Mobile Robot Map Generation

• US 20170225321A1
• Filed: 02/06/2017
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobalt Robotics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cobalt Robotics, Inc.
• Inventors: Deyle, Travis J., Schluntz, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 10,486,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/002 Manipulators for defensive or military tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/008 Manipulators for service tasks
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/006 by means of a wireless system for controlling one or several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 13/086 Proximity sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• 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: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45103 Security, surveillance applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0044 by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/14 the marking being sensed by radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10297 arrangements for handling protocols designed for non-contact record carriers such as RFIDs NFCs, e.g. ISO/IEC 14443 and 18092 cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; network security protocols H04L63/00; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; network protocols for data switching network services H04L67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19647 Systems specially adapted for intrusion detection in or around a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 : Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 : Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 : Sensing device

Abstract

A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.

Claims

1. A mobile robot, comprising:

a motorized base configured to move the mobile robot throughout a floor of a building;

a wireless transceiver configured to communicatively couple to a hardware system of the building and to receive a semantic map including, for each of a set of objects within the floor of the building, an identity of the object and a location of the object;

a housing body storing one or more sensors configured to detect an object within a proximity of the patrol route; and

a controller configured to;

determine a location of the object;

query the semantic map with the determined location to identify a result set of objects and corresponding object states within a threshold distance of the detected object;

determine if the detected object violates one or more security policies based on the identified result set of objects and corresponding object states; and

in response to determining that the detected object violates the one or more security policies, performing one or more security operations.

2. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the detected object corresponds to an object within the set of objects, and wherein the identified result set of objects comprises the detected object.

3. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the detected object does not correspond to an object within the set of objects.

4. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein determining that the detected object violates one or more security policies comprises determining that a state of the detected object is different than the state of a corresponding object within the result set of objects.

5. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein determining that the detected object violates one or more security policies comprises determining that the location of the detected object is more than a threshold distance from a location of a corresponding object within the result set of objects.

6. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein performing one or more security operations comprises notifying security personnel of the violation of the one or more security policies.

7. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein performing one or more security operations comprises monitoring the detected object.

8. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the semantic map is generated by the mobile robot while previously moving throughout the floor of a building.

9. A method, comprising:

patrolling, by a mobile robot, a route through a building floor;

accessing, by the mobile robot, a semantic map including, for each of a set of objects within the building floor, an identity of the object and a location of the object;

detecting, by the mobile robot, an object within a proximity of the patrol route;

querying, by the mobile robot, the semantic map with a location of the detected object to identify a result set of objects and corresponding object states within a threshold distance of the detected object;

determining, by the mobile robot, if the detected object violates one or more security policies based on the identified result set of objects and corresponding object states; and

in response to determining that the detected object violates the one or more security policies, performing, by the mobile robot, one or more security operations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detected object corresponds to an object within the set of objects, and wherein the identified result set of objects comprises the detected object.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the detected object does not correspond to an object within the set of objects.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the detected object violates one or more security policies comprises determining that a state of the detected object is different than the state of a corresponding object within the result set of objects.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the detected object violates one or more security policies comprises determining that the location of the detected object is more than a threshold distance from a location of a corresponding object within the result set of objects.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein performing one or more security operations comprises notifying security personnel of the violation of the one or more security policies.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein performing one or more security operations comprises monitoring the detected object.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the semantic map is generated by the mobile robot while previously moving throughout the floor of a building.

17. A mobile robot, comprising:

a motorized base configured to move the mobile robot throughout a floor of a building;

a housing body, the housing body including;

a first set of sensors configured to detect locations of a set of obstacles within the floor of the building and to detect a set of paths between the detected obstacles;

a second set of sensors configured to detect a set of objects within the floor of the building, and to detect, for each object, a type and a state of the object;

a map generation engine configured to generate a semantic map based on the detected set of obstacles and the detected set of paths, the semantic map further identifying a location of each of the set of objects within the floor and identifying the type and state of each object;

a security engine configured to determine, based on the detected state of a first detected object, that the first detected object violates one or more security policies; and

a wireless transceiver configured to provide, to a central system communicatively coupled to the mobile robot, the semantic map, information identifying the first detected object, and information describing the violation of the one or more security policies.

18. The mobile robot of claim 17, wherein the central system is configured to display the semantic map to an operator.

19. The mobile robot of claim 18, wherein the central system is further configured to display textual information identifying the first detected object and a notification of the violation of the one or more security policies.

20. The mobile robot of claim 18, wherein the central system is further configured to display information identifying the type and state of each object of the set of objects at locations with the semantic map corresponding to the locations of each of the set of objects.