RUNNING INFORMATION GENERATING APPARATUS OF AUTONOMOUS RUNNING APPARATUS, RUNNING INFORMATION GENERATING METHOD, RUNNING INFORMATION GENERATING PROGRAM, AND AUTONOMOUS RUNNING APPARATUS

• US 20150234383A1
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TANIGAWA, Toru, OZAWA, Jun, YAMAGAMI, Katsuyoshi, NAITO, Eiichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A movement information calculator calculates a moving direction and a speed of the moving person from a position history database. An approach time calculator calculates an approach time at which an autonomous running apparatus and the moving person approach to each other within a predetermined distance from the moving person'"'"'s position, moving direction, and speed, and the running information. A gaze position obtaining unit obtains a moving person'"'"'s gaze position from the moving person'"'"'s position and moving direction, and the position of an obstacle recorded in an obstacle database. A gaze region calculator calculates a moving person'"'"'s gaze region from the moving person'"'"'s position, moving direction, and gaze position. A running information generator generates running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run to the gaze region at a predetermined time earlier than the approach time from the obstacle'"'"'s position, the approach time, and the gaze region.

Claims

1. A running information generating apparatus of an autonomous running apparatus comprising:

a position obtaining unit that obtains a position of a moving person in a building with the position being related to every predetermined time or an amount of time;

a moving person identifying unit that identifies a type of the moving person obtained from the position obtaining unit;

a position history database that records, in chronological order, the position and the type of the moving person obtained by the position obtaining unit and the moving person identifying unit, respectively;

a movement information calculator that calculates a moving direction and a moving speed of the moving person from information in the position history database;

an autonomous running apparatus database that records running information for making the autonomous running apparatus that runs along a route preset in the building run from a first position to a second position;

an approach time calculator that calculates an approach time at which the autonomous running apparatus and the moving person approach to each other within a predetermined distance from the position of the moving person obtained by the position obtaining unit, the moving direction and the moving speed of the moving person calculated by the movement information calculator, and the running information recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database;

an environment database that records a position of a still object present in the building together with information about the moving person who tends to gaze at the still object;

a gaze position obtaining unit that obtains a gaze position of the moving person based on the position and the type of the moving person, the moving direction of the moving person, and the position of the still object;

a gaze region calculator that calculates a gaze region of the moving person based on the position and the type of the moving person, the moving direction of the moving person, and the gaze position; and

a running information generator that generates the running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run into the gaze region calculated by the gaze region calculator at a predetermined time earlier than the approach time calculated by the approach time calculator based on the position of the still object, the approach time, and the gaze region.

6. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information generator generates the running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run into the gaze region calculated by the gaze region calculator at the predetermined time earlier than the approach time calculated by the approach time calculator, based on a positional relationship between the autonomous running apparatus and the moving person or/and a positional relationship between the autonomous running apparatus and the obstacle.

8. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the running information generated by the running information generator is recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database.

10. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the building is a hospital and the moving person is a patient, the patient has an identifier for identifying the patient in the hospital, the running information generating apparatus further comprises:

a patient information storage that stores information about diagnosis and treatment departments where the patient visits in the hospital in the identifier,

notice information about the diagnosis and treatment departments stored in the patient information storage, and information about a posting position of the notice information in the hospital being stored in the environment database,

the position obtaining unit detecting information of the identifier which the moving person has; and

a patient check space specifying unit that specifies a posting position of information checked by the moving person based on the information about the diagnosis and treatment departments of the patient corresponding to the identifier detected by the position obtaining unit and the posting position of the notice information in the hospital, the notice information relating to the diagnosis and treatment departments and being stored in the environment database,

the gaze region calculator calculating a gaze region gazed by the moving person, using the posting position of the information specified by the patient check space specifying unit.

12. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the identifier is an identifier for specifying a diagnosis and treatment department where the moving person visits,

the information about the posting position of the notice information about the diagnosis and treatment department for the moving person on a passage in the hospital are stored in the environment database,

the gaze region calculator widens the gaze region of the moving person based on information about a space position in the notice information checked by the moving person.

13. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a plurality of the gaze positions are present, the gaze region calculator sets segments or regions that make connection between the plurality of gaze positions, as the gaze position.

15. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the building is a hospital and the moving person is a patient, the patient has an identifier for identifying the patient in the hospital, the running information generating apparatus further comprises:

a patient information storage that stores, in the identifier, information about a wheelchair used by the patient in the hospital,

the position obtaining unit detecting information about the identifier which the moving person has; and

an avoidance distance specifying unit that specifies an avoidance distance of the moving person with respect to the obstacle from the information about the wheelchair of the patient corresponding to the identifier detected by the position obtaining unit,

the running information generator generating the running information based on the gaze region calculated by the gaze region calculator, and the avoidance distance specified by the avoidance distance specifying unit.

16. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 15, wherein in the patient information storage, as the patient uses the wheelchair for a long time, the avoidance distance in the avoidance distance specifying unit is shorter.

17. An autonomous running apparatus comprising:

the running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus described in claim 1;

a running information obtaining unit that obtains the running information recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database; and

a driving device controller that controls running based on the running information obtained by the running information obtaining unit.

2. A running information generating apparatus of an autonomous running apparatus comprising:

a position obtaining unit that obtains a position of a moving person in a wheelchair in a building with the position being related to every predetermined time or amount of time;

a position history database that records the position of the moving person obtained by the position obtaining unit in chronological order;

a movement information calculator that calculates a moving direction and a moving speed of the moving person from information in the position history database;

an autonomous running apparatus database that records running information for making the autonomous running apparatus that runs along a route preset in the building run from a first position to a second position;

an approach time calculator that calculates an approach time at which the autonomous running apparatus and the moving person approach to each other within a predetermined distance, from the position of the moving person obtained by the position obtaining unit, the moving direction and the moving speed of the moving person calculated by the movement information calculator, and the running information recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database;

an obstacle database that records a position of an obstacle in the building;

a gaze position obtaining unit that obtains a gaze position of the moving person based on the position of the moving person, the moving direction of the moving person, and the position of the obstacle;

a gaze region calculator that calculates a gaze region of the moving person based on the position of the moving person, the moving direction of the moving person, and the gaze position; and

a running information generator that generates the running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run into the gaze region calculated by the gaze region calculator at a predetermined time earlier than the approach time calculated by the approach time calculator based on the position of the obstacle, the approach time, and the gaze region.

3. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the gaze position obtaining unit obtains the gaze position of the moving person based on the position of the moving person, the moving direction and the moving speed of the moving person, and the position of the obstacle,

the gaze region calculator calculates the gaze region of the moving person based on the position of the moving person, the moving direction and the moving speed of the moving person, and the gaze position.

4. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the gaze region calculator calculates the gaze region referring to also a height of the moving person.

5. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the height of the moving person is estimated based on any one of height information, age information, and sitting height information recorded in an ID tag owned by the moving person.

7. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the running information generator generates the running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run into the gaze region calculated by the gaze region calculator at the predetermined time earlier than the approach time calculated by the approach time calculator, based on a positional relationship between the autonomous running apparatus and the moving person or/and a positional relationship between the autonomous running apparatus and the obstacle.

9. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the running information generated by the running information generator is recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database.

11. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

when the building is a hospital and the moving person is a patient, the patient has an identifier for identifying the patient in the hospital, the running information generating apparatus further comprises:

a patient information storage that stores information about diagnosis and treatment departments where the patient visits in the hospital in the identifier,

notice information about the diagnosis and treatment departments stored in the patient information storage, and information about a posting position of the notice information in the hospital being stored in the environment database,

the position obtaining unit detecting information of the identifier which the moving person has; and

a patient check space specifying unit that specifies a posting position of information checked by the moving person based on the information about the diagnosis and treatment departments of the patient corresponding to the identifier detected by the position obtaining unit and the posting position of the notice information in the hospital, the notice information relating to the diagnosis and treatment departments and being stored in the environment database,

the gaze region calculator calculating a gaze region gazed by the moving person, using the posting position of the information specified by the patient check space specifying unit.

14. The running information generating apparatus of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a plurality of the gaze positions are present, the gaze region calculator sets segments or regions that make connection between the plurality of gaze positions, as the gaze position.

18. A running information generating method of an autonomous running apparatus comprising:

obtaining, by a position obtaining unit, a position of a moving person in a building with the position being related to every predetermined time or amount of time;

identifying, by a moving person identifying unit, a type of the moving person obtained from the position obtaining unit;

recording the position and the type of the moving person obtained by the position obtaining unit and the moving person identifying unit, in a position history database in chronological order;

calculating, by a movement information calculator, a moving direction and a moving speed of the moving person from information in the position history database;

recording, in an autonomous running apparatus database, running information for making the autonomous running apparatus that runs along a route preset in the building run from a first position to a second position;

calculating, by an approach time calculator, an approach time at which the autonomous running apparatus and the moving person approach to each other within a predetermined distance from the position of the moving person obtained by the position obtaining unit, the moving direction and the moving speed of the moving person calculated by the movement information calculator, and the running information recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database;

recording, in an environment database, a position of a still object present in the building together with information about the moving person who tends to gaze at the still object;

obtaining, by a gaze position obtaining unit, a gaze position of the moving person based on the position and the type of the moving person, the moving direction of the moving person, and a position of the still object;

calculating, by a gaze region calculator, a gaze region of the moving person based on the position and the type of the moving person, the moving direction of the moving person, and the gaze position; and

generating, by a running information generator, the running information for making the autonomous running apparatus run into the gaze region calculated by the gaze region calculator at a predetermined time earlier than the approach time calculated by the approach time calculator based on the position of the still object, the approach time, and the gaze region.

19. A computer-readable recording medium including a running information generating program for making a computer execute the running information generating method of claim 18.