Spatiotemporal robot reservation systems and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744668-B1
Application number	US-201514832656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2015
Priority date	Aug 21, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for spatiotemporal reservations for robots. In various implementations, a sequence of spatial regions of an environment, and a sequence of respective time intervals that are reserved for a robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions, may be reserved for the robot. A default path through the sequence of spatial regions may be identified. During traversal of the default path, it may be determined that the default path will be unpassable by the robot through a given spatial region during a given time interval reserved for the robot to operate within the given spatial region. Thus, an alternative path through the given spatial region that is traversable by the robot during the given time interval may be identified. The robot may then be traversed along the alternative path through the given spatial region within the given time interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying, by an at least semi-autonomous robot, a sequence of spatial regions of an environment that are reserved for the robot;
identifying, by the robot, a sequence of respective time intervals that are reserved for the robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions;
identifying, by the robot, a default path through the sequence of spatial regions, wherein the default path is traversable by the robot during the sequence of time intervals that are reserved for the robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions;
determining, by the robot, that the default path will be unpassable by the robot through a given spatial region during a given time interval of the sequence of time intervals that is reserved for the robot to operate within the given spatial region;
identifying, by the robot, an alternative path through the given spatial region, wherein the alternative path is traversable by the robot during the given time interval; and
traversing, by the robot, the alternative path through the given spatial region within the given time interval.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the sequence of time intervals partially overlap.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of spatial regions comprises a sequence of contiguous spatial regions.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the alternative path comprises a first alternative path, and the method further comprises:
determining, by the robot, that the first alternative path does not regain the default path through a subsequent region that immediately follows the given spatial region in the sequence of spatial regions;
identifying, by the robot, a second alternative path through the subsequent region, wherein the second alternative path is traversable by the robot during a subsequent time interval during which the subsequent spatial region is reserved for the robot, and wherein the first alternative path connects to the second alternative path; and
traversing, by the robot, the second alternative path through the subsequent region within the subsequent time interval.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the alternative path regains the default path through a subsequent region that immediately follows the given spatial region in the sequence of spatial regions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the default path will be unpassable by the robot through the given spatial region during the given time interval comprises determining that an obstacle has been detected obstructing the default path.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the detection is performed by the robot.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the default path will be unpassable by the robot through the given spatial region during the given time interval comprises determining that an obstacle is predicted to obstruct the default path during the given time interval.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the default path is calculated by the robot.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the default path comprises receiving, by the robot, from a remote computing device, data indicative of the default path.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alternative path is calculated by the robot.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the alternative path comprises receiving, by the robot, from a remote computing device, data indicative of the alternative path.

13. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution of the instructions by logic of an at least semi-autonomous robot, cause the logic to perform the following operations:
identifying a sequence of spatial regions of an environment that are reserved for the robot;
identifying a sequence of respective time intervals that are reserved for the robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions;
identifying a default path through the sequence of spatial regions, wherein the default path is traversable by the robot during the sequence of time intervals that are reserved for the robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions;
determining that the default path will be unpassable by the robot through a given spatial region during a given time interval of the sequence of time intervals that is reserved for the robot to operate within the given spatial region;
identifying an alternative path through the given spatial region, wherein the alternative path is traversable by the robot during the given time interval; and
traversing the robot along the alternative path through the given spatial region within the given time interval.

14. A robot comprising:
logic;
one or more operational components operably coupled with the logic; and
memory operably coupled with the logic and storing instructions configured to cause the logic to:
identify a sequence of spatial regions of an environment that are reserved for the robot;
identify a sequence of respective time intervals that are reserved for the robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions;
identify a default path through the sequence of spatial regions, wherein the default path is traversable by the robot during the sequence of time intervals that are reserved for the robot to operate within the sequence of spatial regions;
determine that the default path will be unpassable by the robot through a given spatial region during a given time interval of the sequence of time intervals that is reserved for the robot to operate within the given spatial region;
identify an alternative path through the given spatial region, wherein the alternative path is traversable by the robot during the given time interval; and
traverse the robot along the alternative path through the given spatial region within the given time interval.

15. The robot of claim 14 , wherein at least two of the sequence of time intervals partially overlap.

16. The robot of claim 14 , wherein the sequence of spatial regions comprises a sequence of contiguous spatial regions.

17. The robot of claim 16 , wherein the alternative path comprises a first alternative path, the robot further comprising instructions configured to cause the logic to:
determine that the first alternative path does not regain the default path through a subsequent region that immediately follows the given spatial region in the sequence of spatial regions;
identify a second alternative path through the subsequent region, wherein the second alternative path is traversable by the robot during a subsequent time interval during which the subsequent spatial region is reserved for the robot, and wherein the first alternative path connects to the second alternative path; and
traverse the robot along the second alternative path through the subsequent region within the subsequent time interval.

18. The robot of claim 16 , wherein the alternative path regains the default path through a subsequent region that immediately follows the given spatial region in the sequence of spatial regions.

19. The robot of claim 14 , further comprising instructions configured to cause the logic to determine that an obstacle has been detected obstructing the default path.

20. The robot of claim 19 , wherein the detection is performed by the robot.

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Russell Jared
• Mason Julian Mac Neille
• Dresner Kurt Mauro

Classifications

• G05D1/0289 Primary

  with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93) · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• Y10S901/09

  Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement · CPC title

• B25J9/1666 Primary

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title