Robot management system and management server

Abstract

This invention provides a robot management system and management server that can appropriately allocate spatial resources to robots. [Solution] The robot management system comprises a plurality of autonomously mobile robots and a management server that manages the plurality of robots, wherein each of the plurality of robots has a control unit that transmits a request for use of a spatial resource that includes purpose information regarding the purpose of use of the spatial resource, and the management server has a receiving unit that receives the request for use and a determination unit that, when it receives a request for use from a plurality of robots, determines which robot to allocate the spatial resource to from among the plurality of robots based on the purpose information contained in the request for use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot management system and a management server.

Background Art

[0002] When a plurality of robots capable of autonomous movement travel or work in a facility, the travel or work of a robot may be hindered by other robots. In this case, it is required to appropriately allocate the space resources in the facility to the robots. For example, in Patent Document 1, a class indicating the type of service provided by each robot, a time zone, and a priority according to the congestion situation are set for each robot, and control is performed so that a robot with a higher priority can move to a destination in a shorter time. An operation management server is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] If the robot is controlled only according to the type of service provided by the robot as in Cited Document 1, it may not be possible to appropriately allocate the space resources to the robot.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a robot management system and a management server capable of appropriately allocating space resources to robots.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The robot management system according to the present invention is a robot management system comprising a plurality of autonomously mobile robots and a management server for managing the plurality of robots, wherein each of the plurality of robots has a control unit that transmits a request for use of a spatial resource that includes purpose information relating to the purpose of use of the spatial resource, and the management server has a receiving unit that receives the request for use and a determination unit that, when it receives a request for use from the plurality of robots, determines which robot to allocate the spatial resource to from among the plurality of robots based on the purpose information contained in the request for use.

[0007] In this robot management system, the management server further has a table storage unit in which priority relationships of multiple purposes of use are registered, and the decision unit preferably determines which robot to allocate spatial resources to based on the priority relationships corresponding to the purposes of use included in the received multiple purpose information.

[0008] In this robot management system, it is preferable that the purpose of use be either a transit purpose (passing through a spatial resource) or a stay purpose (staying within a spatial resource).

[0009] In this robot management system, each of the multiple robots further has a table storage unit in which priorities are registered for each of the multiple purposes of use, the control unit transmits the priority as purpose information, and the decision unit determines which robot to allocate the spatial resources to based on the multiple priorities received.

[0010] The management server according to the present invention is a management server that is communicatively connected to a plurality of autonomously mobile robots and manages a plurality of robots, and is characterized by having a receiving unit that receives requests for the use of spatial resources from the plurality of robots, including purpose information regarding the purpose of use of the spatial resources, and a determination unit that, when requests for use are received from the plurality of robots, determines which robot to allocate the spatial resources to from among the plurality of robots based on the purpose information included in the requests for use. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The robot management system and management server according to the present invention enable the appropriate allocation of spatial resources to robots. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an overview of the robot management system 1. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the overall system configuration of the robot management system 1. [Figure 3] (A) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the priority table 242, (B) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the robot table 243, (C) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the spatial resource tables 163 and 244, and (D) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the usage request table 245. [Figure 4] This sequence shows an example of the operation of the robot motion determination process. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the operation of the spatial resource allocation process. [Figure 6] (A) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of priority table 242a according to Modification 1, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of priority table 242b according to Modification 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The robot management system according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the diagrams.

[0014] Figure 1 shows an overview of the robot management system 1. In the robot management system 1, when the use of a spatial resource SR by multiple autonomously mobile robots 10 overlaps, the management server 20 determines which robot 10 will be allocated the spatial resource SR from among the multiple robots 10. A spatial resource SR is a space within a designated facility where the number of robots 10 that can use that space as a resource is limited. Examples of spatial resource SRs include spaces that only one robot 10 can enter, spaces where robots 10 are prohibited from passing each other, spaces where robots 10 are prohibited from overtaking other robots 10, and spaces where robots 10 are prohibited from making U-turns.

[0015] Figure 2 shows the overall system configuration of the robot management system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the robot management system 1 has multiple robots 10 and a management server 20, etc. The robot management system 1 is a system for security, cleaning, or management of facilities such as companies, apartments, and commercial facilities. The robot management system 1 controls and manages the multiple robots 10. Each robot 10 and management server 20 are connected to each other via a communication network N such as an intranet or the Internet, enabling them to communicate with one another. The robots 10 are connected to the communication network N via a wireless communication network such as a wireless LAN or a mobile phone network.

[0016] Robot 10 autonomously moves (travels) within the facility and executes predetermined operations. Robot 10 moves along a predetermined route (travel route) to a predetermined point (position) according to a predetermined schedule and executes a predetermined operation. When Robot 10 wants to utilize the space resource SR for moving along the travel route or executing a predetermined operation, it transmits purpose information regarding the purpose of utilizing the space resource SR to the management server 20. The purpose of utilization is the purpose of utilizing the space resource SR. Details of the purpose of utilization will be described later. The purpose information includes the purpose of utilization, a resource ID which is an identification number of the space resource SR to be utilized, and a utilization time which is the time for utilizing the space resource SR. As the utilization time, a predetermined time is set in advance according to the space resource SR and the purpose of utilization. The utilization time may be set each time the purpose information is transmitted. When transmitting the purpose information, Robot 10 also transmits a utilization request for the space resource SR. The utilization request is a request to utilize the space resource SR. Note that the purpose information may be included in the utilization request.

[0017] Robot 10 is, for example, a security robot that executes security within the facility, a cleaning robot that executes cleaning of the facility, a guiding robot that guides users of the facility, a transporting robot that transports luggage such as AED within the facility, etc. Robot 10 has a position sensor 11, a drive unit 12, an input unit 13, an output unit 14, a first communication unit 15, a first storage unit 16, a first processing unit 17, etc.

[0018] The position sensor 11 is a sensor for acquiring the current position of Robot 10. The position sensor 11 includes one or more laser sensors (LiDAR). Each laser sensor is provided on the front, side, rear, and / or upper surface of the robot 10. Each laser sensor includes an irradiator that irradiates light such as near-infrared light, visible light, or ultraviolet light in a predetermined direction, and a light receiver that receives the reflected light. The direction in which each irradiator irradiates light is set to have various azimuth angles and elevation angles with respect to the traveling direction of the robot 10. Each laser sensor measures the distance to an object existing around the robot 10 based on the time from when the irradiator irradiates light until the light receiver receives the reflected light. The position sensor 11 outputs a position detection signal including a plurality of combinations of each direction in which each laser sensor irradiates light and the measured distance to the first processing unit 17 at a predetermined period. The position sensor 11 may include a receiver that receives radio waves (navigation signals) transmitted from navigation satellites (artificial satellites) such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). The receiver receives navigation signals transmitted from a plurality of navigation satellites and outputs them to the first processing unit 17.

[0019] The drive unit 12 includes a motor for rotating the tires of the robot 10, a motor for changing the direction of the tires, and / or a motor for changing the angle of the arm of the robot 10. The drive unit 12 receives a drive signal from the first processing unit 17, rotates according to the received drive signal, and drives the tires and / or the arm.

[0020] The input unit 13 includes one or more sensors for detecting the situation around the robot 10. The input unit 13 includes, for example, one or more laser sensors similar to the laser sensors included in the position sensor 11. Each laser sensor outputs a detection signal including a plurality of combinations of the direction in which light is irradiated and the measured distance to the first processing unit 17 at a predetermined period. The input unit 13 may include one or more visible light cameras provided on the front, side, back, and / or top surface of the robot 10. The imaging direction of each visible light camera is set to have various azimuth and elevation angles with respect to the direction of movement of the robot 10. Each visible light camera has, for example, a photoelectric conversion element sensitive to visible light, such as a CCD element or a C-MOS element, an imaging optical system that forms an image on the photoelectric conversion element, and an A / D converter. Each visible light camera sequentially generates a visible light image based on visible light at a predetermined frame period and outputs it to the first processing unit 17. In addition, the input unit 13 may include a thermal imaging camera that acquires thermal images, either in place of or in addition to the visible light cameras. The thermal imaging camera has, for example, two-dimensionally arranged sensors that detect the radiant energy of two wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from an object, and an A / D converter that amplifies the electrical signal output from the sensors and performs analog-to-digital (A / D) conversion. The thermal imaging camera generates a thermal image based on temperature values ​​determined by the ratio of two types of radiant energies, and outputs it to the first processing unit 17 at a predetermined frame period. The input unit 13 may include a microphone. The microphone has an A / D converter, generates an audio signal based on the detected sound, and outputs it to the first processing unit 17 at a predetermined interval. The input unit 13 may include a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor detects the temperature around the robot 10 and outputs a temperature signal indicating the detected temperature to the first processing unit 17 at a predetermined interval.

[0021] The output unit 14 includes an LED that lights up or turns off according to instructions from the first processing unit 17. The output unit 14 also includes a display including a liquid crystal, organic EL, etc., and an interface circuit that outputs image data to the display, and may display various information such as images and text according to instructions from the first processing unit 17. The output unit 14 also includes a speaker and an interface circuit that outputs audio data to the speaker, and may output audio according to instructions from the first processing unit 17.

[0022] The first communication unit 15 has, for example, an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals and a wireless communication interface circuit for transmitting and receiving signals through a wireless communication line in accordance with a wireless communication protocol such as a wireless LAN, and is connected to the communication network N via an access point. Alternatively, the first communication unit 15 has, for example, a communication interface circuit compliant with the W-CDMA or LTE system, and is connected to the communication network N via a communication network such as a base station and a mobile communication network. The first communication unit 15 outputs data received from the communication network N to the first processing unit 17 and transmits data input from the first processing unit 17 to the communication network N.

[0023] The first storage unit 16 is an example of a table storage unit and includes semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, a magnetic disk or optical disk drive such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, and its recording medium. The first storage unit 16 stores a computer program and various data for controlling the robot 10 and inputs and outputs this information to and from the first processing unit 17. The computer program may be installed in the first storage unit 16 from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM using a known setup program or the like. The computer program may also be stored on a recording medium owned by a predetermined server and installed via a network.

[0024] Furthermore, the first storage unit 16 stores map information 161, schedule information 162, and spatial resource table 163 as data. Map information 161 shows the shape of corridors or rooms within the facility, the location of fixed obstacles such as equipment or partitions, etc. Map information 161 shows a graph structure that includes information about nodes and edges set in the corridors within the facility. Map information 161 is set by the management server 20. Schedule information 162 indicates the work schedule of robot 10. The work schedule includes, for each of one or more tasks, a departure time, departure location, work start time, work location, work content, work duration, work end time, return time, return location, and movement route. Schedule information 162 is set by the management server 20. The departure and return locations are set to predetermined home positions, etc. Details of the spatial resource table 163 will be described later.

[0025] The first processing unit 17 includes a processor such as a CPU or MPU, memory such as ROM or RAM, and peripheral circuits, and performs various signal processing for the robot 10. The first processing unit 17 includes a detection unit 171 and a control unit 172, etc., which are implemented as functional modules of a program that runs on the processor. A DSP, LSI, ASIC, FPGA, etc. may be used as the first processing unit 17.

[0026] The first processing unit 17 receives schedule information for the robot 10 from the management server 20 via the first communication unit 15, and drives the drive unit 12 according to the received schedule information to move the robot 10. The first processing unit 17 moves along the path shown in the map information 161. Periodically, the first processing unit 17 acquires a position detection signal or navigation signal from the position sensor 11 to detect the current position and direction of the robot 10. The first processing unit 17 determines the current position and direction from the combination of the direction in which each laser sensor irradiated light and the distance to the object, and the positions of the path, room, obstacles, etc. shown in the map information 161. Alternatively, the first processing unit 17 determines the current position and direction by obtaining the latitude, longitude, and altitude from the acquired navigation signal. When the robot 10 arrives at the work position shown in the schedule information, the first processing unit 17 executes the work related to the work content shown in the schedule information.

[0027] The management server 20 is located on a control console or the like, either inside or outside the facility, and controls or manages multiple robots 10. The management server 20 includes an operation unit 21, a display unit 22, a second communication unit 23, a second storage unit 24, and a second processing unit 25, etc.

[0028] The operation unit 21 includes an input device such as a touch panel or keyboard, and an interface circuit that acquires signals from the input device. It accepts user operations and outputs a signal corresponding to the accepted operation to the second processing unit 25. The display unit 22 includes a display including a liquid crystal or organic EL display, and an interface circuit that outputs image data to the display. It displays various information such as images and text according to instructions from the second processing unit 25.

[0029] The second communication unit 23 has a communication interface circuit compliant with, for example, TCP / IP, and is connected to the communication network N. Alternatively, the second communication unit 23 has, for example, an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals, and a wireless communication interface circuit for transmitting and receiving signals via a wireless communication line in accordance with a wireless communication protocol such as a wireless LAN, and is connected to the communication network N via an access point. The second communication unit 23 outputs data received from the communication network N to the second processing unit 25 and transmits data input from the second processing unit 25 to the communication network N.

[0030] The second storage unit 24 is an example of a table storage unit and includes semiconductor memory such as ROM and RAM, a magnetic disk or optical disk drive such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, and its recording medium. The second storage unit 24 stores computer programs and various data for controlling the management server 20 and inputs and outputs this information to and from the second processing unit 25. The computer program may be installed in the second storage unit 24 from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM using a known setup program or the like. The computer program may also be stored on a recording medium owned by a predetermined server and installed via a network. The second memory unit 24 also stores data such as map information 241, priority table 242, robot table 243, spatial resource table 244, and usage request table 245. Map information 241 and spatial resource table 244 are the same information as map information 161 and spatial resource table 163 stored by robot 10, respectively. Details of priority table 242, robot table 243, spatial resource table 244, and usage request table 245 will be described later.

[0031] The second processing unit 25 includes a processor such as a CPU or MPU, memory such as ROM or RAM, and peripheral circuits, and executes various processes of the management server 20. The second processing unit 25 includes a specific unit 251, a determination unit 252, a receiving unit 253, and a decision unit 254, etc., which are implemented as functional modules of a program that runs on the processor. A DSP, LSI, ASIC, FPGA, etc. may be used as the second processing unit 25.

[0032] The second processing unit 25 receives the setting of the robot 10's work schedule from the controller using the operation unit 21, and transmits the schedule information indicating the received work schedule to the robot 10 via the second communication unit 23 to set it on the robot 10. The second processing unit 25 also receives purpose information and usage requests from the robot 10 via the second communication unit 23, and based on the received purpose information, determines which robot 10 to allocate the spatial resource SR from among the multiple robots 10. The second processing unit 25 transmits the decision result, which is the result of the determination, to the multiple robots 10 via the second communication unit 23.

[0033] Figure 3(A) shows an example of the data structure of priority table 242. As shown in Figure 3(A), the priority table 242 contains a set of usage purposes and the priority levels for each usage purpose, all of which are interrelated.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3(A), the purpose of use is set as either passing through the spatial resource SR or staying in the spatial resource SR. Further, the purpose of passing through is set as either passing through a spatial resource SR with a detour route or passing through a spatial resource SR without a detour route. A detour route is a route that allows movement between the entrance and exit of the spatial resource SR without using the spatial resource SR. A movement route is the route with the minimum total cost value (total distance) among all routes from the departure position or current position of each robot 10 to a predetermined point or work position. The movement route is determined by the second processing unit 25 of the management server 20 using known graph search techniques such as Dijkstra's algorithm or A* (A-star) search algorithm. A spatial resource SR without a detour route is a spatial resource SR that cannot be moved from the departure position or current position of each robot 10 to a predetermined point or work position other than by passing through the movement route. Furthermore, if using a detour route would result in a travel distance exceeding a predetermined limit, or a travel time exceeding a predetermined limit, the system may set it so that there is no detour route. The limit distance and the predetermined limit are set in advance by the second processing unit 25 of the management server 20.

[0035] Prioritizing robot 10 intended for stay would increase the waiting time for robot 10 intended for transit, potentially causing delays in its work schedule. In other words, if there is no detour route, robot 10 intended for transit must wait until robot 10 intended for stay completes its predetermined tasks. As a result, robot 10 intended for transit cannot proceed with its work according to its schedule. Therefore, when the purpose of use is set to transit through a spatial resource SR without a detour route, the priority is set higher than when the purpose of use is to stay. On the other hand, if a detour route exists for the spatial resource SR, robot 10 intended for transit does not need to wait until robot 10 intended for stay completes its predetermined tasks. Therefore, when the purpose of use is set to transit through a spatial resource SR with a detour route, the priority is set lower than when the purpose of use is to stay. Alternatively, the priority table 242 may not set a priority, but instead specify the priority relationship between purposes of use (i.e., which purpose of use to prioritize). In other words, the management server 20 may have a table storage unit in which priority relationships for multiple purposes of use are registered.

[0036] Figure 3(B) shows an example of the data structure of the robot table 243. As shown in Figure 3(B), the robot table 243 contains, for each of the multiple robots 10 owned by the robot management system 1, the identification number (robot ID), current position, battery level, schedule information, etc., of each robot 10, all of which are linked and configured accordingly. The identification number for each robot 10 is set in the robot management system 1 when each robot 10 is put into use. The current location and battery level of each robot 10 are periodically transmitted from each robot 10 to the management server 20 and updated. The schedule information for each robot 10 is set in the robot table 243 when it is set from the management server 20 to each robot 10.

[0037] Figure 3(C) shows an example of the data structure of spatial resource tables 163 and 244. Since the data structure of spatial resource table 244 stored by the management server 20 is the same as the data structure of spatial resource table 163 stored by the robot 10, only the data structure of spatial resource table 163 will be explained as a representative example. As shown in Figure 3(C), the spatial resource table 163 contains, for each of one or more spatial resource SRs, the resource ID, location, presence or absence of detour routes, and travel time of each spatial resource SR, all of which are interrelated and set. The location, presence or absence of detour routes, and travel time of each spatial resource SR are pre-set by the management server 20 according to the resource ID.

[0038] Figure 3(D) shows an example of the data structure of the request table 245. As shown in Figure 3(D), the usage request table 245 contains, for each robot 10 that has sent a usage request, the robot ID of that robot 10, the resource ID of the spatial resource SR that is the target of the usage request, the purpose of use, and the usage time, all of which are interrelated and set up accordingly.

[0039] Figure 4 shows a sequence illustrating an example of the robot motion determination process performed by the robot 10. This sequence is executed primarily by the first processing unit 17 in cooperation with the robot 10 and the management server 20, based on a program pre-stored in the first storage unit 16.

[0040] First, the control unit 172 of each robot 10, having received schedule information for each robot 10 from the management server 20, determines the spatial resources SR to be used (step S101). The control unit 172 determines the spatial resources SR to be used by referring to the work position and movement path included in the work schedule, and the resource positions included in the spatial resource table 163. The control unit 172 determines the spatial resources SR to be used to be those whose resource positions are located on the movement path. In addition, the control unit 172 determines the spatial resources SR to be used to be those whose work position and resource position coincide. Note that the robot 10 may move to the work position by passing through a path other than the movement path included in the work schedule. In this case, the control unit 172 determines the spatial resources SR to be used to be those whose resource positions are located on a path determined using the aforementioned known graph search technique.

[0041] Next, the control unit 172 generates purpose information that includes the resource ID, purpose of use, and time of use of the spatial resource SR to be used (step S102). The control unit 172 sets the purpose of use by referring to the work location included in the work schedule and the resource location of the spatial resource SR determined in S101. If the work location included in the work schedule matches the resource location of the spatial resource SR determined in S101, the control unit 172 sets the purpose of use to be a stay. If the work location included in the work schedule does not match the resource location of the spatial resource SR determined in S101, the control unit 172 sets the purpose of use to be a transit purpose. If the purpose of use is set to be a transit purpose, the control unit 172 refers to the presence or absence of a detour route included in the spatial resource table 163 to determine whether the purpose of transit is a transit purpose to pass through a spatial resource SR with a detour route, or a transit purpose to pass through a spatial resource SR without a detour route. If the spatial resource SR determined in S101 has a detour route, the control unit 172 sets the purpose of use to be a transit purpose to pass through a spatial resource SR with a detour route. If there is no detour route for the spatial resource SR determined in S101, the control unit 172 sets the purpose of use to pass through the spatial resource SR for which there is no detour route.

[0042] The control unit 172 sets the usage time by referring to the set purpose of use and the work time included in the work schedule or the passage time included in the spatial resource table 163. If the purpose of use is set to stay, the control unit 172 sets the time equivalent to the work time as the usage time. If the purpose of use is set to pass through, the control unit 172 sets the time required for the robot 10 to pass through the spatial resource SR as the usage time.

[0043] As described above, the control unit 172 generates purpose information that includes the resource ID, purpose of use, and usage time of the spatial resource SR to be used.

[0044] Next, the control unit 172 transmits the objective information and the request to use the spatial resource SR to the management server 20 via the first communication unit 15 (step S103). If the request to use the resource includes objective information, the control unit 172 transmits the request to use the resource via the first communication unit 15.

[0045] Next, when the management server 20 receives the purpose information and the usage request, it stores the resource ID, purpose of use, and usage time included in the purpose information in the usage request table 245, associated with the robot ID of the robot 10 that sent the usage request and purpose information. If the usage request includes purpose information, when the management server 20 receives the usage request, it stores the resource ID, purpose of use, and usage time in the usage request table 245, associated with the robot ID of the robot 10 that sent the usage request. The management server 20 executes the space resource allocation process in parallel. If the management server 20 determines the allocation of space resource SR through the space resource allocation process, it generates a decision result indicating the allocation of space resource SR and sends the decision result to the robot 10 that sent the usage request for space resource SR (step S104). The processing from S104 onward is executed when the allocation of space resource SR is determined by the space resource allocation process. Details of the space resource allocation process will be described later.

[0046] Next, when the control unit 172 of each robot 10 receives the decision result of the space resource allocation process from the management server 20, it determines the operation of each robot 10 according to the decision result (step S105). The decision result is information that includes whether or not a space resource SR is allocated, and the waiting time if a space resource SR is not allocated. The waiting time is the time corresponding to the usage time included in the purpose information of the robot 10 that has been allocated a space resource SR. The waiting time can also be called the time to keep the robot 10 that has not been allocated a space resource SR on standby.

[0047] If the control unit 172 receives a decision result to allocate spatial resource SR, it drives the drive unit 12 to move to spatial resource SR. If the control unit 172 receives a decision result not to allocate spatial resource SR, it delays the operation of the drive unit 12 for the duration of the waiting time included in the decision result. With this, the robot motion decision process is completed.

[0048] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the spatial resource allocation process by the management server 20. This flowchart is executed mainly by the second processing unit 25 in cooperation with each element of the management server 20, based on a program pre-stored in the second storage unit 24.

[0049] First, the identification unit 251 refers to the spatial resource table 244 to identify the spatial resource SR that is the target of the spatial resource allocation process (step S201). The identification unit 251 sequentially identifies all spatial resource SRs included in the spatial resource table 244, and the determination unit 252 and the decision unit 254 execute the following steps S201 to S207 for each identified spatial resource.

[0050] Next, the determination unit 252 determines whether the receiving unit 253 has received a usage request for the spatial resource SR identified in S201 via the second communication unit 23 within the previously determined time (step S202). The determination unit 252 refers to the resource ID included in the usage request table 245 to determine whether or not it has received a usage request for the target spatial resource SR.

[0051] If it is determined that a usage request has been received (S202-YES), the determination unit 252 determines whether the receiving unit 253 has received usage requests for the target spatial resource SR from multiple robots 10 (step S203). The determination unit 252 refers to the robot ID and resource ID included in the usage request table 245 to determine whether it has received usage requests for the target spatial resource SR from multiple robots 10.

[0052] If it is determined that no usage requests have been received from multiple robots 10 (S203-NO), the decision unit 254 decides to allocate the space resource SR to the robot 10 that sent the usage request (step S204), and proceeds to step S207, which will be described later.

[0053] If it is determined that usage requests have been received from multiple robots 10 (S203-YES), the decision unit 254 identifies the priority corresponding to the usage purpose included in each purpose information received with each usage request (step S205). The decision unit 254 refers to the usage purposes included in each purpose information received with each usage request from multiple robots 10 by referring to the usage purposes included in the usage request table 245. If the usage purposes included in each purpose information are different, the decision unit 254 refers to the usage purposes and priorities included in the priority table 242 to determine the priority. If the usage purposes included in each purpose information are the same, the decision unit 254 determines the priority order in the order in which the usage requests were received.

[0054] Next, the decision unit 254 determines which robot 10 to allocate the space resource SR to from among the multiple robots 10 based on the priority identified in S205 (step S206). The decision unit 254 determines the robot 10 with the highest identified priority to be allocated the space resource SR. The decision unit 254 decides not to allocate the space resource SR to any robots 10 other than the robot 10 to which it has been decided to allocate the space resource SR. The decision unit 254 refers to the robot ID, resource ID, and usage time included in the usage request table 245 to determine which robots 10 will not be allocated the space resource SR and the waiting time for those robots 10.

[0055] The decision unit 254 determines the waiting order for each robot 10 that is not allocated a space resource SR, in order of priority. For each robot 10 that is not allocated a space resource SR, the decision unit 254 determines the waiting time to be the sum of the usage times of the robots 10 that are allocated space resources before each robot 10.

[0056] The decision unit 254 generates a decision result that includes the result determined in S206 (step S207). For robots 10 to which the decision unit 254 has decided to allocate space resource SR, the decision unit 254 generates a decision result that determines that space resource SR will not be allocated and that a waiting time will be determined.

[0057] Once the priority order is determined, the decision unit 254 generates a decision result that determines to allocate the spatial resource SR to the robot 10 that is the first to receive the spatial resource SR. The decision unit 254 then generates a decision result that determines to allocate the spatial resource SR to the robots 10 that are the second and subsequent to receive the spatial resource SR in order, and also includes the waiting time for each robot 10.

[0058] Each decision result determined by the decision unit 254 is sent to each of the multiple robots 10 that sent a request to use the target spatial resource SR in S104 described above. The decision unit 254 deletes the target resource ID, the purpose of use associated with the target resource ID, and the usage time stored in the usage request table 245.

[0059] Next, the determination unit 252 determines whether or not the space resource allocation process has been completed for all space resources SR (step S208).

[0060] If it is determined that the space resource allocation process has not been completed for all space resources SR (S208-NO), the decision unit 254 returns to S201. If it is determined that the space resource allocation process has been completed for all space resources SR (S208-YES), the decision unit 254 waits for a predetermined time (step S209) and returns to S201. As a result, the robot management system 1 can execute the space resource allocation process at predetermined intervals and periodically process requests for use of space resources SR from multiple robots 10.

[0061] As explained above, in the robot management system 1, when the management server 20 receives purpose information and usage requests regarding the purpose of using the spatial resource SR from multiple robots 10, or when it receives usage requests for the spatial resource SR including purpose information from multiple robots 10, it determines which robot 10 to allocate the spatial resource SR to from among the multiple robots 10 based on the purpose information. In this way, the robot management system 1 can allocate the spatial resource SR to the robots 10 according to the purpose of using the spatial resource SR, and can appropriately allocate the spatial resource SR to the robots 10.

[0062] In this robot management system 1, it is preferable for the decision unit 254 to determine which robot 10 to assign the spatial resource SR to based on the priority corresponding to the purpose of use included in the multiple objective information received. This allows the robot management system 1 to assign the spatial resource SR to robot 10 with a high priority for using the spatial resource SR, and to appropriately allocate the spatial resource SR to the robot 10. The decision unit 254 may also determine which robot 10 to assign the spatial resource SR to based on the priority relationship of the purposes of use included in the multiple objective information received. In this case as well, the robot management system 1 can assign the spatial resource SR to robot 10 with a high priority for using the spatial resource SR.

[0063] In this robot management system, it is preferable to set the purpose of use as either a transit purpose (passing through) or a stay purpose (staying in) the spatial resource SR. Typically, the purpose of use for the spatial resource SR differs between transit purposes and stay purposes, and therefore the necessity of the spatial resource SR also differs. Since the robot management system 1 sets the purpose of use for the spatial resource SR as either a transit purpose or a stay purpose, it can appropriately allocate the spatial resource SR to the robot 10 according to the purpose of use.

[0064] (Modification 1 and Modification 2 of Embodiment 1) In the data structure of the priority table 242 of Embodiment 1, the purpose of use was set as either a transit purpose to pass through a spatial resource SR with a detour route, a transit purpose to pass through a spatial resource SR without a detour route, or a stay purpose, and a priority was set in association with each purpose of use. However, the relationship between the purpose of use and priority is not limited to this example.

[0065] Figure 6(A) shows an example of the data structure of the priority table 242a according to Modification 1. In Modification 1, the second storage unit 24 of the management server 20 stores the priority table 242a as data.

[0066] As shown in Figure 6(A), the priority table 242a contains a set of usage purposes and the priority levels for each usage purpose, all of which are interrelated.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6(A), the purpose of use is defined as either passing through the spatial resource SR or staying in the spatial resource SR. Further, the purpose of passing is defined as either a low-urgency passing purpose or a high-urgency passing purpose. A high-urgency passing purpose is a passing purpose that is urgent to pass through the spatial resource SR to be used. A low-urgency passing purpose is a passing purpose other than a high-urgency passing purpose.

[0068] An urgent reason for passing through is, for example, when the battery level of robot 10 is low (for example, when the battery level is 10 percent or less). An urgent reason for passing through may also be when robot 10 is responding to an abnormal situation.

[0069] An abnormal situation may be, for example, the occurrence of a fire, the presence of a suspicious person, a person lying down, or the transport of a person in need of rescue. An abnormal situation may also be, for example, the occurrence of dirt on the floor or congestion. An abnormal situation is detected by the detection unit 171 of each robot 10 via the input unit 13 of each robot 10, which is controlled or managed by the management server 20. The control unit 172 of each robot 10 that has detected an abnormal situation generates an abnormal signal indicating that an abnormal situation has been detected and transmits the abnormal signal to the management server 20 via the first communication unit 15. The abnormal signal includes the type of abnormality, the location where the abnormality occurred, etc. The detection unit 171 detects the occurrence of a fire as an abnormal situation when, for example, the temperature is above a predetermined threshold. The first processing unit 17 identifies the location where the abnormality occurred by referring to information output from, for example, the position sensor 11.

[0070] The second processing unit 25 of the management server 20 receives an abnormal signal via the second communication unit 23 and transmits an abnormal signal to each of the robots 10 that it controls or manages, except for the robot 10 that detected the abnormal situation.

[0071] The control unit 172 of each robot 10 that generated an abnormal signal, or the control unit 172 of each robot that received an abnormal signal, refers to the type of abnormality and the location where the abnormality occurred, as well as the current position of each robot 10, to determine whether or not to respond to the abnormal situation. The control unit 172 decides to respond to the abnormal situation if the distance between the current position of the robot 10 and the location where the abnormality occurred is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. Even if the distance between the current position of the robot 10 and the location where the abnormality occurred is less than or equal to the predetermined distance, the control unit 172 decides not to respond to the abnormal situation if the type of abnormality is unmanageable. Whether or not it is unmanageable is predetermined by the management server 20, for example, depending on the type of robot 10 (security robot, cleaning robot, guidance robot, transport robot). The abnormal situation may also be detected by another notification system and transmitted as an abnormal signal to the management server 20 or each robot 10.

[0072] If the purpose of use is a transit purpose with low urgency, the priority will be set low. If the purpose of use is a stay purpose, the priority will be set higher than the priority for a transit purpose with low urgency, because there is little need to use the spatial resource SR for a transit purpose with low urgency. If the purpose of use is a transit purpose with high urgency, the priority will be set higher than the priority for a stay purpose, because a highly urgent situation has occurred and there is a particularly high need for robot 10 to use the spatial resource SR.

[0073] In step S102 described in Embodiment 1, the control unit 172 of the robot 10 further determines whether there is an emergency depending on whether the remaining battery level of its own device is above a predetermined threshold or whether the device is responding to an abnormal situation, and generates objective information including the information regarding the determined emergency. In step S103 described in Embodiment 1, the control unit 172 transmits the objective information including the information regarding the emergency to the management server 20 along with the usage request. If the objective information is included in the usage request, the control unit 172 transmits the usage request including the objective information including the information regarding the emergency to the management server 20.

[0074] The management server 20 receives purpose information, including information regarding urgency, along with the usage request. If purpose information is included in the usage request, the management server 20 receives the usage request that includes purpose information, including information regarding urgency. The usage request table 245 stores the resource ID, usage purpose, and usage time included in the purpose information, associated with the robot ID of the robot 10 that sent the usage request. If the usage purpose includes a transit purpose, the usage request table 245 stores either a transit purpose with low urgency or a transit purpose with high urgency.

[0075] The decision unit 254 of the management server 20 identifies the priority corresponding to the purpose of use included in the purpose information received with each use request, in the same manner as in step S205 described in Embodiment 1. Based on the identified priority, the decision unit 254 determines which robot 10 to which the spatial resource SR will be allocated from among the multiple robots 10, in the same manner as in step S206 described in Embodiment 1.

[0076] Figure 6(B) shows an example of the data structure of 242b related to Modification 2. As shown in Figure 6(B), the priority table 242b has the purpose of use and the priority for each purpose of use set in relation to each other.

[0077] As shown in Figure 6(B), the purpose of use is defined as either passing through the spatial resource SR or staying in the spatial resource SR. For the purpose of staying, the content of the work to be performed in the spatial resource SR (cleaning or inspection, etc.) is further defined.

[0078] When the purpose of use is simply to pass through, the priority is set low. When the purpose of use is to stay for cleaning, the priority is set higher than for passing through, because dirt and other issues within the facility may cause discomfort to other facility users. When the purpose of use is to stay for inspection, the inspection involves tasks directly related to the safety of the facility, such as checking trash cans or confirming that locks are secured. Since these tasks require a high priority, the priority is set higher than for staying for cleaning.

[0079] In step S102 described in Embodiment 1, the control unit 172 of the robot 10 further refers to the work content included in the work schedule and generates objective information including the work content. The work content is the content of the work to be performed while staying in the spatial resource SR. The control unit 172 transmits the objective information including the work content to the management server 20 along with the usage request, in the same manner as in step S103 described in Embodiment 1. If the objective information is included in the usage request, the control unit 172 transmits the usage request including the objective information including the work content to the management server 20.

[0080] The management server 20 receives purpose information, including the work details, along with the usage request. If purpose information is included in the usage request, the management server 20 receives the usage request that includes purpose information, including the work details. The usage request table 245 stores the resource ID, usage purpose, and usage time included in the purpose information, associated with the robot ID of the robot 10 that sent the usage request. If the usage purpose includes a purpose of stay, the usage request table 245 stores the purpose of stay as either a purpose of stay for cleaning or a purpose of stay for inspection.

[0081] The decision unit 254 of the management server 20 identifies the priority corresponding to each purpose of use included in each purpose information received with each use request, in the same manner as in step S205 described in Embodiment 1. Based on the identified priority, the decision unit 254 determines which robot 10 to which the spatial resource SR will be allocated from among the multiple robots 10, in the same manner as in step S206 described in Embodiment 1.

[0082] In both Modification 1 and Modification 2, the determination unit 254 determines which robot 10 to allocate the spatial resource SR to based on the priority corresponding to the purpose of use included in the objective information. This enables the robot management system 1 to appropriately allocate the spatial resource SR to the robot 10. In addition, similar to the priority table 242 in Embodiment 1, priority tables 242a and 242b may be set without priorities being set, but with priority relationships between purposes of use being set.

[0083] (Modification 3 of Embodiment 1) In Embodiment 1, the management server 20 has a priority table 242, and the decision unit 254 determines which robot 10 to allocate the spatial resource SR to based on the priority corresponding to the purpose of use included in the purpose information. However, the first storage unit 16 of the robot 10 may have any of the priority table 242, priority table 242a, or priority table 242b. In this case, the control unit 172 of the robot 10 transmits the priority as purpose information, and the decision unit 254 of the management server 20 determines which robot 10 to allocate the spatial resource SR to based on the transmitted priority. In this modified example, step S205 described in Embodiment 1 is omitted. Also, in the second storage unit 24, each priority table is omitted.

[0084] The control unit 172 of the robot 10 determines the spatial resource SR to be used in the same manner as in step S101 described in Embodiment 1. In step S102 described in Embodiment 1, the control unit 172 further refers to the purpose of use and priority included in the priority table 242, priority table 242a, or priority table 242b stored in the first storage unit 16 to identify the priority as purpose information. The control unit 172 identifies the priority by the same process as in S205 described in Embodiment 1. In step S103 described in Embodiment 1, the control unit 172 transmits the priority, including the resource ID and usage time of the spatial resource SR, to the management server 20 along with the usage request.

[0085] The management server 20 receives the usage request along with the priority. The usage request table 245 stores the resource ID, priority, and usage time of the spatial resource SR that is the target of the usage request, associated with the robot ID of the robot 10 that sent the usage request.

[0086] In step S206 described in Embodiment 1, the decision unit 254 of the management server 20 refers to the robot ID, resource ID, and priority included in the usage request table 245 to determine which robot to allocate the spatial resource SR to from among the multiple robots 10. The decision unit 254 determines that the robot 10 with the highest priority identified in S102 is the robot 10 to which the spatial resource SR will be allocated.

[0087] In the modified example 3, each of the multiple robots 10 has a priority table 242, priority table 242a, or priority table 242b in which priorities are registered for each of the multiple purposes of use. The control unit 172 of the robot 10 transmits the priority as purpose information, and the decision unit 254 of the management server 20 determines which robot 10 to allocate the spatial resource SR to based on the multiple priorities received. This enables the robot management system 1 to appropriately allocate the spatial resource SR to the robots 10.

[0088] (Modification 4 of Embodiment 1) In Embodiment 1, the management server 20 performed space resource allocation processing at predetermined intervals. However, the management server 20 may also perform space resource allocation processing if it receives a request for use from another robot 10 after it has already allocated space resource SR to one robot 10. In this case, steps S202, S203, and S209 described in Embodiment 1 are omitted.

[0089] The decision unit 254 determines the priority of the other robot 10 in the same manner as in step S205 described in Embodiment 1. If it determines that the priority of the other robot 10 is higher than the priority of the robot 10 that has already been allocated space resource SR (hereinafter referred to as the "allocated robot"), the decision unit 254 decides to cancel the allocation of space resource SR to the allocated robot 10 and transmits the decision result to the allocated robot 10.

[0090] When a decision result to cancel the allocation of spatial resource SR is received, the control unit 172 of the allocated robot 10 determines whether the current position of the allocated robot 10 is within the spatial resource SR. The control unit 172 of the allocated robot 10 determines whether the allocated robot 10 is within the spatial resource SR depending on whether the current position obtained by the position sensor 11 matches the resource position included in the spatial resource table 244.

[0091] If it is determined that the assigned robot 10 is not currently located within the spatial resource SR, the control unit 172 of the assigned robot 10 stops or puts the drive unit 12 of the assigned robot 10 into standby mode. The control unit 172 of the assigned robot 10 may also drive the drive unit 12 to move the robot to the vicinity of the spatial resource SR. The control unit 172 of the assigned robot 10 sends acceptance information to the management server 20 indicating that it has accepted the decision result.

[0092] If it is determined that the current location of the assigned robot 10 is within the spatial resource SR, the control unit 172 of the assigned robot 10 sends rejection information to the management server 20 indicating that the decision result is rejected.

[0093] The decision unit 254 of the management server 20 decides to allocate the space resource SR to another robot 10 if it receives acceptance information, and decides not to allocate the space resource SR to another robot 10 if it receives rejection information. This allows the robot management system 1 to appropriately allocate the space resource SR according to the status of the already allocated robots 10 if a higher-priority robot 10 that uses the space resource SR appears later.

[0094] (Other modifications of Embodiment 1) In the robot management system 1, the management server 20 may be omitted. In this case, the first processing unit 17 of each robot 10 has a specific unit 251, a determination unit 252, a receiving unit 253, and a decision unit 254. For example, if the detection unit 171 detects that another robot 10 exists within a predetermined spatial resource SR via the input unit 13 of the robot 10, the control unit 172 of the robot 10 transmits purpose information or priority and a request to use the spatial resource SR to the other robot 10. When the control unit 172 of the other robot 10 receives a request to use the spatial resource from the robot 10, it determines which robot to allocate the spatial resource to based on the priority corresponding to the purpose of use included in the received purpose information, or based on the received priority, and transmits the decision result to the robot 10. As a result, the robot management system can appropriately allocate the spatial resource SR to each robot 10 even without the management server 20.

[0095] The decision unit 254 may determine priority using two or three of the following in addition to the purpose of use and purpose of stay: the availability of alternative routes, urgency, and work content. The decision unit 254 may also determine priority using only the purpose of use and purpose of stay. The decision unit 254 may also identify priority using other information in addition to the purpose of use and purpose of stay.

[0096] The second processing unit 25 of the management server 20 may identify whether there is a detour route, whether it is urgent, or the nature of the work. When identifying whether there is a detour route, the second processing unit 25 identifies the presence or absence of a detour route based on the relationship between the resource ID included in the purpose of use of the robot 10 that sent the request to use the spatial resource SR and the presence or absence of a detour route associated with the resource ID included in the spatial resource table 244.

[0097] To determine whether there is an emergency, the second processing unit 25 identifies the current location of the robot 10 that sent the request to use the spatial resource SR, based on the robot ID of the robot 10 that sent the request and the current location associated with the robot ID included in the robot table 243. The second processing unit 25 identifies the purpose of use of the robot 10 that sent the request as an urgent pass-through purpose if the current location matches the location of the anomaly included in the anomaly signal, and the purpose of use included in the purpose information sent with the request is a pass-through purpose.

[0098] When identifying the work content, the second processing unit 25 identifies the purpose of use included in the purpose information transmitted along with the request to use the spatial resource SR. If the purpose of use is for staying, the second processing unit 25 refers to the time the request was received and the start time of the work included in the work schedule. If the difference between the time the request was received and the start time of the work is within a predetermined threshold (e.g., 1 minute), the second processing unit 25 refers to the work information included in the work schedule and identifies whether the work performed by the robot 10 that sent the request to use the spatial resource SR is cleaning or inspection. Depending on whether the identified work is cleaning or inspection, the second processing unit 25 identifies whether the purpose of use of the robot 10 that sent the request to use the spatial resource SR is for cleaning or for inspection.

[0099] A robot management system according to one embodiment of the present invention can contribute to solving social issues such as the declining labor force and long working hours. Furthermore, the robot management system according to one embodiment of the present invention can contribute to achieving Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations, "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 1 robot management system, 10 robots, 172 control units, 20 management servers, 253 receiving unit, 254 decision unit

Claims

1. A robot management system comprising a plurality of autonomously mobile robots and a management server for managing the plurality of robots, Each of the aforementioned multiple robots is It has a control unit that transmits a request to use the spatial resource, which includes purpose information regarding the purpose of using the spatial resource, The aforementioned management server A receiving unit that receives the aforementioned usage request, The system includes a determination unit that, upon receiving the usage request from the plurality of robots, determines which robot to allocate the spatial resource to from among the plurality of robots based on the purpose information included in the usage request. A robot management system characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned management server It further has a table storage unit in which the priority relationships of multiple aforementioned purposes of use are registered, The determination unit determines which robot to allocate the spatial resources to based on the priority relationship of the purposes of use included in the plurality of purpose information received. The robot management system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned purpose of use is defined as either passing through the spatial resource or staying in the spatial resource. The robot management system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Each of the aforementioned multiple robots is It further has a table storage unit in which a priority is registered for each of the aforementioned purposes of use, The control unit transmits the priority as the objective information, The determination unit determines which robot to allocate the spatial resources to based on the received priorities. The robot management system according to claim 1.

5. A management server that is connected to and can communicate with multiple autonomously mobile robots, and manages the multiple robots, A receiving unit that receives requests for the use of spatial resources from the plurality of robots, including purpose information regarding the purpose of use of the spatial resources, When a usage request is received from the plurality of robots, a decision unit determines which robot to allocate the spatial resources to from among the plurality of robots based on the purpose information included in the usage request, A management server characterized by having the following features.

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