Mobile robot systems, methods, and programs

Abstract

To ensure that the automatic door system opens properly while suppressing response delays. [Solution] The mobile robot system includes a door processing circuit that controls the door actuator of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device, a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the door, and a robot processing circuit, and a mobile robot that moves around the area where the automatic door device is located. The door processing circuit is configured to perform controls related to opening the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conveyance system for a conveyance robot to move within a facility equipped with an automatic door device. In this system, the robot and the automatic door device are controlled by a server so as to cooperate appropriately.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since communication with the server is required for opening and closing the automatic door device, there is a possibility that a delay may occur in the response of the automatic door device. On the other hand, if the automatic door device is configured to directly receive the radio wave transmitted by the robot and perform an opening operation of the door, the door may open in response to a wireless signal from an unintended robot.

[0005] Therefore, an aspect of the present disclosure aims to enable the automatic door device to perform an appropriate opening operation while suppressing a response delay.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A mobile robot system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a door processing circuit that controls a door actuator for opening and closing the door of an automatic door system based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door system, a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the door, and a robot processing circuit, and a mobile robot that moves around an area where the automatic door system is located. The door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to opening the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

[0007] A method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method in a system comprising: a door processing circuit that controls a door actuator for opening and closing the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device; and a mobile robot that moves around an area where the automatic door device is located, and includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the automatic door device to the wireless receiver, the method comprising performing control related to the opening operation of the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

[0008] A program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes at least one processor to execute the method described above. The program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The storage medium is a non-transitory and tangible medium. The storage medium may be built into or attached to a computer (e.g., a personal computer, a server, etc.). The storage medium includes RAM, ROM, EEPROM, etc., and may be, for example, DRAM, SRAM, flash memory, a hard disk, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, an automatic door device can be opened appropriately while suppressing response delays. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a floor plan of a facility in which the mobile robot system according to the embodiment has been introduced. [Figure 2] Figure 2A is a front view of the automatic door device shown in Figure 1. Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view of the automatic door device shown in Figure 2A, taken along line IIB-IIB. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control system for the automatic door device shown in Figures 2A and 2B. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the mobile robot shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a block diagram of the server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the process of the automatic door device shown in Figure 3. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the mobile robot in Figure 4. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a block diagram of the control system of the first modified automatic door device. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the process of the automatic door device shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a block diagram of the control system of the automatic door device in the second modified example. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the process of the automatic door device shown in Figure 10. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] Figure 1 is a plan view of a facility 1 in which a mobile robot system 10 according to an embodiment is introduced. As shown in Figure 1, facility 1 comprises a room 2, a corridor 3 adjacent to room 2, and an automatic door device 5 for entering room 2 from corridor 3. The automatic door device 5 may be a door device for moving from one corridor to an adjacent corridor, or a door device for moving from one room to an adjacent room. Facility 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is equipped with an automatic door device 5, but could be, for example, a hospital, factory, logistics warehouse, commercial facility, government office, amusement park, art museum, exhibition hall, office, hotel, or school.

[0013] The mobile robot system 10 comprises an automatic door device 5, a plurality of mobile robots 6, and a server 7 capable of communicating with the plurality of mobile robots 6 via a communication network N. The communication network N may be, for example, the internet, but may also be an intranet or the like. The mobile robots 6 autonomously move within the area of ​​the facility 1, including rooms 2 and corridors 3.

[0014] Multiple mobile robots 6 have the same configuration as each other. Mobile robots 6 are equipped with navigation functions and move autonomously toward their destinations. The task assigned to mobile robots 6 is a movement task from a starting point to a destination. If mobile robots 6 move via intermediate points before reaching their final destination, they may move to the nearest intermediate point from their current location as their destination. The movement task may be a delivery task in which the mobile robot receives an object to be transported at the starting point and delivers that object to the destination. The movement task may also be a security task in which the mobile robot moves while monitoring its surroundings from the starting point to the destination, or a guidance task in which it guides a person from the starting point to the destination. Mobile robots 6 are designed to travel on the ground, but they may also fly in the air. Furthermore, multiple mobile robots 6 may have different configurations from each other.

[0015] Exemplarily, in FIG. 1, as the mobile robot 6, a first mobile robot 6A and a second mobile robot 6B are shown. The first mobile robot 6A is scheduled to enter the room 2 from the passage 3 through the automatic door device 5, and the second mobile robot 6B is scheduled to travel through the passage 3 so as to simply pass by near the automatic door device 5 without passing through the automatic door device 5.

[0016] FIG. 2A is a front view of the automatic door device 5 in FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along the line IIB-IIB of the automatic door device 5 in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the automatic door device 5 includes a first door 13 and a second door 14 that open and close a door opening 11 in the wall separating the room 2 and the passage 3. The first door 13 and the second door 14 are double sliding doors that slide along the guide rail 12. Note that the door constituting the automatic door device 5 may be a single sliding door or another type of door.

[0017] The automatic door device 5 includes a belt 15 extending horizontally above the first door 13 and the second door 14, and a driving pulley 16 and a driven pulley 17 around which the belt 15 is wound. The driving pulley 16 is rotationally driven by a door actuator 18. The door actuator 18 is, for example, an electric motor. When the driving pulley 16 rotates, the upper portion of the belt 15 and the lower portion of the belt 15 move in opposite directions to each other. The first door 13 is connected to the upper portion of the belt 15 via a first hanger 19, and the second door 14 is connected to the lower portion of the belt 15 via a second hanger 20.

[0018] [[ID=十一]] The automatic door device 5 includes an object detection sensor 21 that detects an object approaching the doors 13 and 14 inside the room 2. The object detection sensor 21 detects a human or a mobile robot 6 approaching the doors 13 and 14 inside the room 2 and outputs a detection signal. The object detection sensor 21 is, for example, an infrared sensor that detects a human or a mobile robot 6 based on a reflected wave of infrared rays output toward the periphery of the doors 13 and 14 inside the room 2.

[0019] The automatic door device 5 is equipped with an auxiliary sensor 22 that detects objects in the trajectory of the doors 13 and 14. The auxiliary sensor 22 is a photoelectric sensor that, for example, outputs a ray of light crossing the door opening 11 in a front view of the door opening 11 and detects when that ray is blocked. When the auxiliary sensor 22 detects that the ray has been blocked by a human or mobile robot 6, it outputs a detection signal.

[0020] The automatic door device 5 comprises a security card reader 23 facing the passageway 3 and an access control device 24 (see Figure 3) connected to the security card reader 23. The security card reader 23 reads identification data recorded on a security card by contact or contactless means. When a person walking in the passageway 3 brings the appropriate security card close to the security card reader 23, authentication is established in the access control device 24, and the doors 13 and 14 are driven to open. In other words, the security card reader 23 and the access control device 24 are an example of a security authentication device. Note that other types of authentication technologies, such as fingerprint authentication or facial recognition, may be used instead of card authentication technology. The security card reader 23 may be positioned not only facing the passageway 3 but also facing the room 2.

[0021] The automatic door device 5 includes a wireless receiver 25. The wireless receiver 25 directly receives wireless signals transmitted from the mobile robot 6. When the wireless receiver 25 receives a wireless signal, it transmits a received signal to the door controller 26. The wireless receiver 25 transmits a received signal to the door controller 26 regardless of which of the multiple mobile robots 6 transmits the wireless signal it receives. The wireless receiver 25 is a receiver for short-range wireless communication, for example, a receiver that receives radio waves. The wireless receiver 25 may, for example, utilize short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi®.

[0022] The automatic door system 5 includes a door controller 26. The door controller 26 controls the door actuator 18 based on signals from an access control device 24 connected to a security card reader 23, a wireless receiver 25, an object detection sensor 21, an auxiliary sensor 22, etc.

[0023] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control system of the automatic door device 5 shown in Figures 2A and 2B. As shown in Figure 3, the security card reader 23 is connected to the door controller 26 via the access control device 24. The access control device 24 includes a processing circuit in which a processor executes a program read from storage memory to system memory. The access control device 24 determines whether the identification data read by the security card reader 23 from the security card held by the person matches any of the pre-registered valid identification data, and if a match is determined, authentication is completed. Once authentication is completed, the access control device 24 transmits an authentication completion signal to the door controller 26.

[0024] The door controller 26 includes a door processing circuit 27. The door processing circuit 27 includes a digital circuit in which a processor executes a program read from storage memory to system memory. The door processing circuit 27 may also include an analog circuit having electrical components such as relays. Illustratively, the door controller 26 is not connected to the communication network N.

[0025] When a predetermined door opening condition is met while doors 13 and 14 are closed, the door processing circuit 27 controls the door actuator 18 to open doors 13 and 14. When a predetermined door closing condition is met while doors 13 and 14 are open, the door processing circuit 27 controls the door actuator 18 to close doors 13 and 14.

[0026] Specifically, when the door processing circuit 27 receives an authentication success signal from the access control device 24, it controls the door actuator 18 to open doors 13 and 14. When the door processing circuit 27 receives a detection signal from the object detection sensor 21, it controls the door actuator 18 to open doors 13 and 14. When the door processing circuit 27 receives a detection signal from the auxiliary sensor 22, it controls the door actuator 18 to open doors 13 and 14. When the wireless receiver 25 is receiving a wireless signal from the mobile robot 6, and the reception state of the wireless receiver 25 satisfies predetermined conditions, the door processing circuit 27 controls the door actuator 18 to open doors 13 and 14.

[0027] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the mobile robot 6 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 4, the mobile robot 6 includes a robot processing circuit 30, a positioning sensor 34, a touch panel display 35, a travel actuator 36, a communication interface 37, a wireless transmitter 38, multiple wheels 39, etc. The positioning sensor 34, the touch panel display 35, the travel actuator 36, the communication interface 37, and the wireless transmitter 38 are electrically connected to the robot processing circuit 30. Note that the wireless transmitter 38 does not necessarily have to be electrically connected to the robot processing circuit 30.

[0028] The robot processing circuit 30 includes a processor 31, system memory 32, and storage memory 33. The processor 31 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 32 may include RAM. The storage memory 33 may include a hard disk, flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 33 stores program P1. One example of the robot processing circuit 30 is a configuration in which the processor 31 executes program P1 read from the storage memory 33 into the system memory 32.

[0029] The positioning sensor 34 detects position information indicating the position of the mobile robot 6. The positioning sensor 34 includes a distance measuring sensor that detects the three-dimensional shape around the mobile robot 6 by measuring the distance around the mobile robot 6 in three dimensions. The distance measuring sensor detects the position data of the outer surface of obstacles within the facility 1 by receiving reflected waves from obstacles around the mobile robot 6. For example, the distance measuring sensor emits light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves toward the mobile robot 6 and receives the reflected waves. The distance measuring sensor may also receive reflected waves from light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves present in the outside world that are reflected by objects. The distance measuring sensor can measure distances in all directions horizontally with respect to the mobile robot 6. The positioning sensor 34 may measure distances two-dimensionally around the mobile robot 6. Depending on the required conditions, the positioning sensor 34 may measure distances one-dimensionally around the mobile robot 6.

[0030] A distance measuring sensor may, for example, detect the distance to an obstacle by measuring the time from the time a laser beam is emitted until the reflected wave is received. The distance measuring sensor may be a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. As an example, the distance measuring sensor is a three-dimensional LIDAR sensor. The distance measuring sensor 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 distance measuring sensor may be an infrared distance measuring sensor, a millimeter-wave radar, or a depth-sensing camera. The depth-sensing camera may measure the distance to an object using parallax from a stereo camera.

[0031] The robot processing circuit 30 determines the position of the mobile robot 6 on the map data M by matching the surrounding shape detected by the distance measuring sensor with the shape of the map data M, which will be described later. In other words, the positioning sensor 34 is realized by combining the distance measuring sensor with software that matches the shape detected by the distance measuring sensor to the map data M.

[0032] The positioning sensor 34 of the mobile robot 6 may be a satellite positioning sensor such as a GPS sensor. The positioning sensor 34 may determine the position of the mobile robot 6 by calculating the distance from each wireless access point to the mobile robot 6 based on the strength of the radio waves received by the mobile robot 6 from a plurality of wireless access points installed at facility 1. Instead of receiving radio waves from multiple wireless access points for positioning, the mobile robot 6 may receive sound waves, light, or magnetism from a plurality of locators installed at facility 1. If the mobile robot 6 is remotely controlled and moving, a positioning function may not be necessary.

[0033] The touch panel display 35 is an example of a user interface. That is, the touch panel display 35 serves as both a user input interface and a user output interface. A keyboard, mouse, etc., may be used as the user input interface, and a non-touch panel display may be used as the user output interface.

[0034] The travel actuator 36 is an example of a travel actuator for the mobile robot 6. The travel actuator 36 includes a wheel drive actuator that drives the wheels 39 to rotate. The travel actuator 36 is, for example, an electric motor. The travel actuator 36 includes a braking actuator that drives a brake that brakes the wheels 39. The mobile robot 6 may change its direction of travel by making the rotation speeds of the left and right wheels 39 different, by making the rotation directions of the left and right wheels 39 different, or by steering the wheels 39 with a steering actuator. The mobile robot 6 may have an opposing differential two-wheel mechanism or an omnidirectional Mecanum mechanism.

[0035] The communication interface 37 is an interface that wirelessly connects to the communication network N. The communication interface 37 functions as a transmitter that sends information about its mobile robot 6 to the server 7 via the communication network N. The communication interface 37 also functions as a receiver that receives map data M and information about other mobile robots 6 transmitted from the server 7.

[0036] The wireless transmitter 38 is a transmitter for short-range wireless communication. The wireless transmitter 38 directly transmits a wireless signal for the opening operation of the automatic door device 5 to the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5. The wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter 38 is, for example, an omnidirectional radio wave. The wireless transmitter 38 may also be called a beacon. The wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter 38 may be, for example, a signal common to all automatic door devices 5. The wireless transmitter 38 may, exemplary, utilize short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, etc.

[0037] The wireless transmitter 38 is configured to continuously transmit wireless signals while the mobile robot 6 is moving. For example, the robot processing circuit 30 may stop the wireless transmitter 38 from transmitting wireless signals when the mobile robot 6 is not assigned a movement task, and continue to transmit wireless signals when the mobile robot 6 is assigned a movement task. If the wireless transmitter 38 is not electrically connected to the robot processing circuit 30, the wireless transmitter 38 may be configured to turn on in conjunction with the turning on of the main power supply of the mobile robot 6, and to continue transmitting wireless signals while on. The wireless transmitter 38 may also be configured to be turned on by manual operation by a human.

[0038] Figure 5 is a block diagram of the server 7 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 5, the server 7 includes a processing circuit 41 and a communication interface 45. The processing circuit 41 includes a processor 42, system memory 43, and storage memory 44. The communication interface 45 includes an interface for wired or wireless connection to a communication network N. The processor 42 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The system memory 43 may include RAM. The storage memory 44 may include a hard disk, flash memory, or a combination thereof. The storage memory 44 stores program P2. An example of the processing circuit 41 is a configuration in which the processor 42 executes program P2 read from the storage memory 44 to the system memory 43.

[0039] The storage memory 44 stores map data M, which shows a map of the interior of facility 1. The map data M identifies the shape of the floors within facility 1, including rooms 2 and corridors 3. By identifying the outlines of obstacles such as walls and pillars within facility 1, the map data M identifies the outline of the area where the mobile robot 6 can travel. The mobile robot 6 downloads the map data M from the server 7 via the communication network N.

[0040] Figure 6 is a flowchart of the processing of the automatic door device 5 in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 6, the door processing circuit 27 determines whether a predetermined door opening condition is met when doors 13 and 14 are closed (step S1). For example, the door opening condition is that any of the following conditions is met: a first opening condition in which the door processing circuit 27 receives an authentication success signal from the access control device 24; a second opening condition in which the door processing circuit 27 receives a detection signal from the object detection sensor 21; or a third opening condition in which a predetermined condition (T>Ta) regarding the reception state of the wireless receiver 25 is met.

[0041] Furthermore, conditions other than the third opening condition in the door opening conditions may be different from the first and second opening conditions. The first opening condition does not have to relate to authentication using the security card reader 23, but may relate to authentication such as fingerprint authentication or facial recognition. The first or second opening condition may be omitted.

[0042] The third opening condition in step S1 is that the duration T, which indicates the time during which the strength S of the radio signal received by the radio receiver 25 from the radio transmitter 38 of the mobile robot 6 exceeds a predetermined first strength threshold Sa, exceeds a predetermined time threshold Ta. In other words, the fulfillment of the third opening condition means that the strength S of the radio signal received by the radio receiver 25 remains high for a long period of time, due to the mobile robot 6 spending a longer time in the vicinity of the automatic door device 5 in order to pass through it. The time threshold Ta is, for example, a value selected from the range of 1 second to 5 seconds, and more preferably a value selected from the range of 2 seconds to 4 seconds, but may be a value greater than 5 seconds if the effective communication distance of the radio transmitter 38 is long.

[0043] If the door processing circuit 27 determines that the door open condition is not met (step S1:N), it does not drive the door actuator 18 and keeps the doors 13 and 14 closed. If the door processing circuit 27 determines that the door open condition is met (step S1:Y), it controls the door actuator 18 to open the doors 13 and 14 (step S2). The control of the door actuator 18 to open the doors 13 and 14 is an example of control related to the opening operation of the door actuator 18.

[0044] The door processing circuit 27 determines whether a predetermined door closing condition is met while doors 13 and 14 are open (step S3). For example, the door closing condition is that any of the following conditions are met: a first closing condition, which is that a predetermined timer time has elapsed since doors 13 and 14 were fully open; a second closing condition, which is that the door processing circuit 27 has stopped receiving a detection signal from the object detection sensor 21; or a third closing condition, which is that the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 has fallen below a predetermined second strength threshold Sb.

[0045] Note that the door closing condition does not necessarily require the fulfillment of the first, second, or third closing conditions. The door closing condition may also be defined as the fulfillment of two of the first to third closing conditions. The door closing condition may also be defined as the fulfillment of all of the first to third closing conditions.

[0046] If the door processing circuit 27 determines that the door closing condition is not met (step S3:N), it does not drive the door actuator 18 and leaves doors 13 and 14 open. If the door processing circuit 27 determines that the door closing condition is met (step S3:Y), it determines whether or not it has received a detection signal from the auxiliary sensor 22 (step S4). If the door processing circuit 27 determines that it has received a detection signal from the auxiliary sensor 22 (step S4:N), it controls the door actuator 18 to open doors 13 and 14 (step S2). If the door processing circuit 27 determines that it has not received a detection signal from the auxiliary sensor 22 (step S4:Y), it controls the door actuator 18 to close doors 13 and 14 (step S5). In other words, the door closing condition can also be said to be the AND condition of the condition in step S3 and the condition in step S4.

[0047] Figure 7 is a flowchart of the processing of the mobile robot 6 in Figure 4. Here, we will mainly describe the first mobile robot 6A, which is scheduled to pass through the automatic door device 5 and enter room 2 from the corridor 3. As shown in Figure 7, when the first mobile robot 6A is assigned a movement task by the server 7, it starts moving through facility 1 according to the planned route to its destination (step S11). The planned route for the first mobile robot 6A may be calculated by the server 7 or by the robot processing circuit 30. The first mobile robot 6A turns on the wireless transmitter 38 and continues to transmit a wireless signal from the wireless transmitter 38 (step S12). Note that the timing of when the wireless transmitter 38 turns on is not limited to this, and the wireless transmitter 38 may be turned on before the first mobile robot 6A is assigned a movement task.

[0048] The robot processing circuit 30 determines whether the first mobile robot 6A has approached the automatic door device 5 located on its planned path, based on the current position detected by the positioning sensor 34 (step S13). For example, the robot processing circuit 30 determines whether the distance from the current position detected by the positioning sensor 34 to the automatic door device 5 has fallen below a predetermined value. In response to the determination that the first mobile robot 6A has approached the automatic door device 5 located on its planned path (step S13:Y), the robot processing circuit 30 decelerates the movement speed of the first mobile robot 6A (step S14). At this time, the robot processing circuit 30 decelerates the movement speed of the first mobile robot 6A even if no obstacle is detected in front of the first mobile robot 6A.

[0049] Therefore, the time for which the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5 continues to receive the wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter 38 of the first mobile robot 6A, which is scheduled to pass through the automatic door device 5, will be longer than the time for which the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5 continues to receive the wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter 38 of the second mobile robot 6B, which is only passing near the automatic door device 5.

[0050] The robot processing circuit 30 temporarily stops the first mobile robot 6A at a predetermined standby position P set near the automatic door device 5 in the passageway 3 before allowing the first mobile robot 6A to pass through the automatic door device 5 (step S15). The standby position P is set to a location where the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5 from the wireless transmitter 38 of the first mobile robot 6A, which is stopped at the standby position P, exceeds a first strength threshold Sa.

[0051] By temporarily stopping at the standby position P, the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5 can continue to receive the wireless signal transmitted by the wireless transmitter 38 of the first mobile robot 6A for a sufficiently long time. Furthermore, even if the automatic door device 5 does not open for any reason, the first mobile robot 6A can wait safely without interfering with other mobile robots or people. Note that the robot processing circuit 30 does not need to temporarily stop the first mobile robot 6A at the standby position P before allowing it to pass through the automatic door device 5.

[0052] The robot processing circuit 30 acquires information indicating the degree to which the doors 13 and 14 are open and determines whether or not the doors 13 and 14 have started to open (step S16). For example, if the first mobile robot 6A is equipped with an obstacle sensor capable of detecting obstacles in the direction of travel, the robot processing circuit 30 may detect whether or not the doors 13 and 14 have started to open using the obstacle sensor. The obstacle sensor may be the aforementioned distance measuring sensor that constitutes the positioning sensor 34. The robot processing circuit 30 may also receive information indicating the degree to which the doors 13 and 14 are open from the automatic door device 5.

[0053] The robot processing circuit 30 may determine that doors 13 and 14 have begun to open when the distance measuring sensor of the first mobile robot 6A detects that a space has been created between the leading edge of the first door 13 and the leading edge of the second door 14. The robot processing circuit 30 may also determine that doors 13 and 14 have begun to open when it detects that the distance between the leading edge of the first door 13 and the leading edge of the second door 14 has increased. The robot processing circuit 30 may also determine that doors 13 and 14 have begun to open when it detects that the distance between the leading edge of the first door 13 and the leading edge of the second door 14 has exceeded a predetermined value, indicating an open state.

[0054] If the robot processing circuit 30 does not detect that doors 13 and 14 have begun to open (step S16:N), it continues to pause the first mobile robot 6A. In response to the detection that doors 13 and 14 have begun to open (step S16:Y), the robot processing circuit 30 starts the first mobile robot 6A moving to pass through the automatic door device 5 (step S17). In this way, by starting the first mobile robot 6A to move before the first door 13 and the second door 14 are fully open, the time it takes for the first mobile robot 6A to reach its destination can be shortened.

[0055] Furthermore, the robot processing circuit 30 may start the first mobile robot 6A to move through the automatic door device 5 in response to the detection that doors 13 and 14 are fully open. This prevents the first mobile robot 6A from approaching the automatic door device 5 when the opening operation of the automatic door device 5 is not appropriate. Information regarding the degree to which doors 13 and 14 are open may be received wirelessly by the mobile robot 6A from the automatic door device 5.

[0056] With the configuration described above, the door processing circuit 27 performs control related to the opening operation of the door actuator 18 based on the strength S of the radio signal received by the radio receiver 25, thereby preventing the doors 13 and 14 from opening unintentionally in response to a radio signal from the second mobile robot 6B. In other words, the possibility of the automatic door device 5 opening unintentionally due to a radio signal from the second mobile robot 6B, which is not intended to pass through the automatic door device 5, is reduced. Therefore, the mobile robot 6 can communicate directly with the automatic door device 5 and suppress response delays while appropriately opening the automatic door device 5.

[0057] When the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 exceeds the strength threshold Sa for a duration T that exceeds the time threshold Ta, control related to the opening operation of the door actuator 18 is performed. This reduces the possibility that the automatic door device 5 may unintentionally open due to a wireless signal from a second mobile robot 6B that is not intended to pass through the automatic door device 5.

[0058] Specifically, when the first mobile robot 6A is on a movement path where the automatic door device 5 is located, it spends more time near the doors 13 and 14. As a result, the duration T during which the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5 exceeds the strength threshold Sa becomes longer and exceeds the time threshold Ta. On the other hand, when the second mobile robot 6B is merely passing through the passage 3 near the automatic door device 5, the duration T during which the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 of the automatic door device 5 exceeds the strength threshold Sa becomes shorter and does not exceed the time threshold Ta. Therefore, the possibility of the automatic door device 5 opening when the second mobile robot 6B is merely passing through the passage 3 near the automatic door device 5 can be reduced.

[0059] Figure 8 is a block diagram of the control system of the first modified automatic door device 105. Components common to the previously described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. As shown in Figure 8, the first modified automatic door device 105 includes a second object detection sensor 128 that detects objects approaching the doors 13 and 14 from outside the room 2. That is, the second object detection sensor 128 detects a person or mobile robot 6 approaching the doors 13 and 14 in the passageway 3 and outputs a detection signal. The second object detection sensor 128 is, for example, an infrared sensor that detects a person or mobile robot 6 based on the reflected infrared waves it outputs.

[0060] The door processing circuit 127 of the door controller 126 controls the door actuator 18 based on signals from the access control device 24 connected to the security card reader 23, the second object detection sensor 128, the wireless receiver 25, the first object detection sensor 21, the auxiliary sensor 22, etc. When the door processing circuit 127 receives a detection signal from the second object detection sensor 128, it controls the door actuator 18 to open the doors 13 and 14. The other configurations are the same as in the embodiment described above, so their description is omitted.

[0061] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the processing of the automatic door device 105 in Figure 8. As shown in Figure 9, steps S22, S24, and S25 are the same as steps S2, S4, and S5 in Figure 6, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The door processing circuit 127 determines whether a predetermined door opening condition is met when the first door 13 and the second door 14 are closed (step S21).

[0062] For example, the door opening condition is that any of the following conditions is met: a first opening condition in which the door processing circuit 127 receives an authentication success signal from the access control device 24 and the door processing circuit 127 receives a detection signal from the second object detection sensor 128; a second opening condition in which the door processing circuit 127 receives a detection signal from the first object detection sensor 21; or a third opening condition in which the aforementioned predetermined condition (T>Ta) regarding the reception state of the wireless receiver 25 is met and the door processing circuit 127 receives a detection signal from the second object detection sensor 128.

[0063] Furthermore, conditions other than the third opening condition in the door opening conditions may be different from the first and second opening conditions. For example, the first opening condition may not relate to authentication using the security card reader 23, but rather to authentication such as fingerprint authentication or facial recognition. The first or second opening condition may be omitted.

[0064] The door processing circuit 127 determines whether a predetermined door closing condition is met while doors 13 and 14 are open (step S23). For example, the door closing condition is that any of the following conditions are met: a first closing condition, which is that a predetermined timer time has elapsed since doors 13 and 14 were fully open; a second closing condition, which is that the door processing circuit 127 has stopped receiving a detection signal from the second object detection sensor 128; a third closing condition, which is that the door processing circuit 127 has stopped receiving a detection signal from the first object detection sensor 21; or a fourth closing condition, which is that the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 has fallen below a predetermined second strength threshold Sb.

[0065] Note that the door closing condition does not have to be one of the first to fourth closing conditions. The door closing condition may be that two or three of the first to fourth closing conditions are met. The door closing condition may be that all of the first to fourth conditions are met.

[0066] Figure 10 is a block diagram of the control system of the automatic door device 205 of the second modified example. As shown in Figure 10, components common to the previously described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. As shown in Figure 10, the automatic door device 205 of the second modified example includes a locking device 229 that can operate between a locked state that prohibits the opening of doors 13 and 14 and an unlocked state that allows the opening of doors 13 and 14.

[0067] The locking device 229 includes a lock and a lock actuator. The lock of the locking device 229 is displaceable between a locked position in which the doors 13 and 14 engage with the guide rail 12 or a fixed object such as a sash, and an unlocked position in which the doors 13 and 14 are not engaged with the guide rail 12 or a fixed object such as a sash. The lock actuator of the locking device 229 moves the lock between the locked position and the unlocked position.

[0068] The door processing circuit 227 of the door controller 226 controls the door actuator 18 and the locking device 229 based on signals from the access control device 24 connected to the security card reader 23, the second object detection sensor 128, the wireless receiver 25, the first object detection sensor 21, the auxiliary sensor 22, etc. Note that the other configurations are the same as those described in the previously mentioned embodiment and will therefore not be described further.

[0069] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the process of the automatic door device 205 in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 11, steps S36, S38 and S39 are the same as steps S2, S4 and S5 in Figure 6, so a detailed explanation is omitted. The door processing circuit 227 determines whether a predetermined unlocking condition is met when doors 13 and 14 are closed (step S31).

[0070] For example, the unlocking conditions are any of the following: a first condition that the door processing circuit 227 receives an authentication success signal from the access control device 24; a second condition that the door processing circuit 227 receives a detection signal from the first object detection sensor 21; or a third condition that the aforementioned predetermined condition (T>Ta) regarding the reception status of the wireless receiver 25 is met. Note that the first unlocking condition does not have to relate to authentication using the security card reader 23, but may also relate to authentication such as fingerprint authentication or facial recognition.

[0071] The door processing circuit 227 determines that the unlocking condition has been met (step S31:Y) and controls the locking device 229 to unlock it (step S32). The control to unlock the locking device 229 is necessary to open the first door 13 and the second door 14, and is an example of control related to the opening operation of the door actuator 18.

[0072] The door processing circuit 227 determines whether a predetermined door opening condition has been met (step S33). For example, the door opening condition is that either a first opening condition is met, which is when the door processing circuit 227 receives a detection signal from the second object detection sensor 128, or a second opening condition is met, which is when the door processing circuit 227 receives a detection signal from the first object detection sensor 21. Step S33 may be omitted.

[0073] If the door processing circuit 227 determines that the door opening condition is not met, it determines whether a predetermined time limit has elapsed since the locking device 229 was unlocked (step S34). If the door processing circuit 227 determines that the time limit has elapsed (step S34:Y), it controls the locking device 229 to lock it (step S35) and returns to step S31. On the other hand, if the door processing circuit 227 determines that the time limit has not elapsed (step S34:N), it returns to step S33. If the door processing circuit 227 determines that the door opening condition is met (step S33:Y), it controls the door actuator 18 to open the doors 13 and 14 (step S36).

[0074] The door processing circuit 227 determines whether a predetermined door closing condition is met while doors 13 and 14 are open (step S37). For example, the door closing condition is that any of the following conditions are met: a first closing condition, which is that a predetermined timer time has elapsed since doors 13 and 14 were fully open; a second closing condition, which is that the door processing circuit 227 has stopped receiving a detection signal from the second object detection sensor 128; a third closing condition, which is that the door processing circuit 227 has stopped receiving a detection signal from the first object detection sensor 21; or a fourth closing condition, which is that the strength S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 has fallen below a second strength threshold Sb.

[0075] Note that the door closing condition does not have to be one of the first to fourth closing conditions. The door closing condition may be that two or three of the first to fourth closing conditions are met. The door closing condition may be that all of the first to fourth conditions are met. The fourth closing condition in the door closing condition may be that the wireless receiver 25 has stopped receiving wireless signals from the wireless transmitter 38. The fourth closing condition in the door closing condition may be that the wireless receiver 25 has received a wireless signal from the wireless transmitter 38 and the reception status of the wireless signal has met a predetermined condition. The conditions other than the fourth closing condition in the door closing condition may be different from the first to third closing conditions.

[0076] When the door processing circuit 227 determines that it has received a detection signal from the auxiliary sensor 22 (step S38:N), it controls the door actuator 18 to open the doors 13 and 14 (step S2). When the door processing circuit 227 determines that it has not received a detection signal from the auxiliary sensor 22 (step S38:Y), it controls the door actuator 18 to close the doors 13 and 14 (step S39). When the door processing circuit 227 detects that the doors 13 and 14 are fully closed, it controls the locking device 229 to lock the locking device 229 (step S40).

[0077] It should be noted that the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 may be a signal such as light or sound instead of a radio wave, for example, an infrared signal or an ultrasonic signal. The door opening conditions in steps S1 and S21 described above and the unlocking conditions in step S31 described above do not have to be conditions that the duration T exceeds the time threshold Ta. For example, instead of the condition that the duration T exceeds the time threshold Ta, the condition that the intensity S of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver 25 exceeds the intensity threshold Sa may be used.

[0078] As described above, the embodiments have been explained as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to embodiments that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, it is possible to combine the components described in the embodiments to create new embodiments. For example, some components or methods in one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and some components in an embodiment can be separated from other components in that embodiment and extracted as appropriate. In addition, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed description include not only components that are essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, in order to illustrate the technology.

[0079] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the enumerated functions, or hardware programmed to perform the enumerated functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein, or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the enumerated functions. If the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, then the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0080] [Aspect] The embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0081] (Aspect 1) A door processing circuit controls a door actuator that opens and closes the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device, The system includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the door, and a robot processing circuit, and comprises a mobile robot that moves within the area where the automatic door device is located. A mobile robot system wherein the door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to the opening operation of the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

[0082] This configuration allows the mobile robot to communicate directly with the automatic door system, suppressing response delays while still enabling the automatic door system to open properly.

[0083] (Aspect 2) The mobile robot system according to embodiment 1, wherein the door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to the opening operation of the door actuator when the duration for which the intensity of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver exceeds a predetermined intensity threshold exceeds a predetermined time threshold.

[0084] This configuration reduces the possibility of an automatic door system unintentionally opening when it is not involved in the movement of the mobile robot. Specifically, when a mobile robot has an automatic door system on its movement path, it spends more time near the door, and the duration for which the strength of the wireless signal received by the automatic door system's wireless receiver exceeds the threshold increases, thus exceeding the time threshold. On the other hand, when the mobile robot is only passing through a passage near the door, the duration for which the strength of the wireless signal received by the automatic door system's wireless receiver exceeds the threshold decreases, and it does not exceed the time threshold. Therefore, the possibility of the automatic door system opening when the mobile robot is only passing through a passage near the door can be reduced.

[0085] (Aspect 3) The mobile robot system according to embodiment 2, wherein the time threshold is a value selected from the range of 1 second to 5 seconds.

[0086] This configuration reduces the likelihood of a door opening due to a wireless signal emitted by a mobile robot simply passing near it, compared to setting the time threshold to less than 1 second. It also reduces the waiting time for the door to open compared to setting the time threshold to greater than 5 seconds. Ideally, the time threshold should be selected from a range of 2 seconds to 4 seconds.

[0087] (Aspect 4) The mobile robot system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to continue transmitting the wireless signal while the mobile robot is in motion.

[0088] This configuration eliminates the need for complex ON / OFF control of the wireless transmitter, simplifying the control of the mobile robot.

[0089] (Aspect 5) The robot processing circuit is To acquire map data including the location of the automatic door device, To obtain the planned route of the aforementioned mobile robot, To acquire position information indicating the position of the aforementioned mobile robot, When the mobile robot approaches the automatic door device located on the aforementioned planned path and reaches a predetermined proximity state, the mobile robot's movement speed is reduced. A mobile robot system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, configured to perform the following:

[0090] With this configuration, the mobile robot slows down as it approaches the automatic door system, allowing the automatic door system's wireless receiver to properly receive the wireless signal. This reduces the possibility of the automatic door system opening when the mobile robot is simply passing through a passageway near the door.

[0091] (Aspect 6) The mobile robot system according to embodiment 5, wherein the robot processing circuit is configured to temporarily stop the mobile robot at a predetermined waiting position set in front of the automatic door device before allowing the mobile robot to pass through the automatic door device.

[0092] With this configuration, the mobile robot pauses at a waiting position, allowing the automatic door system's wireless receiver to properly receive the wireless signal. Furthermore, even if the automatic door fails to open for any reason, the mobile robot can safely wait without interfering with anything else.

[0093] (Aspect 7) The robot processing circuit is To obtain information indicating the degree to which the door is open, The mobile robot system according to embodiment 5 or 6, wherein when it is detected that the door has begun to open, the system is configured to move the mobile robot to allow it to pass through the automatic door device.

[0094] This configuration allows for a reduction in the time it takes from when the door begins to open until the mobile robot passes through the automatic door system.

[0095] (Pattern 8) The mobile robot further includes an obstacle sensor capable of detecting obstacles in the direction of travel of the mobile robot, The mobile robot system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the robot processing circuit is configured to move the mobile robot to allow the mobile robot to pass through the automatic door device when the obstacle sensor detects that the automatic door device is in an open state.

[0096] This configuration prevents a mobile robot from approaching a door when the automatic door system is not opening properly.

[0097] (Aspect 9) The mobile robot system according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, wherein the door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to the closing operation of the door actuator when the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver falls below a threshold while the door is open.

[0098] This configuration allows for the proper closing of a door after a mobile robot has passed through the door opening, at a low cost.

[0099] (Aspect 10) A door processing circuit controls a door actuator that opens and closes the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device, The system includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal to the wireless receiver for opening the automatic door device, a mobile actuator, and a robot processing circuit that controls the mobile actuator, and a mobile robot that moves within the area where the automatic door device is located. The robot processing circuit is configured to control the mobile actuator to allow the mobile robot to pass through the automatic door device after slowing down or pausing the mobile robot as it approaches the automatic door device while transmitting the wireless signal.

[0100] With this configuration, when a mobile robot approaches an automatic door device while transmitting a wireless signal, the mobile robot slows down or pauses, allowing the wireless receiver of the automatic door device to properly receive the wireless signal. Therefore, the possibility of the automatic door device opening when the mobile robot is simply passing through the passage in front of the door can be reduced.

[0101] (Aspect 11) A method in a system comprising: a door processing circuit that controls a door actuator for opening and closing the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device; and a mobile robot that moves around the area where the automatic door device is located, and includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the automatic door device to the wireless receiver, A method comprising performing specific control related to the opening operation of the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

[0102] (Aspect 12) A program that causes at least one processor to perform the procedure described in embodiment 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 5,105,205 Automatic door system 6 Mobile Robots 6A First Mobile Robot 6B Second Mobile Robot 10 Mobile Robot Systems 13. Door 1 14. Door 2 18 Door Actuator 21. Object detection sensor, first object detection sensor 22 Auxiliary sensors 23. Security card reader 24 Access control device 25 Wireless receivers 26,126,226 Door Controllers 27,127,227 Door processing circuit 34 Positioning sensors 36. Driving Actuator 38 Wireless Transmitter 128 Second object detection sensor 229 Locking device P standby position

Claims

1. A door processing circuit controls a door actuator that opens and closes the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device, The system includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the door, and a robot processing circuit, and comprises a mobile robot that moves within the area where the automatic door device is located. A mobile robot system wherein the door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to the opening operation of the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

2. The mobile robot system according to claim 1, wherein the door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to the opening operation of the door actuator when the duration for which the intensity of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver exceeds a predetermined intensity threshold exceeds a predetermined time threshold.

3. The mobile robot system according to claim 2, wherein the time threshold is a value selected from the range of 1 second to 5 seconds.

4. The mobile robot system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured to continue transmitting the wireless signal while the mobile robot is in motion.

5. The robot processing circuit is To acquire map data including the location of the automatic door device, To obtain the planned route of the aforementioned mobile robot, To acquire position information indicating the position of the aforementioned mobile robot, When the mobile robot approaches the automatic door device located on the aforementioned planned path and reaches a predetermined proximity state, the mobile robot's movement speed is reduced. A mobile robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, configured to perform the following:

6. The mobile robot system according to claim 5, wherein the robot processing circuit is configured to temporarily stop the mobile robot at a predetermined waiting position set in front of the automatic door device before allowing the mobile robot to pass through the automatic door device.

7. The robot processing circuit is To obtain information indicating the degree to which the door is open, The mobile robot system according to claim 5, wherein when it is detected that the door has begun to open, the system is configured to move the mobile robot to allow it to pass through the automatic door device.

8. The mobile robot further includes an obstacle sensor capable of detecting obstacles in the direction of travel of the mobile robot, The mobile robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the robot processing circuit is configured to move the mobile robot to allow the mobile robot to pass through the automatic door device when the obstacle sensor detects that the automatic door device is in an open state.

9. The mobile robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the door processing circuit is configured to perform control related to the closing operation of the door actuator when the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver falls below a threshold while the door is open.

10. A door processing circuit controls a door actuator that opens and closes the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device, The system includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the door, a mobile actuator, and a robot processing circuit that controls the mobile actuator, and comprises a mobile robot that moves within the area where the automatic door device is located. The robot processing circuit is configured to control the moving actuator to allow the mobile robot to pass through the automatic door device after slowing down or pausing the mobile robot as it approaches the automatic door device while transmitting the wireless signal.

11. A method in a system comprising: a door processing circuit that controls a door actuator for opening and closing the door of an automatic door device based on a signal from a wireless receiver of the automatic door device; and a mobile robot that moves around the area where the automatic door device is located, and includes a wireless transmitter that transmits a wireless signal for opening the automatic door device to the wireless receiver, A method comprising performing control related to the opening operation of the door actuator based on the strength of the wireless signal received by the wireless receiver.

12. A program that causes at least one processor to execute the method according to claim 11.

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