Information processor and control method of the same

Abstract

To efficiently achieve takeover of work among plural moving bodies.SOLUTION: An information processor includes first acquisition means that acquires information on a moving speed of each of plural moving bodies which share work and perform work for a whole work area, second acquisition means that acquires information on a work area of which each of the moving bodies takes charge, and determination means that determines a work route for each of the moving bodies on the basis of the moving speed of each of the moving bodies and the work area of each of the moving bodies. The determination means determines the work route for each of the moving bodies on the basis of a change in a distance between adjoining ones of the moving bodies observed after initiation of work of the moving bodies or a change in the time required for movement between adjoining ones of the moving bodies.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for determining a moving path of a moving object. [Background technology]

[0002] Increasingly, cleaning robots, infrastructure inspection robots, robots that serve food, deliveries, etc. are being used to divide the work area among multiple robots. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which an area in which work has not been completed is assigned to another robot that has finished the work, and the work is taken over. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-147091 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, depending on the positional relationship between the multiple robots that take over the work, the handover cannot be carried out efficiently, and it may take a long time to complete the entire work.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a technique for efficiently transferring work between multiple mobile objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an information processing device according to the present invention has the following arrangement. a first acquisition means for acquiring information on the movement speed of each of a plurality of moving objects that will share and perform work in the entire work area; a second acquisition means for acquiring information on a work area that each of the plurality of moving bodies is responsible for; a determination means for determining a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the moving speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and the work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; Equipped with The determination means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on a change in the distance between the plurality of moving bodies or a change in the time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies after the plurality of moving bodies start work. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables efficient handover of work between multiple moving bodies. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage scene of an information processing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an information processing device. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of a process executed by an information processing device (first embodiment). [Figure 5] 4 is a detailed flowchart of a route determination process (first embodiment). [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of route determination (first embodiment). [Figure 7] 10 is a detailed flowchart of a route determination process (second embodiment). [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of route determination (second embodiment). [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device (third embodiment). [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by an information processing device (third embodiment). [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of route determination (third embodiment). [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing device (fourth embodiment). [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart of a process executed by an information processing device (fourth embodiment). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] (First embodiment) In the first embodiment, an information processing device will be described that determines the movement paths (work routes) of a plurality of moving bodies (working robots) taking into consideration the time required for each moving body to move between its work end positions.

[0011] <Usage scenarios> 1 is a diagram illustrating a usage scenario of an information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 controls two mobile objects (mobile objects 1003 and 1004) to share work (e.g., cleaning) in an entire work area 1000. The information processing device 100 also accepts various instructions from a user 1001 via operation of a terminal 1002, and provides various information to the user 1001.

[0012] The terminal 1002 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer (PC). The information processing device 100 is a server, a PC, or an instance on the cloud. The terminal 1002 communicates with the information processing device 100, displays information transmitted from the information processing device 100, and transmits operations performed on the terminal 1002 to the information processing device 100. Based on a user instruction from the terminal 1002, the information processing device 100 divides the entire work area 1000 between the mobile object 1003 and the mobile object 1004, and determines work routes within each area. For example, the user 1001 can confirm the contents determined by the information processing device 100 via a screen 1100 displayed on the display screen of the terminal 1002. Note that, although it is assumed here that each device communicates wirelessly via a wireless local area network (LAN), other types of wireless communication may be used, or some communication may be performed via wired communication.

[0013] In the first embodiment, an example of determining the paths of two moving objects as shown on the screen 1100 will be described. Details will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 , but the work route is determined so that the moving objects gradually approach each other as the work progresses. This shortens the travel distance to the area where the work needs to be taken over, enabling the work to be taken over in a shorter time. Work handover occurs when an unexpected situation occurs while working along the work route, making it difficult to continue the work. For example, this occurs when an obstacle causes a delay in the work, or when the moving objects run out of charge, the amount of resources required for the work (such as detergent or spray chemicals), or the free space in the dustbin is insufficient. In addition, a work robot that finishes a work task early may take over the work in the work area of ​​a robot that has not yet completed the task, thereby increasing overall work efficiency.

[0014] <Device configuration> 2 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 in the first embodiment. The mobile object information acquisition unit 101 acquires information about multiple mobile objects (such as the movement speed and work speed of each mobile object). The work area information acquisition unit 102 acquires information about the work area for which each mobile object is responsible. The route determination unit 103 determines the work route for each mobile object. As will be described in detail later, the route determination unit 103 determines the work route for each mobile object based on the information about the mobile object acquired by the mobile object information acquisition unit 101 and the information about the work area acquired by the work area information acquisition unit 102.

[0015] 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100. H11 is a central processing unit (CPU) that controls various devices connected to a system bus H21. H12 is a read-only memory (ROM) that stores a basic input / output system (BIOS) program and a boot program. H13 is a random access memory (RAM) that is used as the main storage device for the CPU H11.

[0016] H14 is a storage unit configured from a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or the like, and stores programs and various data processed by the information processing device 100. Note that H14 may be configured as a combination of storage media such as a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a universal serial bus (USB) memory, or an SD card, and a device that reads and writes data from and to these storage media.

[0017] The input unit H15 is an input unit such as a keyboard, mouse, or various controllers, and performs processing related to the input of information, etc. The display unit H16 is a display unit that displays the results of calculations by the information processing device 100. The display unit H16 can be configured with a liquid crystal display device, a projector, an LED indicator, or the like. It is also possible to use a touch screen display that integrates the input unit H15 and the display unit H16. H17 is an input / output (I / O) and is a communication interface that exchanges information with various sensors or other information processing devices. As mentioned above, it is assumed here that a wireless LAN is used for communication, but the type is not important.

[0018] <Device Operation> 4 is a flowchart of processing executed by the information processing device in the first embodiment. This processing is executed after the allocation of the work area to each moving body relative to the entire work area has been determined. Note that information regarding the allocation of the work area to each moving body is stored in memory unit H14. In the following explanation, it is assumed that the work area 210 is allocated to moving body 211 and the work area 220 is allocated to moving body 221, as shown in FIG.

[0019] In step S101, the information processing device 100 performs initialization. That is, a program is read from the storage unit H14 to put the information processing device 100 into an operable state. In addition, various setting parameters (for example, various threshold values ​​to be described later) are read from the storage unit H14 as necessary.

[0020] In step S102, the mobile object information acquisition unit 101 acquires information about a plurality of mobile objects. Here, the predefined movement speed (movement speed when no work such as cleaning is being performed) and work speed (movement speed when work such as cleaning is being performed, or the shorter the time required for each cleaning work, the faster the speed) of each mobile object is acquired. This information is pre-stored in the storage unit H14, and is acquired from the storage unit H14 in this process.

[0021] In step S103, the work area information acquisition unit 102 acquires information about the work area for which each moving object is responsible. Here, information about the allocation of work areas to each moving object, which is stored in advance in the storage unit H14, is acquired.

[0022] In this embodiment, information is acquired that records the range of the work area (corresponding to work area 210 and work area 220 in FIG. 6) that each mobile object is responsible for on a planar map that includes the entire area where work is to be performed. The range of the work area is set as a polygon on the planar map, and is expressed as the coordinates of each vertex of the work area in the coordinate system of the planar map. Based on the coordinates on the planar map and the scale information of the planar map, the actual distance between certain points can be acquired.

[0023] In step S104, the route determination unit 103 determines a work route for each of the multiple moving objects based on the information about the moving objects acquired in S102 and the information about the work area acquired in S103. Detailed processing will be described later with reference to Figures 5 and 6.

[0024] After the work route for each moving body has been determined, the processing of this flowchart ends, and each moving body begins work according to the determined work route.

[0025] Fig. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the route determination process (S104) in the first embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of route determination.

[0026] In step S201, the route determination unit 103 determines the work end positions of all moving bodies performing work. As described above, when a work handover occurs, the closer the work end positions of the moving bodies involved in the handover are, the shorter the time it takes to complete the work handover. In other words, as soon as one moving body finishes work, it can move to the work end position of the other moving body and move on to work in the other working area. Therefore, in this embodiment, the work end positions of the two moving bodies are determined so that the travel time between their respective work end positions is shortest.

[0027] Furthermore, since starting work from a corner (vertex) of the work area during handover improves movement efficiency, the combination of vertices that results in a relatively short (preferably the shortest) travel time between the vertices of the work area of ​​each of the two moving bodies is determined as the work end position for each of the two moving bodies.

[0028] Specifically, two polygons are selected from the polygons that indicate the range of the work area covered by each moving body obtained in S103, and the combination of vertices that provides the shortest travel time between the vertices of the two polygons is extracted. This is performed for all work areas and all combinations of vertices, and the two vertices of the combination of two work areas with the shortest travel time between them are determined as the work end positions. In the example of Figure 6, the work end position of moving body 211 is determined to be position 213, and the work end position of moving body 221 is determined to be position 223.

[0029] In step S202, the route determination unit 103 generates a tentative work route that ends the work at the work end position determined in S201. In this embodiment, multiple tentative work routes are generated that have the work end position determined in S201 as their end point. For example, using known technology, a route is generated that moves thoroughly within the work area using a zigzag or spiral movement path.

[0030] In step S203, the route determination unit 103 selects a pair of combinations of tentative work routes based on the multiple tentative work routes for each of the multiple moving objects generated in S202. If the process has proceeded from S205 (described below), the process selects a pair of combinations of tentative work routes that have not yet been processed in S204.

[0031] In step S204, the route determination unit 103 calculates the distance or travel time (time required for travel) between multiple moving objects for each pair of tentative work routes selected in S203. In this embodiment, the predicted work position for each unit time when the moving objects start work from the work start position is calculated. The travel time between the predicted work positions of the multiple moving objects at the same time is then calculated, and the average travel time is calculated. The predicted work position and travel time are calculated using information on the work speed and travel speed of the moving objects acquired in S102.

[0032] Note that since a moving object may temporarily move in a direction that increases the travel time between predicted work positions (for example, during a change of direction), it is advisable to set this to a certain length of time (for example, 10 seconds). Figure 6 shows predicted work positions (for example, positions 215 and 225) for two moving objects at the same time. The route determination unit 103 then calculates the travel time between positions 215 and 225, positions 216 and 226, positions 217 and 227, and positions 218 and 228, and calculates the average of these travel times.

[0033] In step S205, the route determination unit 103 determines whether selection (S203) and calculation (S204) have been performed for all combinations of tentative work routes. If it is determined that all combinations have been processed, the process proceeds to S206. If not, the process returns to S203.

[0034] In step S206, the route determination unit 103 determines a formal work route for each of the multiple moving objects. In this embodiment, a pair of tentative work routes with a relatively short (preferably shortest) average travel time calculated in S204 are determined as the formal work routes.

[0035] 6 shows an example in which tentative work route 214 is determined as the official work route for moving body 211, and tentative work route 224 is determined as the official work route for moving body 221. As shown in tentative work route 214 and tentative work route 224, routes are selected that move further apart as time goes back from the work end positions of each moving body (positions 213 and 223). In other words, routes are selected that move the two moving bodies farthest apart at the start of work (positions 212 and 222) and move closer to each other as time passes.

[0036] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the work route of each of the multiple moving bodies is determined taking into consideration the travel time between the respective work positions of the moving bodies. By performing work along the work route determined in this manner, when a work handover occurs, the moving body that is the handover destination can move to the work completion area of ​​the moving body that is the handover source in the shortest travel time. In other words, the travel efficiency during handover is improved.

[0037] (Variation 1) In the first embodiment, a planar map is used as the map on which the work area information is recorded, but the map is not limited to this and may be, for example, a three-dimensional map. It may also be a map created from actual measurements, a map generated from design drawings such as CAD, or a hand-drawn map. It may also be a feature map used by a moving object when estimating its own position. It may also be a combination of the above-mentioned multiple map information.

[0038] Furthermore, the work area for each moving body may be determined by automatically dividing the entire work area based on information about each moving body, or may be set manually by the user.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the work end position is determined so that the travel time between the work end positions of the moving bodies is the shortest, but it may be determined so that the travel time is shorter than a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, since it is sufficient to be able to move quickly to the work area of ​​another moving body at the time of handover, the work end position may be determined so that the travel time between the work end position of the moving body in question and the area covered by the other moving body is relatively short.

[0040] Furthermore, when workers are working separately on different floors or in different rooms, they will move between work areas via room entrances and elevators. Therefore, a position adjacent to the entrance or elevator or within a predetermined threshold may be determined as the work end position. Furthermore, the work speed or movement speed of the mobile object may be corrected based on information about the floor material between work areas and obstacles on the movement route to calculate the movement time.

[0041] In the first embodiment, all combinations of work areas are processed, but if the work areas are far apart, the movement distance during handover becomes long and movement efficiency decreases. Therefore, processing may be limited to combinations of adjacent work areas or combinations of work areas within a distance of a predetermined threshold.

[0042] In the first embodiment, the method for selecting a work route was to select a tentative work route with the shortest average travel time between predicted work locations. However, a route that is within a predetermined threshold may also be used instead of the shortest route. Furthermore, since the closer a route is to the work completion area, the more likely it is that the work will be incomplete at the time of handover. Therefore, the closer a route is to the work completion area, the more weighting may be applied to the travel time between predicted work locations. In other words, when calculating the average travel time between predicted work locations, the closer the travel time between predicted work locations is to the work completion area, the higher the coefficient value used.

[0043] Furthermore, when calculating the travel time between predicted work positions, the work speed and travel speed of the moving body may be corrected based on information about the speed at which the moving body changes direction, the floor material, and obstacles on the travel path, and the travel time may be calculated. Furthermore, since the efficiency of travel during handover is high when the work end positions are close to each other, it is possible to use only one generated tentative work route as the official work route, without selecting a tentative work route that minimizes the average travel time between predicted work positions, and to disregard the intermediate travel paths.

[0044] Alternatively, the movement paths may be determined so that the movement directions (vertical in Figure 6) for each moving body are parallel, excluding the movement directions due to changes in direction of the moving body. This makes it possible to continue work in the same direction even when a handover occurs, improving movement efficiency after the handover.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the work start position is a position determined when the tentative work route is generated, but constraints may be placed on the work start position. Specifically, in step S204, a constraint may be placed such that the travel time between work start positions is relatively long (preferably the longest) or is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. By doing so, the work start positions are determined to be far apart and the work end positions are determined to be close to each other, so that as the work progresses, the moving object will move closer to the other moving object. As a result, the incomplete work area at the time of handover will be located close to the other moving object, thereby improving the movement efficiency during work after the handover. Similarly, the work start position may be located at the edge of the entire work area so that the work start positions are located far apart.

[0046] Alternatively, the work start position may be determined to be the closest position within the assigned work area from the current position of the mobile object, thereby improving the efficiency of movement to the start of work. Also, a work start position determined in advance for each work area by the information processing device 100 or an external system may be used, or the user may specify a work start position for each mobile object.

[0047] In the first embodiment, the work end position is determined first, and then the tentative work route is generated. However, the work start position may be determined first, and then the tentative work route may be generated. In this case, the work end position is the end point of the travel path generated during tentative work route generation. As described above, the work start positions are determined to be distant from each other, and from the multiple generated tentative work routes, tentative work routes are selected that bring the predicted work positions close to each other, as in the first embodiment. In this way, tentative work routes that move closer to each other from distant work start positions are selected, and as a result, the work end positions are also close to each other.

[0048] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, work routes were determined in order from the combination of two work areas that provided the shortest travel time between the two vertices of the polygon that constituted the work area, but work routes for three or more work areas may be determined simultaneously. Specifically, multiple tentative work routes are generated for all work areas, and one tentative work route is selected for each work area from the multiple tentative work routes. The sum or average of the travel times between the work end positions for all tentative work routes is then calculated. In this way, the sum or average of the travel times between the work end positions for all combinations of tentative work routes is calculated. After that, a tentative work route that results in a relatively short (preferably the shortest) value, or within a predetermined threshold, may be determined for each work area.

[0049] In the above description, the travel time of the moving object is used for the determination, but the travel distance may be used instead of the travel time. That is, the travel distance may be calculated, and a short travel distance may be determined to be a close location, or a long travel distance may be determined to be a far location.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the information processing device 100 is a server, a PC, or an instance on the cloud, but the present invention is not limited to this. The information processing device 100 may be installed in a mobile object, and the mobile object may determine a route by itself. The information processing device 100 may also be installed in the terminal 1002.

[0051] (Second embodiment) In the second embodiment, an example will be described in which a work route is determined taking into consideration the work performance (work speed) of a moving object. Note that the functional configuration and overall processing are the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] <Device Operation> 7 is a detailed flowchart of the route determination process (S104) in the second embodiment. Note that S201 to S206 are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 5), and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] In step S301, the route determination unit 103 selects a set of two moving bodies from the plurality of moving bodies acquired in S102 in descending order of the difference in work speed. Note that if the process has proceeded from S302 (described later), the route determination unit 103 selects the set of two unprocessed moving bodies with the next largest difference in work speed.

[0054] In step S302, the route determination unit 103 determines whether or not the processes of S201 to S206 have been performed for all combinations of moving objects. If it is determined that the processes have been performed for all combinations, this flowchart ends, and if not, the process returns to S301.

[0055] <Example of route determination> Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of route determination. Here, it is assumed that work areas 310, 320, and 330 are assigned to mobile units 311, 321, and 331, respectively, to perform work. The work speeds of the mobile units are 0.5 m / s for mobile unit 311, 0.4 m / s for mobile unit 321, and 0.3 m / s for mobile unit 331. In this case, the difference between the work speeds of mobile unit 311 and 331 is the largest. Therefore, a work route is determined so that work end position 313 of mobile unit 311 and work end position 333 of mobile unit 331 are close to each other.

[0056] As explained above, according to the second embodiment, a work route is determined by prioritizing the closest work end position for a combination of moving objects with large differences in work speed. Moving objects with slow work speeds are more likely to leave work unfinished, while moving objects with fast work speeds are more likely to take over, improving movement efficiency during handover.

[0057] (Variation) In the second embodiment, the set of moving bodies was selected in descending order of the difference in work speed, but this is not limited to this. The predicted work time required to complete the work can be calculated (predicted) based on the work speed of the moving bodies, and the set of moving bodies with the largest difference in predicted work time can be selected.

[0058] Furthermore, instead of the working speed of the mobile object, the remaining charge of the battery, the remaining amount of chemicals (detergent, spray chemicals, etc.) required for the work, or the free space in the dustbin may be used. If a mobile object has few of these remaining amounts, there is a high possibility that the work will be unable to continue midway. Therefore, it is advisable to determine the work end position of the target mobile object so that it is close to the work end position of a mobile object with few remaining resources. Specifically, it is advisable to select a set of mobile objects in descending order of the difference in remaining resources and determine the work route.

[0059] In addition, it is advisable to acquire information on the environment within the work area, such as the density of moving objects (including people and robots) present in the work area, the floor material and shape (such as unevenness), and information on obstacles present in the work area, and take into consideration the resulting decrease in work speed. Specifically, it is advisable to calculate the predicted work time when the work speed decreases, and select the set of moving objects in descending order of the difference in predicted work time to determine the work route.

[0060] Furthermore, a work route may be determined by selecting a set of moving bodies that frequently become unable to continue work and a set of moving bodies that rarely become unable to continue work, based on past work performance data.

[0061] When selecting a set of two moving objects, selecting moving objects that are in charge of distant locations tends to reduce movement efficiency. Therefore, it is better to select a set of moving objects whose work areas are adjacent to each other or within a distance of a predetermined threshold.

[0062] (Third embodiment) In the third embodiment, an example will be described in which a work route is corrected based on the current position while a moving object is working.

[0063] <Device configuration> 9 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing device 100 according to the third embodiment. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment (FIG. 2) in that a location information acquisition unit 401 is provided.

[0064] The position information acquisition unit 401 acquires the current position (coordinates) of each moving object during work. The current position is acquired as a position on the planar map used in the first embodiment.

[0065] <Device Operation> 10 is a flowchart of the process executed by the information processing device in the third embodiment. Note that S103 to S104 are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 4), and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] In step S401, the location information acquisition unit 401 acquires the current location of each mobile object. In this embodiment, the mobile object's self-location on the map used for self-location estimation is mapped to a location on a planar map. For example, the planar map may be enlarged or reduced to the same size as the map used for self-location estimation, and the two may be overlaid so that several landmark points on the map are aligned. In this embodiment, the current location is acquired at predetermined time intervals (for example, every minute) after work begins. Each time the current location is acquired, the work route is reset and the work route is determined again. Note that if work has not yet started, the current location is not acquired, and the process operates as a work route determination process before work begins, similar to FIG. 4. After work has begun and the work route before work has begun has been determined, the process waits until work begins.

[0067] In step S104, the route determination unit 103 basically performs the same processing as in the second embodiment (FIG. 7). However, in the processing after work starts, in S301, a set of moving objects is selected based on the current positions of each moving object acquired in S401. In this embodiment, a set of two moving objects is selected that maximizes the difference in remaining work time from the current positions of the moving objects acquired in S401 to the work end position determined in S201. Note that the previously determined work end position is used as the work end position. Thereafter, in S206, a work route is determined for the two selected moving objects that minimizes the travel time between the work end positions.

[0068] In step S402, the route determination unit 103 determines whether or not all the moving objects have completed their work. If it is determined that they have completed their work, the process ends, and if not, the process returns to S401.

[0069] <Example of route determination> FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of route determination. Here, as in the second embodiment (FIG. 8), it is assumed that work areas 310, 320, and 330 are assigned to mobile bodies 311, 321, and 331, respectively, for work. It is also assumed that the work route shown in FIG. 8 has been determined for each mobile body before work begins. That is, before work begins, the work end position of mobile body 311 is set to a position close to the work end position of mobile body 331, as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 11 shows the state at a certain point (present) during work after work has begun, and the position marked "Now" indicates the current position of each mobile body.

[0070] Assume that moving body 311 has progressed to current position 513 and has 10 minutes of remaining work time from current position 513 to the planned work end position (work end position 313 in FIG. 8). Similarly, moving body 331 has 20 minutes of remaining work time from current position 533 to work end position 532. Furthermore, moving body 321 has a faster work speed than moving body 331, but an unforeseen event such as a voltage drop or an obstacle has occurred, causing a work delay, and so the remaining work time from current position 523 to work end position 522 is 30 minutes, which is longer than that of moving body 331.

[0071] Therefore, the combination of moving bodies that results in the largest difference in work time is the combination of moving body 311 (remaining work time: 10 minutes) and moving body 321 (remaining work time: 30 minutes). Therefore, in order to minimize the travel time between the work end positions of moving body 311 and moving body 321, the work end position of moving body 311 (the moving body with the shortest remaining work time) is corrected to work end position 512. Accordingly, the work route is also corrected.

[0072] As described above, according to the third embodiment, after each moving object starts work, the work route is corrected based on the current position of each moving object during work. In particular, the work route is corrected so that the work end positions of the moving object expected to have the longest remaining work time and the moving object expected to have the shortest remaining work time are close to each other. This improves movement efficiency during handover.

[0073] (Variation 3) In the third embodiment, the current location is acquired as location information, but the predicted location after a predetermined time has elapsed or the predicted work end location at a preset work end time may also be acquired. Furthermore, acquiring location information too frequently results in waste, while acquiring location information too infrequently delays correction of the work route. Therefore, although the above description describes acquiring location information every minute, other acquisition intervals may also be used.

[0074] In the third embodiment, a set of moving objects is selected based on the current position of each moving object. In this case, since selecting moving objects that are responsible for distant locations reduces movement efficiency, it is preferable to select a set of moving objects from among moving objects whose work areas are adjacent to each other or within a distance of a predetermined threshold.

[0075] In the third embodiment, the set of moving objects with the largest difference in remaining work time is selected, and the route is modified so that the work end positions of the moving objects are close to each other. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the moving objects may be selected in order of earliest expected work end time, and the route may be modified so that the set of moving objects with the largest remaining work time, calculated based on the expected work positions of the other moving objects at the expected work end time of the selected moving object, is close to the work end position of the moving object.

[0076] In the third embodiment, route correction is performed at regular intervals, but route correction may also be performed at other times. For example, a notification may be received when a change occurs in the working speed of the mobile object, such as when the object slows down or stops, or when the object deviates from the working route, and location information may be acquired using these as triggers to perform route correction. Alternatively, a route correction may be performed when a resource shortage is detected in remaining information (remaining battery charge, remaining amount of chemicals required for the work (detergent, spray chemicals, etc.), free space in the dust box, etc.) or when a malfunction makes it difficult to continue work.

[0077] In the third embodiment, the same processing is performed before and after the start of work, but different processing may be performed before and after the start of work. For example, the processing shown in Fig. 4 may be performed before the start of work, and the processing shown in Fig. 7 may be performed after the start of work.

[0078] (Fourth embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, an example will be described in which a work route is determined after a work is taken over.

[0079] <Device configuration> 12 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing device 100 in the fourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment (FIG. 2) in that it includes a takeover area information acquisition unit 601.

[0080] The handover area information acquisition unit 601 acquires information on the handover area to be handed over when it is determined that work will be handed over between mobile bodies. The handover area is an area that corresponds to part or all of the area where work is incomplete, and can be determined by the method disclosed in Patent Document 1. The handover area information is acquired as coordinate information of a polygon on a planar map, which was also used in the first embodiment.

[0081] <Device Operation> 13 is a flowchart of the process executed by the information processing device in the fourth embodiment. Note that S103 to S104 are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 4), and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0082] In step S501, the takeover area information acquisition unit 601 acquires information on the takeover area. At this time, the takeover destination mobile object treats the information on the takeover area as new working area information.

[0083] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, routes are determined within the takeover area so that the work completion positions of the moving bodies are close to each other in preparation for further takeovers. This improves the movement efficiency when the above-mentioned takeover destination moving body takes over another work area or when (if the work is delayed) another moving body takes over part of the taken-over area.

[0084] (Variation 4) In the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the routes are determined so that the work completion positions of each moving body are close to each other within the handover area. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the work completion position of the moving body taking over and the work completion position of the moving body receiving the handover are close to each other. Therefore, the work route may be determined by simply reversing the original work route from the work completion position before the handover. Furthermore, since the incomplete work area (narrower than the work area of ​​each moving body) is shared, it is advisable to leave a predetermined distance margin between the movement paths to prevent the moving bodies from colliding with each other. Furthermore, the expected work position per unit time may be calculated taking into account the work speed, and a predetermined distance margin may be left if the positions of the moving bodies are expected to be close at the same time.

[0085] The disclosure of this specification includes the following information processing device, control method, and program. (Item 1) a first acquisition means for acquiring information on the movement speed of each of a plurality of moving objects that will share and perform work in the entire work area; a second acquisition means for acquiring information on a work area that each of the plurality of moving bodies is responsible for; a determination means for determining a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the moving speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and the work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; Equipped with The determination means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on a change in distance between the plurality of moving bodies or a change in time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies after the plurality of moving bodies start work. 1. An information processing device comprising: (Item 2) The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the plurality of moving bodies or the time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies becomes shorter over time. 2. The information processing device according to item 1, (Item 3) The determining means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work end positions of each of the plurality of moving bodies or the time required for each of the plurality of moving bodies to move between the work end positions is relatively short. 3. The information processing device according to item 1 or 2. (Item 4) The determining means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work start positions of each of the plurality of moving bodies or the time required for each of the plurality of moving bodies to move between the work start positions is relatively long. 4. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 3. (Item 5) the plurality of moving bodies include a first moving body and a second moving body, The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work end position of the first moving body and the work area covered by the second moving body or the time required for movement is relatively short. 5. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 4. (Item 6) the plurality of moving bodies include a first moving body and a second moving body, The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work start position of the first moving body and the work area covered by the second moving body or the time required for movement is relatively long. 6. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 5, (Item 7) The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that a work start position for each of the plurality of moving bodies is located at an edge of the entire work area. 7. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 6, (Item 8) The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the moving directions of the respective moving bodies during work are parallel to each other. 8. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 7, (Item 9) the determining means predicts a predicted work time required for each of the plurality of moving bodies to complete a work based on a moving speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and a work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; The determination means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so as to relatively shorten the distance or the time required for movement between the work end position of a first moving body included in the plurality of moving bodies and a work area assigned to a second moving body having a relatively large difference from the predicted work time of the first moving body. 9. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein: (Item 10) the first acquiring means further acquires remaining amount information regarding remaining amounts of resources of each of the plurality of mobile objects; the determining means corrects the predicted work time predicted for each of the plurality of moving objects based on the remaining amount information; The remaining amount information includes information on at least one of the remaining charge of the battery, the remaining amount of chemicals required for the work, and the free space in the dust box. 10. The information processing device according to item 9, (Item 11) the second acquisition means further acquires environmental information regarding an environment of a working area of ​​each of the plurality of moving objects; the determining means corrects the predicted work time predicted for each of the plurality of moving objects based on the environmental information; The environmental information includes information on at least one of the density of moving objects present in the work area, the material and shape of the floor of the work area, and obstacles present in the work area. 11. The information processing device according to item 9 or 10. (Item 12) a third acquisition means for acquiring position information of the plurality of moving bodies; The determining means corrects the work route of each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the positions of the plurality of moving bodies after the start of work by the plurality of moving bodies. 12. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 11, (Item 13) a handover determination means for determining that a first moving body included in the plurality of moving bodies should hand over an uncompleted work area of ​​the first moving body to a second moving body different from the first moving body; When the handover determination means determines that the second moving body should take over the work incomplete area, the determination means determines work routes for the first moving body and the second moving body based on the work incomplete area. 13. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 12, (Item 14) the second acquisition means further acquires positions of entrances and exits through which the moving bodies can enter and exit in the work areas of the respective moving bodies; The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies such that, for at least one moving body included in the plurality of moving bodies, the distance between the work end position of the moving body and the entrance / exit position of the work area for which the moving body is responsible or the time required for movement is shorter than a predetermined threshold. 14. The information processing device according to any one of items 1 to 13, (Item 15) A control method for an information processing device that determines a work route for each of a plurality of moving objects that will perform work in a shared overall work area, comprising: a first acquisition step of acquiring information about the moving speed of each of the plurality of moving objects; a second acquisition step of acquiring information on a work area that each of the plurality of moving bodies is responsible for; a determination step of determining a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the movement speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and the work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; Including, In the determination step, a work route is determined for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on a change in distance between the plurality of moving bodies or a change in time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies after the plurality of moving bodies start work. A control method comprising: (Item 16) Item 16. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to Item 15.

[0086] (Other Examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0087] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100 Information processing device; 101 Mobile object information acquisition unit; 102 Work area information acquisition unit; 103 Route determination unit

Claims

1. a first acquisition means for acquiring information on the moving speed of each of a plurality of moving bodies that will share and perform work in the entire work area; a second acquisition means for acquiring information on a work area that each of the plurality of moving bodies is responsible for; a determination means for determining a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the moving speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and the work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; Equipped with The determination means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on a change in distance between the plurality of moving bodies or a change in time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies after the plurality of moving bodies start work.

1. An information processing device comprising:

2. The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the plurality of moving bodies or the time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies becomes shorter over time.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

3. The determining means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work end positions of each of the plurality of moving bodies or the time required for each of the plurality of moving bodies to move between the work end positions is relatively short.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

4. The determining means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work start positions of each of the plurality of moving bodies or the time required for each of the plurality of moving bodies to move between the work start positions is relatively long.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

5. the plurality of moving bodies include a first moving body and a second moving body, The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work end position of the first moving body and the work area covered by the second moving body or the time required for movement is relatively short.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

6. the plurality of moving bodies include a first moving body and a second moving body, The determining means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the distance between the work start position of the first moving body and the work area covered by the second moving body or the time required for movement is relatively long.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

7. The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that a work start position for each of the plurality of moving bodies is located at an edge of the entire work area.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

8. The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so that the moving directions of the respective moving bodies during work are parallel to each other.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

9. the determining means predicts a predicted work time required for each of the plurality of moving bodies to complete a work based on a moving speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and a work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; The determining means determines the work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies so as to relatively shorten the distance or the time required for movement between the work end position of a first moving body included in the plurality of moving bodies and a work area assigned to a second moving body having a relatively large difference from the predicted work time of the first moving body.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

10. the first acquiring means further acquires remaining amount information regarding remaining amounts of resources of each of the plurality of mobile objects; the determining means corrects the predicted work time predicted for each of the plurality of moving objects based on the remaining amount information; The remaining amount information includes information on at least one of the remaining charge of the battery, the remaining amount of chemicals required for the work, and the free space in the dust box.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

11. the second acquisition means further acquires environmental information regarding an environment of a working area of ​​each of the plurality of moving objects; the determining means corrects the predicted work time predicted for each of the plurality of moving objects based on the environmental information; The environmental information includes information on at least one of the density of moving objects present in the work area, the material and shape of the floor of the work area, and obstacles present in the work area.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9,

12. a third acquiring means for acquiring position information of the plurality of moving bodies; The determining means corrects the work route of each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the positions of the plurality of moving bodies after the start of work by the plurality of moving bodies.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

13. a handover determining means for determining that a first moving body included in the plurality of moving bodies should hand over an uncompleted work area of ​​the first moving body to a second moving body different from the first moving body; When the handover determination means determines that the second moving body should take over the work incomplete area, the determination means determines work routes for the first moving body and the second moving body based on the work incomplete area.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

14. the second acquisition means further acquires positions of entrances and exits through which the moving bodies can enter and exit in the work areas of the respective moving bodies; The determining means determines a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies such that, for at least one moving body included in the plurality of moving bodies, the distance between the work end position of the moving body and the entrance / exit position of the work area for which the moving body is responsible or the time required for movement is shorter than a predetermined threshold.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

15. A control method for an information processing device that determines a work route for each of a plurality of moving objects that will perform work in a shared overall work area, comprising: a first acquisition step of acquiring information about the moving speed of each of the plurality of moving objects; a second acquisition step of acquiring information on a work area that each of the plurality of moving bodies is responsible for; a determination step of determining a work route for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on the movement speed of each of the plurality of moving bodies and the work area of ​​each of the plurality of moving bodies; Including, In the determination step, a work route is determined for each of the plurality of moving bodies based on a change in distance between the plurality of moving bodies or a change in time required for movement between the plurality of moving bodies after the plurality of moving bodies start work. A control method comprising:

16. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 15.

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