AUTONOMOUS MOBILE APPARATUS

• US 20170231447A1
• Filed: 08/10/2015
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Services Corporation (Midea Group Co., Ltd)
• Inventors: IZAWA, Hirokazu, MARUTANI, Yuuki, WATANABE, Kota, FURUTA, Kazuhiro
• Application Number:
  US15/504,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20170231447A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/02 Control of position or course in two dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

An autonomous mobile apparatus such that damage to a camera thereof can be avoided. The autonomous mobile apparatus includes: a main body case; a running gear for moving the main body case when placed on the floor; a driving force source for driving the running gear; a robot controller for controlling the driving force source so that the main body case autonomously moves on the floor; a bumper disposed on the front side of the main body case; and a camera unit disposed on the rear side of a side surface of the main body case and images the area behind the main body case.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile apparatus comprising:

a casing;

a running gear adapted to move the casing on a floor surface;

a driving force source adapted to drive the running gear;

a controller adapted to control the driving force source so that the casing autonomously moves on the floor surface;

a bumper that is provided on a front side of the casing; and

a camera unit disposed on a rear side of a side face of the casing to take a photograph an area behind the casing.

2. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera unit is arranged to offset to either right or left from a center line of the casing in a front-rear direction.

3. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein of a photographing range of the camera unit includes an upper range provided above a horizontal direction, and a lower range provided below the horizontal direction when the casing is placed on the floor surface configured to be horizontal, the upper range is wider than the lower range.

4. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an illuminator placed beside the camera unit and adopted to illuminate a photographing range of the camera unit.

5. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein of a lighting coverage of the illuminator includes an upper coverage provided above a horizontal direction, and a lower coverage provided below the horizontal direction when the casing is placed on the floor surface configured to be horizontal, the upper coverage is wider than the lower coverage.

6. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the casing is placed on the floor surface configured to be horizontal, an optical axis of the illuminator is inclined upward with respect to the horizontal direction.

7. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an optical axis of the illuminator is inclined more greatly than a shooting direction of the camera unit.

8. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a shield adapted to shield part of a spread of the lighting coverage provided below the horizontal direction of light emitted from the illuminator.

9. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 2, wherein of a photographing range of the camera unit includes an upper range provided above a horizontal direction, and a lower range provided below the horizontal direction when the casing is placed on the floor surface configured to be horizontal, the upper range is wider than the lower range.

10. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an illuminator placed beside the camera unit and adopted to illuminate a photographing range of the camera unit.

11. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an illuminator placed beside the camera unit and adopted to illuminate a photographing range of the camera unit.

12. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the casing is placed on the floor surface configured to be horizontal, an optical axis of the illuminator is inclined upward with respect to the horizontal direction.

13. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an optical axis of the illuminator is inclined more greatly than a shooting direction of the camera unit.

14. The autonomous mobile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an optical axis of the illuminator is inclined more greatly than a shooting direction of the camera unit.