an object indicated by a user, and to move to a user'"'"'s position while gripping the object.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit for determining whether the process of the movable body performed by the executing unit corresponds to the instruction of the user.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, when the determination unit determines that the process of the movable body performed by the executing unit coincides with the instruction of the user, the update unit increases an existence probability of information regarding an object which is included in the instruction information.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the update unit increases an existence probability of an indicated object in an indicated place which is included in the instruction information.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the update unit increases an existence probability of an instruction word at an indicated time which is included in the instruction information.

12. A method of controlling a movable body, comprising the steps of:

acquiring instruction information representing an instruction of a user according to user input;

allowing the movable body to perform a process based on the instruction information with reference to an environment map of a movable area of the movable body, which is stored in a storage unit;

detecting information on the surroundings of the movable body;

updating the environment map based on the detected information on the surroundings of the movable body; and

updating the environment map based on the instruction information and the process performed by the movable body based on the instruction information.

13. A program for allowing a computer to serve as a control apparatus, wherein the control apparatus comprises:

an executing unit for allowing a movable body to perform a predetermined process;

a storage unit for storing an environment map of a movable area of the movable body;

a detection unit for detecting information on the surroundings of the movable body;

an update unit for updating the environment map based on the information on the surroundings of the movable body, which is detected by the detection unit; and

an acquisition unit for acquiring instruction information representing an instruction of a user according to user input,

wherein the executing unit allows the movable body to perform the process based on the instruction information with reference to the environment map, and

the update unit updates the environment map based on the instruction information and the process performed by the movable body based on the instruction information.