Task execution system for autonomous robot

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12229598-B2
Application number	US-202117488309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2020
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

A scheduling system includes first circuitry and second circuitry. The first circuitry stores, in a memory, information on a plurality of tasks to be executed by at least one mobile device. The information on the plurality of tasks includes information on an estimated amount of battery consumption of the at least one mobile device in executing each of the plurality of tasks. The second circuitry receives designation of the plurality of tasks to be executed by the at least one mobile device. The second circuitry further causes a display to display a screen having a schedule in which the plurality of tasks is arranged for the at least one mobile device based on the information on the estimated amount of battery consumption.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An execution system, comprising:
at least one robot placed in a predetermined site, each robot including:
a drive motor for driving the robot; and
an imaging device;

a server configured to store, in a memory, information on a plurality of tasks to be executed by the at least one robot, the information on the plurality of tasks including information on an estimated amount of battery consumption of the at least one robot in executing each of the plurality of tasks; and
a communication terminal configured to
receive designation of the plurality of tasks to be executed by the at least one robot, and
cause a display to display an execution schedule on a screen, the execution schedule being for executing, by the at least one robot, the plurality of tasks and being based on the information on the estimated amount of battery consumption of the at least one robot to reduce the total battery consumption of the at least one robot, wherein

the server is further configured to cause the at least one robot to execute the plurality of tasks in accordance with the execution schedule by autonomously moving within the predetermined site, and
the plurality of tasks are inspection tasks for imaging target objects, by the imaging device, in the predetermined site.

2. The executions system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to store, in the memory, the execution schedule based on the information on the estimated amount of battery consumption.

3. The executions system of claim 2 , wherein the server is further configured to:
store, in the memory, one of a plurality of patterns in each of which the plurality of task is arranged as the execution schedule, wherein the plurality of patterns is based on the information on the estimated amount of battery consumption.

4. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of tasks includes one or more first tasks to each of which an execution start time is preset and one or more second tasks that are other than the one or more first tasks, and wherein the plurality of patterns in each of the one or more first tasks and the one or more second tasks are based on a priority.

5. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the one of the plurality of patterns satisfies a condition in which a final amount of battery remaining is greater than a threshold value, the final amount of battery remaining being an amount of battery remaining of the at least one robot after the plurality of tasks are completely executed.

6. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the one of the plurality of patterns satisfies another condition in which an estimated amount of battery remaining is greater than a threshold value, the estimated amount of battery remaining being an amount of battery remaining of the at least one robot for executing each of the plurality of tasks.

7. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the one of the plurality of patterns has an earliest end time among the plurality of patterns, the earliest end time being a time at which the plurality of tasks are completely executed.

8. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the one of the plurality of patterns has a minimum amount of movement of the at least one robot to execute the plurality of tasks among the plurality of patterns.

9. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the at least one robot includes a plurality of robots, and each of the plurality of robots is assigned with one or more of the plurality of tasks in each of the plurality of patterns.

10. The execution system of claim 9 , wherein the identified one of the plurality of patterns has a minimum number of replacement times among the plurality of patterns, the minimum number of replacement times being a minimum number of times to replace one of the plurality of robots with another one of the plurality of robots during execution of the execution schedule.

11. The execution system of claim 3 , wherein the communication terminal further receives a setting of priority of specific conditions, the one of the plurality of patterns being based at least on the setting of priority.

12. The execution system of claim 2 , wherein the server is further configured to reschedule the execution schedule in response to a condition in which an estimated final amount of battery remaining is equal to or less than a threshold value, the estimated final amount of battery remaining being an amount of battery remaining of the at least one robot after the plurality of tasks are completely executed and estimated in a middle of executing the plurality of tasks.

13. The execution system of claim 2 , wherein a rescheduling of the execution schedule occurs in response to at least one abnormality occurring in the at least one robot during execution of the plurality of tasks.

14. The execution system of claim 1 , wherein the screen having the execution schedule displayed by the display includes a map image indicating a current position of the at least one robot within the predetermined site.

15. The execution system of claim 1 , wherein the screen having the execution schedule displayed by the display includes an image captured by the imaging device of at least one robot and reflecting a current position of the at least one robot.

16. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a communication terminal, designation of a plurality of tasks to be executed by at least one robot, wherein information on an estimated amount of battery consumption in executing each of the plurality of tasks is stored in a memory;
displaying, by a communication terminal, an execution schedule on a screen, the execution schedule being for executing, by the at least one robot, the plurality of tasks and being based on the information on the estimated amount of battery consumption of the at least one robot to reduce the total battery consumption of the at least one robot; and
causing, by a server, the at least one robot to execute the plurality of tasks of the at least one robot in accordance with the execution schedule by autonomously moving within a site,
wherein the plurality of tasks are inspection tasks for imaging target objects, by an imaging device of the at least one robot, in the predetermined site.

17. A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving designation of a plurality of tasks to be executed by at least one robot, wherein information on an estimated amount of battery consumption in executing each of the plurality of tasks is stored in a memory;
displaying an execution schedule on a screen, the execution schedule being for executing, by the at least one robot, the plurality of tasks and being based on the information on the estimated amount of battery consumption of the at least one robot to reduce the total battery consumption of the at least one robot; and
causing the at least one robot to execute the plurality of tasks of the at least one robot in accordance with the execution schedule by autonomously moving within a predetermined site,
wherein the plurality of tasks are inspection tasks for imaging target objects, by an imaging device of the at least one robot, in the predetermined site.

Assignees

• Ohtsuka Aiko
• Kudo Koichi
• Yachida Masuyoshi
• Bando Hanako
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohtsuka Aiko
• Kudo Koichi
• Yachida Masuyoshi
• Bando Hanako

Classifications

• H04B1/38

  Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving · CPC title

• Y02P90/60

  Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes · CPC title

• Y02P90/02

  Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] · CPC title

• G05B2219/39361

  Minimize time-energy cost · CPC title

• G05B2219/36301

  Optimisation of sequence of operations · CPC title