Mobile robot and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020004263-A1
Application number	US-201916447239-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2019
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cleaning device includes: a range finding sensor; an acquisition unit which acquires a map and a first path along which the cleaning device is to move; a first identification unit which identifies a feature point which is a point where a distance between the object and the range finding sensor varies; a second identification unit which identifies a virtual point which is, among points on a virtual line segment, a point closest to the first path when the virtual line segment does not intersect with the first path, the virtual line segment extending toward the first path from the feature point, and having a maximum length within the predetermined range-finding range; a converter which converts the first path into a second path which passes through the virtual point; and a motor controller which causes the cleaning device to move along the second path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A mobile robot which moves in an environment, the mobile robot comprising:
a range finding sensor having a predetermined range-finding range; an acquisition unit which acquires a map of the environment including position information of an object, and a first path along which the mobile robot is to move in the environment; a first identification unit which identifies a feature point which is, among points each indicating a position of the object on the map, a point where, as viewed from a direction toward the point from the mobile robot, a distance between the object and the range finding sensor varies with movement of the mobile robot along the first path; a second identification unit which identifies a virtual point which is, among points on a virtual line segment, a point closest to the first path when the virtual line segment does not intersect with the first path, the virtual line segment extending toward the first path from the feature point, and having a maximum length within the predetermined range-finding range; a converter which converts the first path into a second path which passes through the virtual point; and a drive unit which causes the mobile robot to move along the second path.

2 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the feature point is a vertex on a borderline of a region where the mobile robot is capable of moving, the region being defined by the object on the map.

3 . The mobile robot according to claim 2 , wherein
the virtual line segment is set on a bisector which bisects an angle formed by the borderline at the vertex.

4 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the feature point is a point closest to the first path among points on a curved portion included in a borderline of a region where the mobile robot is capable of moving, the region being defined by the object on the map.

5 . The mobile robot according to claim 4 , wherein
the virtual line segment is set on a straight line which passes through the point closest to the first path among the points on the curved line, and perpendicularly intersects with the first path.

6 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the converter converts the first path into the second path by adding, to the first path, a path where the mobile robot moves back and forth on a line segment connecting a point on the first path closest to the virtual point and the virtual point.

7 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the second identification unit identifies, as the virtual point, a point, among the points on the virtual line segment, where a distance between the point and the first path is shortest and is a distance at which range finding is performable by the range finding sensor.

8 . The mobile robot according to claim 1 , wherein
the second identification unit identifies a first point and a second point each of which is the virtual point, and the converter prohibits conversion of the first path into the second path which passes through the second point, when a distance from a third point, which is a point on the first path closest to the first point, to a fourth point, which is a point on the first path closest to the second point, is equal to or less than a distance from the second point to the fourth point, and the mobile robot passes through the third point and the fourth point in this order in the first path.

9 . A method for controlling a mobile robot which moves in an environment and includes a range finding sensor having a predetermined range-finding range, the method comprising:
acquiring a map of the environment including position information of an object, and a first path along which the mobile robot is to move in the environment; identifying a feature point which is, among points each indicating a position of the object on the map, a point where, as viewed from a direction toward the point from the mobile robot, a distance between the object and the range finding sensor varies with movement of the mobile robot along the first path; identifying a virtual point which is, among points on a virtual line segment, a point closest to the first path when the virtual line segment does not intersect with the first path, the virtual line segment extending toward the first path from the feature point, and having a maximum length within the predetermined range-finding range; converting the first path into a second path which passes through the virtual point; and causing the mobile robot to move along the second path.

10 . A mobile robot which moves in an environment, the mobile robot comprising:
a range finding sensor having a predetermined range-finding range; and an acquisition unit which acquires a map of the environment including position information of an object, and a first path along which the mobile robot is to move in the environment, wherein the environment includes at least a first region and a second region, the environment is defined by a plurality of corners and a plurality of wall surfaces which surround the environment, a first corner of the plurality of corners is in contact with the first region and the second region, the mobile robot moves to satisfy at least one of first movement and second movement, the first movement is movement where, after the mobile robot enters the second region from the first region, the mobile robot moves such that one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the second region is positioned within the range-finding range, and the mobile robot moves to the first region from the second region, and the second movement is movement where, after the mobile robot enters the first region from the second region, the mobile robot moves such that one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the first region is positioned within the range-finding range, and the mobile robot moves to the second region from the first region.

11 . The mobile robot according to claim 10 , wherein
the mobile robot moves along one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the first region, to satisfy the first movement in entering the second region, and the mobile robot moves along one of the plurality of wall surfaces defining the second region so as not to satisfy the second movement in entering the first region.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Dalla Libera Fabio
• Tsusaka Yuko

Classifications

• A47L11/4011

  Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor · CPC title

• A47L11/4013

  Contaminants collecting devices, i.e. hoppers, tanks or the like · CPC title

• A47L11/4005

  Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements · CPC title

• A47L11/24 Primary

  Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven · CPC title

• A47L11/40

  Parts or details of machines not {provided for in} groups A47L11/02 - A47L11/38, {or not restricted to one of these groups}, e.g. handles, arrangements of switches, skirts, buffers, levers · CPC title