Robotic ordering and delivery system software and methods

• US 20070112461A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St Engineering Aethon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aethon
• Inventors: Zini, Aldo, Fairley, Stuart, Skirble, Barry, Allen, Spencer, Thorne, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31003 Supervise route, reserve route and allocate route to vehicle, avoid collision
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31006 Monitoring of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31007 Floor plan, map stored in on-board computer of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0225 involving docking at a fixed facility, e.g. base station or loading bay parking aids B62D15/027
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• 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 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0261 using magnetic plots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/46 : Sensing device

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices for the automated delivery of goods form one to another using a robotic tug and accompanying cart. A computer within the tug or cart stores an electronic map of the building floor plan and intended paths for the tug to take when traversing from one location to the next. During the delivery, a variety of different sensors and scanners gather data that is used to avoid obstacles and/or adjust the movement of the tug in order to more closely follow the intended path. The system preferably includes both wired and wireless networks that allow one or more tugs to communicate with a tug base station, a primary network located at the site of the delivery and a remote host center that monitors the status and data collected by the tugs.

Claims

1. A method for creating and using a map to navigate a robot within an area, comprising the steps of:

scanning a floor plan of said area;

converting said floor plan into a scaled computer representation of said floor plan;

electronically defining locations within said scaled computer representation;

electronically defining robot paths within said computer representation; and

loading said scaled computer representation into said robot; and

navigating said robot based upon said loaded computer representation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined locations represent robot destinations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined locations represent checkpoints at which the robot confirms its position during the navigating step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined locations represent elevators on which the robot can ride during the navigating step.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined locations represent automatic doors which the robot can open during the navigating step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined locations represent annunciators which can be triggered by the robot during the navigating step.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined paths are drawn with a freeform software tool.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically defined paths are assigned a speed limit which said robot adheres to during the navigating step.

9. The method of claim 1, where said steps of electronically defining locations and electronically defining robot paths is accomplished using a software program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said software program communicates with said robot from a remote location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said software program is adapted to receive data from said robot during the robot'"'"'s navigating step.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said software program is adapted to receive and display a video feed from said robot during the robot'"'"'s navigating step.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said navigating step comprises the steps of:

receiving an indication of a final destination to which the robot intends to travel;

determining a path on which to travel to said final destination based upon said computer representation; and

generating a list of x,y coordinates which represent the path on said computer representation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

converting said list of x,y coordinates into heading and velocity signals.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

accepting sensor data from sensors onboard said robot; and

adjusting the path in said determining step based on said sensor data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said sensor is an infrared sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said sensor data includes information received directly from a second robot.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said indication of a final destination is received from a remote host.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said indication of a final destination is an indication of more than one destination which are stored in said robot as a queue of destinations.

20. A method for tracking and managing RFID-tagged items, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of RFID tags, each of which is attached to a unique item;

scanning an area for said RFID items utilizing an antenna on a mobile robot;

downloading data captured during said scanning process into an asset management database; and

correlating said downloaded data to a position on a map of said area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said scanning step comprises the step of:

logging data received from said RFID tags with said antenna.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said scanning step further comprises:

sending a query signal from the mobile robot out the RFID tags in a surrounding environment.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said scanning step further comprises:

receiving an RFID identification signal from said RFID tags that is sent out periodically from said RFID tags.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said logged data includes an RFID tag identification number.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said logged data includes an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

pre-selecting at least one RFID tag for a notification activity; and

upon identifying said pre-selected RFID tag during said scanning step, sending a notification about said pre-selected tag from said robot to a user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said notification is an email message.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

providing at least one portal RFID scanner at a location on a border of said area; and

scanning with said portal scanner for said plurality of RFID tags.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

providing at least one handheld scanner; and

scanning with said handheld scanner for said plurality of RFID tags.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein said RFID tags are passive.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein said RFID tags are active.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein said asset management database logs a most recent time and location at which each of said plurality of RFID tags has been located.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein said asset management database calculates a confidence score for each of said plurality of RFID tags.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said confidence score is calculated based upon an RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator), a time of last identification and a frequency of last identification for each of said plurality of RFID tags.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein said asset management database is located at a remote host connected to said robot via wireless communications.