Autonomous Mobile Method and Autonomous Mobile Device

• US 20140297090A1
• Filed: 11/11/2011
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ichinose, Ryoko
• Application Number:
  US14/355,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297090A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/005 with correlation of navigation data from several sources, e.g. map or contour matching G01C21/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/28 with correlation of data from several navigational instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

An object is to support expansion of information used for travel of an antonomous mobile device.

An autonomous mobile device (1) calculates a localization precision on the basis of sensor data collected during travel through a sensor (102), and updates the localization precision stored in a storage unit (101). Also, the autonomous mobile device calculates the localization precision according to data such as an image transmitted from a general registrant through a portable device, and updates the localization precision. Further, a travel path of the autonomous mobile device (1) is divided for each of areas, the localization precision is also managed for each of the areas, and the autonomous mobile device (1) is controlled by a manual control or a remote control in an area where the localization precision is low.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile method in an autonomous mobile device that autonomously moves on the basis of a localization precision which is a localization of a self-position stored in a storage unit,

wherein the autonomous mobile device calculates the localization precision on the basis of sensor data collected during travel through a sensor, and updates the localization precision stored in the storage unit.

2. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 1, wherein the localization precision is set for each of areas into which a travel path is divided.

3. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous mobile device travels in a different technique according to each of the location precision.

4. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 3,

wherein the autonomous mobile device manually moves in the area where the localization precision is equal to or lower than a given precision, and

wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously moves in the area where the localization precision is larger than the given precision.

5. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 3,

wherein the autonomous mobile device moves by a remote control in the area where the localization precision is equal to or lower than a given precision, and

wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously moves in the area where the localization precision is larger than the given precision.

6. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 1,

wherein if the mark information used for localization of the self-position, which is extracted from the sensor data, is new mark information, the autonomous mobile device stores information related to the new mark information in the storage unit.

7. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 2,

wherein the autonomous mobile device extracts an environmental feature which is information related to travel which is installed on the travel path, moves according to the environmental feature in the area where the localization precision is equal to or lower than a given precision, and autonomously moves in the area where the localization precision is larger than the given precision.

8. An autonomous mobile method in an autonomous mobile system including an autonomous device that autonomously moves the basis of a localization precision which is a localization precision of a self-position stored in a storage unit, and

a management device that stores the localization precision in the storage unit,

wherein the management device calculates the localization precision on the basis of data transmitted from a communication device provided in a general registrant, and stores the calculated localization precision in the storage unit of the management device in the storage unit of the management device, and

wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously moves on the basis of the localization precision transmitted from the management device.

9. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 8, wherein the localization precision is set for each of areas into which a travel path is divided.

10. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 8, wherein the autonomous mobile device travels in a different technique according to each of the location precision.

11. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 10,

wherein the autonomous mobile device manually moves in the area where the localization precision is equal to or lower than a given precision, and

wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously moves in the area where the localization precision is larger than the given precision.

12. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 10,

wherein the autonomous mobile device moves by a remote control in the area where the localization precision is equal to or lower than a given precision, and

wherein the autonomous mobile device autonomously moves in the area where the localization precision is larger than the given precision.

13. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 8,

wherein information related to a status in which the transmitted data is acquired is included in the data transmitted from the communication device, and

wherein the management device transmits a request for transmitting data in a status different from a status in which the transmitted data is acquired on the basis of the information related to the status to the communication device.

14. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 8,

wherein the autonomous mobile system further includes a dispatch device, and

wherein the dispatch device dispatches the autonomous mobile device to a given place on the basis of dispatch information transmitted from the management device.

15. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 8,

wherein the autonomous mobile system further includes a preprocessing device,

wherein the preprocessing device processes a part of sensor data acquired from the autonomous mobile device on the basis of information input through the input device and transmits the processed sensor data to the management device, and

wherein the management device calculates the localization precision on the basis of the transmitted processed sensor data.

16. The autonomous mobile method according to claim 8,

wherein the management device receives information related to the sensor in the autonomous mobile device through the input unit, and outputs the information related to the sensor together with the calculated localization precision.

17. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

an update processing unit that calculates a localization precision which is a localization precision of a self-position on the basis of sensor data collected during travel through a sensor, and updates the localization precision stored in the storage unit; and

a control unit that conducts autonomous movement on the basis of the localization precision.

18. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 17,

wherein the localization precision is set for each of areas into which a travel path is divided.

19. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 18, wherein the control unit travels in a different technique according to each of the location precision.

20. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 17, wherein a passenger rides on the autonomous mobile device.