Autonomous mobile device

• US 8,897,917 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Shoji, Nakano, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao Long T
• Application Number:
  US13/121,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20110178669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• US Class Current: 700/253
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30

Abstract

An electronic controller defining an autonomous mobile device includes a self-location estimation unit to estimate a self-location based on a local map that is created according to distance/angle information relative to an object in the vicinity and the travel distance of an omni wheel, an environmental map creation unit to create an environmental map of a mobile area based on the self-location and the local map during the guided travel with using a joystick, a registration switch to register the self-location of the autonomous mobile device as the position coordinate of the setting point when the autonomous mobile device reaches a predetermined setting point during the guided travel, a storage unit to store the environmental map and the setting point, a route planning unit to plan the travel route by using the setting point on the environmental map stored in the storage unit, and a travel control unit to control the autonomous mobile device to autonomously travel along the travel route.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

an object information acquisition unit to acquire position information on an object existing near autonomous mobile device;

a local map creation unit to create a local map of surroundings of the autonomous mobile device based on the position information on the object acquired by the object information acquisition unit;

a moving unit to move the autonomous mobile device;

a self-location estimation unit to estimate a self-location based on the local map created by the local map creation unit and a travel distance of the moving unit;

a guiding unit to guide the autonomous mobile device by driving the moving unit based on an operation of a user;

an environmental map creation unit to create an environmental map of a mobile area, during the guiding by the guiding unit, based on the self-location estimated by the self-location estimation unit and the local map;

a teaching unit to teach to register, during the guiding by the guiding unit, the self-location of the autonomous mobile device when the autonomous mobile device is positioned at a predetermined setting point as a position coordinate of the setting point;

a storage unit to store the environmental map and the setting point;

a route planning unit to plan a travel route by using the setting point on the environmental map stored in the storage unit;

a control unit to control the moving unit so that the autonomous mobile device autonomously travels along the travel route planned by the route planning unit;

a differential map creation unit to create a differential map showing an object change level within the mobile area, upon the autonomous traveling along the travel route; and

a dynamic environmental map creation unit to create a dynamic environmental map based on an addition result of the differential map created by the differential map creation unit and the environmental map, upon the autonomous traveling along the travel route;

wherein

the self-location estimation unit compares each of the environmental map and the dynamic environmental map with the local map, and estimates the self-location based on the comparison result, upon the autonomous traveling along the travel route; and

the differential map creation unit updates the differential map based on the addition result of the dynamic environmental map and the local map, and the difference with regard to the environmental map.

2. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the teaching unit teaches, together with the registration of the setting point, to register attribute information on the setting point.