Autonomous mobile robot device and an avoidance method for that autonomous mobile robot device

• US 8,494,675 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ichinose, Ryoko, Tsubouchi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PECHE, JORGE O
• Application Number:
  US12/405,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/248, 700/255, 700/246, 700/253, 700/258, 701/32.2, 701/301, 901/1, 901/8
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00

Abstract

An autonomous mobile robot device, comprises an obstacle detecting unit, which is configured to detect an obstacle, a path producing unit, which is configured to produce a path for reaching to a goal while avoiding the obstacle, which is detected by the obstacle detecting unit, upon basis of a predetermined avoidance method, and a moving unit, which is configured to move while mounting the obstacle detecting unit and the path producing unit thereon, and further comprises an avoidance method noticing unit, which is configured to notice information relating to an avoidance method of the autonomous mobile robot device itself to the obstacle, which is detected by the obstacle detecting unit, an other'"'"'s avoidance method obtaining unit, which is configured to obtain information relating to the avoidance method of the obstacle from the obstacle, which is detected by the obstacle detecting unit, an avoidance method memorizing unit, which is configured to memorize one or more of the avoidance method(s) determined, to which the path producing unit should follow, and an avoidance method selecting unit, which is configured to selected the avoidance method(s) determined from the avoidance method memorizing unit, wherein the avoidance method selecting unit uses the information relating to the avoidance method of the obstacle, which is obtained by the other'"'"'s avoidance method obtaining unit, as a reference, when selecting the avoidance method.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile robot device, comprising:

an obstacle detecting unit, which is configured to detect an obstacle;

a unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle, which is configured to obtain, from said obstacle, information relating to an avoidance method used by said obstacle;

an avoidance method memorizing unit, which is configured to memorize one or more of;

a predetermined avoidance method and an avoidance method used by said obstacle; and

an avoidance method selecting unit, which is configured to select an avoidance method from said avoidance method memorizing unit, wherein said avoidance method selecting unit uses, as a reference, information relating to an avoidance method used by said obstacle, obtained by said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle, when selecting said avoidance method;

an avoidance method monitoring unit, which is configured to monitor information relating to said selected avoidance method used by said autonomous mobile robot device to avoid said obstacle;

a path producing unit, which is configured to produce a path for reaching a destination while avoiding said obstacle, based upon said selected avoidance method;

a moving unit, which is configured to move said autonomous mobile robot device along said produced path;

wherein information relating to an avoidance method is presented via a display and includes;

avoiding direction information indicative of a direction of avoiding, and avoiding performance information indicative of avoiding performances.

2. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 1, said autonomous mobile robot device further comprising:

an individual identity information detecting unit, which is configured to detect an individual identity information of said obstacle, wherein information relating to an avoidance method includes individual identity information;

wherein said obstacle, and said avoidance method used by said obstacle, are related to one another, by use of said individual identity information.

3. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 1,

wherein information relating to an avoidance method includes:

position information indicative of a position of at least one of said autonomous mobile robot device and of said obstacle; and

wherein said obstacle, and said avoidance method used by an obstacle, are related to one another, by use of said position information.

4. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 1,

wherein information relating to an avoidance method includes:

presence/absence information of a companion, indicative of whether said obstacle accompanies said companion or not, position information of said companion, and individual identity information of said companion; and

wherein said path producing unit produces a path that does not pass between said obstacle and said companion, when information relating to the avoidance method used by said obstacle indicates that said obstacle has a companion.

5. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 1,

wherein information relating to an avoidance method includes:

information relating to a pass prohibition direction therein; and

wherein said path producing unit produces a path that does not go in the pass prohibition direction, when the information relating to the avoidance method used by said obstacle includes information relating to said pass prohibition direction.

6. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 1,

wherein information relating to an avoidance method includes:

information relating to detection of the obstacle; and

wherein when information relating to said avoidance method used by said obstacle includes information relating to detection of said obstacle, said path producing unit produces a path, avoiding the obstacle indicated by the information relating to detection of said obstacle, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains.

7. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 1,

wherein said avoidance method selecting unit selects an avoidance method, and does not obtain the avoidance method of an obstacle from said avoidance method memorizing unit, until when said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains the information relating to the avoidance method used by the obstacle, which said obstacle detecting unit detects.

8. An avoidance method for an autonomous mobile robot device, comprising:

detecting an obstacle by using an obstacle detecting unit;

producing, by using a path producing unit, a path for reaching a destination while avoiding said obstacle, upon basis of a predetermined obstacle avoidance method; and

moving said autonomous mobile robot device by using a moving unit;

wherein said obstacle avoidance method comprises the following steps of;

monitoring, by using an obstacle avoidance method monitoring unit, information relating to an obstacle avoidance method used by said autonomous mobile robot device to avoid said obstacle;

obtaining from said obstacle, by using a unit for obtaining an obstacle avoidance method used by said obstacle, information relating to an obstacle avoidance method used by said obstacle;

memorizing, in an obstacle avoidance method memorizing unit, one or more of;

said predetermined obstacle avoidance method used by said autonomous mobile robot device, and said obstacle avoidance method used by said obstacle; and

selecting a memorized obstacle avoidance method from said obstacle avoidance method memorizing unit, based upon information relating to the obstacle avoidance method used by said obstacle;

wherein information relating to an obstacle avoidance method is presented via a display and includes;

avoiding direction information indicative of a direction of avoiding, and avoiding performance information indicative of avoiding performances.

9. The avoidance method for an autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 8,

wherein when an advancing direction of said obstacle changes into a direction into which the autonomous mobile robot device is avoiding, while detecting the advancing direction of said obstacle by said obstacle detecting unit, said path producing unit produces a different avoiding path, with setting a time to a random number, said time representing from when to determine that the advancing direction of said obstacle changes to the avoiding direction of said autonomous mobile robot device until when said path producing unit produces that different avoiding path.

10. The avoidance method for an autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 8,

wherein when an advancing direction of said obstacle changes into a direction into which the autonomous mobile robot device is avoiding, while detecting the advancing direction of said obstacle by said obstacle detecting unit, said path producing unit produces a different avoiding path, with setting a time to a numerical value, said time representing from when to determine that the advancing direction of said obstacle changes to the avoiding direction of said autonomous mobile robot device until when said path producing unit produces that different avoiding path, said different avoiding path being different from each robot when said obstacle includes a plurality of robots.

11. An autonomous mobile robot device, comprising:

an obstacle detecting unit, which is configured to detect an obstacle;

a path producing unit, which is configured to produce a path for reaching a destination while avoiding said obstacle, upon basis of a predetermined avoidance method; and

a moving unit, which is configured to move while mounting at least said obstacle detecting unit and said path producing unit thereon;

an avoidance method monitoring unit, which is configured to monitor information relating to an avoidance method used by said autonomous mobile robot device;

a unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle, which is configured to obtain, from said obstacle, information relating to the avoidance method used by said obstacle;

an avoidance method memorizing unit, which is configured to memorize one or more of said avoidance methods; and

an avoidance method selecting unit, which is configured to select from said avoidance methods memorized in said avoidance method memorizing unit;

wherein said avoidance method selecting unit uses the information relating to the avoidance method used by said obstacle, as a reference, when selecting said avoidance method; and

wherein said information relating to the avoidance method is presented via a display and includes avoiding direction information indicating a direction of avoiding and avoiding performance information indicative of avoiding performances.

12. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein said information relating to the avoidance method includes individual identity information indicating an identity of an individual, and said autonomous mobile robot device further comprises:

an individual identity information detecting unit, which is configured to detect said individual identity information of said obstacle, wherein

said obstacle, and said avoidance method, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains, are related with each other, with using said individual identity information.

13. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein

said information relating to the avoidance method includes position information indicating a position of said autonomous mobile robot device or said obstacle, and

said obstacle, and said avoidance method, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains, are related with each other, with using said position information.

14. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein

said information relating to the avoidance method includes presence/absence information of a companion, indicating whether said obstacle accompanies said companion or not, position information of said companion, and individual identity information of said companion, and

said path producing unit produces a path, not passing through between said obstacle and said companion, when the information relating to the avoidance method used by an obstacle, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains, indicates that it has said companion.

15. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein

said information relating to the avoidance method includes information relating to a pass prohibition direction therein, and

said path producing unit produces a path, not passing in the direction designated, when the information relating to the avoidance method, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains, includes the information relating to said pass prohibition direction.

16. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein

said information relating to the avoidance method includes information relating to detection of the obstacle therein, and

said path producing unit produces a path, avoiding the obstacle indicated by the information relating to detection of said obstacle, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains, when the information relating to detection of said obstacle is included within the information relating to said avoidance method, which said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains.

17. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein

said avoidance method selecting unit selects an avoidance method for case of not obtaining the avoidance method used by an obstacle from said avoidance method memorizing unit, until when said unit for obtaining an avoidance method used by an obstacle obtains the information relating to the avoidance method from the obstacle, which said obstacle detecting unit detects.

18. The autonomous mobile robot device, as described in the claim 11, wherein said obstacle includes at least one robot.