Autonomous mobile device, autonomous movement method, and recording medium storing program

• US 10,152,057 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawamura, Yoshihiro, Atsumi, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/332,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 701 23, 701 1, 700245, 700248, 700261, 901 1, 182 19
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/00 Measuring height; Measuring distances transverse to line of sight; Levelling between separated points; Surveyors' levels G01C3/20, G01C3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 5/06 by using barometric means
• 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 1/0212 with means for defining a desired trajectory involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287
• 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: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An acquirer of an autonomous mobile device acquires a value of level difference between a datum level and the device. A determiner determines whether the value of level difference acquired by the acquirer is equal to or higher than a given value. A movement restrictor restricts parallel shift of the device when the determiner determines that the value is equal to or higher than the given value.

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

a drive mechanism which is operable to perform parallel shifting to change a position of the device and to perform a rotation operation to rotate the device;

a controller which controls the drive mechanism; and

a barometric sensor;

wherein the controller controls the drive mechanism to restrict the parallel shifting and so as not to restrict the rotation operation, when a difference between an atmospheric pressure acquired by the barometric sensor and a reference atmospheric pressure acquired by another barometric sensor installed on a datum level is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

2. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is switchable between multiple different values.

3. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller acquires a value of a level difference between the datum level and the device;

the controller determines whether the value of the level difference acquired by the acquirer is equal to or higher than a given value;

when the controller determines that the value is equal to or higher than the given value and that the device is not moving, the controller restricts the parallel shifting of the device; and

when the controller determines that the value is equal to or higher than the given value and that the device is moving, the controller does not restrict movement of the device.

4. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller acquires a value of a level difference between the datum level and the device;

the controller determines whether the acquired value of the level difference falls within a movement restriction range defined by a first given value representing a lower limit and a second given value representing an upper limit; and

the controller restricts the parallel shifting of the device when the controller determines that the value of the level difference falls within the movement restriction range.

5. The autonomous mobile device according to claim 4, wherein:

the movement restriction range comprises multiple different non-overlapped movement restriction ranges;

the controller determines whether the acquired value of the level difference falls within any one movement restriction range among the multiple different movement restriction ranges; and

the controller restricts the parallel shifting of the device when the controller determines that the value of the level difference falls within any one movement restriction range and does not restrict the parallel shifting of the device when the controller determines that the value of the level difference falls within none of the movement restriction ranges.

6. An autonomous mobile device, comprising:

a drive mechanism which is operable to perform parallel shifting to change a position of the device and to perform a rotation operation to rotate the device;

a controller which controls the drive mechanism; and

an acceleration sensor;

wherein the controller controls the drive mechanism to restrict the parallel shifting and so as not to restrict the rotation operation, when a value of a level difference obtained by calculating a double integral of acceleration in a vertical direction from a datum level acquired by the acceleration sensor is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

7. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program that is executable by a computer to perform functions comprising:

controlling parallel shifting which changes a position of a device, the parallel shifting being performed by a drive mechanism of the device;

controlling a rotation operation which rotates the device, the rotation operation being performed by the drive mechanism;

acquiring a value of a level difference between a datum level and the device by a barometric sensor;

determining whether the acquired value of the level difference is equal to or higher than a given value; and

restricting parallel shifting of the device by the drive mechanism when it is determined that the value is equal to or higher than the given value.

8. A method for controlling a device, the method comprising:

controlling parallel shifting which changes a position of the device, the parallel shifting being performed by a drive mechanism of the device;

controlling a rotation operation which rotates the device, the rotation operation being performed by the drive mechanism;

acquiring a value of a level difference between a datum level and the device by a barometric sensor;

determining whether the acquired value of the level difference is equal to or higher than a given value; and

restricting parallel shifting of the device by the drive mechanism when it is determined that the value is equal to or higher than the given value.