Autonomous moving apparatus and autonomous movement system

• US 9,586,563 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kanai, Masaki, Arai, Masatsugu, Ichinose, Ryoko, Ono, Yukihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, John Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sood, Anshul
• Application Number:
  US14/420,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 701/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/08 hand actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/12 for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/18 operated by wayside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17 Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/021 specially adapted to land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An autonomous moving apparatus and an autonomous movement system has a configuration which prevents disabled autonomous moving apparatuses from traveling unexpectedly during collection. An autonomous moving apparatus 1 includes a wheel locking unit 116 which locks the wheels at the time of stop, a manipulation unit 119 which is provided at a location where manipulation thereof is enabled from the outside of the autonomous moving apparatus 1, and a wheel lock releasing unit 118 which releases the lock of the wheels when the manipulation unit 119 is manipulated by force from the outside. In addition, the wheel lock releasing unit 118 releases the lock of the wheels when force equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied to the manipulation unit 119 and maintains the lock of the wheels when the force applied to the manipulation unit 119 is less than the predetermined value.

Claims

1. An autonomous moving apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

an electromagnetic clutch which locks the wheels at a time when the autonomous moving apparatus stops;

a manipulation unit which is provided at a location where mechanical manipulation thereof is enabled from outside of the autonomous moving apparatus; and

a wheel lock releasing unit which includes a first wire connected to the manipulation unit, a lever connected to the first wire, and a second wire connected to the lever and the electromagnetic clutch, and the wheel lock releasing unit releases the lock of the wheels when the manipulation unit is mechanically manipulated by a force applied to the manipulation unit from the outside of the autonomous moving apparatus and transmitted to the electromagnetic clutch by the second wire.

2. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wheel lock releasing unit releases the lock of the wheels when the force applied to the manipulation unit is equal to or more than a predetermined value, and maintains the lock of the wheels when the force applied to the manipulation unit is less than the predetermined value.

3. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the manipulation unit is a knob,

wherein the force applied to the knob is a pulling force which causes the wheel lock releasing unit to release the lock of the wheels, and the wheel lock releasing unit includes a spring which returns the knob to a state to maintain the lock of the wheels when the pulling force is stopped, and

wherein a force to move the autonomous moving apparatus is more than the pulling force applied to the knob to release the lock of the wheels.

4. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the knob is configured to have a towing unit inserted therein to tow the autonomous moving apparatus by another autonomous moving apparatus.

5. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the manipulation unit is a button,

wherein the force applied to the button is a pressing force which causes the wheel lock releasing unit to release the lock of the wheels, and the wheel lock releasing unit includes a spring which returns the button to a state to maintain the lock of the wheels when the pressing force is stopped, and

wherein a force to move the autonomous moving apparatus is more than the pressing force applied to the button to release the lock of the wheels.

6. The autonomous moving apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a security unit which enables manipulation of the button by performing a predetermined manipulation.

7. An autonomous movement system comprising:

an autonomous moving apparatus performing autonomous movement; and

a control device monitoring a state of the autonomous moving apparatus and transmitting an instruction to the autonomous moving apparatus,

wherein the autonomous moving apparatus includes;

a plurality of wheels;

an electromagnetic clutch which locks the wheels at a time when the autonomous moving apparatus stops,

a manipulation unit which is provided at a location where mechanical manipulation thereof is enabled from outside of the autonomous moving apparatus, and

a wheel lock releasing unit which includes a first wire connected to the manipulation unit, a lever connected to the first wire, and a second wire connected to the lever and the electromagnetic clutch, and the wheel lock releasing unit releases the lock of the wheels when the manipulation unit is mechanically manipulated by a force applied to the manipulation unit from the outside the autonomous moving apparatus and transmitted to the electromagnetic clutch by the second wire.

8. The autonomous movement system according to claim 7,

wherein the wheel lock releasing unit releases the lock of the wheels when the force applied to the manipulation unit is equal to or more than a predetermined value, and maintains the lock of the wheels by the wheel locking unit when the force applied to the manipulation unit is less than the predetermined value.

9. The autonomous movement system according to claim 7,

wherein the autonomous moving apparatus includes a processor connected to a memory which stores instructions, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

select a stop position when a failure is detected in the autonomous moving apparatus according to a failed part of the autonomous moving apparatus.

10. The autonomous movement system according to claim 7,

wherein the autonomous moving apparatus includes a processor connected to a memory which stores instructions, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

acquire surrounding environment information,

move the autonomous moving apparatus to a road shoulder, and

stop the autonomous moving apparatus posterior to a disabled autonomous moving apparatus located on the road shoulder, on the basis of the environment information.

11. The autonomous movement system according to claim 10,

wherein the memory further stores instructions, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

transmit a notification that the autonomous moving apparatus itself has failed.

12. The autonomous movement system according to claim 7,

wherein the autonomous moving apparatus includes a processor connected to a memory which stores instructions, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

search for another autonomous moving apparatus stopped by failure, and

when the control device receives a notification showing that the other autonomous moving apparatus is stopped by the failure, from the other autonomous moving apparatus stopped by the failure, the control device transmits information regarding a position of the other autonomous moving apparatus stopped by the failure to the autonomous moving apparatus.

13. The autonomous movement system according to claim 7,

wherein the manipulation unit is a knob,

wherein the force applied to the knob is a pulling force which causes the wheel lock releasing unit to release the lock of the wheels,

wherein the autonomous moving apparatus includes a towing unit insertable into a corresponding knob of another autonomous moving apparatus to tow the other autonomous moving apparatus,

wherein the autonomous moving apparatus includes a processor connected to a memory which stores instructions, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

acquire surrounding environment information,

another autonomous moving apparatus, and

when the autonomous moving apparatus travels while towing the other autonomous moving apparatus by the towing unit, detect an obstacle, on the basis of the environment information.

14. The autonomous movement system according to claim 13,

wherein the memory further stores instructions, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

when the autonomous moving apparatus itself is being towed, detect an obstacle, on the basis of the environment information.