Path guidance method for autonomous mobile device

• US 7,636,621 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wu, Tung-Chuan, Lee, Shih-Ping, Chung, Yu-Liang, Yu, Hung-Hsiu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US11/498,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23, 701/24, 701/2, 701/25, 701/26, 320/109, 318/587, 318/568, 318/11, 318/568.11, 700/245
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A path guidance method for autonomous mobile device, by which a directional wireless reception unit, arranged on the autonomous mobile device, is enabled to receive a radio wave guidance signal issued by a call unit while the direction pointing to the call unit can be determined with respect to the intensity and direction of the received radio wave guidance signal, and thus the autonomous mobile device is directed to move toward the pointing direction until the autonomous mobile device reaches a location specified by the call unit. In a preferred aspect, the autonomous mobile device is determined to be not far from the call unit when the intensity of the radio wave guidance signal, received by the directional wireless reception unit, is larger than a predefined value.

Claims

1. A path guidance method capable guiding an autonomous mobile device to a location specified by a call unit for enabling the autonomous mobile device to perform a predetermined operation thereat, the path guidance method comprising steps of:

(a) enabling the autonomous mobile device to operate normally;

(b) enabling a low-voltage inspection unit of the autonomous mobile device to detect the power of a battery of the autonomous mobile device to check if the power is dropped and reached a predefined low electric potential;

(c) if the detection shows that the power is dropped and reaches a predefined low electric potential, controlling the autonomous mobile device by a first control unit thereof to rotate without moving while enabling a first wireless transmission unit of the autonomous mobile device to issue a charging request signal;

(d) enabling a second control unit of the call unit to command the a second wireless transmission unit thereof to issue a path guidance signal of a specific frequency as soon as the charging request signal is received by an omni-directional antenna of the call unit;

(e) making an evaluation to determine whether the path guidance signal is received by a directional antenna of the autonomous mobile device within a specified period of time;

(f) if the path guidance signal is received, directing the autonomous mobile device to move with respect to the guidance of the path guidance signal while using the first control unit to direct rollers of the autonomous mobile device for carrying the autonomous mobile device to move straightly toward the call unit;

(g) if the path guidance signal is not received, directing the autonomous mobile device to move at a random direction, the autonomous mobile device keeping rotating without moving while enabling the first wireless transmission unit of the autonomous mobile device to issue the charging request signal;

(h) following the step (f), making an evaluation to determine whether the autonomous mobile device is coming into contact with an obstacle;

if so, directing the autonomous mobile device to move at a random direction to avoid the obstacle until the autonomous mobile device can move forward without any obstacle;

(i) making an evaluation to determine whether the intensity of the path guidance signal is higher than a first predefined value, whereas the first predefined value is specified as the intensity of the received radio wave guidance signal while the autonomous mobile device is situated at a specific distance not far away from the call unit;

(j) if so, directing the autonomous mobile device to keep the current heading and move at a reduced speed;

(k) if not so in the step (i), directing the autonomous mobile device to keep the current heading and move at a constant speed if the intensity of the path guidance signal is higher than a first predefined value as the autonomous mobile device is still a significant distance away from the call unit, then enabling the autonomous mobile device to perform an orientation calibration process, that is, as the autonomous mobile device is moving forward, enabling the directional antenna of the autonomous mobile device to receive the radio wave guidance signal continuously so as to calibrate the heading of the autonomous mobile device with respect to the intensity of the received radio wave guidance signal by the control of the first control unit, and the executing step proceeds back to the step (f);

(l) following the step (j), making evaluation to determine whether the charging interface of the autonomous mobile device is in contact with the a second charging interface of the call unit;

if not so, enabling the autonomous mobile device to move away from the call unit, and the executing step proceeds back to the step (c);

(m) performing a charging process by the cooperation of the first control unit of the autonomous mobile device and the second control unit of the call unit; and

(n) making an evaluation to determine whether the charging process is completed, if so, enabling the first wireless transmission unit of the autonomous mobile device to issue an alert signal by the first control unit of the autonomous mobile device, and as soon as the omni-directional antenna of the call unit receives the alert signal, immediately issuing a command by the second control unit of the call unit to stop the charging process.

2. The path guidance method of claim 1, wherein the call unit is configured with a charging station.

3. The path guidance method of claim 1, wherein the directional antenna is an antenna selected from the group consisting of a Yagi antenna, a horn antenna, and a panel antenna.

4. The path guidance method of claim 1, wherein the omni-directional antenna having a metal shielding layer arranged at the exterior thereof while the metal shielding layer is capable of orientating the omni-directional antenna to receive the radio wave guidance signal at its maximum only from a specified direction.