Use-Assisting Tool for Autonomous Mobile Device, Operation Management Center, Operation System, and Autonomous Mobile Device

• US 20150199619A1
• Filed: 08/07/2012
• Published: 07/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ichinose, Ryoko, Sato, Takashi, Yamamoto, Kenjiro, Ono, Yukihiko, Oshima, Akira, Masuda, Ai
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 3/00 Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3469 Fuel consumption; Energy use; Emission aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0217 in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

Provided are: a use-assisting tool for an autonomous mobile device that enhances convenience for a user of the autonomous mobile device; an operation management center; an operation system; and an autonomous mobile device. The use-assisting tool for an autonomous mobile device provides assistance for using the autonomous mobile device, which travels autonomously along a route to a destination, and is characterized by: being provided with a communication means that communicates with an operation management center, an input means, and a display means; a destination to be visited using the autonomous mobile device being input by means of the input means; and the display means displaying cooperation information established at the destination that is transmitted from the operation management center. The cooperation information established at the destination includes information regarding securing a mobility means at the destination and establishing a reservation at the destination.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. An operation system for an autonomous mobile device, comprising:

an autonomous mobile device that controls a travel mechanism to travel to destination site coordinates;

a use-assisting tool with which a user designates starting site coordinates, destination site coordinates, and a usage time; and

an operation management center that causes the autonomous mobile device to travel to a destination designated by the use-assisting tool,

wherein the system provides;

a communication means that periodically obtains a current location and state information from the autonomous mobile device;

a route planning means that plans a route from the starting site coordinates to the destination site coordinates;

an operation plan information calculation means that calculates a distance and time when traveling the route planned by the route planning means;

a reservation management means that calculates an energy needed for travel based on information calculated by the operation plan information calculation means and determines the feasibility of the route based on the results thereof as well as a usage time and an estimated energy remaining in the autonomous mobile device to execute travel reservation management of the autonomous mobile device;

an autonomous mobile device instruction means that provides through communication an instruction to travel the route planned by the route planning means to the autonomous mobile device;

a site information database that coordinates site names and site coordinates; and

a site coordinates searching means that searches for the starting site coordinates and the destination site coordinates from the site information database based on a starting site name and a destination site name designated by the user,

wherein the reservation management means adds a leeway time designated by the user to information that serves as the basis for determining the feasibility of travel,

a manual travel means with which the user can modify the speed, temporarily stop the autonomous travel, restart the autonomous travel, travel manually, and switch between manual travel and autonomous travel is provided to the autonomous mobile device,

state information that is periodically obtained from the autonomous mobile device includes a traveling state and speed information,

the autonomous mobile device instruction means calculates an estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates from the current location of the autonomous mobile device and the destination site coordinates, and presents an exceedance prevention measure to the user when a difference between the calculated estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates and an original estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates is within a certain time or when the estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates is later than the original estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates, and

a method for presenting the exceedance prevention measure is to urge a speed increase when the speed has been lowered or urge a restart of travel when the autonomous mobile device has stopped, and to notify the user when a subsequent reservation has been booked.

21. The operation system for an autonomous mobile device according to claim 20, wherein the site information database includes data related to a cooperation device and cooperation information at each site and data describing an association between the cooperation device and cooperation information, and a usage time of the autonomous mobile device,

in the case that at least either one of a cooperation device or cooperation information exists at the destination designated by the user, when the cooperation device or cooperation information affects the usage time of the autonomous mobile device, the reservation management means makes a reservation for use of the cooperation device or the cooperation information and determines the usage time of the autonomous mobile device based on the results thereof, and

in the case that the cooperation device or cooperation information is affected by the usage time of the autonomous mobile device, the reservation management means makes a reservation for use of the cooperation device or the cooperation information based on the usage time of the autonomous mobile device.

22. The operation system for an autonomous mobile device according to claim 20, wherein a current location indication means is provided to indicate to the user the current location of the autonomous vehicle during travel toward the starting site,

the current location indication means displays a detailed location when any one or more of the following preset conditions is satisfied:

the autonomous mobile device travels a set distance or more away from an alighting site of a previous user, or the autonomous mobile device enters within a set distance from the starting site, or a set time or more has passed from an alighting time of a previous user, or the autonomous mobile device reaches a preset road, and

when none of the above conditions are satisfied, the current location indication means displays a rough location.

23. The operation system for an autonomous mobile device according to claim 20, wherein the autonomous mobile device instruction means transmits a command corresponding to a state obtained from the autonomous mobile device, and retransmits the command periodically until the state obtained from the autonomous mobile device switches to a state that should be reached after the command.

24. The operation system for an autonomous mobile device according to claim 20, wherein in the case that periodic current location and state information could not be obtained from the autonomous mobile device, the autonomous mobile device instruction means predictively calculates the current location of the autonomous mobile device on the route from a planned traveling speed and records it, and

when duration of time during which the current location and state information cannot be periodically obtained from the autonomous mobile device reaches or exceeds a certain continuous duration of time, the autonomous mobile device instruction means instructs the autonomous mobile device confirmation means to search the surroundings from a current location that was last obtained to a current location that was most recently predicted.

25. An autonomous mobile device that has a self-location estimation means and controls a travel mechanism in accordance with route coordinates to travel to destination site coordinates, wherein conditions related to moving and conditions related to a destination are reflected on the travel of the autonomous mobile device, and the conditions related to moving include an original time required for moving and a leeway time desired by a user,

wherein the autonomous mobile device comprises:

a means with which a user designates starting site coordinates, destination site coordinates, and a usage time;

a route planning means that plans a route from the starting site coordinates to the destination site coordinates;

an operation plan information calculation means that calculates a distance and time when traveling the route planned by the route planning means;

a reservation management means that calculates an energy needed for travel based on information calculated by the operation plan information calculation means and determines the feasibility of the route based on the results thereof as well as a usage time and an estimated energy remaining in the autonomous mobile device to execute travel reservation management of the autonomous mobile device;

an information input means with which the user designates site names of the starting site and the destination site and designates a leeway time;

a site information database that coordinates the site names and the site coordinates; and

a site coordinates searching means that searches for the starting site coordinates and the destination site coordinates from the site information database based on a starting site name and a destination site name designated by the user, wherein the reservation management means adds the leeway time designated by the user to information that serves as the basis for determining the feasibility of travel,

a manual travel means with which the user can modify the speed, temporarily stop the autonomous travel, restart the autonomous travel, travel manually, and switch between manual travel and autonomous travel is provided to the autonomous mobile device,

state information that is periodically obtained from the autonomous mobile device includes a traveling state and speed information,

the autonomous mobile device instruction means calculates an estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates from the current location of the autonomous mobile device and the destination site coordinates, and presents an exceedance prevention measure to the user when a difference between the calculated estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates and an original estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates is within a certain time or when the estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates is later than the original estimated time of arrival at the destination site coordinates, and

a method for presenting the exceedance prevention measure is to urge a speed increase when the speed has been lowered or urge a restart of travel when the autonomous mobile device has stopped, and to notify the user when a subsequent reservation has been booked.