Scattered object collection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097409-B2
Application number	US-202117797324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2021
Priority date	Feb 6, 2020
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a highly reliable, cost-effective scattered object collection system that can efficiently collect scattered objects by reducing unnecessary traveling of a traveling collector. The scattered object collection system includes a traveling collector that performs a collecting operation by picking up balls B while traveling in a work area W, sets a virtual work area Z (or a virtual priority work area Za) to an area in the work area W where balls are relatively densely present and in the vicinity of the storage space of balls, and allows the traveling collector to perform a collecting operation in the virtual work area Z (or the virtual priority work area Za) with higher priority than the other areas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scattered object collection system comprising:
a traveling collector that performs a collecting operation by picking up scattered objects scattered in a work area while traveling in the work area; and
a virtual work area setting unit that sets a virtual work area where the traveling collector is allowed to perform a collecting operation in the work area, wherein
the virtual work area is set based on at least one of a position of a storage space where collected scattered objects are unloaded from the traveling collector and stored therein, a position of charging equipment where the traveling collector is charged, a release position where scattered objects are released, or a target position of scattered objects,
the virtual work area setting unit sets the virtual work area based on at least one of the position of the storage space, the position of the charging equipment, the release position, or the target position,
the virtual work area is set in the vicinity of at least one of the storage space, the charging equipment, or the target position, and
a neighboring area defined around at least one of the storage space, the charging equipment, or the target position and a virtual area defined beforehand in the work area are superimposed on one another, and a superimposed portion thereof is set as the virtual work area.

2. The scattered object collection system according to claim 1 , wherein the work area and at least one of the position of the storage space, the position of the charging equipment, the release position, or the target position are screen-displayed, and a user specifies the virtual work area based on the work area and at least one of the position of the storage space, the position of the charging equipment, the release position, or the target position.

3. The scattered object collection system according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual work area is set far away from the release position.

4. The scattered object collection system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a storage space setting unit that sets a storage space where collected scattered objects are unloaded from the traveling collector and stored therein or a charging equipment setting unit that sets a place of charging equipment where the traveling collector is charged, wherein at least one of the storage space or the charging equipment is set based on the virtual work area.

5. The scattered object collection system according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the storage space setting unit or the charging equipment setting unit sets at least one of the storage space or the charging equipment based on the virtual work area.

6. The scattered object collection system according to claim 5 , wherein the storage space is set in the vicinity of the virtual work area.

7. The scattered object collection system according to claim 4 , wherein the work area and the virtual work area are screen-displayed, and a user specifies at least one of the storage space or the charging equipment based on the work area and the virtual work area.

8. The scattered object collection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a scattered object density distribution map creation unit that creates a scattered object density distribution map including a plurality of dense areas having different densities of the scattered objects,
wherein the virtual work area is set based on the scattered object density distribution map.

9. The scattered object collection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a collector management unit that allows the traveling collector to perform a collecting operation in the virtual work area with higher priority than another area, the virtual work area set by the virtual work area setting unit.

10. The scattered object collection system according to claim 9 , wherein the virtual work area set by the virtual work area setting unit comprises a plurality of virtual work areas.

11. The scattered object collection system according to claim 10 , wherein the storage space where collected scattered objects are unloaded from the traveling collector and stored therein comprises a plurality of storage spaces.

12. The scattered object collection system according to claim 11 , wherein when an amount of collected scattered objects in the virtual work area set by the virtual work area setting unit has reached a predetermined amount, the collector management unit directs the traveling collector to a nearest storage space at that time among the plurality of storage spaces to unload the collected scattered objects into the nearest storage space.

13. The scattered object collection system according claim 10 , wherein the traveling collector comprises a plurality of traveling collectors.

14. The scattered object collection system according to claim 1 , wherein the traveling collector is an autonomous ball collector that collects golf balls in a golf driving range.

15. A scattered object collection system comprising:
a traveling collector that performs a collecting operation by picking up scattered objects scattered in a work area while traveling in the work area; and
a virtual work area setting unit that sets a virtual work area where the traveling collector is allowed to perform a collecting operation in the work area, wherein the storage space where collected scattered objects are unloaded from the traveling collector and stored therein is a collection groove for collecting scattered objects unloaded from the traveling collector, the collection groove being provided in the work area or along part or all of an outer periphery of the work area.

Assignees

• Yamabiko Corp

Inventors

• SUGI Kentaro
• Hiraki Hidenori
• Nakatsugi Koichi

Classifications

• A63B2047/022

  Autonomous machines which find their own way around the playing surface · CPC title

• G05D1/6486

  by taking into account surface condition, e.g. soiled · CPC title

• G05D1/246

  using environment maps, e.g. simultaneous localisation and mapping [SLAM] · CPC title

• G05D2107/24

  Sports fields, e.g. golf courses · CPC title

• G05D2105/14

  for collecting waste or trash · CPC title