Autonomous navigation method and autonomous mobile body

• US 8,825,257 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Utsunomiya University
• Original Assignee: Utsunomiya University
• Inventors: Ozaki, Koichi, Samann, Rahok
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): McPherson, James M
• Application Number:
  US13/509,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 701/23
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means

Abstract

An autonomous navigation method is a method of causing a mobile body (100) to autonomously navigate while comparing environmental magnetism data obtained in advance by measuring magnetism generated along a navigation path on which the mobile body (100) navigates and measured magnetism detected by actually measuring the magnetism generated along the navigation path when the mobile body (100) navigates along the navigation path. The method includes a step (a) of detecting first measured magnetism and second measured magnetism in different positions on the mobile body (100) and a step (b) of causing the mobile body (100) to autonomously navigate on the basis of the second measured magnetism detected by a magnetism sensor (103), which is not affected by unexpected magnetism (G) not included in the environmental magnetism data, and the environmental magnetism data.

Claims

1. A method of causing a mobile body to autonomously navigate while comparing environmental magnetism data obtained in advance by measuring magnetism generated along a navigation path on which the mobile body navigates and measured magnetism detected by actually measuring the magnetism generated along the navigation path when the mobile body navigates along the navigation path, the method comprising:

a step (a) of detecting both a first measured magnetism and a second measured magnetism at predetermined intervals during navigation of the mobile body, the detection of the first measured magnetism and second measured magnetism being performed in different positions on the mobile body; and

a step (b) of causing the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of a selected one of the first measured magnetism and the second measured magnetism, the selected one being specified by a matching property with the environmental magnetism data, and the environmental magnetism data, wherein when the selected one of the first measured magnetism and the second measured magnetism no longer has matching properties with the environmental magnetism data the other of said first measured magnetism and second measured magnetism is utilized for navigation.

2. The autonomous navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the step (b) includes causing, when unexpected magnetism not included in the environmental magnetism data is detected as the first measured magnetism while causing the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of a comparison result of the first measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data, the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of a comparison result of the second measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data.

3. The autonomous navigation method according to claim 2, wherein the step (b) includes causing, when unexpected magnetism is detected as the second measured magnetism while causing the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of the comparison result of the second measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data, the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of the comparison result of the first measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data.

4. The autonomous navigation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first measured magnetism and the second measured magnetism are detected while being spaced apart from each other in one or both of a traveling direction of the mobile body and a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction.

5. An autonomous mobile body that autonomously navigates while comparing environmental magnetism data obtained in advance by measuring magnetism generated along a navigation path and measured magnetism detected by actually measuring the magnetism generated along the navigation path when the mobile body navigates along the navigation path, the autonomous mobile body comprising:

a first magnetism sensor that is provided on the mobile body and detects first measured magnetism;

a second magnetism sensor that is provided in a position on the mobile body different from a position of the first magnetism sensor and detects second measured magnetism;

a storing section that stores the environmental magnetism data; and

a control unit that causes the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of a selected one of the first measured magnetism and the second measured magnetism, the selected one being specified by a matching property with the environmental magnetism data, and the environmental magnetism data, wherein when the selected one of the first measured magnetism and the second measured magnetism non longer has matching properties with the environmental magnetism data the other of said first measured magnetism and second measured magnetism is utilized for navigation, and

wherein the first magnetism sensor and second magnetism sensor both detect the first measured magnetism and second measured magnetism, respectively , at predetermined intervals during navigation of the mobile body.

6. The autonomous mobile body according to claim 5, wherein the control unit causes, when unexpected magnetism not included in the environmental magnetism data is detected as the first measured magnetism while causing the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of a comparison result of the first measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data, the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of a comparison result of the second measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data.

7. The autonomous mobile body according to claim 6, wherein the control unit causes, when unexpected magnetism is detected as the second measured magnetism while causing the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of the comparison result of the second measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data, the mobile body to autonomously navigate on the basis of the comparison result of the first measured magnetism and the environmental magnetism data.

8. The autonomous mobile body according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the first magnetism sensor and the second magnetism sensor are provided to be spaced apart from each other in one or both of a traveling direction of the mobile body and a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction.