Safety compliance for mobile drive units
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- one or more processors; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;
determining one or more drive unit locations corresponding to one or more mobile drive units;
receiving a query message from individual mobile drive units of the one or more mobile drive units, the query message requesting permission to perform a set of activities;
transmitting an activity message to the one or more mobile drive units in response to the query message, the activity message instructing individual mobile drive units of the one or more mobile drive units to perform the set of activities within a physical area;
determining, via a locator device associated with a human, that a first location of the human is within the physical area;
determining that a first mobile drive unit of the one or more mobile drive units is within a first distance from the first location of the human;
ceasing transmission of the activity message to the first mobile drive unit, thereby causing the first mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities; and
at least partially in response to ceasing transmission of the activity message to the first mobile drive unit, causing the first mobile drive unit to perform a new action including at least one of a performance of at least a portion, but not all, of the set of activities by the first mobile drive unit, or relocation of the first mobile drive unit to a distance greater than the first distance from the first location of the human.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for making a physical area safe for a human to enter when mobile drive units (e.g., robots) are operating in the physical area are described. A management device may send an activity message to the mobile drive units instructing the mobile drive units to perform a set of activities. If a human is detected in the physical area, the management device may stop sending the activity command. If the mobile drive units do not receive the activity command, the mobile drive units may stop performing the set of activities. After the management device determines that the human has left the physical area, the management device may resume sending the activity message.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system comprising:
-
one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising; determining one or more drive unit locations corresponding to one or more mobile drive units; receiving a query message from individual mobile drive units of the one or more mobile drive units, the query message requesting permission to perform a set of activities; transmitting an activity message to the one or more mobile drive units in response to the query message, the activity message instructing individual mobile drive units of the one or more mobile drive units to perform the set of activities within a physical area; determining, via a locator device associated with a human, that a first location of the human is within the physical area; determining that a first mobile drive unit of the one or more mobile drive units is within a first distance from the first location of the human; ceasing transmission of the activity message to the first mobile drive unit, thereby causing the first mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities; and at least partially in response to ceasing transmission of the activity message to the first mobile drive unit, causing the first mobile drive unit to perform a new action including at least one of a performance of at least a portion, but not all, of the set of activities by the first mobile drive unit, or relocation of the first mobile drive unit to a distance greater than the first distance from the first location of the human. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
-
determining a drive unit location of a mobile drive unit that is performing a set of activities in a physical area; determining, via a locator device associated with a human, a location of the human within the physical area; determining whether the drive unit location is less than a predetermined distance from the location of the human; in response to determining that the drive unit location is less than the predetermined distance from the location of the human, ceasing transmission of an activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to perform the set of activities, thereby causing the mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities; and at least partially in response to ceasing transmission of the activity message to the first mobile drive unit, causing the drive unit to perform a standby operation that includes pausing the drive unit to await transmission of a command to resume the set of activities. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A system, comprising:
-
a mobile drive unit; a locator device associated with a human; and a management device configured to perform acts comprising; initiating transmission of an activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to perform a set of activities within a physical area; determining a drive unit location of the mobile drive unit; determining, via the locator device, a location of the human within the physical area; in response to determining that the drive unit location is less than a predetermined distance from the location of the human, ceasing the transmission of the activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to perform the set of activities, thereby causing the mobile drive unit to stop performing the set of activities; and at least partially in response to ceasing the transmission of the activity message instructing the mobile drive unit to perform the set of activities, transmitting an instructional message to the mobile drive unit to perform a new action including a relocation of the mobile drive unit to a second drive unit location located greater than the predetermined distance from the location of the human. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification