Door opening and closing system

Abstract

This provides a configuration that allows existing hinged doors to be automatically opened in accordance with the passage of moving objects. [Solution] The door robot 30, which is retrofitted to a hinged door 20, detects a delivery robot 10 approaching the door 20 to pass through the entrance 2, and controls the door 20 to open by operating the door handle 22 of the door 20 so that the detected delivery robot 10 can pass through the entrance 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a door opening and closing system that opens and closes a swing door by means of a door robot attached to the swing door.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, services in which autonomous mobile objects such as delivery robots and cleaning robots travel not only on outdoor routes but also on indoor routes have begun to spread. Although indoor routes are limited to routes that mobile objects can easily pass through, if a door is installed at an entrance / exit on the indoor route, it is necessary to control the door to an open state so that the mobile object can pass through the entrance / exit.

[0003] As a system in which an autonomous mobile object passes through an entrance / exit whose door is controlled to be open as described above, for example, a cooperation system disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 is known. In this cooperation system, an autonomous mobile body such as a cleaning robot transmits a standby signal indicating that it is waiting around a door that opens and closes automatically, and the control unit that has received this standby signal from the autonomous mobile body does not open or close the door when it is determined that an object is present within the trajectory range of the door, and performs door opening and closing control when no object is present. This prevents a situation where, while the autonomous mobile body passing through the door is instructing to open the door, a person on the other side of the door does not notice the suddenly opened door and interferes with it.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, along a route, there may be not only automatically opening and closing doors, but also hinged doors that are opened and closed manually by turning the doorknob. By replacing these existing hinged doors with the automatic doors used in the aforementioned interconnected system, autonomous mobile objects can pass through the entrances where those doors are installed. However, this requires infrastructure work to replace existing hinged doors with automatic doors, which presents problems in terms of time and cost for the renovation. This problem becomes particularly pronounced when there are many hinged doors that need to be renovated along the route.

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its objective is to provide a configuration that can automatically control the opening of an existing hinged door in accordance with the passage of a moving object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention A door opening and closing system (1, 1a, 1b) comprising a door robot (30, 100, 100a) that is retrofitted to a hinged door (20, 20a) installed at an entrance / exit (2) and capable of opening and closing the door, The aforementioned door robot, A detection unit (41, 46) capable of detecting a moving object approaching the door in order to pass through the entrance / exit, A communication unit (46) that communicates wirelessly with the moving object, A door opening / closing control unit (41) controls the door to be in an open state by operating the door handle (22) of the door so that the moving object detected by the detection unit can pass through the entrance / exit, It is characterized by being equipped with [the following features]. The symbols within the parentheses above indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described later. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In this invention, a door robot that can be retrofitted to a hinged door detects a moving object approaching the door in order to pass through the entrance, and controls the door by operating the door handle to open the door so that the detected moving object can pass through the entrance.

[0009] As a result, when a moving object approaches a door, the door robot controls it to open by operating the door handle or other means, allowing it to pass through the doorway. In particular, since the door robot can be retrofitted to existing hinged doors, it is possible to automatically control the opening of existing hinged doors in accordance with the passage of moving objects without requiring infrastructure work to be done to install an automatic door system.

[0010] The door robot may include a detection information transmission unit that, upon detection of a moving object by the detection unit, transmits detection information to the moving object via a communication unit, indicating that the object has been detected by the detection unit. This allows the moving object, upon receiving the detection information, to easily understand that the door installed at the entrance it is about to pass through is being automatically opened by the door robot.

[0011] The door robot may include a door open information transmission unit that transmits door open information to a moving object via a communication unit, indicating that the door is open when it has been controlled to an open state by the door opening / closing control unit. As a result, the moving object that receives the door open information can easily understand that the door installed at the entrance it is about to pass through is open.

[0012] The detection unit may detect a moving object approaching the door by receiving a predetermined signal from the moving object via the communication unit. This makes it possible to detect the approach of a moving object without installing a dedicated sensor or the like for detecting the approach of a moving object.

[0013] The detection unit may detect a moving object approaching the door based on the wireless communication status with the moving object via the communication unit. This makes it possible to detect the approach of a moving object without installing a dedicated sensor or the like for detecting the approach of a moving object.

[0014] The door opening / closing control unit may control the door to a closed state when the detection unit no longer detects a moving object.

[0015] The door opening / closing control unit may temporarily suspend the door opening / closing operation if it detects that a moving object has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer during the operation. This ensures safety for moving objects, for example, if an automatically moving object comes into contact with a door that is being opened and becomes temporarily unable to move and stops. In such cases, the door opening operation will be temporarily suspended.

[0016] If the door opening / closing control unit detects the movement of the moving object after the temporary pause, it may resume the opening / closing operation, assuming that the cause of the moving object's temporary stagnation has been resolved.

[0017] The door robot may be equipped with a notification unit that issues a predetermined notification when it detects that another moving object, which is not the target of communication by the communication unit, is approaching the door during opening or closing. Since the movement state of another moving object is not taken into consideration when opening or closing the door, the predetermined notification can alert the other moving object to the door's opening or closing operation.

[0018] The door robot may include a separate object detection information transmission unit that, upon detecting that another moving object, which is not the communication target of the communication unit, is approaching the door during opening and closing operations, transmits separate object detection information to the moving object via the communication unit. As a result, the moving object that receives the separate object detection information can easily understand that another moving object is approaching the door during opening and closing operations, and can therefore alert that other moving object to the door's opening and closing operation.

[0019] The door robot may be configured to be remotely controllable in response to an instruction from a host terminal. Accordingly, not only when a passerby or the like that is not a communication target passes through the doorway, but also when an unexpected situation or irregular state occurs in which a moving object cannot be involved with the door robot, the opening and closing operation of the door by the door robot can be appropriately controlled by the host terminal.

[0020] The door robot may include a state information transmission unit that transmits state information including information on a control state by the door opening / closing control unit and information on a wireless communication state with a moving object to the host terminal via the communication unit. Accordingly, since the host terminal can appropriately grasp the status of the door robot and the moving object, it is possible to provide information useful for business process improvement related to the present system.

[0021] The door robot may include a storage unit in which information on a control state by the door opening / closing control unit and information on a wireless communication state with a moving object are stored as logs. Accordingly, since the host terminal that has acquired the information accumulated in the storage unit of the door robot can appropriately grasp the status of the door robot and the moving object, it is possible to provide information useful for business process improvement related to the present system.

[0022] The door robot may be configured to be capable of editing control parameters related to door opening and closing control, including parameters used for processing by the detection unit and parameters used for processing by the door opening / closing control unit, in accordance with an instruction from the host terminal. Accordingly, even when the moving speed or the like differs for each moving object, or when the opening / closing speed or the like differs for each door, the door opening / closing timing or the like by the door robot can be adjusted in accordance with the moving speed, the opening / closing speed, and the like.

[0023] The door robot may be configured to include: a door robot main body having a telescopic mechanism in which an extending portion moves up and down when the door is opened and closed, and a wheel driving unit that rotates wheels pressed against a floor surface; and a door knob tilting mechanism that tilts and operates a door knob in accordance with the vertical movement of the extending portion. Accordingly, the retrofittable door robot for enabling opening and closing control of the door can be simply configured.

[0024] The door robot may be configured to include a rope that passes through a passage portion attached to the door, a door robot main body that is arranged at a position separated from the door and is capable of switching between a tension state in which the rope is pulled to control the door to an open state and a relaxed state in which the rope is slackened to control the door to a closed state, and a door knob tilting mechanism that is connected to one end side of the rope and tilts and operates the door knob in the opening direction when the rope is in the tension state. Even in this manner, the retrofittable door robot for enabling door opening and closing control can be simply configured. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the door opening and closing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of the delivery robot of Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a door to which the door robot is attached. [Figure 4] Figure 4(A) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the door robot in the closed state, and Figure 4(B) is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the door robot during the opening operation. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of the door robot of Figure 3. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of door opening and closing processing executed by the control unit of the door robot in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of the door opening and closing system according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram schematically illustrating the electrical configuration of the host terminal of Figure 7. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of door opening and closing processing executed by the control unit of the door robot in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which status information received from each door robot is displayed as a list on the display screen of the host terminal in the first modification of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the fifth embodiment, in which the control parameters of each door robot are displayed in a list on the display screen of the host terminal in an editable format. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the door is in the closed position in the door opening and closing system according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 13] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the door is in the open position in the door opening and closing system according to the sixth embodiment. [Figure 14] This is a block diagram illustrating the electrical configuration of the door robot in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 15] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the door is in the closed position in the door opening and closing system according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the door is in the open position in the door opening and closing system according to the seventh embodiment. [Figure 17] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the door is in the closed position in a door opening and closing system according to a modified example of the seventh embodiment. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the state in which the door is in the open position in a door opening and closing system according to a modified example of the seventh embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the door opening and closing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The door opening and closing system 1 according to this embodiment is a system that controls the opening and closing of an existing door installed at an entrance / exit 2 located on the route through which a moving object is scheduled to pass, in accordance with the passage of the moving object, and includes a door robot 30 for opening and closing the door. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, an autonomous delivery robot 10 is used as the moving object.

[0027] The delivery robot 10 is configured to automatically move along a designated route with predetermined delivery items (not shown) loaded on it. As shown in Figure 2, the delivery robot 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a drive unit 13, a camera 14, a notification unit 15, a communication unit 16, and the like.

[0028] The control unit 11 is configured to control the entire system, primarily using a microcontroller. It includes a CPU, system bus, input / output interface, etc., and functions as an information processing unit together with the memory unit 12. The memory unit 12 is composed of known semiconductor memory such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile memory. This memory unit 12 has predetermined application programs and databases for executing the distribution process described later stored in it in a manner that can be used by the control unit 11.

[0029] The drive unit 13 includes multiple wheels, including steering wheels, motors for driving the wheels, and actuators for steering, and is controlled by the control unit 11 to generate driving force and steering force for the delivery robot 10 to move along a designated route.

[0030] Camera 14 is installed so as to capture images in the direction of travel of the delivery robot 10, and is configured to output the captured images to the control unit 11.

[0031] The notification unit 15 is equipped with light-emitting parts such as LEDs, a speaker, a buzzer, etc., and is configured to provide a predetermined notification by controlling the state of its light emission, sound notification, etc., when the delivery robot 10 arrives at its destination, etc., through the control unit 11.

[0032] The communication unit 16 is equipped with short-range wireless communication functions based on NFC (Near Field Communication), wireless communication functions via access points, etc., and is controlled by the control unit 11. It is configured as a communication interface that can wirelessly communicate with external devices such as the door robot 30 and a higher-level terminal, which will be described later.

[0033] Furthermore, the delivery robot 10 is equipped with a power supply unit and battery (not shown), and is configured to supply power to the drive unit 13 and other various electrical components by the power supply unit and battery controlled by the control unit 11.

[0034] When the delivery robot 10 is loaded with predetermined items for delivery, it receives instructions for a designated route from a higher-level terminal or the like via the communication unit 16. The control unit 11 then initiates the delivery process based on the designated route, and the robot moves along that route. While moving along the designated route, the delivery robot 10 uses the short-range wireless communication function of the communication unit 16 to wirelessly transmit a moving signal indicating that it is moving along the designated route for delivery, and wirelessly receives door open information from the door robot 30 indicating that the door 20 is open. The delivery robot 10 may also wirelessly transmit the moving signal when it approaches the door 20 it is scheduled to pass through.

[0035] Next, an existing door assumed in this embodiment will be described. The existing door described above is a known hinged door 20, and is configured to include a door body 21 supported on a door frame so as to be openable and closable, a lever-type door knob 22 that is tilted (rotated), and a latch 23 for fixing the door body 21 to the door frame. When the latch 23 is engaged with the latch receiver on the door frame with the latch 23 protruding from the door body 21, the door 20 is in a closed state with the door knob 22 in a tilted position that is approximately parallel to the floor. From this closed state, the latch 23 retracts into the door body 21 in response to the tilting operation of the door knob 22, making it possible to open the door.

[0036] Next, we will describe a door robot 30 capable of opening and closing the hinged door 20 configured as described above. The door robot 30 is a robotic device for automatically opening and closing a retrofitted door 20, and as shown in Figures 3 and 4, it comprises a door robot body 40, a mounting belt 50, and a door knob tilting mechanism 60.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the door robot body 40 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a wheel drive unit 43 and an extension / retraction mechanism 44, a notification unit 45, a communication unit 46, and the like.

[0038] The control unit 41 is configured to control the entire system, primarily using a microcontroller, and includes a CPU, system bus, input / output interface, etc., functioning as an information processing unit together with the memory unit 42. The memory unit 42 is composed of known semiconductor memory such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile memory. This memory unit 42 has predetermined application programs and databases for executing the door opening and closing process described later stored in it in a manner that can be used by the control unit 41.

[0039] The wheel drive unit 43 and the telescopic mechanism 44 are controlled by the control unit 41 to open and close the door 20. Specifically, during the opening operation to open the door 20 from a closed state, the wheel drive unit 43 rotates the wheel 43a in the opening direction, and the telescopic mechanism 44 gradually lengthens the extension portion 44a to the open state extension length (see Figure 4(B)). During the closing operation to close the door 20 from an open state, the wheel drive unit 43 rotates the wheel 43a in the closing direction, opposite to the opening direction, and the telescopic mechanism 44 gradually shortens the extension portion 44a to the closed state extension length (see Figure 4(A)). Therefore, when the door 20 is closed, the extension portion 44a of the telescopic mechanism 44 is maintained at the closed state extension length, as shown in Figure 4(A), and when the door 20 is opened and closed, its upper extension moves upward during the opening operation and downward during the closing operation.

[0040] The notification unit 45 is equipped with light-emitting parts such as LEDs, a speaker, a buzzer, etc., and is configured to provide a predetermined notification by controlling its light emission state, sound notification state, etc., when the approach of the delivery robot 10 is detected or when the door 20 is open, as will be described later.

[0041] The communication unit 46 is equipped with short-range wireless communication functions based on NFC, etc., and wireless communication functions via access points, etc., and is controlled by the control unit 41. It is configured as a communication interface that can wirelessly communicate with external devices such as the delivery robot 10 and host terminals.

[0042] Furthermore, the door robot body 40 is equipped with a power supply unit and battery (not shown), and is configured to supply power to the wheel drive unit 43, the telescopic mechanism 44, and various other electrical components by the power supply unit and battery controlled by the control unit 41.

[0043] The mounting belt 50 is attached to the door body 21 so as to wrap around it vertically, so that the plate 51 for assembling the door robot body 40 is located close to the floor. The door robot body 40 is assembled to the plate 51 such that there is a small gap between the wheels 43a and the floor so that a person can open and close the door 20 manually when the telescopic mechanism 44 is not in the opening operation. This gap is set so that the wheels 43a are pressed against the floor by the reaction force accompanying the opening operation of the telescopic mechanism 44 (upward movement of the extended upper end).

[0044] The door knob tilting mechanism 60 is configured such that a connecting part 61, which is assembled to the upper extended end of the extension part 44a, and a clamp 62, which is attached to the door knob 22, are connected via an axis 63 so as to be able to tilt relative to each other. The door knob tilting mechanism 60 functions so that the clamp 62 tilts the door knob 22 as the connecting part 61 moves up and down according to the extension length of the extension part 44a in the telescopic mechanism 44.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the door robot 30 configured in this way can be retrofitted to the door 20 by assembling the door robot body 40 to the plate 51 of the mounting belt 50 attached to the door body 21, and by assembling the extended upper end of the extended part 44a to the connecting part 61 of the door knob tilting mechanism 60 attached to the door knob 22.

[0046] Then, when the door 20 is in the closed position (see Figure 4(A)), the control unit 41 performs an opening operation, causing the wheel 43a to rotate in the opening direction by the wheel drive unit 43 and the extension part 44a to extend to the open extension length by the telescopic mechanism 44 (see Figure 4(B)). As a result, the door knob 22 tilts from the closed tilt position, and the door body 21 begins to open with the latch 23 inside the door body 21. Also, when the door 20 is in the open position, the control unit 41 performs a closing operation, causing the wheel 43a to rotate in the closing direction by the wheel drive unit 43, and the door body 21 begins to close. When the door body 21 is fully closed, the extension length of the extension part 44a is shortened by the telescopic mechanism 44, causing the latch 23 to engage with the latch receiver on the door frame, and the door 20 becomes closed.

[0047] Next, the door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 41 of the door robot 30, which is retrofitted to the door 20 as described above, in order to control the opening and closing of the door 20 in accordance with the passage of the delivery robot 10, will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 6.

[0048] When the door opening and closing process is started in the control unit 41, the determination process shown in step S101 of Figure 6 determines whether or not a moving object has been detected. In this embodiment, the delivery robot 10 wirelessly transmits the aforementioned moving signal using the short-range wireless communication function of the communication unit 16 while moving along a designated route. If such a moving signal is not received via the communication unit 46, the determination process in step S101 repeatedly determines "No".

[0049] Then, when the delivery robot 10 approaches the door 20, the above-mentioned moving signal is received via the communication unit 46, and it is determined that a moving object has been detected, resulting in a determination of Yes in the determination process of step S101. The control unit 41 and communication unit 46 that perform the determination process of step S101 may correspond to an example of a "detection unit" that can detect a moving object approaching the door 20 in order to pass through the entrance 2 by receiving a predetermined signal such as the above-mentioned moving signal from that moving object.

[0050] Next, the detection information transmission process shown in step S102 is performed, and detection information indicating that the approach of the delivery robot 10 has been detected is wirelessly transmitted to the detected delivery robot 10 via the communication unit 46. The control unit 41 and communication unit 46 that perform the above detection information transmission process may correspond to an example of a "detection information transmission unit".

[0051] Next, the opening operation process shown in step S103 is performed. As a result, the clamp 62 tilts the door knob 22 from the closed tilt position in response to the extension of the extension portion 44a by the telescopic mechanism 44, making the door 20 ready to be opened. The wheels 43a, which are pressed against the floor surface by the wheel drive unit 43, rotate in the opening direction, initiating the opening operation of the door 20. The control unit 41 that performs the opening operation process in step S103 may correspond to an example of a "door opening and closing control unit" that controls the door 20 to be in the open state.

[0052] When the door 20 is opened, the determination process in step S104 determines whether the door 20 is open or not based on the number of rotations of the wheel 43a, etc. If the door 20 is not open, the determination of "No" is repeated.

[0053] Then, when it is determined that the door 20 is open (Yes in S104), the door open information notification process shown in step S105 is performed, and the delivery robot 10 that detected the door as described above is notified by wirelessly transmitting door open information indicating that the door 20 is open via the communication unit 46. The control unit 41 and communication unit 46 that perform the above door open information notification process may correspond to an example of a "door open information transmission unit".

[0054] Subsequently, in the determination process of step S106, it is determined whether or not the moving object has passed through the entrance / exit 2 based on the reception status of the moving signal. If the moving signal is continuously received, it is determined that the delivery robot 10 is not passing through the entrance / exit 2 because it is close to the door robot 30 (No in S106), and the process from step S105 is repeated.

[0055] On the other hand, if the delivery robot 10 is no longer detected because no signal is received while it is moving, it is determined that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2 because it is far away from the door robot 30 (Yes in S106). In the determination process in step S106 above, if the radio wave strength of the received signal while it is moving is equal to or greater than a threshold for determining passage (hereinafter also referred to as the passage determination threshold), it may be determined that the moving object has not passed through the entrance / exit 2, and if the radio wave strength of the received signal while it is moving is less than the passage determination threshold, it may be determined that the moving object has passed through the entrance / exit 2.

[0056] As described above, when it is determined that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2, the closing operation shown in step S107 is performed. As a result, the wheels 43a, which are pressed against the floor surface by the wheel drive unit 43, rotate in the closing direction, initiating the closing operation of the door 20. In response to the contraction of the extension part 44a by the telescopic mechanism 44, the clamp 62 tilts the doorknob 22, returning the doorknob 22 to its original closed tilt position. Then, if it is determined that the door 20 is in a closed state based on the number of rotations of the wheels 43a, etc. (Yes in S108), the process from step S101 is restarted.

[0057] As described above, in the door opening and closing system 1 according to this embodiment, when the door robot 30, which is retrofitted to the hinged door 20, detects a delivery robot 10 approaching the door 20 in order to pass through the entrance 2 (Yes in S101), it operates the door handle 22 of the door 20 to open the door 20 so that the detected delivery robot 10 can pass through the entrance 2 (S103).

[0058] As a result, when the delivery robot 10 approaches the door 20, the door 20 is controlled to open by the operation of the door handle 22 by the door robot 30, allowing it to pass through the entrance 2. In particular, since the door robot 30 can be retrofitted to the existing hinged door 20, it is possible to automatically open the existing hinged door 20 in accordance with the passage of moving objects such as the delivery robot 10 without requiring infrastructure work to be done to install an automatic door.

[0059] Furthermore, the door robot 30 detects the delivery robot 10 approaching the door 20 by receiving the above-mentioned moving signal from the delivery robot 10 via the communication unit 46 (Yes in S101). This makes it possible to detect the approach of the delivery robot 10 without providing a dedicated sensor or the like for detecting the approach of the delivery robot 10.

[0060] Furthermore, in the determination process of step S101 described above, detection of the delivery robot 10 approaching the door 20 is not limited to simply receiving the moving signal. Rather, based on the wireless communication status with the delivery robot 10 via the communication unit 46, the approach of the delivery robot 10 to the door 20 may be detected, for example, when the radio wave intensity of the moving signal or other predetermined signal received from the delivery robot 10 is equal to or greater than a threshold for proximity detection determination (hereinafter also referred to as the proximity detection threshold).

[0061] Furthermore, when the door robot 30 detects the approach of the delivery robot 10 by receiving the moving signal via the communication unit 46 (Yes in S101), it wirelessly transmits detection information to the delivery robot 10 via the communication unit 46 (S102) indicating that the approach of the delivery robot 10 has been detected. As a result, the delivery robot 10, upon receiving the detection information, can easily understand that the door 20 installed at the entrance 2 that it is about to pass through is being automatically opened by the door robot 30.

[0062] Alternatively, instead of the detection information transmission process in step S102, control may be performed to set the light-emitting part of the notification unit 45 to a first light-emitting state to indicate that the approach of the delivery robot 10 has been detected. In this way, the above effect can also be achieved when the delivery robot 10 detects the first light-emitting state by the notification unit 45 based on the imaging results of the camera 14.

[0063] Furthermore, when the door robot 30 controls the door 20 to be in the open state through the door opening / closing process performed by the control unit 41 (Yes in S104), it transmits door open information to the delivery robot 10 via the communication unit 46 wirelessly through the door open information notification process shown in step S105, indicating that the door 20 is in the open state. As a result, the delivery robot 10, upon receiving the door open information, can easily understand that the door 20 installed at the entrance / exit 2 that it is about to pass through is in the open state.

[0064] Alternatively, instead of the door open information notification process in step S105 described above, control may be performed to set the light-emitting part of the notification unit 45 to a second light-emitting state to indicate that the door 20 is open. In this case, the above effect can also be achieved by the delivery robot 10 detecting the second light-emitting state of the notification unit 45 based on the imaging results of the camera 14.

[0065] Furthermore, the door robot 30 is configured to include a door robot body 40 having an extension mechanism 44 that moves up and down when the door 20 is opened and closed, and a wheel drive unit 43 that rotates wheels 43a that are pressed against the floor surface, and a door knob tilting mechanism 60 that tilts the door knob 22 in accordance with the up and down movement of the extension mechanism 44a. This makes it possible to easily construct a retrofittable door robot 30 that can control the opening and closing of the door 20.

[0066] [Second Embodiment] Next, the door opening and closing system according to this second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this second embodiment, the main difference from the first embodiment is that the door robot 30 temporarily suspends the opening and closing operation of the door 20 when the stopping of the delivery robot 10 is detected. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0067] In this embodiment, the door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 41 of the door robot 30 assumes a situation where the automatically moving delivery robot 10 comes into contact with or collides with the door 20 during the opening operation, causing it to become temporarily unable to move and stop. When it is detected that the delivery robot 10 has been stopped for a certain period of time or longer, the door opening and closing operation of the door 20 is temporarily suspended.

[0068] Specifically, if the delivery robot 10 is detected to be stationary during the repeated determination process with No in step S104 described above, the opening operation is temporarily suspended.

[0069] As a method for detecting when the delivery robot 10 is stopped, for example, a method can be employed in which the stop detection process performed by the control unit 41, which functions as a stop detection unit, detects the stop based on the time change in the radio wave intensity of the moving signal received via the communication unit 46. In this case, the stop of the delivery robot 10 is detected when the radio wave intensity of the moving signal remains almost unchanged for a certain period of time (for example, 3 seconds) or longer.

[0070] Thus, in this embodiment, if the door robot 30 detects that the delivery robot 10 has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer while the door robot 30 is opening or closing the door 20, the opening and closing operation is temporarily suspended. As a result, if the automatically moving delivery robot 10, as described above, comes into contact with or collides with the door 20 while it is opening and temporarily stops, the opening operation of the door 20 will be temporarily suspended, thus ensuring safety for the delivery robot 10 and the like.

[0071] Then, after the delivery robot 10 is notified via the communication unit 46 of the temporary suspension of the opening and closing operation by the door robot 30, a change in the radio wave intensity of the moving signal occurs over time. Upon detecting the movement of the delivery robot 10, the door robot 30 can resume its opening and closing operation, as it determines that the cause of the delivery robot 10's temporary stagnation has been resolved.

[0072] [Third Embodiment] Next, the door opening and closing system according to this third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this third embodiment, the main difference from the first embodiment and others is that the door robot 30 provides a predetermined notification when a moving object other than the delivery robot 10 approaches the door 20 during opening and closing operations. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0073] In this embodiment, the door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 41 of the door robot 30 assumes that another moving object that is not subject to communication is approaching the door 20 during the opening and closing operation, for example, when a person is about to pass through the entrance 2 from behind the delivery robot 10. By detecting the approach of such another moving object, the notification unit 45 provides a warning to that other moving object using a predetermined notification. This is because the opening and closing operation of the door 20 does not take into account the movement state of the other moving object, and therefore the opening and closing operation of the door 20 may interfere with that other moving object.

[0074] Therefore, in this embodiment, the door robot 30 is configured to be equipped with a three-dimensional sensor as a moving object detection unit for detecting the approach of a moving object other than the delivery robot 10. In addition, a predetermined notification is used for the above-mentioned warning by the notification unit 45, such as a voice message from a speaker saying "Please step back" or a warning sound from a buzzer. It should be noted that the moving object detection unit is not limited to a three-dimensional sensor; a laser radar, LiDAR, camera, etc., may also be used. Furthermore, in addition to the auditory notification described above, a visual notification may be used as a predetermined notification for the above-mentioned warning, such as the illumination state of a light-emitting unit or the illumination light from a separately provided rotating light.

[0075] Furthermore, since the door is in the opening operation, if the approach of another moving object is detected based on the detection result of the three-dimensional sensor during the repeated determination process with No in step S104 described above, the notification unit 45 will issue the warning described above. Also, since the delivery robot 10 is passing through the entrance / exit 2, if the approach of another moving object is detected based on the detection result of the three-dimensional sensor during the repeated determination process with No in step S106 described above, the notification unit 45 will issue the warning described above. Also, since the door is in the closing operation, if the approach of another moving object is detected based on the detection result of the three-dimensional sensor during the repeated determination process with No in step S108 described above, the notification unit 45 will issue the warning described above.

[0076] Thus, in this embodiment, during the door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 41 of the door robot 30, a moving object detection unit such as a three-dimensional sensor detects that another moving object, which is not subject to communication, is approaching the door 20 during the opening and closing operation. As a result, the notification unit 45 issues a predetermined notification for the purpose of warning as described above. Since the movement state of another moving object is not taken into consideration in the opening and closing operation of the door 20, the predetermined notification can alert the other moving object to the opening and closing operation of the door 20.

[0077] As a variation of this embodiment, the door robot 30 may, when a moving object detection unit such as a three-dimensional sensor detects that another moving object, which is not subject to communication, is approaching the door 20 during opening and closing operations, perform a separate object detection information transmission process in the control unit 41, which transmits separate object detection information indicating the presence of this other moving object to the delivery robot 10 via the communication unit 46. As a result, the delivery robot 10, upon receiving the separate object detection information, can easily understand that another moving object is approaching the door 20 during opening and closing operations, and can use a predetermined notification from the notification unit 15 to alert the other moving object about the opening and closing operations of the door 20. The control unit 41 and communication unit 46 that perform the separate object detection information transmission process may correspond to an example of a "separate object detection information transmission unit".

[0078] Furthermore, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment and its variations, in which the door robot 30 provides a predetermined notification when another moving object approaches the door 20 during opening and closing operations, can be applied to other embodiments as well.

[0079] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, the door opening and closing system according to this fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this fourth embodiment, the door robot 30 is remotely controlled in response to instructions from a higher-level terminal, which is the main difference from the first embodiment and the like. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0080] As shown in Figure 7, the door opening and closing system 1a according to this embodiment includes a higher-level terminal 70 capable of remotely controlling the door robot 30. The higher-level terminal 70 is configured as, for example, a computer and is managed by a system administrator who manages the delivery robot 10 and the like. As shown in Figure 8, this higher-level terminal 70 includes a control unit 71 consisting of a CPU, a display unit 72 consisting of an LCD monitor, an operation unit 73 consisting of a mouse and keyboard, a storage unit 74 consisting of ROM, RAM, HDD, etc., and a communication unit 75 for communicating with external devices such as the door robot 30.

[0081] The upper-level terminal 70 is configured to communicate wirelessly with the door robot 30 using an access point AP installed near the door 20, and is configured to remotely control the door robot 30 in accordance with predetermined instructions transmitted via the communication unit 75 through remote control processing performed by the control unit 71.

[0082] In this embodiment, the door robot 30, in the door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 41, if it does not detect a moving object (No in S101 in Figure 9), as shown in the flowchart in Figure 9, receives a predetermined instruction from the upper terminal 70 via the communication unit 46 (Yes in S109), and performs an opening and closing control process (S110) according to that instruction.

[0083] Specifically, for example, if the upper-level terminal 70 receives a request from a passerby or the like to open the door 20 and transmits an opening operation start instruction as the predetermined instruction, the door robot 30 that receives this instruction performs the same processing as the opening operation processing in step S103 in the opening / closing control processing. Also, if the upper-level terminal 70 transmits a closing operation start instruction as the predetermined instruction, the door robot 30 that receives this instruction performs the same processing as the closing operation processing in step S107 in the opening / closing control processing. Also, if the upper-level terminal 70 transmits an opening / closing operation stop instruction as the predetermined instruction, the door robot 30 that receives this instruction performs the processing to temporarily suspend the operation if it is in the process of opening or closing in the opening / closing control processing.

[0084] The opening and closing control process (S110) described above may also be performed in response to instructions from the upper-level terminal 70 that receives a request from the delivery robot 10 (such as an opening operation request, a closing operation request, or an opening / closing operation stop request), assuming that unforeseen circumstances or irregular situations occur where the delivery robot 10 cannot give instructions to the door robot 30 via short-range wireless communication, even if the delivery robot 10 is detected (Yes in S101).

[0085] As described above, in the door opening and closing system 1a according to this embodiment, the door robot 30 is configured to be remotely controllable in response to instructions from the higher-level terminal 70. This allows the higher-level terminal 70 to appropriately control the opening and closing operation of the door 20 by the door robot 30, not only when pedestrians or other persons who are not subject to communication pass through the entrance / exit 2, but also in the event of unforeseen circumstances or irregular situations in which moving objects such as the delivery robot 10 cannot be involved.

[0086] As a first modification of this embodiment, the door robot 30 may have a control unit 41 that performs a status information transmission process to transmit status information, including information on the control status due to the door opening and closing control process (for example, information such as the date and time of opening and closing, the number of times it has opened and closed, the number of times it has stopped abnormally, and the number of times it has been remotely controlled), and information on the wireless communication status with the delivery robot 10, to a higher-level terminal 70 in real time via a communication unit 46. The control unit 41 and communication unit 46 that perform the status information transmission process may correspond to an example of a "status information transmission unit".

[0087] As a result, the upper-level terminal 70 can appropriately grasp the status of the door robots 30 and delivery robots 10, and can provide information that can be used to improve business processes regarding this system. For example, as illustrated in Figure 10, the upper-level terminal 70 can display the status information received from each door robot 30 in a list on the display screen of the display unit 72, categorized by time period for each door 20. System administrators and others who view such a list can easily grasp the opening and closing status of each door 20 by each door robot 30.

[0088] As a second modification of this embodiment, the door robot 30 may perform a process to sequentially store status information, including control results from door opening and closing control processing and information on the wireless communication status with the delivery robot 10, in the storage unit 42 as a log. Even in this case, the upper-level terminal 70, which acquires the information stored in the storage unit 42 of the door robot 30 at a predetermined timing at the end of the workday, can appropriately grasp the status of the door robot 30 and the delivery robot 10, and can provide information that can be used to improve business processes with respect to this system.

[0089] Furthermore, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment and its modifications, in which the door robot 30 is remotely controlled in response to instructions from the upper-level terminal 70, can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0090] [Fifth Embodiment] Next, the door opening and closing system according to this fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this fifth embodiment, the main difference from the fourth embodiment and others is that the control parameters related to the opening and closing control of the door 20 by the door robot 30 can be edited from the upper-level terminal 70. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the fourth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0091] In some cases, there may be multiple types of moving objects, such as delivery robots 10, that need to be monitored by the door opening / closing system 1a. If the movement speed of each delivery robot 10 differs, the timing of opening and closing the door 20 by the door robot 30 needs to be adjusted for each delivery robot 10. Similarly, if the opening and closing speed of each door 20 differs, the timing of opening and closing the door 20 by the door robot 30 needs to be adjusted for each door 20's opening and closing speed.

[0092] Therefore, in this embodiment, the door robot 30 is configured so that the control parameters related to the opening and closing control of the door 20 in the door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 41 can be edited (changed, added, deleted) in response to instructions from the upper-level terminal 70. As illustrated in Figure 11, the upper-level terminal 70 displays the editable control parameters for each door 20 on the display screen of the display unit 72, and information regarding the edited control parameters in response to editing operations by the system administrator or the like on the operation unit 73 is transmitted as editing instruction information to the door robot 30 to be edited via the communication unit 75 at a predetermined timing.

[0093] Specifically, for example, in the determination process of step S101 above, we assume a case where the approach of the delivery robot 10 to the door 20 is detected because the radio wave strength of the moving signal received from the delivery robot 10 is equal to or greater than the proximity detection threshold. In such a case, if the system administrator or the like performs an editing operation on the operation unit 73 to detect the delivery robot 10 when the distance from the door robot 30 is less than 1.5m, information regarding the proximity detection threshold, which is set so that the radio wave strength of the moving signal received when the distance to the delivery robot 10 is 1.5m, is transmitted to the target door robot 30 via the communication unit 75 as editing instruction information. Upon receiving this editing instruction information, the door robot 30 detects the delivery robot 10 when the distance to the delivery robot 10 becomes approximately 1.5m (Yes in S101). Furthermore, in the case of a delivery robot 10 or the like with a slow movement speed, for example, if an editing operation is performed on the operation unit 73 to detect the delivery robot 10 or the like when the distance from the door robot 30 is less than 1.0 m, the door robot 30 will detect the delivery robot 10 or the like when the distance to the delivery robot 10 or the like becomes approximately 1.0 m. In addition, the above-mentioned moving signal can be set as an "OPEN request," and the control parameters can be edited so that the door robot 30 detects the approach of the delivery robot 10 or the like regardless of the radio wave strength when it receives the moving signal.

[0094] Furthermore, for example, with respect to the detection information transmission process in step S102 above, the control parameters can be edited so that the door robot 30, which has received editing instruction information corresponding to an editing operation on the operation unit 73 by a system administrator or the like, includes a "standby" instruction for the delivery robot 10, etc., in the detection information it transmits to the delivery robot 10, etc. Upon receiving this "standby" instruction, the delivery robot 10, etc., will remain in a standby state until it receives the door open information from the door robot 30. In addition, in the case of a moving object operated by a person, unlike the delivery robot 10, such as an electric wheelchair that moves automatically with a person seated in it, the control parameters can be edited so that, for example, the detection information includes a "voice playback" instruction or a "vibration" instruction for the electric wheelchair, etc. Upon receiving the "voice playback" instruction, the electric wheelchair will play a predetermined sound indicating that the door 20 installed at the entrance 2 it is about to pass through is being automatically opened by the door robot 30. When an electric wheelchair receives a "vibe" command, the parts that touch the arm of the person sitting in the wheelchair will vibrate in a predetermined state, indicating that the door 20 installed at the entrance 2 that the wheelchair is about to pass through is being automatically opened by the door robot 30.

[0095] Furthermore, for example, with respect to the door opening information notification process in step S105 above, the door robot 30, which has received editing instruction information corresponding to the editing operation on the operation unit 73 by the system administrator, can edit the control parameters so that the door opening information it transmits to the delivery robot 10, etc., includes a "permission to pass" instruction, a "voice playback" instruction, and a "vibration" instruction for the delivery robot 10, etc. In the case of the electric wheelchair described above, upon receiving the "voice playback" instruction, a predetermined sound indicating that the door 20 is open is played, and upon receiving the "vibration" instruction, a part that touches the arm of the seated person vibrates to a predetermined state to indicate that the door 20 is open.

[0096] Furthermore, for example, consider the case where, in the determination process of step S106 above, it is determined that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2 because the radio wave strength of the moving signal received from the delivery robot 10 is less than the above-mentioned pass-through determination threshold. In such a case, if the system administrator or the like performs an editing operation on the operation unit 73 to determine that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2 when the distance from the door robot 30 is 1.5m or more, information regarding the pass-through determination threshold, which is set to be the radio wave strength of the moving signal received when the distance to the delivery robot 10 is 1.5m, is transmitted to the target door robot 30 via the communication unit 75 as editing instruction information. Upon receiving this editing instruction information, the door robot 30 determines that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2 when the distance to the delivery robot 10 becomes approximately 1.5m (Yes in S106). Furthermore, in the case of a delivery robot 10 or the like with a slow movement speed, for example, if an editing operation is performed on the operation unit 73 for detecting the delivery robot 10 or the like when the distance from the door robot 30 is 1.0 m or more, the door robot 30 will determine that the delivery robot 10 or the like has passed through the entrance / exit 2 when the distance to the delivery robot 10 or the like becomes approximately 1.0 m. In addition, the control parameters can be edited so that when the door robot 30 receives a "CLOSE request" from the delivery robot 10 or the like that instructs the door 20 to close after it has passed through the entrance / exit 2, it will determine that the delivery robot 10 or the like has passed through the entrance / exit 2.

[0097] Furthermore, for example, in the door opening / closing system 1a, it is assumed that the door robot 30 temporarily stops opening and closing the door 20 when it is detected that the delivery robot 10 has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer, as described in the second embodiment above. In such a case, if a system administrator or the like performs an editing operation on the operation unit 73 to set the stationary determination threshold to 3 seconds, the information regarding the edited stationary determination threshold is transmitted to the target door robot 30 via the communication unit 75 as editing instruction information. Upon receiving this editing instruction information, the door robot 30 detects that the delivery robot 10 has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer when the radio wave strength of the moving signal does not change significantly for 3 seconds, and temporarily stops opening and closing the door 20. Also, for example, if the operation unit 73 is edited to set the stationary determination threshold to 5 seconds, the door robot 30 detects that the delivery robot 10 has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer when the radio wave strength of the moving signal does not change significantly for 5 seconds, and temporarily stops opening and closing the door 20. Furthermore, the control parameters can be edited so that the door robot 30 detects if the delivery robot 10 has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer when it receives a "stop request" from the delivery robot 10. Additionally, the control parameters can be edited so that the door robot 30 detects if the delivery robot 10 has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer when it receives "collision vibration" information transmitted by the delivery robot 10 when it detects a collision.

[0098] Furthermore, regarding the process of notifying the delivery robot 10 of the temporary suspension of the opening and closing operation as described above, the control parameters can be edited to include "passage denied" instructions, "voice playback" instructions, and "vibration" instructions as instructions to be notified, in accordance with editing operations on the operation unit 73 by the system administrator or the like. In the case of the electric wheelchair described above, upon receiving the "voice playback" instruction, a predetermined sound indicating a temporary suspension of the opening and closing operation of the door 20 is played, and upon receiving the "vibration" instruction, a part that touches the arm of the seated person enters a predetermined vibration state to indicate a temporary suspension of the opening and closing operation of the door 20.

[0099] Furthermore, the door robot 30 is assumed to perform a process to determine whether or not to resume the opening and closing operation that has been temporarily suspended as described above, based on a comparison between the time change in the radio wave intensity of the moving signal and a predetermined threshold (hereinafter also referred to as the restart threshold). Regarding such a process, information regarding the restart threshold that has been changed in response to editing operations on the operation unit 73 by the system administrator, etc., is transmitted to the target door robot 30 via the communication unit 75 as editing instruction information, thereby allowing the control parameters to be edited to change the restart timing of that door robot 30. In addition, the control parameters can also be edited so that the door robot 30 resumes the opening and closing operation of the door 20 when it receives a "restart request" from the delivery robot 10.

[0100] Furthermore, it is also possible to edit the control parameters to determine whether or not to accept remote instructions from the upper-level terminal 70 that differ from those edited as described above.

[0101] As described above, in the door opening and closing system 1a according to this embodiment, the door robot 30 is configured to be able to edit control parameters related to the opening and closing control of the door 20, such as parameters used in the determination process of step S101, in accordance with instructions from the upper terminal 70. This allows the door robot 30 to adjust the opening and closing timing of the door 20 in accordance with the movement speed, opening and closing speed, etc., even when the movement speed, etc., differs for each moving object such as the delivery robot 10, or when the opening and closing speed, etc., differs for each door 20.

[0102] Furthermore, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment and its modifications, which allows the control parameters related to the opening and closing control of the door 20 by the door robot 30 to be edited from the upper-level terminal 70, can be applied to other embodiments as well.

[0103] [Sixth Embodiment] Next, the door opening and closing system according to this sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this sixth embodiment, the door robot is configured to separate the door robot body from the door, which is the main difference from the first embodiment and the like. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0104] In the door opening and closing system 1b according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, a door 20a and a door robot 100 are used instead of the door 20 and door robot 30 described above. In this embodiment, the door robot 100 is configured to control the opening and closing of the door 20a using a rope 110. For convenience, the rope 110 is shown as a dashed line in Figures 12 and 13, etc.

[0105] Door 20a is equipped with a door closer (not shown), and is configured to close automatically by this door closer. Near the lower end of the door body 21 of door 20a, a first passage section 210 and a second passage section 220 through which the rope 110 passes are assembled using an attachment belt 230 that is attached so as to wrap around the door body 21 in the left-right direction.

[0106] The first via section 210 is fixed to the mounting belt 230 and is configured as a pulley supported by a rolling roller with respect to the rope 110 through which it passes. The second via section 220 is configured to include a pulley 221 supported by a rolling roller with respect to the rope 110 through which it passes, and a reel-type holder 222 for suspending the pulley 221 from the mounting belt 230 in a retractable manner.

[0107] The door robot 100 is a robotic mechanism that is retrofitted to the door 20a and uses a rope 110 to open the door 20a. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, in addition to the rope 110, it is configured to include a door robot body 120 and a door knob tilting mechanism 130.

[0108] As shown in Figure 14, the door robot body 120 includes a control unit 121, a memory unit 122, a rope winding unit 123, a notification unit 124, a communication unit 125, and the like. The control unit 121, memory unit 122, notification unit 124, and communication unit 125 are configured to have the same functions as the control unit 41, memory unit 42, notification unit 45, and communication unit 46 of the door robot 30.

[0109] The rope winding unit 123 is a mechanism for adjusting the length of rope 110 pulled out from the door robot body 120, and is controlled by the control unit 121 to switch between a tension state in which the rope 110 is pulled to control the door 20a to an open state and a slack state in which the rope 110 is loosened to control the door 20a to a closed state (a state that allows the rope 110 to be pulled out).

[0110] Furthermore, the door robot body 120 is equipped with a power supply unit and battery (not shown), and is configured to supply power to the rope winding unit 123 and other various electrical components by the power supply unit and battery controlled by the control unit 121.

[0111] The door robot body 120, configured in this way, is placed on the floor so as to be away from the door 20a. Specifically, the door robot body 120 is placed on the floor so as to be a predetermined distance away from the first passage portion 210 along the front surface of the door body 21 of the open door 20a.

[0112] The door knob tilting mechanism 130 comprises a door knob cover 131 attached to the door knob 22 and a tilting piece 132 that tilts together with the door knob cover 131 in accordance with the tilting of the door knob 22, and the door knob cover 131 and the tilting piece 132 are configured to be integrally molded. The tilting piece 132 faces the door body 21 with a small gap between them, and one end of the rope 110 is connected to its tip.

[0113] In the door knob tilting mechanism 130 configured in this way, as will be described later, when the rope 110 is in a tensile state, the tilting piece 132, the door knob cover 131 and the door knob 22 tilt together in the opening direction, causing the latch 23 to enter the door body 21 and the door 20a to become openable.

[0114] As described above, the door robot 100 controls the opening and closing of the door 20a in accordance with the passage of the delivery robot 10 by a door opening and closing process performed by the control unit 121 of the door robot body 120, similar to the door robot 30.

[0115] Specifically, in the opening operation process of step S103 described above, the rope 110 is pulled in (tensioned) by the rope winding unit 123, causing the pulley 221 to be pulled away from the reel-type holder 222 so that the rope 110 passing through the second via unit 220 becomes straight from the door robot body 120 to the first via unit 210. From this state, the rope 110 is pulled in further, causing the tilting piece 132 of the door knob tilting mechanism 130, the door knob cover 131 and the door knob 22 to tilt together in the opening direction, making the door 20a ready to open. From this state, the rope 110 is pulled in further, causing the first via unit 210 to be pulled towards the door robot body 120, and the door 20a opens (see Figure 13).

[0116] Then, when it is determined that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2 (Yes in S106), in the closing operation process of step S107, the rope winding unit 123 releases the retraction of the rope 110, and the rope 110 becomes available to be pulled out (relaxed). As a result, the door closer closes the door 20a.

[0117] As described above, in the door opening and closing system 1b according to this embodiment, the door robot 100 is configured to include a rope 110 that passes through a first via section 210 and a second via section 220 attached to the door 20a, a door robot body 120 positioned away from the door 20a and capable of switching between a tensioned state that pulls the rope 110 to control the door 20a to an open state and a relaxed state that loosens the rope 110 to control the door 20a to a closed state, and a door knob tilting mechanism 130 connected to one end of the rope 110 that tilts the door knob 22 in the opening direction when the rope 110 is in a tensioned state. Even in this way, a retrofittable door robot 100 for controlling the opening and closing of the door 20a can be simply constructed.

[0118] Furthermore, the first via section 210 is not limited to being a pulley supported by a roller that can roll on the rope 110 that passes through it, but may also be configured as, for example, a ring through which the rope 110 is inserted. Similarly, the second via section 220 may be configured so that, instead of the pulley 221, a ring through which the rope 110 is inserted is used. In addition, the first via section 210 is not limited to being assembled to the door body 21 by using the mounting belt 230, but may also be assembled to the door body 21 by using a hook provided on the door body 21, or by using an adhesive. The same applies to the second via section 220.

[0119] Furthermore, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment, in which the door robot 100 is configured to keep the door robot body 120 away from the door 20a, can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0120] [Seventh Embodiment] Next, the door opening and closing system according to this seventh embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this seventh embodiment, the door robot body, which is separated from the door, is placed at approximately the same height as the upper edge of the door, which is the main difference from the sixth embodiment and the like. Therefore, components that are substantially the same as those in the sixth embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0121] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the door robot 100a according to this embodiment is configured to be placed on a shelf 240 so that the door robot body 120, which is separated from the door 20a, is at approximately the same height as the upper edge of the door body 21. The shelf 240 is fixed near a wall surface perpendicular to the front surface of the door body 21, by being sandwiched between the ceiling and the floor surface, with its upper end extending to the ceiling.

[0122] The door robot 100a is equipped with a door knob tilting mechanism 130a that has the same function as the door knob tilting mechanism 130, and this door knob tilting mechanism 130a is configured such that a tilting piece 132a that tilts together with the door knob cover 131 extends diagonally downward when the door is closed.

[0123] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a first via section 250 and a second via section 260 are used as via sections through which the rope 110 passes. The first via section 250 is fixed to the door body 21 at approximately the same height as the tip of the tilting piece 132a (the part to which the rope 110 is connected) when the door is closed, via a mounting fixture 271 that is fixed to the door body 21 using the door knob 22, and is configured as a pulley that supports the rope 110 with a roller that can roll. The second via section 260 is fixed to the door body 21 via a mounting fixture 272 that is placed over the upper edge of the door body 21, and is configured as a pulley that supports the rope 110 with a roller that can roll.

[0124] The door robot 100a, configured in this way, controls the opening and closing of the door 20a in accordance with the passage of the delivery robot 10, through door opening and closing processing performed by the control unit 121 of the door robot body 120.

[0125] Specifically, in the opening operation process of step S103 described above, the rope 110 is pulled in (tensioned) by the rope winding unit 123, causing the tilting piece 132a of the door knob tilting mechanism 130a, the door knob cover 131, and the door knob 22 to tilt together in the opening direction, making the door 20a ready to open. From this state, the rope 110 is pulled in further, causing the second via unit 260 to be pulled towards the door robot body 120, and the door 20a opens (see Figure 16).

[0126] Then, when it is determined that the delivery robot 10 has passed through the entrance / exit 2 (Yes in S106), in the closing operation process of step S107, the rope winding unit 123 releases the retraction of the rope 110, and the rope 110 becomes available to be pulled out (relaxed). As a result, the door closer closes the door 20a.

[0127] As described above, in the door opening and closing system 1b according to this embodiment, the door robot 100a is configured to include a rope 110 that passes through a first via section 250 and a second via section 260 attached to the door 20a, a door robot body 120 positioned away from the door 20a and capable of switching between a tensioned state that pulls the rope 110 to control the door 20a to an open state and a relaxed state that loosens the rope 110 to control the door 20a to a closed state, and a door knob tilting mechanism 130a connected to one end of the rope 110, which tilts the door knob 22 in the opening direction when the rope 110 is in a tensioned state. Even in this way, a retrofittable door robot 100a capable of controlling the opening and closing of the door 20a can be simply constructed.

[0128] As a variation of this embodiment, if there is no wall surface near the door 20a perpendicular to the front surface of the door body 21, but there is a wall surface along the front surface of the door body 21, the door robot body 120 may be placed on the wall surface near the opening and closing axis of the door 20a, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, using the shelf 240 installed as described above on the wall surface near the opening and closing axis of the door 20a, so that it is at approximately the same height as the upper edge of the door 20a.

[0129] In this configuration, when the door is closed, the line connecting the door robot body 120 and the second via section 260 tends to follow the front surface of the door body 21. Therefore, if the rope 110 follows the front surface of the door body 21, it becomes difficult to open the door 20a even if the door knob 22 can be tilted. For this reason, in this modified example, the third via section 280, through which the rope 110 passes, is configured to be separated from the wall surface by a support member 241 fixed to the shelf 240. The third via section 280 is configured as a pulley supported by a roller that can roll with respect to the rope 110. As a result, when the rope 110 is pulled in by the door robot body 120, the second via section 260 is pulled towards the third via section 280, causing the door 20a to open (see Figure 18).

[0130] Furthermore, the first and second via sections 250 and 260 are not limited to being configured as pulleys supported by rollers that can roll on the rope 110, but may also be configured as, for example, rings through which the rope 110 is inserted. The same applies to the third via section 280.

[0131] Furthermore, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment and its modifications, in which the door robot body 120 is placed away from the door 20a so as to be at approximately the same height as the upper edge of the door 20a, can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0132] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be further embodied as follows, for example. (1) The mobile object to be monitored by the door opening / closing system 1 is not limited to the autonomous delivery robot 10, but may also be the electric wheelchair or other autonomous robots mentioned above.

[0133] (2) In the determination process of step S101, the determination of whether or not a moving object has been detected is not limited to the result of receiving a moving signal from the delivery robot 10, but may also be made based on the distance to the moving object obtained from the detection results of a three-dimensional sensor, laser radar, LiDAR, camera, etc. separately provided on the door robot 30. Similarly, in the determination process of step S106, the determination of whether or not a moving object has passed through the entrance / exit 2 may be made based on the distance to the moving object obtained as described above.

[0134] (3) The door robot 30 may be configured such that the extension portion 44a is retractable so that a person can operate the doorknob 22 until a moving object is detected (No in S101), and once a moving object is detected (Yes in S101), the person cannot operate the doorknob 22. For this reason, the telescopic mechanism 44 is configured to be switchable between a mode in which the extension portion 44a is retractable and a mode in which it is electrically controlled to an open extension length or a closed extension length.

[0135] (4) The door robot 30 is not limited to being configured such that the door robot body 40 is attached to the door body 21 using the attachment belt 50, but may also be configured such that the door robot body 40 is attached to the door body 21 using fittings or the like that are assembled to the lower edge of the door body 21.

[0136] (5) The door 20 is not limited to having a lever-type doorknob 22, but may also be configured to have, for example, a substantially cylindrical doorknob. In this configuration, the clamp 62 is attached to the substantially cylindrical doorknob and functions to rotate the doorknob 22 in response to the vertical movement of the connecting portion 61.

[0137] (6) The door robot 30 may be configured such that, assuming that a door closer is provided on the door 20, the wheel 43a does not rotate in the closing direction during the closing operation, and a gap is created between the wheel 43a and the floor surface when the extension portion 44a shortens from the open state to the closed state extension length, thereby allowing the door closer to close the door. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] 1,1a,1b Door opening and closing system 2 entrance / exit 10. Delivery robots (mobile objects) 20,20a Door 21 Door body 22 Door handles 30 Door Robot 40 Door Robot Body 41 Control Unit (Detection Unit, Door Open / Close Control Unit, Detection Information Transmission Unit, Door Open Information Transmission Unit, Other Object Detection Information Transmission Unit, Status Information Transmission Unit) 42 Storage section 43 Wheel drive unit 44 Telescopic mechanism 45 Hochi Department 46. ​​Communication Unit (Detection Unit, Detection Information Transmission Unit, Door Open Information Transmission Unit, Other Object Detection Information Transmission Unit, Status Information Transmission Unit) 50 Mounting belts 60 Door knob tilting mechanism 100,100a Door Robot 110 Rope 120 Door Robot Body 130, 130a Door knob tilting mechanism 210,250 First via section 220,260 Second via section

Claims

1. A door opening and closing system comprising a door robot that is retrofitted to a hinged door installed at an entrance and exit and capable of opening and closing the door, The aforementioned door robot, A detection unit capable of detecting a moving object approaching the door in order to pass through the aforementioned entrance / exit, A communication unit that communicates wirelessly with the aforementioned moving object, A door opening / closing control unit controls the door to be in an open state by operating the door handle of the door so that the moving object detected by the detection unit can pass through the entrance / exit, A door opening and closing system characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door robot includes a detection information transmission unit that transmits detection information to the moving object via the communication unit when the moving object is detected by the detection unit.

3. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door robot includes a door opening information transmission unit that transmits door opening information to the moving object via the communication unit, indicating that the door is in an open state when the door is controlled to an open state by the door opening and closing control unit.

4. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection unit detects the moving object approaching the door by receiving a predetermined signal from the moving object via the communication unit.

5. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection unit detects the moving object approaching the door based on the wireless communication status with the moving object via the communication unit.

6. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door opening and closing control unit controls the door to a closed state when the moving object is no longer detected by the detection unit.

7. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door opening and closing control unit temporarily suspends the opening and closing operation if it detects that the moving object has been stationary for a certain period of time or longer during the opening and closing operation of the door.

8. The door opening and closing system according to claim 7, characterized in that the door opening and closing control unit resumes the opening and closing operation when it detects the movement of the moving object after the temporary pause.

9. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door robot includes a notification unit that provides a predetermined notification when it detects that another moving object, which is not the target of communication of the communication unit, is approaching the door while it is in the process of opening and closing.

10. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door robot includes a separate object detection information transmission unit that, when it detects that another moving object, which is not the target of communication of the communication unit, is approaching the door during opening and closing operations, transmits separate object detection information indicating the presence of the other moving object to the moving object via the communication unit.

11. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the door robot is configured to be remotely controllable in response to instructions from a higher-level terminal.

12. The door opening and closing system according to claim 11, characterized in that the door robot includes a state information transmission unit that transmits state information, including information on the control state by the door opening and closing control unit and information on the wireless communication state with the moving object, to the higher-level terminal via the communication unit.

13. The door opening and closing system according to claim 11, characterized in that the door robot includes a storage unit that stores information on the control state by the door opening and closing control unit and information on the wireless communication state with the moving object.

14. The door opening and closing system according to claim 11, characterized in that the door robot is configured to edit control parameters related to the opening and closing of the door in accordance with instructions from the higher-level terminal.

15. The aforementioned door robot, A door robot body having an extension mechanism that causes an extension to move up and down when the door is opened and closed, and a wheel drive unit that rotates wheels pressed against the floor surface, A door knob tilting mechanism that tilts the door knob in accordance with the vertical movement of the extension portion, The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to include the following:

16. The aforementioned door robot, A rope passing through a passage attached to the aforementioned door, A door robot body positioned away from the door and capable of switching between a tensioned state, which pulls the rope to control the door to be open, and a relaxed state, which slackens the rope to control the door to be closed, A door knob tilting mechanism is connected to one end of the rope, and when the rope is in a tensile state, it tilts the door knob in the opening direction. The door opening and closing system according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured to include the following:

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