Device control apparatus, and self-propelling electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9273973-B2
Application number	US-201314419044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2013
Priority date	Oct 23, 2012
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to find a route on which a self-propelling electronic device preferentially runs a region which (i) is designated by a user and (ii) the self-propelling electronic device ran less frequently. A server device ( 80 ) includes: a preferential running region specifying section ( 812 ) which specifies a predetermined number of regions in a running region included in a predetermined space which predetermined number of regions a self-propelling electronic device ( 20 ) has most recently run a fewest number or fewer numbers of times, the running region being a region which the self-propelling electronic device ( 20 ) can run and which is determined by a user's operation; a route searching section ( 813 ) which searches for a running route on which the self-propelling electronic device ( 20 ) runs at least once all of the predetermined number of regions in the running region, the predetermined number of regions being specified by the preferential running region specifying section ( 812 ); and an instruction issuing section ( 814 ) which issues, to the self-propelling electronic device ( 20 ), a control instruction for causing the self-propelling electronic device ( 20 ) to run the predetermined space along the running route searched for by the route searching section ( 813 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device controlling apparatus which controls running of a self-propelling electronic device that runs at least one predetermined space, comprising:
a running region information storing section which stores running region information indicative of a running region that represents a region which the self-propelling electronic device can run in the at least one predetermined space, the running region being determined by a user's operation;
a route history storing section which stores a history of a route which the self-propelling electronic device ran while carrying out a predetermined operation;
a running region specifying section which specifies, from a predetermined number of routes having been most recently stored in the route history storing section, a predetermined number of regions in the running region which predetermined number of regions the self-propelling electronic device has most recently run a fewest number or fewer numbers of times;
a route searching section which searches for a running route on which the self-propelling electronic device runs at least once all of the predetermined number of regions in the running region indicated by the running region information stored in the running region information storing section, the predetermined number of regions being specified by the running region specifying section; and
an instruction issuing section which (i) creates a control instruction for causing the self-propelling electronic device to run and carry out the predetermined operation in the at least one predetermined space along the running route searched for by the route searching section, and (ii) issues the control instruction to the self-propelling electronic device.

2. The device controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the running region further includes at least one priority region designated by a user's operation as a region where the predetermined operation is carefully carried out, and
the route searching section further searches for the running route on which the self-propelling electronic device runs all over the at least one priority region.

3. The device controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein whether or not the predetermined operation is carefully carried out in an appearance region is determined by a user's operation, the appearance region being a region which is newly included in the running region by changing the running region in accordance with a user's operation, and
the route searching section further searches for the running route on which the self-propelling electronic device runs all over the appearance region in which it is determined that the predetermined operation is carefully carried out.

4. The device controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the self-propelling electronic device includes an image capturing section which captures an image of surroundings of the self-propelling electronic device,
the running region information storing section stores pieces of layout information for a respective plurality of predetermined spaces included in the at least predetermined space, each of the pieces of layout information including the running region information and being indicative of a layout of a corresponding one of the plurality of predetermined spaces,
the device controlling apparatus further comprises:
a layout information generating section which obtains the image captured by the image capturing section, presumes a layout of one of the plurality of predetermined spaces from a feature of the image thus obtained, and generates a piece of layout information indicative of the layout thus presumed; and
a layout information specifying section which specifies, from the pieces of layout information stored in the running region information storing section, a piece of layout information indicative of a layout most similar to the layout indicated by the piece of layout information generated by the layout information generating section, and

the route searching section searches for a running route on which the self-propelling electronic device runs at least once all regions which are (i) included in the running region indicated by the running region information included in the piece of layout information specified by the layout information specifying section and (ii) specified by the running region specifying section.

5. A self-propelling electronic device which (i) receives a control instruction created by a device controlling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and (ii) runs and carries out the predetermined operation in the at least one predetermined space in accordance with the control instruction.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Sakamoto Jitsuo

Classifications

• A47L2201/04

  Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection · CPC title

• G01C21/34 Primary

  Route searching; Route guidance · CPC title

• G05D2201/0215

  Physics · mapped topic

• G05D1/0214

  in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13) · CPC title

• G05D1/0044 Primary

  by providing the operator with a computer generated representation of the environment of the vehicle, e.g. virtual reality, maps (maps used for automatic navigation G05D1/0274; flight directors G01C23/005) · CPC title