Spatiotemporal robotic navigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11099576-B2
Application number	US-201816044264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Jul 24, 2018
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

Spatiotemporal robotic navigation may include providing a set of robots non-conflicting access to the same shared resources at different times so that the robots may operate without continually accounting for the locations of the other robots and workers operating in the particular site, without continually planning or updating paths after determining an initial path, and without continuously adjusting movements as the robots near one another. The spatiotemporal robotic navigation involves generating spatiotemporal plans. Each plan has a set of objectives that a robot is to execute by different time intervals. Each plan is generated so as to not conflict with the resources being accessed by other robots at time intervals set in the plans of other robots.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
generating a spatiotemporal plan controlling execution of a task by a robot, wherein generating the spatiotemporal plan comprises defining a first time interval by which the robot is to access, without conflict from other robots, a first set of resources associated with executing a first portion of the task, and a second time interval, that is after the first time interval, by which the robot is to access, without conflict from the other robots, a second set of resources associated with executing a second portion of the task;
determining, by a controller of the robot, a first set of adjustments to one or more actuators, that control physical operation of the robot, wherein determining the first set of adjustments comprises adjusting one or more of speed, movement, or operation of the one or more actuators based on the first time interval provided in the spatiotemporal plan for accessing the first set of resources;
accessing, by physical operation of the robot, the first set of resources within the first time interval based on the one or more actuators operating according to the first set of adjustments;
determining, by the controller of the robot, a second set of adjustments to the one or more actuators based on the second time interval provided in the spatiotemporal plan for accessing the second set of resources, wherein determining the second set of adjustments comprises determining at least one of a different speed, movement, or operation to access the second set of resources by the second time interval; and
accessing, by physical operation of the robot, the second set of resources within the second time interval based on the one or more actuators operating according to the second set of adjustments.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising accelerating or decelerating the physical operation of the robot in response to operating the one or more actuators according to the second set of adjustments instead of the first set of adjustments.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that said accessing the second set of resources did not complete within the second time interval, and providing a wireless message from the robot to at least one other robot or a central planner regarding the robot unsuccessfully accessing the second set of resources within the second time interval.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spatiotemporal plan further comprises a precedence order permitting the robot access to the second set of resources after a different second robot has completed accessing the second set of resources.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising halting or slowing the physical operation of the robot prior to accessing the second set of resources and prior to the robot receiving a message indicating that the second robot has completed accessing the second set of resources.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising accelerating the physical operation of the robot in response to the robot receiving the message indicating that the second robot has completed accessing the second set of resources.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing, from the robot, a signal or message indicating completed access of the first set of resources in response to completing said accessing of the first set of resources within the first time interval.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said accessing the first set of resources comprises physically moving the robot through space corresponding to the first set of resources based on the first set of adjustments supplying a specific amount of power to at least one drive motor of the robot, the specific amount of power operating the drive motor at a speed sufficient to move the robot through the space corresponding to the first set of resources by the first time interval.

9. A method for autonomous robotic operation, the method comprising:
receiving a first objective and a second objective for autonomous execution by a plurality of robots via the plurality of robots accessing a plurality of shared resources available in a common site, the first objective and the second objective requiring access to at least one particular shared resource of the plurality of shared resources;
providing to a first robot of the plurality of robots, prior to the first robot performing physical operations associated with the first objective, a first plan comprising a first set of times during which the first robot is provided exclusive and non-conflicting access to different shared resources from a first set of the plurality of shared resources required for executing the first objective, wherein the first set of resources includes the particular shared resource, and the first plan specifies a first time interval within the first set of times during which the first robot has exclusive access to the particular shared resource;
providing to a second robot of the plurality of robots, prior to the second robot performing physical operations associated with the second objective, a second plan comprising a different second set of times during which the second robot is provided exclusive and non-conflicting access to different shared resources from a second set of the plurality of shared resources required for executing the second objective, wherein the second set of resources includes the particular shared resource, and the second plan specifies a second time interval within the second set of times during which the second robot has exclusive access to the particular shared resource; and
simultaneously executing the first objective with the first robot, and the second objective with the second robot, wherein said executing comprises (i) accessing each shared resource of the first set of shared resources within the first set of times with the first robot based on a first set of adjustments that regulate physical operation of the first robot according to the first set of times provided in the first plan for accessing the first set of shared resources, and (ii) accessing each shared resource of the second set of shared resources within the second set of times with the second robot based on a second set of adjustments that regulate physical operation of the second robot according to the second set of times provided in the second plan for accessing the second set of shared resources.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising avoiding conflict at the particular shared resource between the first robot and the second robot by accounting for the first set of shared resources reserved for access by the first robot at the first set of times when generating the second plan.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising generating a third plan for execution by a third robot of the plurality of robots based at least on the first plan and the second plan, wherein generating the third plan comprises reserving a third set of the plurality of shared resources at a different third set of times that do not conflict with access of the first set of shared resources by the first robot at the first set of times or access of the second set of shared resources by the second robot at the second set of times.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising avoiding conflict at the particular shared resource between the first robot and the second robot based on the first robot autonomously accessing each shared resource of the first set of shared resources by a set time in the first set of times, and the second robot autonomously accessing each shared resource of the second set of shared resources by a set time in the second set of times, without the first robot and the second robot continuously monitoring a movement, operation, or location of eac

Assignees

• Invia Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Grant William Shane Simpson
• Voorhies Randolph Charles
• Elazary Lior
• Parks Ii Daniel Frank

Classifications

• G05D1/0291

  Fleet control (monitoring fleets in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/127, G08G1/127) · CPC title

• G05D1/0221 Primary

  involving a learning process · CPC title

• G05D1/0219

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title

• G05D1/0217 Primary

  in accordance with energy consumption, time reduction or distance reduction criteria · CPC title

• G05D1/69 Primary

  Coordinated control of the position or course of two or more vehicles · CPC title