Autonomous moving apparatus

• US 8,306,684 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Nakano, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BEHNCKE, CHRISTINE M
• Application Number:
  US12/506,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/259, 700/253, 700/258, 701/498, 701/23, 701/25, 701/27, 701/28, 701/409, 701/445, 701/450, 701/469, 701/514, 701/523, 702/150, 702/154
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

An autonomous moving apparatus arranged to travel autonomously in a surrounding environment preferably includes: a distance measuring sensor arranged to output detection waves, detect a distance between the apparatus and an object which has reflected the detection wave based on a reflection state of the detection wave, and acquire information about the distance between the apparatus and the object which exists in the surroundings of the apparatus; an inclination sensor arranged to detect an inclination of the distance measuring sensor; and a control unit arranged to estimate the self-position in the surrounding environment and generate the global map of the surrounding environment based on the distance information. When the distance measuring sensor is determined to be inclined based on a detection result of the inclination sensor, the control unit stops estimating the self-position based on the distance information and stops generating the global map based on the distance information.

Claims

1. An autonomous moving apparatus arranged to move autonomously in a surrounding environment, the autonomous moving apparatus comprising:

a distance measuring sensor arranged to output detection waves, detect a distance between the autonomous moving apparatus and an object which has reflected a detection wave based on a reflection of the detection wave, and acquire distance information about the distance between the autonomous moving apparatus and the object which has reflected the detection wave;

an inclination sensor arranged to detect a state of inclination of the distance measuring sensor; and

a control unit arranged to;

estimate a self-position in the surrounding environment and generate a global map of the surrounding environment based on the distance information when a detection result of the inclination sensor indicates that the distance measuring sensor is in a state having a constant inclination amount, regardless of whether the distance measuring sensor is inclined or not;

stop estimating the self-position and generating the global map based on the distance information when the detection result of the inclination sensor indicates that the distance measuring sensor is in state having a changing inclination amount; and

resume estimating the self-position in the surrounding environment and generating the global map of the surrounding environment based on the distance information when the detection result of the inclination sensor indicates that the distance measuring sensor has changed from the state having the changing inclination amount to the state having the constant inclination amount.

2. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of wheels arranged to move the autonomous moving apparatus;

wherein

the control unit can acquire a travel amount of the autonomous moving apparatus in accordance with a rotation amount of each of the plurality of wheels, and estimate the self-position in the surrounding environment based on the acquired travel amount when the state of inclination of the distance measuring sensor is changing.

3. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance measuring sensor is a laser range finder.

4. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display arranged to display the global map generated by the control unit in real time.

5. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display is arranged on a rear surface side of the autonomous moving apparatus and outside a detection area of the distance measuring sensor.

6. An autonomous moving apparatus arranged to autonomously move comprising:

a distance information acquiring unit arranged to output detection waves, detect a distance between the autonomous moving apparatus and an object which has reflected a detection wave based on the detection wave, and acquire distance information about the distance between the autonomous moving apparatus and the object which has reflected the detection wave;

a self-position estimating unit arranged to estimate a self-position based on the distance information acquired by the distance information acquiring unit;

a global map generating unit arranged to generate a global map based on the distance information; and

an inclination detecting unit arranged to detect a state of inclination of the distance information acquiring unit;

wherein

when the distance information acquiring unit is determined to be undergoing a change in an amount of inclination because of a detection result of the inclination detecting unit, the self-position estimating unit stops estimating the self-position based on the distance information;

when the distance information acquiring unit is determined to be undergoing a change in an amount of inclination because of the detection result of the inclination detecting unit, the global map generating unit stops generating the global map based on the distance information;

when the distance information acquiring unit is determined to have a constant inclination angle because of the detection result of the inclination detecting unit, regardless of whether the distance measuring sensor is inclined or not, the self-position estimating unit resumes estimating the self-position based on the distance information; and

when the distance information acquiring unit is determined to have a constant inclination angle because of the detection result of the inclination detecting unit, regardless of whether the distance measuring sensor is inclined or not, the global map generating unit resumes generating the global map based on the distance information.

7. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of wheels arranged to move the apparatus; and

a travel amount calculating unit arranged to acquire a travel amount of the apparatus based on a rotation amount of each of the plurality of wheels;

wherein

when the state of inclination of the distance information acquiring unit detected by the inclination detecting unit is changing, the self-position estimating unit is arranged to estimate the self-position based on the travel amount acquired by the travel amount calculating unit.

8. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the distance information acquiring unit is a laser range finder.

9. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a display unit arranged to display the global map generated by the global map generating unit in real time.

10. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display unit is arranged on a rear surface side of the apparatus and outside a detection area of the distance information acquiring unit.

11. A method of estimating a self-position in an autonomous moving apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

outputting detection waves;

detecting, based on a reflected detection wave, a distance between the autonomous moving apparatus and an object which has reflected the detection wave;

acquiring information about the distance between the autonomous moving apparatus and the object which has reflected the detection wave;

estimating the self-position based on the acquired distance information;

generating a global map based on the distance information;

detecting a state of inclination of the autonomous moving apparatus at a time of movement;

stopping estimating the self-position based on the distance information when the state of inclination of the autonomous moving apparatus indicates that a distance information acquiring unit of the autonomous moving apparatus is undergoing a change in an amount of inclination;

stopping generating the global map based on the distance information when the state of inclination of the autonomous moving apparatus indicates that the distance information acquiring unit of the autonomous moving apparatus is undergoing a change in an amount of inclination;

resuming estimating the self-position based on the distance information when the state of inclination of the autonomous moving apparatus indicates that the distance information acquiring unit of the autonomous moving apparatus is not undergoing a change in an amount of inclination, regardless of whether the distance measuring sensor is inclined or not; and

resuming generating the global map based on the distance information when the state of inclination of the autonomous moving apparatus indicates that the distance information acquiring unit of the autonomous moving apparatus is not undergoing a change in an amount of inclination, regardless of whether the distance measuring sensor is inclined or not.

12. The method of estimating the self-position according to claim 11, wherein when the state of inclination of the distance information acquiring unit of the autonomous moving apparatus is changing, in the self-position estimation step, the self-position is estimated based on a travel amount of the autonomous moving apparatus.