Autonomous mobile device

• US 8,897,947 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Nakano, Tsuyoshi, Tanaka, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US13/514,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20120283905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 701/25, 701/23, 700/258, 700/277, 700/253, 901/1, 901/46, 318/568.12
• US Class Current: 701/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0214 in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0238 using obstacle or wall sensors G05D1/0246 and G05D1/0289 take precedence; lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/007 using computer methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 Sensing device

Abstract

An autonomous mobile device that moves while autonomously avoiding zones into which entry should be avoided even if no obstacle exists therein includes a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, a storage unit that stores an environment map that shows an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map which shows a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited, a self-location estimation unit that estimates the self-location of a host device by using the obstacle information acquired by the laser range finder and the environment map, and a travel control unit that controls the host device to autonomously travel to the destination by avoiding the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone based on the estimated self-location, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

an obstacle sensor that acquires peripheral obstacle information;

a storage device that stores an environment map showing an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map showing a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited;

an estimation device that estimates a self-location of the mobile device by using obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor and the environment map;

a synthesizing device that generates a composite map by synthesizing the environment map and the no-entry zone map;

a calculation device that calculates avoidance information based on the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone by using the self-location estimated by the estimation device and the composite map generated by the synthesizing device; and

a controller arranged and programmed to control autonomous movement based on the self-location estimated by the estimation device, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map;

wherein

the controller is arranged and programmed to control the autonomous mobile device to not enter the no-entry zone even if the peripheral obstacle information indicates that no obstacle exists in the no-entry zone;

the estimation device estimates the self-location of the mobile device without using the no-entry zone map; and

the controller performs control to avoid the obstacle by using the avoidance information calculated by the calculation device and the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor.

2. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising a reception device that receives an operation to set the no-entry zone, wherein the storage device stores the no-entry zone map set based on the operation received by the reception device.

3. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the synthesizing device generates the composite map that reflects both the obstacle zone shown on the environment map and a no-entry zone shown on the no-entry zone map for each of pixels corresponding mutually to the environment map and the no-entry zone map.

4. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, further comprising a planning device that plans a path to a destination by using the composite map generated by the synthesizing device, wherein the controller controls the autonomous movement based on the path planned by the planning device.

5. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation device generates a virtual sensor output by calculating the avoidance information that is compatible with an output format of the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor.

6. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 5, further comprising an integration device that integrates the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor and the avoidance information calculated by the calculation device, wherein the controller performs control to avoid the obstacle by using the obstacle information and the avoidance information integrated by the integration device.

7. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle sensor is a laser range finder.

8. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 3, further comprising a planning device that plans a path to a destination by using the composite map generated by the synthesizing device, wherein the controller controls the autonomous movement based on the path planned by the planning device.

9. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

an obstacle sensor that acquires peripheral obstacle information;

a storage device that stores an environment map showing an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map showing a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited;

an estimation device that estimates a self-location of the mobile device by using obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor and the environment map;

a synthesizing device that generates a composite map by synthesizing the environment map and the no-entry zone map;

a calculation device that calculates avoidance information based on the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone by using the self-location estimated by the estimation device and the composite map generated by the synthesizing device; and

a controller arranged and programmed to control autonomous movement based on the self-location estimated by the estimation device, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map;

wherein

the controller is arranged and programmed to control the autonomous mobile device to not enter the no-entry zone even if the peripheral obstacle information indicates that no obstacle exists in the no-entry zone;

the estimation device estimates the self-location of the mobile device without using the no-entry zone map;

the synthesizing device generates the composite map that reflects both the obstacle zone shown on the environment map and the no-entry zone shown on the no-entry zone map for each of pixels corresponding mutually to the environment map and the no-entry zone map; and

the controller performs control to avoid the obstacle by using the avoidance information calculated by the calculation device and the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor.

10. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 9, further comprising a reception device that receives an operation to set the no-entry zone, wherein the storage device stores the no-entry zone map set based on the operation received by the reception device.

11. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 9, further comprising a planning device that plans a path to a destination by using the composite map generated by the synthesizing device, wherein the controller controls the autonomous movement based on the path planned by the planning device.

12. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 9, wherein the calculation device generates a virtual sensor output by calculating the avoidance information that is compatible with an output format of the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor.

13. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 12, further comprising an integration device that integrates the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor and the avoidance information calculated by the calculation device, wherein the controller performs control to avoid the obstacle by using the obstacle information and the avoidance information integrated by the integration device.

14. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 9, wherein the obstacle sensor is a laser range finder.

15. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

an obstacle sensor that acquires peripheral obstacle information;

a storage device that stores an environment map showing an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map showing a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited;

an estimation device that estimates a self-location of the mobile device by using obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor and the environment map;

a synthesizing device that generates a composite map by synthesizing the environment map and the no-entry zone map;

a planning device that plans a path to a destination by using the composite map generated by the synthesizing device;

a calculation device that calculates avoidance information based on the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone by using the self-location estimated by the estimation device and the composite map generated by the synthesizing device; and

a controller arranged and programmed to control autonomous movement based on the self-location estimated by the estimation device, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map;

wherein

the controller is arranged and programmed to control the autonomous mobile device to not enter the no-entry zone even if the peripheral obstacle information indicates that no obstacle exists in the no-entry zone;

the estimation device estimates the self-location of the mobile device without using the no-entry zone map;

the controller controls the autonomous movement based on the path planned by the planning device; and

the controller performs control to avoid the obstacle by using the avoidance information calculated by the calculation device and the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor.

16. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 15, further comprising a reception device that receives an operation to set the no-entry zone, wherein the storage device stores the no-entry zone map set based on the operation received by the reception device.

17. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the synthesizing device generates the composite map that reflects both the obstacle zone shown on the environment map and a no-entry zone shown on the no-entry zone map for each of pixels corresponding mutually to the environment map and the no-entry zone map.

18. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the calculation device generates a virtual sensor output by calculating the avoidance information that is compatible with an output format of the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor.

19. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 18, further comprising an integration device that integrates the obstacle information acquired by the obstacle sensor and the avoidance information calculated by the calculation device, wherein the controller performs control to avoid the obstacle by using the obstacle information and the avoidance information integrated by the integration device.

20. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the obstacle sensor is a laser range finder.