Logistics system and logistics robot control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11966874-B2
Application number	US-202217742471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A logistics system provides a logistics service utilizing a logistics robot that delivers a package by autonomous traveling. The logistics system includes one or more processors configured to execute a delivery route determination process that determines a delivery route along which the logistics robot delivers the package. When there are a plurality of delivery route candidates from a position of the logistics robot to a delivery destination of the package, the one or more processors select the delivery route from the plurality of delivery route candidates based on at least one of a congestion degree of each of the plurality of delivery route candidates, a time of day, a weather condition, and energy consumption of the logistics robot along each of the plurality of delivery route candidates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A logistics system providing a logistics service utilizing a logistics robot that delivers a package by autonomous traveling,
the logistics system comprising one or more processors configured to:
execute a delivery route determination process that determines a delivery route along which the logistics robot delivers the package, and
execute a logistics robot control process that controls the logistics robot so as to deliver the package along the delivery route, wherein

when there are a plurality of delivery route candidates from a position of the logistics robot to a delivery destination of the package, the one or more processors are further configured to select, as the delivery route, a delivery route candidate from the plurality of delivery route candidates based on at least a congestion degree of each of the plurality of delivery route candidates, and a time of day, the congestion degree being considered differently in selecting the delivery route based on the time of day, and
the one or more processors are further configured to:
select a delivery route candidate with a lowest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route during a first time if day; and

select a delivery route candidate with a highest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route during a second time of day different from the first time of day.

2. The logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more processors are further configured to:
during the first time of day, apply a first score to a delivery route candidate with a highest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates, and apply a second score greater than the first score to a delivery route candidate with a lowest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates,
during the second time of day different from the first time of day, apply a third score to a delivery route candidate with a lowest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates, and apply a fourth score greater than the third score to a delivery route candidate with a highest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates, and
select a delivery route candidate with a greatest total score from among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route.

3. The logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein
the first time of day is a daytime, and
the second time of day is a night-time.

4. The logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of delivery route candidates include a ground route and an underground route, and
the one or more processors are further configured to:
during the first time of day, apply a first score to the underground route, and apply a second score greater than the first score to the ground route,
during the second time of day different from the first time of day, apply a third score to the ground route, and apply a fourth score greater than the third score to the underground route, and
select a delivery route candidate with a greatest total score from among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route.

5. The logistics system according to claim 4 , wherein
the first time of day is a daytime and the second time of day is a night-time, or
the first time of day is a night-time and the second time of day is a daytime.

6. The logistics system according to claim 4 , wherein
a distance to the delivery destination along the underground route is longer than a distance to the delivery destination along the ground route.

7. The logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of delivery route candidates include a ground route and an underground route,
a weather condition parameter includes at least one of an amount of rainfall, an amount of snowfall, an amount of dust fall, a wind speed, a fog density, and a temperature,
the one or more processors are further configured to:
when the weather condition parameter is equal to or greater than a threshold, apply a first score to the ground route, and apply a second score greater than the first score to the underground route, and
select a delivery route candidate with a greatest total score from among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route.

8. The logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein
the one or more processors are further configured to:
apply a score to a delivery route candidate with a lowest energy consumption of the logistics robot among the plurality of delivery route candidates, and
select a delivery route candidate with a greatest total score among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route.

9. The logistics system according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of delivery route candidates includes a past delivery route along which the logistics robot has previously traveled, and
the one or more processors are configured to:
apply a score to the past delivery route, and
select a delivery route candidate with a greatest total score among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the delivery route.

10. A logistics robot control method for controlling a logistics robot that delivers two packages by autonomous traveling,
the logistics robot control method comprising, by one or more processors:
determining two delivery routes along which the logistics robot delivers each of the two packages; and
controlling the logistics robot so as to deliver each of the two packages along the two delivery routes, wherein

the determining of each of the two delivery routes comprises, for a plurality of delivery route candidates from a respective position of the logistics robot to a delivery destination of the respective package being delivered, selecting, as the delivery route, a delivery route candidate from the plurality of delivery route candidates based on at least a congestion degree of each of the plurality of delivery route candidates, and a time of day, the congestion degree being considered differently in selecting the delivery route based on the time of day, and
the logistics robot control method further comprises, by the one or more processors:
for a first package of the two packages, selecting a delivery route candidate with a lowest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the respective delivery route for the first package during a first time of day; and
for a second package of the two packages, selecting a delivery route candidate with a highest congestion degree among the plurality of delivery route candidates as the respective delivery route for the second package during a second time of day different from the first time of day.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Otsuki Nobuhisa
• Lee Haeyeon
• Iwamoto Kunihiro
• Oishi Kota

Classifications

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• G05D1/0219 Primary

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title

• G06Q10/08355

  Routing methods · CPC title