Robot movement system, robot movement method, and robot movement program

Abstract

To enable a mobile robot to arrive at a destination by required time.SOLUTION: A processing circuit of a robot movement system is configured to acquire priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot, determine whether or not the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot satisfy determination requirement including simultaneous use requirement that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot will simultaneously use an elevator, determine which of the priority of the first mobile robot and the priority of the second mobile robot is higher, and execute priority processing of determining, when the determination requirement is satisfied, a call floor and a destination floor of an elevator car so that the priority robot of the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot which has higher priority than the non-priority mobile robot of the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot which has lower priority is prioritized.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot movement system, a robot movement method, and a robot movement program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system that prevents blockages in the middle of a passageway when autonomous mobile objects are moving within a facility. In this system, if it is determined that the width of an intermediate area of ​​a passageway from a starting point to a destination is smaller than the sum of the widths of two mobile objects having a planned movement route that passes through the intermediate area plus a margin, one of the mobile objects is made to wait before entering the passageway. The intermediate area can be an elevator car within the facility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-137944 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if an elevator car can accommodate two moving objects, the two moving objects can ride in the car together. If a first moving object and a second moving object ride in the elevator car together, the car must stop for the second moving object, causing a delay in the movement of the first moving object. As a result, if there is not enough time until the first moving object's scheduled arrival time at its destination, it may not be able to arrive at its destination by the required time.

[0005] Therefore, one aspect of the present disclosure aims to enable a mobile robot to reach its destination by a required time in a system in which multiple mobile robots can move using elevators. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A robot movement system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a system for moving multiple mobile robots within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having an elevator car, and is equipped with a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to: obtain the priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot; determine whether a judgment condition is met, including a simultaneous use condition that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot plan to use the elevator simultaneously; determine which of the priority of the first mobile robot or the priority of the second mobile robot is higher; and, when the judgment condition is met, execute priority processing to determine the call floor and destination floor of the elevator car so that the priority robot of the first mobile robot or the second mobile robot, which has a higher priority, is given priority over the non-priority robot of the first mobile robot or the second mobile robot, which has a lower priority.

[0007] A robot movement method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method for moving multiple mobile robots within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having an elevator car, and includes the steps of obtaining priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot, determining whether a judgment condition is met including a simultaneous use condition that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot plan to use the elevator simultaneously, determining which of the priority of the first mobile robot and the priority of the second mobile robot is higher, and, when the judgment condition is met, executing a priority process to determine the call floor and destination floor of the elevator car so that the priority robot of the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot, which has a higher priority, is given priority over the non-priority robot of the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot, which has a lower priority.

[0008] A robot movement program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes at least one processor to execute the method. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory, tangible medium. The storage medium may be built into or external to a computer (e.g., a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a server, etc.). The storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, storage, etc., such as DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, or a hard disk. The program stored in the storage medium may be executed in a computer to which the storage medium is directly connected, or in a computer connected to the storage medium via a network (e.g., the Internet). [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, even in a system in which multiple mobile robots can travel using elevators, the mobile robots can reach their destination by the required time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot movement system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the mobile robot of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the server of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the elevator of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the problem that arises when multiple mobile robots use an elevator at the same time. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first example of priority processing in the robot movement system of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the server in the example of FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second example of priority processing in the robot movement system of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example in which priority processing is not performed in the robot movement system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot movement system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the robot movement system 1 includes a plurality of autonomously moving mobile robots 2, a server 3 capable of communicating with the plurality of mobile robots 2 via a communication network N, and a database 4 connected to the server 3. The communication network N may be, for example, the Internet, but may also be an intranet or the like. The mobile robots 2 autonomously move between floors in a multi-story facility 7 equipped with an elevator 8. The facility 7 is not particularly limited as long as it has an elevator 8, but may be, for example, a hospital.

[0013] The database 4 stores map data 5 of the facility 7 in which the mobile robot 2 moves. The map data 5 specifies the shape of the area in which the mobile robot 2 can move. For example, the map data 5 specifies the shape of each floor in the facility 7. The map data 5 specifies the outline of the area in which the mobile robot 2 can move by specifying the outline of obstacles on each floor. The database 4 may be built into the server 3 or may be connected to the server 3 via a communication network N.

[0014] The multiple mobile robots 2 have the same configuration. The mobile robots 2 are equipped with a navigation function and move autonomously toward their destination. If the mobile robot 2 travels via stopover points before reaching its final destination, the mobile robot 2 may move to the stopover point closest to its current location as its destination. The mobile robot 2 runs on the ground, but may also fly in the air. The multiple mobile robots 2 may also have different configurations. As an example, the mobile robot 2 includes multiple wheels 18, a body 19, at least one distance sensor 14, a touch panel display 15, etc.

[0015] The wheels 18 are drive wheels for traveling. The body 19 is supported by the wheels 18. The wheels 18 are an example of a propulsion body that moves the mobile robot 2. In this embodiment, the task of the mobile robot 2 includes moving to a destination to receive or deliver goods or the like, so the wheels 18 are an example of a driven body that performs the task. The body 19 has a carrier 19a. For example, goods or the like that need to be transported are placed on the carrier 19a. The distance sensor 14 and the touch panel display 15 will be described later.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the mobile robot 2 of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the mobile robot 2 includes a processing circuit 10, a distance measurement sensor 14, a touch panel display 15, a travel actuator 16, and a communication interface 17. These devices 14 to 17 are electrically connected to the processing circuit 10.

[0017] The processing circuit 10 includes a processor 11, a system memory 12, and a storage memory 13. The processor 11 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 12 may include RAM. The storage memory 13 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 13 stores a control program P1. A configuration in which the processor 11 executes the control program P1 read from the storage memory 13 to the system memory 12 is an example of the processing circuit 10. The processor 11 controls at least one of the touch panel display 15 and the traveling actuator 16 according to the control program P1 based on information input from at least one of the distance measurement sensor 14, the touch panel display 15, and the communication interface 17. The distance measurement sensor 14 may measure the distance around the mobile robot 2 in two dimensions.

[0018] The distance measurement sensor 14 measures the distance around the mobile robot 2 in three dimensions, thereby detecting the shape of the area around the mobile robot 2 in three dimensions. The distance measurement sensor 14 detects the position data of the outer surface of obstacles around the mobile robot 2 within the facility 7 by receiving reflected waves from obstacles around the mobile robot 2. For example, the distance measurement sensor 14 may emit light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves around the mobile robot 2 and receive the reflected waves. The distance measurement sensor 14 may also receive reflected waves of light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves in the external world that are reflected by objects. The distance measurement sensor 14 can measure distances in all horizontal directions relative to the mobile robot 2.

[0019] The ranging sensor 14 may, for example, measure the time between emitting laser light and receiving the reflected wave to detect the distance to an obstacle. The ranging sensor 14 may be a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. As an example, the ranging sensor 14 is a three-dimensional LIDAR sensor. The ranging sensor 14 may also be a sensor assembly including a forward-facing LIDAR sensor, a rear-facing LIDAR sensor, a left-facing LIDAR sensor, and a right-facing LIDAR sensor. The ranging sensor 14 may also be an infrared ranging sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, or a depth-sensing camera. The depth-sensing camera may measure the distance to an object using parallax created by a stereo camera.

[0020] The processing circuit 10 locates the position of the mobile robot 2 on the map data 5 by matching the shape of the surroundings detected by the distance measurement sensor 14 with the shape of the map data 5. In other words, a positioning sensor is realized by combining the distance measurement sensor 14 with software that matches the shape detected by the distance measurement sensor 14 with the map data 5.

[0021] The touch panel display 15 is an example of a user interface. That is, the touch panel display 15 serves as both a user input interface and a user output interface. Note that a keyboard, a mouse, or the like may be used as the user input interface, or a smartphone or tablet terminal capable of communicating with the mobile robot 2 may be used as the user output interface. A non-touch panel display may also be used as the user output interface. The mobile robot 2 may also have at least one of a speaker and a lamp as the user output interface.

[0022] The traveling actuators 16 include wheel drive actuators that drive the wheels 18. The traveling actuators 16 are, for example, electric motors. The traveling actuators 16 include braking actuators that drive brakes that brake the wheels 18. The traveling direction of the mobile robot 2 may be changed by varying the rotation speed of the left and right wheels 18, by varying the rotation direction of the left and right wheels 18, or by steering the wheels 18 with a steering actuator. The mobile robot 2 may have an opposed differential two-wheel mechanism or an omnidirectional Mecanum mechanism.

[0023] The communication interface 17 is an interface that wirelessly connects to the communication network N. The communication interface 17 functions as a transmitter that transmits information about the mobile robot 2 to the server 3 via the communication network N. The communication interface 17 functions as a receiver that receives information about other mobile robots 2 transmitted from the server 3.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the server 3 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the server 3 includes a processing circuit 20 and a communication interface 24. The communication interface 24 is electrically connected to the processing circuit 20. The processing circuit 20 includes a processor 21, a system memory 22, and a storage memory 23. The communication interface 24 includes an interface for connecting to the communication network N via a wired or wireless connection and an interface for connecting to the database 4 via a wired or wireless connection. The processor 21 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 22 may include RAM. The storage memory 23 may include a hard disk, a flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 23 stores a program P2. A configuration in which the processor 21 executes the program P2 read from the storage memory 23 to the system memory 22 is an example of the processing circuit 20.

[0025] Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the elevator 8 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the elevator 8 includes an elevator control device 31, an elevator hall operation panel 32, and a lift car 33. The elevator control device 31 includes a communication interface 41 connected to a communication network N, an actuator 42 that raises or lowers the lift car 33, and a control processing circuit 43 that controls the actuator 42. The control processing circuit 43 has a configuration in which a processor executes a control program read from a storage memory to a system memory, for example.

[0026] The elevator hall operation panel 32 is installed in the elevator hall of each floor in the facility 7. The elevator hall operation panel 32 includes a communication interface 51, an up-direction call registration button 52, and a down-direction call registration button 53. The communication interface 51 is connected to the communication interface 41 of the elevator control device 31 by wire or wirelessly. The communication interface 51 may also be connected to the communication network N. The up-direction call registration button 52 and the down-direction call registration button 53 are arranged so as to be operable in the elevator hall. When the up-direction call registration button 52 is pressed, a car call registration for traveling to an upper floor using the elevator car 33 is transmitted to the elevator control device 31 via the communication interface 51. When the down-direction call registration button 53 is pressed, a car call registration for traveling to a lower floor using the elevator car 33 is transmitted to the elevator control device 31 via the communication interface 51.

[0027] The elevator car 33 has an internal space for the mobile robots to ride in, and is driven by an actuator 42 to rise or fall to different floors. The internal space of the elevator car 33 is large enough to carry, for example, multiple mobile robots 2 at the same time. The elevator car 33 includes a communication interface 61 and a destination floor designation button 62. The communication interface 61 is connected to the communication interface 41 of the elevator control device 31 by wire or wirelessly. The communication interface 51 may also be connected to the communication network N. The destination floor designation button 62 is arranged in an operable manner in the internal space of the elevator car 33. When a destination floor is selected by operating the destination floor designation button 62, the destination floor registration of the elevator car 33 is transmitted to the elevator control device 31 via the communication interface 61.

[0028] The control processing circuit 43 of the elevator control device 31 determines whether to move or stop the elevator car 33 and controls the actuator 42 in accordance with information based on the operation of the up call registration button 52, the down call registration button 53, and the destination floor designation button 62. The control processing circuit 43 of the elevator control device 31 also determines whether to move or stop the elevator car 33 and controls the actuator 42 by referring to information received from the server 3 via the communication network N, as will be described later.

[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates the issues that arise when multiple mobile robots use an elevator simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the starting points (receiving points of the transported objects) of different tasks (transporting the transported objects) are located on the fifth and sixth floors of a facility 7, and that the destinations (delivery destinations of the transported objects) of both tasks are located on the first floor of the facility 7. It is assumed that the elevator car 33 is located on a floor lower than the fifth floor (for example, the third floor). The server 3 determines the planned movement route of each mobile robot 2 based on a known method, for example, the LNS (Large Neighborhood Search) algorithm, so that each mobile robot 2 efficiently shares all tasks within the facility 7.

[0030] Assume that a task with a starting point of the sixth floor and a destination of the first floor is assigned to a first mobile robot 2A, and a task with a starting point of the fifth floor and a destination of the first floor is assigned to a second mobile robot 2B. Also, assume that the priority of the first mobile robot 2A is higher than the priority of the second mobile robot 2B because the time remaining until the first mobile robot 2A is required to arrive at the destination on the first floor is short and the time remaining until the second mobile robot 2B is required to arrive at the destination on the first floor is relatively long.

[0031] In this case, when the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B arrive at the elevator hall and the elevator car 33 is called at the fifth and sixth floors, the elevator car 33 ascends from the third to the sixth floor, the first mobile robot 2A enters the elevator car 33, the elevator car 33 stops at the fifth floor on its way down from the sixth floor, the second mobile robot 2B enters the elevator car 33, and the elevator car 33 descends to the first floor. Therefore, when the elevator car 33 carrying the first mobile robot 2A stops at the fifth floor, the first mobile robot 2A wastes time on the fifth floor. As a result, there is a possibility that the first mobile robot 2A will not arrive at its destination on the first floor by the requested time. In consideration of this situation, the following measures are taken in this embodiment.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first example of priority processing in the robot movement system of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating server processing in the example of FIG. 6. Below, the operation of the robot movement system 1 will be described along the flow of FIG. 7 with reference to FIG. 6 and other figures. The processing of the server 3 is executed by the processing circuit 20. In the following description, the server 3 acquiring data may mean that the server 3 receives the data, that the server 3 extracts the data from the storage memory 23, or that the server 3 calculates the data.

[0033] First, the server 3 acquires task information (step S1) indicating details of each task to be assigned to one of the mobile robots 2. The task information includes, for example, the type of task (e.g., delivery, security patrol, etc.), the starting point of the task, the destination of the task, the time range in which arrival at the starting point is required, and the time range in which arrival at the destination is required.

[0034] Next, the server 3 selects a robot 2 to which each task will be assigned, and acquires the planned movement route of each mobile robot 2 (step S2). That is, the planned movement route of each mobile robot 2 is determined so as to include the starting point and destination of the assigned task. The planned movement route of each mobile robot 2 is determined based on a known method (for example, the LNS algorithm) so that each mobile robot 2 efficiently shares all tasks within the facility 7.

[0035] Next, the server 3 acquires the priority of each mobile robot 2 (step S3). The priority is set to be higher as the margin of time remaining until the required time for the mobile robot 2 to arrive at the destination decreases. For example, the priority may increase linearly as the margin of time decreases, or may increase in a stepwise manner as the margin of time decreases. The priority may be divided into levels. That is, the priority level may be increased each time the margin of time falls successively below a plurality of thresholds set for the margin of time. The priority may also be increased as the time remaining until the required time for the mobile robot 2 to arrive at the destination decreases.

[0036] For example, for each mobile robot 2, the server 3 calculates a non-ELV time T2 obtained by dividing the distance of the portion of the planned movement route other than the elevator 8 by the assumed movement speed of the mobile robot 2, and subtracts this value from the remaining time T1 until the mobile robot 2 is required to arrive at the destination, to calculate the ELV time T3 available for using the elevator 8. The server 3 increases the priority when the ELV time T3 falls below a threshold. The waiting time that the mobile robot 2 spends in the elevator hall waiting for the car 33 to arrive is included in the ELV time T3, but may also be included in the non-ELV time T2.

[0037] The priority may be determined according to the type of task. The priority may be set to increase as the urgency or importance of the transported object transported by the mobile robot 2 increases. Furthermore, if the properties of the transported object change during transport, the priority may be adjusted according to the change in properties. The urgency or importance of the transported object may be input to the server 3 in advance. The urgency or importance of the transported object may be determined by the mobile robot 2 or the server 3 based on information regarding the urgency or importance input to the mobile robot 2 by the user when loading the transported object onto the mobile robot 2.

[0038] Next, the server 3 determines whether a predetermined determination condition is met (step S4). Here, an example will be described in which it is determined whether the determination condition is met for a first mobile robot 2A and a second mobile robot 2B that exist on different floors. The first mobile robot 2A is assigned a task of moving from a specific location on the sixth floor to a specific location on the first floor, and the second mobile robot 2B is assigned a task of moving from a specific location on the fifth floor to a specific location on the first floor.

[0039] In this example, the determination condition is a simultaneous use condition that the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B plan to use the elevator 8 at the same time. The simultaneous use condition is a condition that the difference between the scheduled arrival time of the first mobile robot 2A at the elevator 8 and the scheduled arrival time of the second mobile robot 2B at the elevator 8 is less than a threshold value. The threshold value may be a fixed threshold value or a variable threshold value. The variable threshold value may be set to a larger value as the difference between the floor where the first mobile robot 2A is located and the floor where the elevator car 33 is located at the scheduled arrival time of the first mobile robot 2A at the elevator 8 increases.

[0040] The estimated time of arrival of the mobile robot 2 at the elevator 8 can be found, for example, by dividing the distance from the current location of the mobile robot 2 on the planned movement path to the elevator hall of the current floor by the assumed movement speed of the mobile robot 2, and adding the required time obtained by this division to the current time. Alternatively, the estimated time of arrival of the mobile robot 2 at the elevator 8 can be found by dividing the distance from the current location of the mobile robot 2 on the planned movement path to a waiting position set near the elevator hall of the current floor by the assumed movement speed of the mobile robot 2, and adding the required time obtained by this division to the current time.

[0041] If it is determined that the determination condition is not met (step S4: N), the server 3 performs normal processing (step S6). If the determination condition is not met, it is considered that the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B will not use the elevator 8 at the same time, and therefore one of the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B will not wait for a call for the elevator car 33. Specifically, in the normal processing, when the first mobile robot 2A arrives at the elevator 8, the elevator control device 31 is instructed to register a call for the elevator car 33 so that the elevator car 33 will head to the floor where the first mobile robot 2A is located, and when the second mobile robot 2B arrives at the elevator 8, the elevator control device 31 is instructed to register a call for the elevator car 33 so that the elevator car 33 will head to the floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located.

[0042] If it is determined that the above-mentioned determination condition is met (step S4: Y), the server 3 determines whether the priority of the first mobile robot 2A and the priority of the second mobile robot 2B are different from each other (step S5).If it is determined that the priorities of both are the same from each other (step S5: N), the server 3 performs the above-mentioned normal processing (step S6).

[0043] If it is determined that the priority of the first mobile robot 2A and the priority of the second mobile robot 2B are different from each other (step S5: Y), the server 3 performs priority processing (step S7). In step S5, it is also determined which of the priority of the first mobile robot 2A and the priority of the second mobile robot 2B is higher. In this example, the priority of the first mobile robot 2A is higher than the priority of the second mobile robot 2B.

[0044] In the priority processing, the call floor (sixth floor) and destination floor (first floor) of the elevator car 33 are determined so that the first mobile robot 2A (priority robot) is given priority over the second mobile robot 2B (non-priority robot), and the server 3 commands the elevator control device 31 to register the determined call floor and destination floor. Note that in this example, the server 3 executes the priority processing regardless of the sizes of the mobile robots 2A, 2B and the elevator car 33.

[0045] In the priority processing, the server 3 temporarily suspends instructing the elevator control device 31 to register a call floor to call a car 33 to the fifth floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located. That is, in the priority processing, the second mobile robot 2B waits to use the elevator 8. If the elevator 8 has multiple cars 33, the server 3 may instruct the elevator control device 31 to call a car 33 for the second mobile robot 2B that is different from the car 33 carrying the first mobile robot 2A. Furthermore, if an autonomous decentralized system is adopted instead of a centralized system using the server 3, the mobile robot 2B may be the entity that temporarily suspends instructing the elevator control device 31 to register a call floor.

[0046] The first mobile robot 2A gets into the elevator car 33 on the sixth floor, and gets out of the elevator car 33 when it arrives at the first floor. After the first mobile robot 2A gets out of the elevator car 33 on the first floor, the server 3 instructs the elevator control device 31 to register the call floor for the fifth floor, which was temporarily held, so that the elevator car 33 will head to the fifth floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located. Then, the server 3 instructs the elevator control device 31 to register the destination floor for the first floor so that the elevator car 33 with the second mobile robot 2B in it will head to the first floor where the destination of the second mobile robot 2B is located.

[0047] In this way, in the priority processing, the second mobile robot 2B (non-priority robot) is allowed to use the elevator 8 after the first mobile robot 2A (priority robot) has finished using the elevator 8. In this way, the first mobile robot 2A, which has a higher priority, can reach its destination more quickly than the second mobile robot 2B, which has a lower priority.

[0048] When performing the priority processing, it is not necessary to consider which comes first: the scheduled arrival time of the first mobile robot 2A at the elevator 8 at the floor of the departure point 1, or the scheduled arrival time of the second mobile robot 2B at the elevator 8 at the floor of the departure point 2. For example, in the priority processing, even if the second mobile robot 2B (non-priority robot) arrives at the elevator hall before the first mobile robot 2A (priority robot), the call floor and destination floor may be determined so as to give priority to the first mobile robot 2A over the second mobile robot 2B.

[0049] Specifically, in the priority processing, even if the scheduled arrival time of the second mobile robot 2B (non-priority robot) at the elevator 8 on the fifth floor is earlier than the scheduled arrival time of the first mobile robot 2A (priority robot) at the elevator 8 on the sixth floor, the fifth floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located is postponed from being designated as the call floor, and the sixth floor where the first mobile robot 2A is located is determined to be the call floor.

[0050] When the priority processing is executed, the server 3 notifies the first mobile robot 2A, which is the priority robot, via the network N that priority has been granted to the first mobile robot 2A (step S8). Upon receiving the notification, the first mobile robot 2A causes the output interface of the first mobile robot 2A to output notification information to the outside while the first mobile robot 2A is using the elevator 8. For example, the first mobile robot 2A may output a display indicating that priority processing is in progress on the touch panel display 15, may output a sound indicating that priority processing is in progress from the speaker of the first mobile robot 2A, or may output a light indicating that priority processing is in progress from a lamp of the first mobile robot 2A. This notifies people around the first mobile robot 2A, allowing them to know that the first mobile robot 2A is in a hurry.

[0051] 8 is a diagram illustrating a second example of priority processing in the robot mobile system 1 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that a task with a starting point being the fifth floor and a destination being the first floor is assigned to a first mobile robot 2A (priority robot), and a task with a starting point being the sixth floor and a destination being the second floor is assigned to a second mobile robot 2B (non-priority robot). In this example of priority processing, the server 3 does not temporarily suspend registration of the starting floor of the non-priority second mobile robot 2B as a call floor for the elevator car 33 in the elevator control device 31, but temporarily suspends registration of the destination floor of the non-priority second mobile robot 2B as a destination floor for the elevator car 33 in the elevator control device 31.

[0052] Specifically, if the server 3 determines that the estimated arrival time of the second mobile robot 2B at the elevator 8 is earlier than the estimated arrival time of the first mobile robot 2A at the elevator 8 by a predetermined time or more, the server 3 commands the elevator control device 31 to have the elevator car 33 head to the sixth floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located, and has the second mobile robot 2B board the elevator car 33 when it arrives on the sixth floor. The server 3 commands the elevator control device 31 to have the elevator car 33 carrying the second mobile robot 2B called to the fifth floor where the first mobile robot 2A is located. The first mobile robot 2A, having arrived at the elevator 8, remains in the elevator car 33 when it arrives on the fifth floor. The server 3 commands the elevator control device 31 to have the elevator car 33 carrying the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B head to the first floor without stopping at the second floor. In other words, the destination floor registration for the second floor is temporarily suspended.

[0053] When the elevator car 33 arrives at the first floor where the destination of the first mobile robot 2A is located, the first mobile robot 2A gets off the elevator car 33. After the first mobile robot 2A gets off the elevator car 33, the server 3 instructs the elevator control device 31 to register the destination floor for the second floor, which was temporarily held, so that the elevator car 33 will head towards the second floor where the destination of the second mobile robot 2B is located.

[0054] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of not performing priority processing in the robot mobile system 1 of Figure 1. In this example, it is assumed that a task with a starting point of the sixth floor and a destination of the first floor is assigned to a first mobile robot 2A (priority robot), and a task with a starting point of the fifth floor and a destination of the sixth floor is assigned to a second mobile robot 2B (non-priority robot). If the delay of the first mobile robot 2A caused by the second mobile robot 2B is within an allowable range, the server 3 does not perform the priority processing.

[0055] When the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B use the elevator 8 simultaneously, the server 3 calculates the ELV time T0 required for the first mobile robot 2A, which has priority, to use the elevator 8. In the example of FIG. 9, the ELV time T0 is relatively short even when the first mobile robot 2A and the second mobile robot 2B use the elevator 8 simultaneously. For example, the ELV time T0 may be calculated by subtracting the sum of a predetermined time required for the second mobile robot 2B to get into the elevator car 33 and the travel time of the elevator car 33 from the floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located to the floor where the first mobile robot 2A is located from the ELV time T3. In this case, the travel time of the elevator car 33 from the floor where the second mobile robot 2B is located to the floor where the first mobile robot 2A is located may be calculated by multiplying the difference in floors between the floors where the second mobile robot 2B and the first mobile robot 2A are located by the predetermined time required for travel per floor.

[0056] 7 further includes an excessive delay condition that the calculated ELV time T0 is equal to or greater than a threshold. That is, when both this excessive delay condition and the simultaneous use condition described above are met, it is determined that the judgment condition is met and the priority processing is executed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the simultaneous use condition is met and the excessive delay condition is not met, the priority processing is not executed and the normal processing is executed. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the first mobile robot 2A, which has a higher priority, arrives at its destination by the required time while minimizing the delay of the second mobile robot 2B, which has a lower priority.

[0057] It should be noted that the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above example, the elevator 8 is simultaneously used by two mobile robots 2, but the number of mobile robots 2 is not limited to two, and the same applies to three or more mobile robots 2. Part or all of the program P2 may be executed by the processor 11 of the robot 2 instead of the processor 21 of the server 3.

[0058] As described above, the above-described embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made as appropriate. Furthermore, the components described in the above-described embodiments can be combined to create new embodiments. For example, some configurations or methods in one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and some configurations in one embodiment may be separated from other configurations in that embodiment and extracted as desired. Furthermore, the components described in the accompanying drawings and detailed description include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, and are used to illustrate the technology.

[0059] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. Processors are considered processing circuits or circuits because they include transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0060] [Aspect] The above-described embodiments are examples of the following aspects.

[0061] (Aspect 1) A system for moving a plurality of mobile robots within a facility having a plurality of floors equipped with an elevator having an elevator car, a processing circuit, the processing circuit comprising: obtaining priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot; determining whether a determination condition is satisfied, the determination condition including a simultaneous use condition indicating that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot plan to use the elevator simultaneously; determining which of the first moving robot and the second moving robot has a higher priority; When the determination condition is met, executing a priority process to determine a call floor and a destination floor of the elevator car so that a priority robot having a higher priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot is given priority over a non-priority robot having a lower priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot; A robotic movement system configured to:

[0062] According to this configuration, even in a system in which multiple mobile robots can travel using elevators, the mobile robots can reach their destination by the required time.

[0063] (Aspect 2) 2. The robot movement system of claim 1, wherein the priority processing includes having the non-priority robot wait to use the elevator.

[0064] According to this configuration, the mobile robot with the lower priority waits, so that the mobile robot with the higher priority can quickly reach its destination regardless of the elevator status.

[0065] (Aspect 3) 3. The robot movement system of claim 2, wherein the priority processing includes allowing the non-priority robot to use the elevator after the priority robot has finished using the elevator.

[0066] This configuration allows the movement of mobile robots with high priority to be given sufficient priority.

[0067] (Aspect 4) The processing circuitry acquiring ELV times required for movement using the elevator for the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot; increasing the priority when the ELV time falls below a threshold; 4. The robotic movement system of any one of aspects 1 to 3, configured to:

[0068] This configuration can improve the punctuality of the movement tasks of the mobile robot.

[0069] (Aspect 5) A robot movement system described in any one of aspects 1 to 4, wherein the simultaneous use condition includes a condition that the difference between the scheduled arrival time of the first mobile robot at the elevator and the scheduled arrival time of the second mobile robot at the elevator is less than a threshold.

[0070] With this configuration, it is possible to easily predict that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot will use the elevator at the same time.

[0071] (Aspect 6) A robot movement system as described in any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the priority processing includes determining the call floor and the destination floor so as to give priority to the priority robot over the non-priority robot, even if the non-priority robot arrives at the elevator hall before the priority robot.

[0072] This configuration allows a mobile robot with a higher priority to quickly reach its destination.

[0073] (Aspect 7) A robot movement system as described in any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the priority processing suspends the floor where the non-priority robot is located from being the call floor if the scheduled arrival time of the non-priority robot at the elevator is earlier than the scheduled arrival time of the priority robot at the elevator.

[0074] This configuration allows a mobile robot with a higher priority to quickly reach its destination.

[0075] (Aspect 8) the processing circuit is configured to calculate an ELV time required for the mobile robot with a higher priority to use the elevator when the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot use the elevator simultaneously; The determination conditions further include an excessive delay condition that the calculated ELV time is equal to or greater than a threshold value, A robot movement system as described in any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute the priority processing when both the simultaneous use condition and the excessive delay condition are met, and not execute the priority processing when the simultaneous use condition is met and the excessive delay condition is not met.

[0076] This configuration ensures that the mobile robot with the higher priority reaches its destination by the required time, while minimizing delays for the mobile robot with the lower priority.

[0077] (Aspect 9) The plurality of mobile robots each have an output interface configured to output a screen or sound; A robot movement system according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the output interface of the priority robot to output notification information when the priority processing is executed.

[0078] According to this configuration, the notification information is transmitted to people around the priority robot, so that the people around the priority robot can understand that the priority robot is in a hurry, which can promote understanding among the people around the priority robot.

[0079] (Aspect 10) 1. A method for moving a plurality of mobile robots within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator having an elevator car, comprising: obtaining priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot; determining whether a determination condition is satisfied, the determination condition including a simultaneous use condition indicating that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot plan to use the elevator simultaneously; determining which of the first moving robot and the second moving robot has a higher priority; When the determination condition is met, executing a priority process to determine a call floor and a destination floor of the elevator car so that a priority robot having a higher priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot is given priority over a non-priority robot having a lower priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot; A robot movement method comprising:

[0080] (Aspect 11) A robot movement program that causes at least one processor to execute the method. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1. Robotic mobility system 2. Mobile robots 2A First Mobile Robot 2B Second Mobile Robot 3 Server 7 Facilities 8. Elevator 15 Touch panel display (output interface) 20 Processing circuit 21 processors 33 Lifting basket P2 Program

Claims

1. A system for moving a plurality of mobile robots within a facility having a plurality of floors equipped with an elevator including an elevator car, a processing circuit, the processing circuit comprising: obtaining priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot; determining whether a determination condition is satisfied, the determination condition including a simultaneous use condition indicating that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot are scheduled to use the elevator simultaneously; determining which of the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot has a higher priority; When the determination condition is satisfied, executing a priority process for determining a call floor and a destination floor of the elevator car so that a priority robot having a higher priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot is given priority over a non-priority robot having a lower priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot; A robotic movement system configured to:

2. The robot movement system according to claim 1 , wherein the priority processing includes making the non-priority robot wait to use the elevator.

3. The robot movement system according to claim 2 , wherein the priority processing includes allowing the non-priority robot to use the elevator after the priority robot has finished using the elevator.

4. The processing circuitry acquiring an ELV time required for movement using the elevator for the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot; increasing the priority when the ELV time is less than a threshold; The robot movement system of claim 1 , configured to:

5. The robot movement system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the simultaneous use condition includes a condition that the difference between the scheduled arrival time of the first mobile robot at the elevator and the scheduled arrival time of the second mobile robot at the elevator is less than a threshold value.

6. 4. The robot movement system according to claim 1, wherein the priority processing includes determining the call floor and the destination floor so that the priority robot is given priority over the non-priority robot, even if the non-priority robot arrives at the elevator hall earlier than the priority robot.

7. 4. The robot movement system according to claim 1, wherein the priority processing includes suspending the floor where the non-priority robot is located from being set as the call floor when the scheduled arrival time of the non-priority robot at the elevator is earlier than the scheduled arrival time of the priority robot at the elevator.

8. the processing circuit is configured to calculate an ELV time required for the mobile robot with a higher priority to use the elevator when the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot use the elevator simultaneously, The determination condition further includes an excessive delay condition that the calculated ELV time is equal to or greater than a threshold value, 4. The robot movement system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to execute the priority processing when both the simultaneous use condition and the excessive delay condition are satisfied, and not to execute the priority processing when the simultaneous use condition is satisfied but the excessive delay condition is not satisfied.

9. The plurality of mobile robots each include an output interface configured to output a screen or sound; The robot movement system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the output interface of the priority robot to output notification information when the priority process is executed.

10. 1. A method for moving a plurality of mobile robots within a multi-story facility equipped with an elevator including an elevator car, comprising: obtaining priorities of a first mobile robot and a second mobile robot; determining whether a determination condition is satisfied, the determination condition including a simultaneous use condition indicating that the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot plan to use the elevator simultaneously; determining which of the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot has a higher priority; When the determination condition is satisfied, executing a priority process for determining a call floor and a destination floor of the elevator car so that a priority robot having a higher priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot is given priority over a non-priority robot having a lower priority among the first mobile robot and the second mobile robot; A robot movement method comprising:

11. A robot movement program that causes at least one processor to perform the method of claim 10.

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