Travel control system

Abstract

To provide a travel control system capable of appropriately reflecting information such as obstacles on a travel map of an autonomously traveling robot.SOLUTION: A travel control system 400 for generating a travel map of an autonomously traveling robot 300 is provided with an imaging unit 123 for capturing an image around a travel map creation device 100 for creating a travel map for the autonomously traveling robot 300 or around the autonomously traveling robot 300, a display unit 250 for displaying an image captured by the imaging unit 123, a receiving unit 220 for accepting an instruction entered by a user, and a travel map creation unit 134 for determining an object included in the image displayed in the display unit 250 as an obstacle when the object is selected by the user via the receiving unit 220.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to cruise control systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, autonomous robots that travel autonomously are known. These autonomous robots are known to obtain information on the shape of the travel area in which the autonomous robot travels and obstacles present in the area when the autonomous robot starts traveling or while traveling, and to create a map for travel (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-522301 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, a robot can create a map of a navigable route and its surrounding environment while traveling along the route under the control of a user, but there are cases in which the map cannot adequately reflect information such as the shape of the travel area and obstacles.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a driving control system that can appropriately reflect information about obstacles and the like in a map for driving an autonomous robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a driving control system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a driving control system for creating a map for driving of an autonomously driving robot that drives autonomously, and includes a driving map creation device that creates a map for driving of the autonomously driving robot or an imaging unit that images the surroundings of the autonomously driving robot, a presentation unit that displays an image captured by the imaging unit, a reception unit that accepts instructions input by a user, and a driving map creation unit that, when an object included in the image displayed on the presentation unit is selected by the user via the reception unit, determines the object as an obstacle. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the driving control system of the present disclosure, information on obstacles and the like can be appropriately reflected in a map for driving an autonomous robot. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a control system for an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a driving control system for an autonomous driving robot according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the driving map creation device according to the embodiment, seen obliquely from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the driving map creation device according to the embodiment as viewed from the front side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as viewed from the side. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as viewed from the front. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the autonomous mobile robot according to the embodiment as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of the operation of the driving control system for the autonomous driving robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of presentation information in the first example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the presentation information in the first example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an object displayed on the reception unit in the first example. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an input of a designation of a no-travel area accepted by the accepting unit in the first example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of an object displayed on the reception unit in the first example. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a second example of the operation of the driving control system for the autonomous driving robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating a third example of the operation of the driving control system for the autonomous driving robot according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of presentation information in the third example. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of presentation information in which an image is added to the presentation information in the third example. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an input of a designation of a no-travel area accepted by the accepting unit in the third example. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of an object displayed on the reception unit in the third example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the cruise control system according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below shows a preferred specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection of the components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In addition, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims will be described as optional components.

[0010] The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0011] In addition, each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] In the following embodiments, expressions using the word "approximately" are used, such as "approximately triangular." For example, "approximately triangular" does not only mean that it is a perfect triangle, but also means that it is essentially a triangle, that is, it includes, for example, a triangle with rounded corners. The same applies to other expressions using "approximately."

[0013] In addition, in the following embodiments, an autonomous mobile robot moving along the floor surface of a specified area may be described as a top view when viewed vertically from above, and as a bottom view when viewed vertically from below.

[0014] (Embodiment) [Autonomous robot driving control system] [1. Overview] First, an overview of a driving control system for an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a driving control system for an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment.

[0015] The autonomous robot driving control system is a system for controlling the driving of an autonomous robot that autonomously drives in a predetermined area. The system creates a driving map that includes, for example, an area that includes some of the obstacles installed on a floor surrounded by walls in a building as a driving prohibited area, and creates a driving plan for the autonomous robot based on the created driving map. This allows the autonomous robot 300 to drive safely and appropriately on the floor according to the driving plan created by the system.

[0016] The building may be, for example, a hotel, a commercial facility, an office building, a hospital, a nursing home, a museum, or a library, or may be an apartment building or other collective housing. The obstacle is an object installed in the building, such as a trash can, a plant, a fire extinguisher, a signboard, an umbrella stand, an accordion curtain, or a pedestal.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the autonomous mobile robot driving control system according to the embodiment includes a driving map creation device 100, a user terminal device 200, and an autonomous mobile robot 300, for example.

[0018] 1, the driving map creation device 100 is placed on a dolly 190, and the user pushes the dolly 190 to move around the floor, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the driving map creation device 100 may be provided with wheels on the main body 101 and a drive unit including a motor for rotating the wheels, and may move around the floor by operating a remote control or the like. Also, for example, the driving map creation device 100 may further be provided with a handle on the main body 101, and in this case, the user may operate the handle to move the driving map creation device 100.

[0019] The travel map creation device 100 is equipped with, for example, two sensors with different detection methods, and creates a map of the floor while traveling on the floor. For example, the travel map creation device 100 generates presentation information based on the detection result of an object by one sensor and the detection result of an object that is an obstacle candidate by the other sensor. Then, the travel map creation device 100 determines the object that is an obstacle candidate as an obstacle based on an instruction from a user, and creates a travel map that includes an area that includes at least a part of the determined obstacle as a travel-prohibited area.

[0020] The user terminal device 200, for example, presents presentation information generated by the driving map creation device 100, accepts instructions input by a user, and outputs the instructions to the driving map creation device 100. For example, the instructions are an instruction to the user terminal device 200 to determine that an object that is an obstacle candidate is an obstacle, and an instruction to set an area including a part of the obstacle as a driving prohibited area in which driving of the autonomous driving robot is prohibited.

[0021] The autonomous robot 300 creates a travel plan based on a map for travel created by the travel map creation device 100, and autonomously travels on the floor according to the created travel plan. To carry out.

[0022] In this way, the autonomous robot's driving control system can create a driving plan based on a driving map that appropriately reflects information such as obstacles, thereby enabling the autonomous robot's driving to be appropriately controlled.

[0023] [2. Configuration] Next, a configuration of a driving control system for an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving control system for an autonomous mobile robot according to an embodiment.

[0024] The driving control system 400 according to the embodiment includes a driving map creation device 100, a user terminal device 200, and an autonomous driving robot 300. Each component will be described below.

[0025] [2-1. Driving map creation device] First, the travel map creation device 100 will be described. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the travel map creation device 100 according to the embodiment, seen from diagonally above. Fig. 4 is a front view of the travel map creation device 100 according to the embodiment, seen from the front.

[0026] The travel map creation device 100 is a device that creates a map for travel of an autonomous robot that travels autonomously in a predetermined area. More specifically, the travel map creation device 100 is a device that creates a map for travel that reflects information about obstacles present in a predetermined area while traveling in the predetermined area by a user's operation. The information about the obstacles includes, for example, the outline shape (hereinafter also referred to as the shape) and position of the obstacle in a plan view in the predetermined area, and information about the shape, position, and size of a prohibited area for the autonomous robot that includes a part of the obstacle.

[0027] 1 and 3, the driving map creation device 100 is placed on a dolly 190 and driven in a predetermined area by a user's operation. For example, the dolly 190 may have a handle 191 attached with a stand 192 for placing the user terminal device 200 thereon.

[0028] 2, the driving map creation device 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 110, a sensor unit 120, a control unit 130, a storage unit 140, a reception unit 150, and a notification unit 160. Each component will be described below.

[0029] [Communications Department] The communication unit 110 is a communication module (also called a communication circuit) for the driving map creation device 100 to communicate with the user terminal device 200 and the autonomous driving robot 300 via a wide area communication network 10 such as the Internet. The communication performed by the communication unit 110 may be wireless communication or wired communication. There is no particular limitation on the communication standard used for the communication.

[0030] [Sensor section] The sensor unit 120 includes, for example, a first sensor 121, a second sensor 122, and an imaging unit 123.

[0031] The first sensor 121 detects objects around the vehicle and acquires the positional relationship of the objects with respect to the vehicle. For example, the first sensor 121 is disposed in the center of the top surface of the main body 101, and the first sensor 121 acquires the distance between the vehicle and objects including walls around the vehicle. The first sensor 121 acquires a positional relationship including the distance and direction. The first sensor 121 may be, for example, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) that emits light and detects a positional relationship (for example, an object's position and a distance from the self to the object) based on the light reflected by an obstacle, or a laser range finder. In particular, the first sensor 121 may be a LIDAR. The first sensor 121 may have one or two optical scanning axes to perform two-dimensional measurement or three-dimensional measurement of a predetermined area around the driving map creation device 100.

[0032] The second sensor 122 detects objects that are potential obstacles around the vehicle itself using a method different from that of the first sensor, and acquires the positional relationship of the objects that are potential obstacles relative to the vehicle itself. The second sensor 122 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or a distance sensor. For example, the second sensor 122 may be a ToF (Time of Flight) camera or a compound eye camera that acquires an image of illumination light or natural light reflected by an obstacle and acquires the positional relationship (for example, the position of the object and the distance from the vehicle itself to the object) based on parallax. Among others, the second sensor 122 may be an ultrasonic sensor. In this case, the second sensor 122 has a transmitter 122a arranged in the center of the front of the main body 101 and receivers 122b arranged on both sides of the transmitter 122a, and the receivers 122b receive ultrasonic waves that are transmitted from the transmitter 122a and reflected by the obstacle and returned, thereby detecting the distance and position of the obstacle. Furthermore, when the second sensor 122 is a distance measurement sensor, it detects the distance between the road map creation device 100 and an object such as an obstacle present around the road map creation device 100. The distance measurement sensor is a so-called laser range scanner that scans with laser light and measures the distance based on the light reflected by an obstacle.

[0033] The imaging unit 123 is an imaging device that captures images of the surroundings of the driving map creation device 100. The images captured by the imaging unit 123 are processed, and the current position of the driving map creation device 100 can be determined from the positions of feature points in the images.

[0034] 3 and 4, the travel map creation device 100 does not include a drive unit that enables the travel map creation device 100 to travel, but the travel map creation device 100 may include a drive unit. The drive unit includes, for example, wheels for traveling on a floor surface, a travel motor for applying torque to the wheels, and a housing for accommodating the travel motor. In this case, the second sensor 122 may be, for example, an encoder or a sensor such as an acceleration sensor.

[0035] The sensor unit 120 is not limited to the above example, and may include other types of sensors.

[0036] [Control Unit] 2, the control unit 130 performs various calculations based on sensor information obtained by sensing the environment around the driving map creation device 100 using the sensor unit 120 and user instructions received by the reception unit 150. Specifically, the control unit 130 is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 130 may also be realized by a combination of two or more of the processor, the microcomputer, or the dedicated circuit. For example, the control unit 130 includes a self-position calculation unit 131, an obstacle position calculation unit 132, a presentation information generation unit 133, and a driving map creation unit 134.

[0037] The self-position calculation unit 131 acquires, for example, a floor map stored in the memory unit 140 and the positional relationship of an object with respect to the driving map creation device 100 acquired by the first sensor 121 (i.e., sensor information), and calculates the self-position of the driving map creation device 100 on the floor map based on the acquired floor map and sensor information.

[0038] The obstacle position calculation unit 132 calculates the position of the object that is a candidate obstacle based on the positional relationship of the object that is a candidate obstacle relative to the vehicle itself acquired by the second sensor 122 and the self-position calculated by the self-position calculation unit 131.

[0039] The presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information to be presented to the user based on the positional relationship acquired by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122. For example, when an object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a potential obstacle is detected by the second sensor 122, the presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information including at least information about the object detected by the first sensor 121. The information about the object is, for example, information about the contour shape (i.e., shape), size, and position in a planar view of the object detected by the first sensor 121. The object detected by the first sensor 121 is, for example, a wall surface, a pillar, a door, a window, and furniture.

[0040] For example, the presentation information generation unit 133 may generate, as the presentation information, a diagram in which an object detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a potential obstacle detected by the second sensor 122 are each drawn with different types of lines.

[0041] Furthermore, for example, the presentation information generation unit 133 may generate, as the presentation information, a diagram in which an object detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a potential obstacle detected by the second sensor 122 are depicted in different colors.

[0042] When no object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is an obstacle candidate is detected by the second sensor 122, the presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information including information about the object that is an obstacle candidate. The information about the object that is an obstacle candidate is, for example, information about the outline shape (i.e., shape), size, and position in a plan view of the object that is an obstacle candidate detected by the second sensor 122. The objects that are obstacle candidates detected by the second sensor 122 are, for example, walls, pillars, doors, windows, and furniture, as well as steps such as thresholds, fire extinguishers, signs, potted plants, accordion curtains, and trash cans.

[0043] The presentation information generating unit 133 may generate presentation information including an image captured by the imaging unit 123 in addition to the above presentation information.

[0044] The travel map creation unit 134 determines, based on a user's instruction, at least one of the objects detected by the first sensor 121 and the objects detected by the second sensor 122 as obstacles, and creates a travel map including an area including at least a part of the determined obstacle as a travel-prohibited area. The travel map creation unit 134 outputs the created travel map to the user terminal device 200 and the autonomous mobile robot 300 via the communication unit 110.

[0045] [Storage] The storage unit 140 is a storage device that stores a floor map, sensing information acquired by the sensor unit 120, and the like. Furthermore, a map for driving created by the driving map creation unit 134 may be stored in the storage unit 140. The storage unit 140 also stores computer programs executed by the control unit 130 to perform the above-mentioned arithmetic processing, and the like. The storage unit 140 is realized by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a flash memory, or the like.

[0046] [Reception] The receiving unit 150 receives instructions input by a user. The user's instructions may be, for example, , instructions on determining an obstacle and designating a no-travel area. The reception unit 150 may be realized by, for example, a touch panel, a display panel, a hardware button, or a microphone. The touch panel may be, for example, a capacitive touch panel or a resistive touch panel. The display panel has a function of displaying images and a function of accepting manual input from the user, and accepts input operations to a numeric keypad image or the like displayed on a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel. The microphone accepts voice input from the user.

[0047] In this example, the reception unit 150 is a component of the driving map creation device 100, but the reception unit 150 may be integrated with at least one of the other components of the driving control system 400. For example, the reception unit 150 may be incorporated in the user terminal device 200 or a remote controller (not shown).

[0048] [Notification Department] The notification unit 160 notifies the user when the first sensor 121 does not detect an object and the second sensor 122 detects an object that is a potential obstacle. The notification unit 160 is, for example, a speaker or a light source. The speaker notifies the user by emitting, for example, sound or voice. The light source is, for example, an LED lamp, and notifies the user by emitting light such as white light, red light, or blue light.

[0049] In the examples of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, one notification unit 160 is provided in the road map creation device 100, but two or more notification units 160 may be provided. When two notification units 160 are provided in the road map creation device 100, the two notification units 160 may be provided on the left and right sides of the road map creation device 100. In this case, the notification unit 160 on the right side may notify the user that an object that is a candidate for an obstacle has been detected on the right side of the road map creation device 100 in the traveling direction, and the notification unit 160 on the left side may notify the user that an object that is a candidate for an obstacle has been detected on the left side of the road map creation device 100 in the traveling direction. The number of notification units 160 may be determined according to the design.

[0050] The presentation unit 170 presents the presentation information generated by the presentation information generation unit 133. The presentation unit 170 may be realized, for example, by a display panel, or may be realized by a display panel and a speaker. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The speaker outputs sound or audio.

[0051] [2-2. User terminal device] Next, the user terminal device 200 will be described. The user terminal device 200 is, for example, a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by a user, but may also be a stationary information terminal such as a personal computer. The user terminal device 200 includes a communication unit 210, a reception unit 220, a control unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a presentation unit 250. Each component will be described below.

[0052] [Communications Department] The communication unit 210 is a communication circuit for the user terminal device 200 to communicate with the driving map creation device 100 and the autonomous driving robot 300 via a wide area communication network 10 such as the Internet. The communication unit 210 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. There is no particular limitation on the communication standard of the communication performed by the communication unit 210.

[0053] [Reception] The reception unit 220 receives instructions input by a user. More specifically, the reception unit 220 receives an input operation performed to transmit the user's instructions to the driving map production device 100. The reception unit 220 may be, for example, a touch panel, a display panel, a hardware button, or Alternatively, it may be realized by a microphone, etc. Specific examples of the touch panel, the display panel, and the microphone are the same as those described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0054] In this example, the reception unit 220 is a component of the user terminal device 200, but the reception unit 220 may be integrated with at least one of the other components of the driving control system 400. For example, the reception unit 220 may be incorporated in the driving map creation device 100 or in a remote controller (not shown).

[0055] [Control Unit] The control unit 230 controls the display of images on the reception unit 220, and performs voice recognition processing of voice input by the user, etc. The control unit 230 may be realized by, for example, a microcomputer or a processor.

[0056] [Storage] The storage unit 240 is a storage device that stores dedicated application programs and the like to be executed by the control unit 230. The storage unit 240 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0057] [Presentation part] The presentation unit 250 presents the presentation information generated by the presentation information generation unit 133 of the driving map creation device 100. The presentation unit 250 may be realized, for example, by a display panel, or may be realized by a display panel and a speaker. The display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel. The speaker outputs sound or audio.

[0058] [2-3. Autonomous robots] Next, the autonomous mobile robot 300 will be described. The autonomous mobile robot 300 is a robot that travels autonomously. More specifically, the autonomous mobile robot 300 acquires a map for travel created by the travel map creation device 100, and travels autonomously in a predetermined area corresponding to the map for travel. The autonomous mobile robot 300 is not particularly limited as long as it is a robot that travels autonomously, but may be, for example, a transport robot that transports luggage or the like, or a vacuum cleaner. An example in which the autonomous mobile robot 300 is a vacuum cleaner will be described below.

[0059] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot 300 according to the embodiment as seen from the side. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot 300 according to the embodiment as seen from the front. Fig. 7 is a bottom view showing the external appearance of the autonomous mobile robot 300 according to the embodiment as seen from the back.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 5, the autonomous mobile robot 300 includes, for example, a housing 301, two side brushes 361, a main brush 362, two wheels 351, and a position sensor 320.

[0061] Housing 301 houses each of the components of autonomous mobile robot 300. In this embodiment, housing 301 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from above. The shape of housing 301 when viewed from above is not particularly limited. The shape of housing 301 when viewed from above may be, for example, a substantially rectangular shape, a substantially triangular shape, or a substantially polygonal shape. Housing 301 has a suction port 363 on the bottom surface.

[0062] The side brush 361 is a brush for cleaning the floor surface, and is provided on the underside of the housing 301. In this embodiment, the autonomous mobile robot 300 has two side brushes 36 The number of side brushes 361 included in the autonomous mobile robot 300 is not particularly limited and may be one, or may be three or more.

[0063] Main brush 362 is disposed in suction port 363, which is an opening provided on the bottom surface of housing 301, and is a brush for raking up dust on the floor surface into suction port 363.

[0064] The two wheels 351 are used to propel the autonomous mobile robot 300.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 2, the autonomous mobile robot 300 includes, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, for example, a housing 301, a position sensor 320, a drive unit 350 arranged in the housing 301 to enable the housing 301 to move, and a cleaning unit 360 that cleans the floor surface.

[0066] [Position sensor] The position sensor 320 is a sensor that detects objects around the housing 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 and acquires the positional relationship of the object with respect to the housing 301. The position sensor 320 may be, for example, a LIDAR that detects the positional relationship (for example, the position of an object and the distance from the robot itself to the object) based on the light that is emitted and reflected by an obstacle, or a laser range finder. Among others, the position sensor 320 may be a LIDAR.

[0067] Next, the functional configuration of the autonomous mobile robot 300 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0068] The autonomous mobile robot 300 includes a communication unit 310, a position sensor 320, a control unit 330, a storage unit 340, a driving unit 350, and a cleaning unit 360. The position sensor 320 has been described above, and therefore will not be described here.

[0069] [Communications Department] The communication unit 310 is a communication circuit for the autonomous mobile robot 300 to communicate with the driving map creation device 100 and the user terminal device 200 via a wide area communication network 10 such as the Internet. The communication unit 310 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit for wireless communication. There is no particular limitation on the communication standard of the communication performed by the communication unit 310.

[0070] [Control Unit] The control unit 330 performs various calculations based on sensor information obtained by sensing the environment around the autonomous mobile robot 300 using the position sensor 320 and a map for traveling. Specifically, the control unit 330 is realized by a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. The control unit 330 may also be realized by a combination of two or more of a processor, a microcomputer, or a dedicated circuit. For example, the control unit 330 includes a traveling map acquisition unit 331, a self-position calculation unit 332, a traveling plan creation unit 333, a drive control unit 334, and a cleaning control unit 335.

[0071] The driving map acquisition unit 331 acquires a driving map created by the driving map creation device 100. The driving map acquisition unit 331 may acquire the driving map by reading out the driving map stored in the storage unit 340, or may acquire the driving map output by the driving map creation device 100 via communication.

[0072] The self-position calculation unit 332 calculates the self-position, which is the position of the casing 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 on the map for driving, based on, for example, the map for driving acquired by the driving map acquisition unit 331 and the positional relationship of surrounding objects to the casing 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 acquired by the position sensor 320 (i.e., sensor information).

[0073] The travel plan creation unit 333 creates a travel plan based on a map for travel and the self-location. For example, as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, when the autonomous mobile robot 300 is a vacuum cleaner, the travel plan creation unit 333 may further create a cleaning plan. For example, when there are multiple cleaning areas (e.g., rooms or sections) to be cleaned by the autonomous mobile robot 300, the cleaning plan includes the cleaning order for cleaning these cleaning areas, the travel path and cleaning mode in each area, and the like. The cleaning mode is, for example, a combination of the travel speed of the autonomous mobile robot 300, the suction strength for sucking up dirt on the floor surface, and the rotation speed of the brush.

[0074] The drive control unit 334 controls the drive unit 350 based on the driving plan. More specifically, the drive control unit 334 performs information processing for controlling the operation of the drive unit 350. For example, the drive control unit 334 derives control conditions for the drive unit 350 based on information such as a map for driving and the vehicle's own position in addition to the driving plan, and generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the drive unit 350 based on the control conditions. The drive control unit 334 outputs the generated control signal to the drive unit 350. Note that details such as the derivation of the control conditions for the drive unit 350 are the same as those of conventional autonomous driving robots, and therefore will not be described here.

[0075] The cleaning control unit 335 controls the cleaning unit 360 based on the cleaning plan. More specifically, the cleaning control unit 335 performs information processing for controlling the operation of the cleaning unit 360. For example, the cleaning control unit 335 derives control conditions for the cleaning unit 360 based on information such as a map for travel and the self-position in addition to the cleaning plan, and generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the cleaning unit 360 based on the control conditions. The cleaning control unit 335 outputs the generated control signal to the cleaning unit 360. Note that details such as the derivation of the control conditions for the cleaning unit 360 are the same as those of a conventional autonomous vacuum cleaner, and therefore will not be described.

[0076] [Storage] The storage unit 340 is a storage device that stores a map for driving, sensor information sensed by the position sensor 320 (for example, the positional relationship of surrounding objects with respect to the housing 301), and a computer program executed by the control unit 330. The storage unit 340 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0077] [Drive unit] The driving section 350 is disposed in the housing 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300, and allows the housing 301 to move (also referred to as movable). The driving section 350 includes, for example, a pair of driving units (not shown). The driving units are disposed on the left and right sides of the center in the width direction of the autonomous mobile robot 300 in a plan view. The number of driving units is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more.

[0078] For example, the drive unit has wheels 351 (see Figs. 5 to 7) that run on a floor surface, a travel motor (not shown) that applies torque to the wheels 351, and a housing (not shown) that accommodates the travel motor. Each wheel 351 of the pair of drive units is accommodated in a recess (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the housing 301, and is attached so as to be rotatable with respect to the housing 301. The autonomous mobile robot 300 may be an opposed two-wheel type equipped with casters (not shown) as auxiliary wheels. In this case, the drive unit 350 can independently control the rotation of each wheel 351 of the pair of drive units to allow the autonomous mobile robot 300 to travel freely, such as forward, backward, left rotation, and right rotation. When the autonomous mobile robot 300 rotates left or right while moving forward or backward, it turns left or right when moving forward or backward. On the other hand, when the autonomous mobile robot 300 rotates left or right without moving forward or backward, it turns at the current point. In this manner, the driving section 350 moves or rotates the housing 301 by independently controlling the operation of the pair of driving units. The drive unit 350 operates the running motor and the like based on instructions from the drive control unit 334 to cause the autonomous running robot 300 to run.

[0079] [Cleaning Department] The cleaning unit 360 is disposed in the housing 301 of the autonomous mobile robot 300, and performs at least one cleaning operation of wiping, sweeping, and sucking dust on the floor surface around the housing 301. For example, the cleaning unit 360 sucks up dirt such as dust present on the floor surface from a suction port 363 (see FIG. 7). The suction port 363 is provided at the bottom of the housing 301 so that dirt such as dust present on the floor surface can be sucked into the housing 301. Although not shown, the cleaning unit 360 includes a brush drive motor that rotates the side brush 361 and the main brush 362, a suction motor that sucks up dirt from the suction port 363, a power transmission unit that transmits power to these motors, and a dirt storage unit that stores the sucked up dirt. The cleaning unit 360 operates the brush drive motor, the suction motor, and the like based on a control signal output from the cleaning control unit 335. The side brushes 361 sweep up dirt on the floor surface around the housing 301, and guide the dirt to the suction port 363 and the main brush 362. As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the autonomous mobile robot 300 includes two side brushes 361. Each side brush 361 is disposed on the side of the front of the bottom surface of the housing 301 (i.e., the forward direction). The rotation direction of the side brushes 361 is a direction in which the side brushes 361 can sweep up dirt from the front of the housing 301 toward the suction port 363. The number of side brushes 361 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. The number of side brushes 361 may be arbitrarily selected by the user. Each side brush 361 may have a detachable structure.

[0080] [3. Operation] Next, the operation of the driving control system 400 of the autonomous driving robot 300 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0081] [First example] First, a first example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot driving control system 400 according to the embodiment will be described. In the first example, presentation information created based on the positional relationship acquired by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122 is presented to the user, a map for driving is created based on the user's instruction, and the autonomous mobile robot 300 creates a driving plan based on the map for driving. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a first example of the operation of the autonomous mobile robot 300 driving control system 400 according to the embodiment.

[0082] Although not shown, the driving map creation device 100 starts driving by a user's operation. When driving starts, the driving control system 400 performs, for example, the following operations. Note that the driving map creation device 100 may be driven by the user operating a steering wheel, or may be driven by operating a joystick or a remote control.

[0083] The first sensor 121 detects an object around the sensor itself and acquires the positional relationship of the object with respect to the sensor itself (step S11). The first sensor 121 is, for example, a LIDAR. The LIDAR measures the distance to an object such as a wall at a predetermined angular interval and acquires data indicating the position of the measured measurement point. Since the LIDAR performs measurements at a predetermined angular interval, there are cases where the LIDAR cannot accurately detect objects that are potential obstacles, such as a fire extinguisher, a signboard, and a flowerpot.

[0084] The second sensor 122 detects objects that are potential obstacles around the vehicle using a method different from that of the first sensor 121, and acquires the positional relationship of the objects that are potential obstacles with respect to the vehicle (step S12). The second sensor 122 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is capable of detecting objects that are difficult to detect with LIDAR (i.e., objects that are potential obstacles). do.

[0085] Next, the presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information to be presented to the user based on the positional relationship acquired by the first sensor 121 in step S11 and the positional relationship acquired by the second sensor 122 in step S12 (step S13). The presentation information may be, for example, a layout diagram showing the positional relationship between walls in a building and objects that may be obstacles, such as trash cans, that exist on the floor, and may include information in the form of text, sound, or voice in addition to the layout diagram. Furthermore, the presentation information may include an image obtained by imaging by the imaging unit 123.

[0086] For example, when an object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a candidate obstacle is detected by the second sensor 122, the presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information including at least information about the object detected by the first sensor 121. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing presentation information P1, which is an example of presentation information in the first example. As shown in FIG. 9, the presentation information P1 is a layout diagram showing the positional relationship between the object (here, the wall 1 and the trash can 2) detected by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122 and the object (here, the wall 1 and the trash can 2) that is a candidate obstacle present on the floor. It is assumed that both the wall 1 and the trash can 2 shown in FIG. 9 are detected by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122. In other words, it is assumed that there is no difference between the detection result by the first sensor 121 and the detection result by the second sensor 122. At this time, the presentation information generating unit 133 may generate information about the object (the wall 1 and the trash can 2) acquired by the first sensor 121 as presentation information.

[0087] Furthermore, for example, the presentation information generating unit 133 may generate, as the presentation information P1, a diagram in which the objects detected by the first sensor 121 (the wall 1 and the trash can 2) and the objects detected by the second sensor 122 that are potential obstacles (the wall 1 and the trash can 2) are drawn with different types of lines. The different types of lines are, for example, solid lines, dashed lines, one-dotted dashed lines, two-dotted dashed lines, dotted lines, or dotted lines.

[0088] Furthermore, for example, the presentation information generating unit 133 may generate, as the presentation information P1, an illustration in which the objects detected by the first sensor 121 (wall 1 and trash can 2) and the objects that are potential obstacles detected by the second sensor 122 (wall 1 and trash can 2) are each drawn in different color tones.

[0089] The presentation information generating unit 133 may draw the object detected by the first sensor 121 and the object detected by the second sensor 122 that is a potential obstacle by combining different types of lines and different color tones.

[0090] For example, when no object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is an obstacle candidate is detected by the second sensor 122, the presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information including information about the object that is an obstacle candidate. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing presentation information P2, which is another example of the presentation information in the first example. As shown in FIG. 10, the presentation information P2 is a layout diagram showing the positional relationship between an object (here, the wall 21) detected by the first sensor 121 and an object (here, the wall 21 and the signboard 22) that is an obstacle candidate detected by the second sensor 122. The wall 21 shown in FIG. 10 is detected by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122, but the signboard 22 is not detected by the first sensor 121 but is detected by the second sensor 122. At this time, the presentation information generating unit 133 may generate presentation information including information about the object (the signboard 22) that is an obstacle candidate acquired by the second sensor 122. The presented information P2 may include, for example, a diagram in which the outline of the signboard 22 in the layout plan is drawn in a color tone different from that of the wall 21, and may include, in addition to the layout plan, a text message that prompts the user to visually confirm the layout plan. The message may be an audio message, or a beeping sound, such as a beep, may be emitted instead of a message. The presentation information is not limited to different tones (ie, shades of color) but may also include graphics rendered in different hues (colors such as black, red, blue, etc.).

[0091] Next, the presentation unit 170 presents the presentation information (step S14). The presentation unit 170 may or may not be provided in the driving map creation device 100. The presentation unit 250 of the user terminal device 200 obtains the presentation information through communication, for example, and presents it.

[0092] Next, the reception unit 150 receives the instruction input by the user (step S15). The reception unit 150 may be provided in the driving map creation device 100, but it is not necessary. The reception unit 220 of the user terminal device 200, for example, receives the instruction input by the user and outputs the instruction to the driving map creation device 100 by communication. Here, an example in which the instruction is presented on the presentation unit 250 of the user terminal device 200 will be described. As described above, the reception unit 220 has a function of displaying an image and a function of accepting manual input by the user.

[0093] 10 is presented, the user may visually check whether the object 21 shown in the presentation information P2 and the object 22 that is an obstacle candidate exist in the real space, or may check, for example, an image captured by the camera 123. Although not shown, for example, the user touches the object 22 that is an obstacle candidate presented on the presentation unit 250 to input an instruction to confirm that the object 22 that is an obstacle candidate is an obstacle. The reception unit 220 receives the instruction input by the user and outputs the instruction to the driving map creation device 100.

[0094] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an object A1, which is an example of an object displayed on the receiving unit 220 in the first example. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an input of a designated no-travel area received by the receiving unit 220 in the first example. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an object A2, which is another example of an object displayed on the receiving unit 220 in the first example. FIG. 11 shows an object A1 that is displayed when an object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is an obstacle candidate is detected by the second sensor 122, that is, when there is no difference between the detection result by the first sensor 121 and the detection result by the second sensor 122. At this time, it is assumed that the object that is an obstacle candidate has been determined to be an obstacle 32 by the user's instruction as described above.

[0095] For example, when the user touches the obstacle 32 displayed on the display unit 250 with a finger, the reception unit 220 displays an object A1 for receiving an input regarding the setting of a driving-prohibited area. When the user touches "No" in the object A1, the reception unit 220 ends the reception operation. On the other hand, when the user touches "Yes" in the object A1, the reception unit 220 switches to a screen for receiving the designation of a driving-prohibited area by the user. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the user may designate a desired range as the driving-prohibited area R1 by touching the obstacle 32 displayed on the user terminal device 200 with a finger and dragging it diagonally downward. In addition, the user may designate an area twice as large as the center of the obstacle 32 in a planar view as the driving-prohibited area R1 by tapping the obstacle 32 displayed on the user terminal device 200 twice in succession. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the reception unit 220 displays an object A2 for receiving an input regarding the determination of the driving-prohibited area.

[0096] Next, the travel map creation unit 134 determines, based on the user's instruction received in step S15, at least one of the object and the object candidate for obstacle as an obstacle, and creates a map for travel of the autonomous mobile robot 300, including an area including at least a part of the determined obstacle as a travel prohibited area in which travel of the autonomous mobile robot 300 is prohibited (step S16). For example, the travel map creation unit 134 detects that the first sensor 121 is Based on the positional relationship acquired by the above, a map for driving may be created while recognizing the self-location by, for example, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology. At this time, a map for driving including obstacles and driving-prohibited areas may be created based on the instruction accepted by the accepting unit 150 in step S15.

[0097] Next, the self-position calculation unit 332 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 calculates its own position, which is the position of the casing 301 (see Figure 5) of the autonomous mobile robot 300 on the map for driving, based on the positional relationship of surrounding objects relative to the autonomous mobile robot 300 and the map for driving (step S17).

[0098] Next, the driving plan creation unit 333 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 creates a driving plan based on the driving map and the autonomous mobile robot's own position (step S18).

[0099] Next, the drive control unit 334 of the autonomous mobile robot 300 controls the drive unit 350 that is arranged in the housing 301 and enables the housing 301 to move, based on the travel plan (step S19).

[0100] In this way, by presenting the presentation information generated based on the sensor information to the user, a driving map can be created that appropriately reflects information such as obstacles, making it possible to appropriately control the driving of the autonomous robot 300.

[0101] [Second example] In the first example, when no object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a candidate obstacle is detected by the second sensor 122, presentation information including information on the object that is a candidate obstacle detected by the second sensor 122 is presented to the user. The second example differs from the first example in that a notification is further given to the user in the above case.

[0102] Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing a second example of the operation of the driving control system 400 of the autonomous driving robot 300 according to the embodiment. Fig. 14 describes only the processes that are different from the first example shown in Fig. 8.

[0103] 8 and 14, in the second example, when an object is not detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a candidate obstacle is detected by the second sensor 122 (Yes in step S21), the notification unit 160 notifies the user of that fact (step S22). In other words, when an object is detected by the first sensor 121, the notification unit 160 does not notify the user regardless of whether an object that is a candidate obstacle is detected by the second sensor 122 (No in step S21). For example, the notification unit 160 may notify the user by sound or voice, may notify by emitting light, or may notify by a combination of these.

[0104] By notifying the user in this way, the user can easily check the presented information, and the information on obstacles and the like can be easily reflected in the map for driving. Therefore, the driving of the autonomous driving robot 300 can be appropriately controlled.

[0105] [Third example] In the first and second examples, the presentation information does not include an image of the surroundings of the driving map creation device 100, but in the third example, the presentation information includes an image captured by the imaging unit 123. In the third example, differences from the first and second examples will be mainly described, and descriptions of processes similar to those in the first and second examples will be omitted or simplified.

[0106] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a third example of the operation of the driving control system 400 of the autonomous driving robot 300 according to the embodiment. Steps S31, S32, S33, and S34 in Fig. 14 are similar to steps S11, S12, S13, and S14 in Fig. 8, respectively.

[0107] The imaging unit 123 captures an image of its surroundings (step S30). The imaging unit 123 may be, for example, a camera or a video camera.

[0108] The first sensor 121 detects an object around itself, and obtains the positional relationship of the object with respect to itself (step S31).

[0109] The second sensor 122 detects objects that are potential obstacles around the vehicle itself, and acquires the positional relationship of the objects that are potential obstacles with respect to the vehicle itself (step S32).

[0110] Next, the presentation information generating unit 133 generates presentation information based on the positional relationship acquired in step S31 and step S32 (step S33). For example, the presentation information generating unit 133 may acquire the RGB value for each pixel of an image captured by the imaging unit 123 and perform image analysis to acquire information on the presence or absence (if present, the position), color, shape, and type of an object that is an obstacle candidate. In this case, the presentation information generating unit 133 may generate presentation information based on the information acquired by the first sensor 121, the second sensor 122, and the imaging unit 123. The presentation information generated at this time may or may not include an image.

[0111] Next, the presentation unit 250 presents the presentation information generated in step S33 (step S34). Fig. 16 is a diagram showing presentation information P4 which is an example of presentation information in the third example. The presentation information P4 includes the self-position of the travel map creation device 100 on the map. The dashed lines shown in Fig. 16 are field of view auxiliary lines which indicate the field of view of the imaging unit 123, and the arrows indicate the traveling direction of the travel map creation device 100.

[0112] Next, the reception unit 220 of the user terminal device 200 receives an instruction input by the user (step S35). For example, as shown in Fig. 16, the user touches an image indicating the self-position of the driving map creation device 100 in the presentation information P4, whereby the reception unit 220 receives the user's instruction. More specifically, the reception unit 220 receives an instruction to make the presentation unit 250 present presentation information including an image captured by the imaging unit 123 at the self-position corresponding to the position touched by the user.

[0113] Next, the presentation information generation unit 133 of the driving map creation device 100 generates presentation information including the image obtained in S31 according to the user's instruction received in step S35 (step S36). For example, the presentation information generation unit 133 generates the presentation information by adding the above image to the presentation information P4 generated in step S33.

[0114] Next, the presentation unit 250 of the user terminal device 200 presents the presentation information generated in step S36 (step S37). FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of presentation information P6 in which an image P5 is added to the presentation information P4 in the third example. For example, the presentation information P6 includes an image P5 obtained by imaging by the imaging unit 123 from the self-position of the driving map creation device 100, and presentation information P4 generated based on the detection results by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122. The image P5 shows an image of a trash can 42 behind a protrusion of the wall 41, but the trash can 42 is not presented in the presentation information P4. In other words, the presentation information P4 shows that the trash can 42 is not detected by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122.

[0115] Next, the reception unit 220 of the user terminal device 200 receives an instruction input by the user (step S38). For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the user touches the trash can 42 in the image P5, whereby the reception unit 220 receives the instruction from the user. More specifically, the reception unit 220 determines the trash can 42 corresponding to the position touched by the user's finger as an obstacle, and displays an object A1 (see FIG. 11) for receiving an input regarding the setting of a no-travel area. When the user touches "No" in the object A1, the reception unit 220 ends the reception operation. On the other hand, when the user touches "Yes" in the object A1, the reception unit 220 switches to a screen that receives the designation of a no-travel area by the user. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of an input of the designation of a no-travel area R2 received by the reception unit 220 in the third example. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of an object displayed on the reception unit 220 in the third example.

[0116] 18, for example, the user may specify, as the driving-prohibited area R2, an area including a predetermined distance L from the periphery in a planar view of an obstacle (here, a trash can 42) displayed on the user terminal device 200. The distance L may be set by touching and sliding a bar A4 of an object A3 for receiving input related to the specification of the range of the driving-prohibited area in an up and down direction. Then, as shown in FIG 19, the receiving unit 220 displays an object A2 for receiving input related to the confirmation of the driving-prohibited area.

[0117] Next, based on the user's instructions received in step S38, the driving map creation unit 134 determines that at least one of the objects and the object candidate for obstacle (here, the trash can 42) is an obstacle, and creates a map for driving of the autonomous driving robot 300 in which an area including at least a part of the determined obstacle is included in the driving prohibited area R2 in which driving of the autonomous driving robot 300 is prohibited (step S39).

[0118] The third example may be an operation when the driving map creation device 100 creates a driving map while driving, or an operation when the user checks and calibrates the driving map after the driving map creation device 100 has finished driving.

[0119] [Modification of the third example] In the third example, when no object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is an obstacle candidate is detected by the second sensor 122, no notification to that effect is given, but in a modified example of the third example, such notification may be given. In this case, the notification unit may be provided in the user terminal device 200. The notification unit is, for example, a speaker, and notifies the user by emitting a sound or voice. This allows the user to know that an object that is an obstacle candidate that was not detected by the first sensor 121 has been detected by the second sensor 122, so that information about the obstacle can be more reliably reflected on the driving map.

[0120] [4. Effects, etc.] The travel map creation device 100 is a travel map creation device that creates a map for travel of the autonomously traveling robot 300 that travels autonomously, and includes a first sensor 121 that detects objects around the device and acquires the positional relationship of the objects relative to the device, a second sensor 122 that detects objects that are candidate obstacles around the device using a method different from the first sensor 121 and acquires the positional relationship of the objects that are candidate obstacles relative to the device, a presentation information generation unit 133 that generates presentation information to be presented to a user based on the positional relationships acquired by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122, a reception unit 150 that accepts instructions input by the user, and a travel map creation unit 134 that, based on the instructions, determines that at least one of the objects and the candidate obstacles is an obstacle, and creates a travel map that includes an area including at least a part of the determined obstacle in a no-travel area in which travel of the autonomously traveling robot 300 is prohibited.

[0121] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to appropriately reflect information about obstacles and the like in the map for driving the autonomous driving robot 300.

[0122] In the driving map creation device 100, when an object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a potential obstacle is detected by the second sensor 122, the presentation information generation unit 133 generates presentation information including at least information about the object detected by the first sensor 121.

[0123] As a result, the road map creation device 100 can detect obstacles based on the detection results of two sensors that detect using different methods, and therefore can detect obstacles with high accuracy. Therefore, the road map creation device 100 can more appropriately reflect information about obstacles and the like in the map for the autonomous robot 300 to travel.

[0124] In the driving map creation device 100, the presentation information generation unit 133 generates, as presentation information, a diagram in which an object detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a potential obstacle detected by the second sensor 122 are each drawn with different types of lines.

[0125] This enables the driving map creation device 100 to generate presentation information that allows the user to easily visually recognize the detection results of the two sensors.

[0126] In the driving map creation device 100, the presentation information generation unit 133 generates, as presentation information, a diagram in which an object detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is a potential obstacle detected by the second sensor 122 are depicted in different colors.

[0127] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to generate presentation information that allows the user to easily visually recognize the detection results of the two sensors. In the driving map creation device 100, when no object is detected by the first sensor 121 and an object that is an obstacle candidate is detected by the second sensor 122, the presentation information generation unit 133 generates presentation information including information about the object that is an obstacle candidate.

[0128] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to generate presentation information that allows the user to easily view the detection results of the two sensors. The driving map creation device 100 further includes an imaging unit 123 that captures images of its surroundings, and the presentation information generation unit 133 further generates presentation information including an image captured by the imaging unit.

[0129] This enables the driving map creation device 100 to generate presentation information that allows the user to more easily visually recognize the detection results of the two sensors.

[0130] The road map creation device 100 further includes a notification unit 160 that notifies the user when the first sensor 121 does not detect an object and the second sensor 122 detects an object that is a potential obstacle.

[0131] As a result, the driving map creation device 100 notifies the user that an object not detected by the first sensor 121 has been detected by the second sensor 122, making it difficult for the user to overlook a detected object that is a potential obstacle. Therefore, the driving map creation device 100 can appropriately reflect information about obstacles and the like in the driving map.

[0132] In the driving map creation device 100, the first sensor 121 is a LIDAR, and the second sensor 12 2 is an ultrasonic sensor.

[0133] This allows the driving map creation device 100 to estimate the position of an obstacle while creating a map based on the LIDAR information and the sensing information of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0134] The driving map creation device 100 further includes a communication unit 110 that communicates with the user's user terminal device 200 and the autonomous driving robot 300, and the presentation information generation unit 133 outputs presentation information to the user terminal device 200 via the communication unit 110, the reception unit 150 receives user instructions input to the user terminal device 200 via the communication unit 110, and the driving map creation unit 134 outputs the created driving map to the user terminal device 200 and the autonomous driving robot 300 via the communication unit 110.

[0135] As a result, the driving map creation device 100 can create a driving map by receiving instructions from the user while driving, and can also create a driving map by receiving instructions input by the user after reviewing the driving map created while driving. Therefore, the driving map creation device 100 can more appropriately reflect information such as obstacles in the driving map for the autonomous driving robot 300.

[0136] The user terminal device 200 includes a presentation unit 250 that presents presentation information generated by any one of the driving map generation devices 100 described above, and a reception unit 220 that receives an instruction input by a user.

[0137] As a result, the user terminal device 200 can present presentation information to the user and accept instructions from the user while the driving map creation device 100 is creating a driving map while driving, and after the driving map creation device 100 has created a driving map while driving.

[0138] The autonomous driving robot 300 is an autonomous driving robot that drives autonomously, and includes a casing 301, a drive unit 350 that is arranged in the casing 301 and enables the casing 301 to move, a driving map acquisition unit 331 that acquires a driving map from any of the above-mentioned driving map creation devices 100, a position sensor 320 that detects objects around the casing 301 and acquires the positional relationship of the object relative to the casing 301, a self-position calculation unit 332 that calculates the self-position, which is the position of the casing 301 on the acquired driving map, a driving plan creation unit 333 that creates a driving plan based on the driving map and the self-position, and a drive control unit 334 that controls the drive unit 350 based on the driving plan.

[0139] As a result, the autonomous mobile robot 300 creates a driving plan based on a driving map that appropriately reflects information about obstacles, etc., and is therefore able to drive safely and appropriately.

[0140] The autonomous mobile robot 300 further includes a cleaning unit 360 that cleans the floor surface by performing at least one of the actions of sweeping, wiping, and sucking up dust, and a cleaning control unit 335 that controls the cleaning unit 360. The travel plan creation unit 333 further creates a cleaning plan, and the cleaning control unit 335 controls the cleaning unit 360 based on the cleaning plan.

[0141] This allows the autonomous mobile robot 300 to clean safely and appropriately.

[0142] The traveling control system 400 is a traveling control system for controlling the traveling of the autonomous traveling robot 300, which travels autonomously, and detects objects around the robot and determines the distance between the object and the robot. the autonomous robot 300 includes a first sensor 121 for acquiring a positional relationship, a second sensor 122 for detecting objects that are candidate obstacles around the autonomous robot 300 using a method different from that of the first sensor 121 and acquiring a positional relationship of the object that is a candidate obstacle relative to the autonomous robot 300, a presentation information generation unit 133 for generating presentation information to be presented to a user based on the positional relationships acquired by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122, respectively, a presentation unit 170, 250 for presenting the presentation information, and a reception unit 150, 220 for receiving instructions input by the user. The autonomous robot 300 includes a driving map creation unit 333 for determining that at least one of the object and the candidate obstacle objects is an obstacle based on the instructions, and creating a driving map for the autonomous robot 300 including an area including at least a part of the determined obstacle in a driving prohibited area in which driving of the autonomous robot 300 is prohibited, a self-position calculation unit 332 for calculating the self-position, which is the position of the autonomous robot 300 on the driving map, and a driving plan creation unit 333 for creating a driving plan based on the driving map and the self-position.

[0143] As a result, the driving control system 400 of the autonomous robot 300 creates a driving plan based on a driving map that appropriately reflects information such as obstacles, thereby enabling the autonomous robot 300 to drive safely and appropriately.

[0144] The driving control method is a driving control method for controlling the driving of an autonomously running robot 300 that drives autonomously, which detects objects around the robot using a first sensor 121 and obtains a positional relationship of the objects relative to the robot, detects objects that are candidate obstacles around the robot using a method different from that of the first sensor 121 using a second sensor 122 and obtains a positional relationship of the objects that are candidate obstacles relative to the robot, generates presentation information to be presented to a user based on the positional relationships respectively obtained by the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122, presents the presentation information, accepts instructions input by the user, and determines that at least one of the objects and the candidate obstacle objects is an obstacle based on the instructions, creates a map for driving of the autonomously running robot 300 including an area including at least a part of the determined obstacle in a no-driving area that prohibits the autonomously running robot 300 from driving, calculates a self-position, which is the position of the autonomously running robot 300 on the driving map, and creates a driving plan based on the driving map and the self-position.

[0145] As a result, the driving control method for the autonomous robot 300 creates a driving plan based on a driving map that appropriately reflects information such as obstacles, so that the autonomous robot 300 can be driven safely and appropriately.

[0146] When the present disclosure is realized as a system, it may be realized by multiple devices or may be realized as a single device. Also, when the system is realized by multiple devices, the components of the driving map creation device 100, the user terminal device 200, and the autonomous driving robot 300 described in the above embodiment may be allocated in any way to the multiple devices.

[0147] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0148] For example, in the embodiment, the cruise control system 400 is realized by a plurality of devices, but the components of the cruise control system 400 may be distributed in any manner among the plurality of devices. Also, for example, a server device capable of communicating with the cruise control system 400 may include a plurality of components including the control units 130 and 330.

[0149] For example, the method of communication between the devices in the above-described embodiment is not particularly limited. Also, a relay device (not shown) may be involved in the communication between the devices.

[0150] In the above embodiment, the process executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. The order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0151] In the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or a processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.

[0152] Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit, or a dedicated circuit.

[0153] In addition, the general or specific aspects of the present disclosure may be realized in a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be realized in any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

[0154] For example, the present disclosure may be realized as a driving control method executed by a computer such as the driving control system 400, or as a program for causing a computer to execute such a driving control method. The present disclosure may also be realized as a program for causing a general-purpose computer to operate as the user terminal device 200 of the above embodiment. The present disclosure may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which these programs are recorded.

[0155] In addition, the present disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope that does not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0156] The present disclosure is widely applicable to autonomously running robots. [Explanation of symbols]

[0157] 1, 21, 41 Wall 2, 42 Trash Can 10 Wide area communication network 22 Signboard 32 Obstacles 100 Driving map creation device 101 Main unit 110, 210, 310 Communications Department 120 Sensor section 121 First Sensor 122 Second Sensor 122a Transmission Section 122b Receiver 123 Imaging unit 130, 230, 330 Control unit 131, 332 Self-position calculation unit 132 Obstacle position calculation unit 133 Presentation information generation unit 134 Driving Map Creation Department 140, 240, 340 storage section 150, 220 Reception 160 Notification Department 170, 250 presentation section 190 Cart 191 Handle 192 Stand 200 User terminal device 300 Autonomous Robot 301 Case 320 Position Sensor 331 Driving Map Acquisition Unit 333 Driving Plan Creation Department 334 Drive control unit 335 Cleaning control section 350 Drive unit 351 wheels 360 Cleaning Department 361 Side Brush 362 Main Brush 363 Suction port 400 Driving Control System

Claims

[Claim 1] A driving control system for creating a map for driving an autonomous robot that drives autonomously, A travel map creation device that creates a map for travel of the autonomous mobile robot or an imaging unit that captures an image of the surroundings of the autonomous mobile robot; a presentation unit that displays an image captured by the imaging unit; A reception unit that receives an instruction input by a user; a driving map creation unit that, when an object included in the image displayed on the presentation unit is selected by the user via the reception unit, determines the object as an obstacle. Cruise control system.

Images