Robot intelligence in natural environments
First Claim
1. A method for automatic, decentralized coordination of independent motion paths that are broken down into motion path segments of a plurality of mobile robots communicating with each other within a specified geographical area, to avoid collisions and to detect and resolve mutual blockings, comprising:
- a robot receiving positioning information from the other robots and determining its distance (drob) to the other robots, when the robot moves to within a specified relative distance (dsafe) of at least one of the other robots, the robot setting up and maintaining a coordination connection to these robots to coordinate its motion path with the motion paths of the at least one other robot for as long as its distance is less than the specified relative distance, in which case one of the robots linked by the coordination connection is selected as a coordinator and the other robot is selected as a partner, the coordinator requesting the planned movement segments of the partner and initiating an algorithm for avoiding collisions, with which the motion path segments of the partner are harmonized with the motion path segments of the coordinator, in order to determine the collision areas in which the robots are less than a specified minimum distance (dmin) apart and in which a timing sequence scheme for the motion path segments of the coordinator and the partner is determined, the coordinator giving permission to itself and to the partner to execute the next motion path segment, on the basis of the timing sequence scheme for the motion path segments of the coordinator and the partner, whereby the motion path segment is executed only when the permission is granted, one of the robots initiating an algorithm to detect blocking in order to detect a group of mutually blocking robots if the detecting robot has not been granted permission to execute its next motion path segment, on detection of a group of mutually blocking robots by the detecting robot, the detecting robot initiating an algorithm to resolve the blocking, whereby the resolving algorithm comprises at least a first step and optionally a second step, wherein, in the first step, the mutually blocking robots that are connected by the coordination connection exchange the sequence for executing the next motion path segment, and in the second step, at least one of the mutually blocking robots plan new motion paths, with the second step being executed only if the first step fails to resolve the blocking.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for automatic, decentralized coordination of the movement paths of mobile robots in order to prevent collisions and to detect and resolve mutual blockings. According to the method, a robot receives position information from other robots and establishes a coordinating connection with another robot if the position falls below a minimum allowable distance. One of the robots is then chosen as coordinator and the other robot is chosen as partner. The coordinator initiates an algorithm for the prevention of collisions, wherein a time sequence diagram is determined for the motion path segments of the coordinator and the partner. A robot for detecting robots that are mutually blocking one another in a circuit initiates an algorithm for detecting blocking if the robot has not been given authorization to execute its next motion path segment. An algorithm for resolving the blocking is initiated if robots mutually blocking each other in a circuit are detected by the detecting robot. The algorithm includes a first step and optionally a second step, whereby the sequence for the execution of the next motion path segment of the robots is interchanged during a coordinating connection and the motion paths of one or more robots mutually blocking each other in a circuit are newly planned.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for automatic, decentralized coordination of independent motion paths that are broken down into motion path segments of a plurality of mobile robots communicating with each other within a specified geographical area, to avoid collisions and to detect and resolve mutual blockings, comprising:
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a robot receiving positioning information from the other robots and determining its distance (drob) to the other robots, when the robot moves to within a specified relative distance (dsafe) of at least one of the other robots, the robot setting up and maintaining a coordination connection to these robots to coordinate its motion path with the motion paths of the at least one other robot for as long as its distance is less than the specified relative distance, in which case one of the robots linked by the coordination connection is selected as a coordinator and the other robot is selected as a partner, the coordinator requesting the planned movement segments of the partner and initiating an algorithm for avoiding collisions, with which the motion path segments of the partner are harmonized with the motion path segments of the coordinator, in order to determine the collision areas in which the robots are less than a specified minimum distance (dmin) apart and in which a timing sequence scheme for the motion path segments of the coordinator and the partner is determined, the coordinator giving permission to itself and to the partner to execute the next motion path segment, on the basis of the timing sequence scheme for the motion path segments of the coordinator and the partner, whereby the motion path segment is executed only when the permission is granted, one of the robots initiating an algorithm to detect blocking in order to detect a group of mutually blocking robots if the detecting robot has not been granted permission to execute its next motion path segment, on detection of a group of mutually blocking robots by the detecting robot, the detecting robot initiating an algorithm to resolve the blocking, whereby the resolving algorithm comprises at least a first step and optionally a second step, wherein, in the first step, the mutually blocking robots that are connected by the coordination connection exchange the sequence for executing the next motion path segment, and in the second step, at least one of the mutually blocking robots plan new motion paths, with the second step being executed only if the first step fails to resolve the blocking. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for automatic, decentralized coordination of movement paths between at least two mobile robots, which prevents collisions and detects and resolves mutual blocking situations between the mobile robots, comprising:
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one of the robots receiving position information from the other of the robots;
establishing a coordinating connection between the one robot and the other robot if, according to the position information, a position between the robots falls below a predetermined minimum acceptable distance;
designating the two mobile robots as respectively either a coordinator or a partner;
wherein the coordinator initiates a collision avoidance algorithm that utilizes a time sequence diagram for motion path segments of the coordinator and the partner in order to prevent a collision between the one robot and the other robot, and wherein the collision avoidance algorithm includes granting authorization by the coordinator to execute a next step in the motion path segments to at least one of the coordinator and the partner;
in the event of a failure by the collision avoidance algorithm to successfully grant the authorization, initiating an algorithm for detecting a mutual blocking situation;
if the blocking detection algorithm detects a mutual blocking situation, initiating an algorithm for resolving the blocking, including interchanging a sequence for executing the next step in the motion path between the coordinator and the partner. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification