Communication of information regarding a robot using an optical identifier

• US 10,671,088 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lutz, Kyle, Rublee, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Bao Long T
• Application Number:
  US15/595,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20170248966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 700247, 700248, 700250, 700258, 700259, 901 1, 901 47, 901 50, 701 296
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1682 Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32266 Priority orders
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39118 Cooperation between manipulator and vehicle with manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0291 Fleet control monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

A control system may perform functions including (i) storing data indicating an association between an optical identifier and a first robot, (ii) sending, to the first robot, data encoding the optical identifier for display by the first robot, and (iii) after sending the data encoding the optical identifier, sending, to a second robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the first robot. In some examples, the first robot may receive, from the control system, data encoding a second optical identifier of the first robot so that the first robot may display the second optical identifier instead of the first optical identifier. In some examples, a first robot may capture an image of an indication of a priority status of a second robot and perform an action based on comparing a first priority status of the first robot to the second priority status of the second robot.

Claims

1. A control system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the control system to perform functions comprising;

storing data indicating an association between an optical identifier and a pallet;

sending, to a computing device associated with the pallet, data encoding the optical identifier for display by the computing device; and

after sending the data encoding the optical identifier, sending, to a robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the optical identifier comprises a two-dimensional matrix code.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the optical identifier comprises one or more of (a) pulses of infrared light or (b) pulses of visible light.

4. The control system of claim 1, the functions further comprising:

receiving, from the robot, a message that includes data encoding the optical identifier,

wherein sending the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet comprises sending the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet in response to receiving the message.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein sending, to the robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet is performed in response to receiving a request from the robot to identify the pallet.

6. A method comprising:

storing data indicating an association between an optical identifier and a pallet;

sending, to a computing device associated with the pallet, data encoding the optical identifier for display by the computing device; and

after sending the data encoding the optical identifier, sending, to a robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical identifier comprises a two-dimensional matrix code.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical identifier comprises one or more of (a) pulses of infrared light or (b) pulses of visible light.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, from the robot, a message that includes data encoding the optical identifier,

wherein sending the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet comprises sending the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet in response to receiving the message.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein sending, to the robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet is performed in response to receiving a request from the robot to identify the pallet.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical identifier is displayed by a light source on the pallet.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the optical identifier is displayed on a display screen on the pallet.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the robot is an autonomous fork truck.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the robot identifies the pallet by capturing an image of the optical identifier.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein the method is performed by a control system that communicates with the computing device associated with the pallet using a wireless communication interface of the computing device.

16. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising:

storing data indicating an association between an optical identifier and a pallet;

sending, to a computing device associated with the pallet, data encoding the optical identifier for display by the computing device; and

after sending the data encoding the optical identifier, sending, to a robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the optical identifier comprises a two-dimensional matrix code.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the optical identifier comprises one or more of (a) pulses of infrared light or (b) pulses of visible light.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the functions further comprising:

receiving, from the robot, a message that includes data encoding the optical identifier,

wherein sending the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet comprises sending the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet in response to receiving the message.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein sending, to the robot, the data indicating the association between the optical identifier and the pallet is performed in response to receiving a request from the robot to identify the pallet.