Self-propelled robot system

Abstract

To provide a self-propelled robot system capable of reducing misplacement and loss of articles by a user by informing the user that an article exists at positions different from a pre-registered position.SOLUTION: A self-propelled robot system 100 is provided with a self-propelled robot 10 that autonomously travels in a predetermined space, and includes: an article information acquisition unit 11 for acquiring article information indicating an identifier and a position of an article detected around a main body of the self-propelled robot 10; a map information acquisition unit 12 for acquiring map information indicating a map of the predetermined space; a self-position calculation unit 13 for calculating a self-position indicating a current position of the main body on the map; a determination unit 33 for determining whether or not the article exists at a position different from a pre-registered position based on the article information and the self-position; and a presentation unit 25 for presenting notification information to a user when it is determined that the article exists at a position different from the pre-registered position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a self-propelled robot system. To Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an item search system that, upon receiving a search request for an item, sends item information about the item to a database, searches for an item having the wireless tag number of the item extracted from the database, and outputs location information of the searched item. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-56177 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the item search system described in Patent Document 1 requires the user to individually specify the item to be searched for, which is time-consuming. Also, the item search system cannot search for an item if the user is not aware that the item is located in a place different from where it is usually placed.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a self-propelled robot system and an item management method that can reduce the occurrence of users forgetting or losing items by informing the user that an item is located at a location different from a previously registered location. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A self-propelled robot system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a self-propelled robot system equipped with a self-propelled robot that autonomously travels in a predetermined space, and includes an item information acquisition unit that acquires item information indicating an identifier and a position of an item detected around a main body of the self-propelled robot, a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information indicating a map of the predetermined space, a self-position calculation unit that calculates a self-position indicating the current position of the main body on the map, a determination unit that determines whether the item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position based on the item information and the self-position, and a presentation unit that presents notification information to a user when it is determined that the item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, by notifying a user that an item is located at a location different from a previously registered location, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a user forgetting or losing an item. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a self-propelled robot system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the self-propelled robot system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a first example of the operation of the self-propelled robot system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the notification information. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the notification information. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an instruction input by a user. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of notification information for notifying a result of control. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a second example of the operation of the self-propelled robot system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the notification information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the notification information. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a self-propelled robot system according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, the arrangement and connection forms of the components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Also, each figure is not necessarily a strict illustration. In each figure, substantially the same configuration is given the same reference numeral, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0010] Note that each drawing is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicated explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0011] In the following, terms indicating the shape of elements, such as approximately circular, approximately rectangular, and approximately polygonal, do not only indicate the strict meaning, but also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about a few percent.

[0012] (Embodiment 1) [overview] First, an overview of the self-propelled robot system will be described. Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the overview of the self-propelled robot system according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Self-propelled robot system 100 is a system that acquires article information of an article detected around self-propelled robot 10, and when it is determined that the article is in a position different from a pre-registered position (hereinafter also referred to as a registered position) based on the acquired article information and the self-position of the main body of the self-propelled robot, notifies a user to that effect. Self-propelled robot system 100 includes, for example, self-propelled robot 10, mobile terminal 20, and server 30. The article information is, for example, information indicating an identifier (so-called ID) and position of the article. The information indicating the position is position information (hereinafter also referred to as registered position information) that indicates the position of the article in a predetermined space (in other words, the position where the article should be in the desired space) that is registered in advance by a user. Note that self-propelled robot 10 may acquire the article information by acquiring the identifier of the article and acquiring registered position information of the article linked to the acquired identifier of the article. In this case, self-propelled robot system 100 may include a database in which identifiers of items are linked to registered position information of the items.

[0014] Self-propelled robot 10 is a self-propelled robot that acquires item information while autonomously traveling in a predetermined space, and the functions possessed by the self-propelled robot are not particularly limited. Self-propelled robot 10 may be, for example, a self-propelled vacuum cleaner equipped with a cleaning function.

[0015] Moreover, the mobile terminal 20 is a mobile information terminal carried by a user, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. For example, the mobile terminal 20 is used to transmit instructions from the user to the self-propelled robot 10 and to receive notifications for the user.

[0016] The server 30 is a computer device that performs information processing so that the user can receive notifications via the mobile terminal 20. The server 30 may be composed of two or more computers.

[0017] Next, the items will be described. In Fig. 1, the squares without shading represent items whose location information has not been registered by the user in advance, and the squares with shading represent items whose location information has been registered by the user in advance. The squares with diagonal lines represent items that are located at a different location from the location registered by the user in advance.

[0018] The article is, for example, an article that is easily lost by the user (in other words, easily left behind). Specifically, the article is, for example, a key, an employee ID card, a commuter pass, a watch, a wallet, a bankbook, a seal, a passport, clothing, a hat, seasonings, stationery, a book, a notebook, or a lighter. A tag is attached to the article. Examples of the tag include an electronic tag, a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), and an AR marker. The electronic tag is also called, for example, an RF (Radio Frequency) tag, an IC (Intergrated Circuit) tag, a non-contact tag, or a wireless tag. The tag may be attached directly to the article like a sticker, or may be attached indirectly to the article by attaching a key holder to which the tag is attached to the article.

[0019] 1, for example, an item detected at position B (the square with diagonal lines in the figure) is pre-registered as an item present at position A, which is indicated by a dashed line frame, but is present at a position different from the registered position. In this case, self-propelled robot system 100 may estimate the position at which the item was detected based on the self-position of self-propelled robot 10, and determine whether the estimated position of the item differs from the registered position.

[0020] [composition] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of self-propelled robot system 100. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of self-propelled robot system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, self-propelled robot system 100 includes, for example, a self-propelled robot 10, a mobile terminal 20, and a server 30.

[0022] [Self-propelled robot 10] As described above, self-propelled robot 10 is a self-propelled robot that acquires item information while autonomously traveling in a predetermined space, and the functions possessed by the self-propelled robot are not particularly limited. Self-propelled robot 10 may be, for example, a self-propelled vacuum cleaner equipped with a cleaning function. In this case, self-propelled robot 10 acquires item information and the like while cleaning the predetermined space.

[0023] Self-propelled robot 10 includes, for example, an item information acquisition unit 11, a map information acquisition unit 12, a self-position calculation unit 13, a control unit 14, a memory unit 15, a communication unit 16, an input reception unit 17, a sensor unit 18, and a running unit 19.

[0024] The item information acquisition unit 11 acquires item information on an item detected around the main body of the self-propelled robot 10. More specifically, the item information acquisition unit 11 detects a tag attached to an item in advance, and acquires item information linked to the tag. For example, the item information acquisition unit 11 may detect a tag attached to an item based on an image of the item captured by a camera (not shown), or may detect a tag attached to an item by transmitting radio waves to the item and detecting a response signal from the tag to the transmitted radio waves. For example, when the tag is a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), or an AR marker, the item information acquisition unit 11 may acquire item information of the item by reading information encoded in the tag when detecting a tag attached to the item in an image captured by the camera. For example, when the information encoded in the tag is item information of the item, reading the information is acquisition of the item information of the item. Also, for example, when the information encoded in the tag is an ID (Identification) of the item, the item information is acquired by referring to an item information database (not shown) in which item information linked to the ID is stored. The item information database may be stored in the storage unit 15, or may be stored in an external terminal device or server 30 connected via a network. For example, when the tag is an electronic tag, the item information acquisition unit 11 may communicate with the electronic tag when it detects that the electronic tag is attached to the item, read the identifier stored in the electronic tag, and acquire item information of the item linked to the identifier. In this case, the item information may be stored in the storage unit 35 of the server 30, or may be stored in the electronic tag. The item information includes registered position information indicating the position of the item in a predetermined space that is registered in advance by a user.

[0025] The map information acquisition unit 12 acquires map information indicating a map of a predetermined space. The map information acquisition unit 12 may create a map of the predetermined space by a map creation technique such as SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), or may acquire map information input from an external device (not shown) via a network. The map information may be stored in advance in the storage unit 15. In this case, the map information acquisition unit 12 may read and acquire the map information from the storage unit 15.

[0026] Self-position calculation unit 13 calculates a self-position indicating the current position of the main body of self-propelled robot 10 on a map. For example, self-position calculation unit 13 calculates the current position of self-propelled robot 10 on a map by SLAM based on map information and sensing data obtained from various sensors provided in sensor unit 18 of self-propelled robot 10. The various sensors are, for example, a position sensor such as LiDar, an obstacle sensor, a distance sensor, an acceleration sensor, a wheel odometry, a gyro sensor, or a camera.

[0027] Control unit 14 performs information processing to control the operation of self-propelled robot 10. Control unit 14 is realized, for example, by a microcontroller, but may also be realized by a processor. For example, when control unit 14 determines that an item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position, control unit 14 controls the operation of self-propelled robot 10 based on control information stored in control information database 35a in association with the item information of the item. For example, when the control information includes an instruction to move the item to a pre-registered position or its vicinity, control unit 14 performs control based on the control information, for example, to cause self-propelled robot 10 to run while pushing the item with its main body, or to run while gripping the item with a gripper (not shown).

[0028] The memory unit 15 is a storage device that stores computer programs and the like that are executed by the control unit 14 to control the operation of the self-propelled robot 10. Specifically, the memory unit 15 is realized by a semiconductor memory or the like.

[0029] The communication unit 16 is a communication circuit (communication module) that enables the self-propelled robot 10 to communicate with the mobile terminal 20 and the server 30. The communication unit 16 may include a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network, and a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. The communication unit 16 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. Note that there are no particular limitations on the communication standard for the communication performed by the communication unit 16.

[0030] The input reception unit 17 is an input interface that receives an operation input by a user. Specifically, the input reception unit 17 is realized by a hardware button or the like. The input reception unit 17 may also receive an input by voice. In this case, the input reception unit 17 is, for example, a microphone.

[0031] Sensor unit 18 includes multiple sensors. In addition to the various sensors described above, sensor unit 18 also includes, for example, a collision detection sensor and a floor detection sensor. Control unit 14 controls the travel of self-propelled robot 10 based on sensing data obtained from the various sensors included in sensor unit 18, map information, and the like.

[0032] Running unit 19 is disposed on the main body of self-propelled robot 10, and enables the main body to run (also referred to as being movable). Running unit 19 includes, for example, a pair of drive units (not shown). One drive unit is disposed on each of the left and right sides of the center in the width direction of self-propelled robot 10 in a plan view. The number of drive units is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more.

[0033] For example, the drive unit has wheels (not shown) that run on the floor surface, a travel motor (not shown) that applies torque to the wheels, and a housing (not shown) that accommodates the travel motor. Each wheel of the pair of drive units is accommodated in a recess (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the main body, and is attached so as to be rotatable relative to the main body. The self-propelled robot 10 may also be an opposed two-wheel type equipped with casters (not shown) as auxiliary wheels. In this case, the running unit 19 can independently control the rotation of each wheel of the pair of drive units to allow the self-propelled robot 10 to travel freely, such as forward, backward, left rotation, and right rotation. When the self-propelled robot 10 rotates left or right while moving forward or backward, it turns left or right when moving forward or backward. On the other hand, when the self-propelled robot 10 rotates left or right without moving forward or backward, it turns at the current point. In this way, the running unit 19 independently controls the operation of the pair of drive units to move or turn the main body. The traveling unit 19 operates a traveling motor and the like under the control of the control unit 14 to cause the self-propelled robot 10 to travel.

[0034] Although not shown, when the self-propelled robot 10 is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a cleaning function, the self-propelled robot 10 may further include a cleaning unit. The cleaning unit is disposed on the main body of the self-propelled robot 10, and performs at least one cleaning operation of wiping, sweeping, or sucking dust on the floor around the main body. The cleaning unit includes, for example, a suction port provided on the bottom of the main body so that dust and other debris present on the floor surface can be absorbed into the main body, a suction motor that sucks debris from the suction port, a brush rotation motor that rotates the side brush and the main brush, a power transmission unit that transmits power to these motors, and a dirt storage unit that stores the sucked debris. The cleaning unit may also include a side brush that sweeps up debris on the floor surface around the main body and rakes up the debris toward the suction port and the main brush. The number of side brushes may be two, two, or three or more.

[0035] Although not shown, the self-propelled robot 10 may be equipped with a gripping unit that grips an item when moving the detected item to a pre-registered position or its vicinity, or a placement unit on which the item is placed.

[0036] [Mobile terminal 20] The mobile terminal 20 is a mobile information terminal carried by a user, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. For example, the mobile terminal 20 is used to transmit instructions from the user to the self-propelled robot 10 and to receive notifications for the user.

[0037] The mobile terminal 20 includes, for example, a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, a storage unit 23, an input receiving unit 24, and a presentation unit 25.

[0038] The communication unit 21 is a communication circuit (communication module) through which the mobile terminal 20 communicates with the self-propelled robot 10 and the server 30. The communication unit 21 may include a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network, and a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. The communication unit 21 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. Note that there is no particular limitation on the communication standard for the communication performed by the communication unit 21.

[0039] The control unit 22 performs various information processes related to the mobile terminal 20 based on the operation input received by the input receiving unit 24. The control unit 22 is realized by, for example, a microcontroller, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0040] The storage unit 23 is a storage device that stores dedicated application programs and the like to be executed by the control unit 22. The storage unit 23 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory.

[0041] The input reception unit 24 is an input interface that receives an operation input by a user. Specifically, the input reception unit 24 is realized by a touch panel display or the like. For example, when the input reception unit 24 is equipped with a touch panel display, the touch panel display functions as the presentation unit 25 and the input reception unit 24. Note that the input reception unit 24 is not limited to a touch panel display, and may be, for example, a keyboard, a pointing device, or a mechanical switch. The input reception unit 24 may also be a microphone.

[0042] The presenting unit 25 presents the notification information to the user when it is determined that the item is present at a position different from the position registered in advance. More specifically, the presenting unit 25 presents the notification information generated by the notification information generating unit 34 to the user when it is determined by the determining unit 33 of the server 30 that the item is present at a position different from the position registered in advance. The notification information is at least one of image information and audio information. The notification information may include at least one of the determination content when it is determined that the item is present at a position different from the position registered in advance and the position where the item is detected. The notification information may also include the number of times and the position where the item is detected in a predetermined period. For example, the presenting unit 25 may include a display device that displays the notification information as an image based on the control of the control unit 22, and an audio output device that outputs the notification information as audio. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal (LC) panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel. The audio output device is, for example, a speaker.

[0043] [Server 30] The server 30 is a computer device that performs information processing so that the user can receive notifications via the mobile terminal 20. The server 30 may be composed of two or more computers.

[0044] The server 30 includes, for example, a communication unit 31, a control unit 32, a determination unit 33, a notification information generation unit 34, and a storage unit 35.

[0045] The communication unit 31 is a communication circuit (communication module) through which the server 30 communicates with the self-propelled robot 10 and the mobile terminal 20. The communication unit 31 may include a communication circuit (in other words, a communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network such as the Internet, and a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. The communication unit 31 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit for performing wireless communication, but may also be a wired communication circuit for performing wired communication. There are no particular limitations on the standard of communication performed by the communication unit 31.

[0046] The control unit 32 performs various information processing related to the server 30 based on the information output from the self-propelled robot 10 and instructions output from the mobile terminal 20. The control unit 32 is realized by, for example, a microcontroller, but may also be realized by a processor.

[0047] The determination unit 33 determines whether or not the item is present at a position different from the pre-registered position, based on the item information and the self-position output by the self-propelled robot 10. For example, the determination unit 33 may calculate the position where the item is detected based on the self-position, and determine whether or not the item is present at a position different from the pre-registered position, based on the calculated position information and the registered position information of the item included in the item information.

[0048] When it is determined that the item is present at a location different from the previously registered location, the notification information generating unit 34 generates notification information including at least one of the content of the determination and the location where the item was detected. Furthermore, the notification information generating unit 34 may generate notification information including the number of times the item was detected in a predetermined period and the location based on a history information database 35b in which item information of the item detected around the main body of the self-propelled robot 10 is linked to the location and date and time when the item was detected. The notification information is at least one of image information and audio information. Details of the notification information will be described later.

[0049] Memory unit 35 is a storage device that stores a control information database 35a that stores control information for self-propelled robot 10 when it is determined that each item is present in a location different from the registered location, and a history information database 35b that stores the location and detection date and time of an item detected by self-propelled robot 10. Memory unit 35 also stores computer programs executed by control unit 32 and the like. Memory unit 35 is realized by, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), but may also be realized by a semiconductor memory or the like.

[0050] [Operation] Next, the operation of self-propelled robot system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0051] [First example] 3 is a flowchart showing a first example of the operation of self-propelled robot system 100 according to embodiment 1. In the first example, when self-propelled robot system 100 determines that a detected item is present in a position different from a pre-registered position, it presents notification information to the user.

[0052] Although not shown in the figure, when the input receiving unit 24 of the mobile terminal 20 receives a command to start moving the self-propelled robot 10 input by the user, the control unit 22 transmits the received command to start moving to the self-propelled robot 10 via the communication unit 21.

[0053] Next, control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 receives a command to start traveling via communication unit 16 (S11) and starts controlling the operation of traveling unit 19. As a result, self-propelled robot 10 starts traveling (S12).

[0054] Next, control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 determines whether or not a command to end traveling has been acquired (S13), and when it is determined that a command to end traveling has been acquired (Yes in S13), self-propelled robot 10 ends traveling.

[0055] On the other hand, if control unit 14 determines that a travel end command has not been acquired (No in S13), it determines whether or not article information of an article detected around the main body of self-propelled robot 10 has been acquired by article information acquisition unit 11 (S14). At this time, article information acquisition unit 11 may calculate the position of the detected article based on the self-position of self-propelled robot 10 calculated by self-position calculation unit 13. Also, for example, article information acquisition unit 11 may calculate the position of the article based on the signal strength and direction transmitted from an electronic tag (e.g., an RF tag) attached in advance to the article. If control unit 14 determines that article information has not been acquired by article information acquisition unit 11 (No in S14), it performs the process of step S13.

[0056] On the other hand, when it is determined that the item information has been acquired by the item information acquisition unit 11 (Yes in S14), the control unit 14 determines whether or not the position of the item has been registered in advance (S15). For example, the control unit 14 may determine that the position of the item has been registered in advance when the item information acquired in step S14 includes the registered position information of the item, and may determine that the position of the item has not been registered in advance when the item information acquired in step S14 does not include the registered position information of the item. The control unit 14 may also determine whether or not the position of the item has been registered in advance by referring to an item information database (not shown) stored in the storage unit 15. For example, the item information database stores the tag ID of the tag attached to the item, the identifier (so-called ID) of the item, and the registered position information of the item in a linked manner. The control unit 14 may determine whether or not the position of the item has been registered in advance by determining whether or not the registered position information linked to the tag ID or the identifier of the item is stored in the item information database. When the control unit 14 determines that the position of the article has not been registered in advance (No in S15), the control unit 14 performs the process of step S13.

[0057] On the other hand, if the control unit 14 of the self-propelled robot 10 determines that the position of the item has been registered in advance (Yes in S15), the determination unit 33 of the server 30 determines whether or not the item is present at a position different from the pre-registered position (S16). For example, if the control unit 14 determines that the position of the item has been registered in advance (Yes in S15), the control unit 14 transmits to the server 30 the item information of the item detected around the main body of the self-propelled robot 10 and the position information (also referred to as detected position information) indicating the position where the item was detected. When the control unit 32 of the server 30 acquires the item information and the detected position information via the communication unit 31, the control unit 32 transmits the acquired information to the determination unit 33. The determination unit 33 determines whether or not the item is present at a position different from the pre-registered position based on the acquired information. If the determination unit 33 determines that the item is not present at a position different from the pre-registered position, that is, that the item is present at the pre-registered position (No in S16), the control unit 32 transmits an instruction to the self-propelled robot 10 via the communication unit 31 to perform the process of step S13. Then, control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 performs the process of step S13 in accordance with the instructions transmitted from server 30.

[0058] On the other hand, when the determination unit 33 determines that the article is present at a position different from the position registered in advance (Yes in S16), the control unit 32 of the server 30 causes the notification information generation unit 34 to generate notification information. The notification information generation unit 34 generates notification information including, for example, at least one of the contents of the determination, the name of the article, and the position where the article was detected (detection position). Furthermore, the notification information generation unit 34 may generate notification information including the number of times the article was detected in a predetermined period (for example, a period designated by the user, such as one week or one month) and the position based on the history information database 35b (more specifically, based on past history information stored in the history information database 35b). When the notification information is generated by the notification information generation unit 34, the control unit 32 of the server 30 transmits an instruction to the mobile terminal 20 via the communication unit 31 to present the notification information generated by the notification information generation unit 34 to the user. The mobile terminal 20 presents the notification information to the presentation unit 25 in accordance with the acquired instruction, and presents the notification information to the user (S17).

[0059] Next, control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 determines whether or not a command to end traveling has been acquired (step S13), and if it is determined that a command to end traveling has been acquired (Yes in S13), it moves self-propelled robot 10 to a predetermined position (not shown) such as a charger and ends traveling (S18). On the other hand, if control unit 14 determines that a command to end traveling has not been acquired (No in S13), it performs the process of step S14.

[0060] An example of the notification information presented to the user in step S17 will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing notification information P1, which is an example of the notification information. As shown in Fig. 4, for example, the mobile terminal 20 includes a display unit 25a (e.g., a display) and an audio output unit 25b (e.g., a speaker) as the presentation unit 25, and includes a touch panel 24a, a microphone 24b, and a camera 24c as the input reception unit 24.

[0061] The notification information P1 is composed of only image information. The notification information P1 includes, for example, a map of a predetermined space, an item detected by the self-propelled robot 10, the current position of the self-propelled robot 10 on the map, the detected position of the item 1 determined to be present at a position different from the registered position 2, and the registered position 2 of the item 1. In the notification information P1, for example, a mark indicating the detected item 1 and the registered position 2 of the item 1 may be displayed in a flashing manner, or the mark may be displayed in a color such as red. Furthermore, text information may be displayed in the notification information P1. For example, in the notification information P1, the name of the item 1 may be displayed below the mark of the item 1, and further, a message indicating the content of the determination may be displayed. Also, for example, in the notification information P1, the mark of the item 1 may be an illustration indicating the type of the item. For example, if the item 1 is a wristwatch, the mark of the item 1 may be an illustration of a watch. This allows the user to recognize the item 1 at a glance.

[0062] Although not shown, the notification information P1 may be a table indicating the relationship between the name of the detected item 1, the position where the item 1 was detected (detection position), and the registered position 2 of the item 1. In this case, for example, each time the processes of steps S13 to S17 are repeated, the above-mentioned relationship may be added to the table.

[0063] The notification information P1 is image information, but may also include audio information, which may be, for example, a beep, a melody, or a voice message.

[0064] Next, another example of the notification information presented to the user in step S17 will be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing notification information P2, which is another example of the notification information. Notification information P2 differs from notification information P1 in that it is composed of image information and audio information, and in that it includes information based on history information database 35b. The following description will focus on the differences from notification information P1.

[0065] The notification information P2 includes, as image information, in addition to the contents of the notification information P1, a message P21a notifying the position where the item 1 was detected, a message P22 notifying the control information of the self-propelled robot 10, and information P23 based on the history information database 35b (for example, the number of times the item 1 was detected in a predetermined period). The notification information P2 may also include, as acoustic information, a voice message P21b notifying the position where the item 1 was detected.

[0066] Although not shown, after step S17, when a user instruction input is received by input receiving unit 24 of mobile terminal 20, control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 may control the operation of self-propelled robot 10 in accordance with the instruction. With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, an example of a user instruction input and an example of notification information when the operation of self-propelled robot 10 is controlled in accordance with the instruction will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an instruction input by a user. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of notification information notifying the control result.

[0067] 6, when notification information P1 is displayed on display unit 25a, the user touches item 1 included in notification information P1 with a finger and drags it toward registration position 2 of item 1. At this time, touch panel 24a accepts input of an instruction to select item 1 by the user and input of an instruction to move selected item 1 to registration position 2.

[0068] Notification information generator 34 may generate notification information P3 that notifies the user of the control result when the operation of self-propelled robot 10 is controlled based on an input instruction accepted by input accepting unit 24. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, notification information P3 may include image information indicating that self-propelled robot 10 has moved item 1 to registered position 2 or its vicinity as a control result, and a message P31 that notifies the user that it has operated in accordance with the instruction.

[0069] [Second example] 8 is a flowchart showing a second example of the operation of self-propelled robot system 100 according to the first embodiment. In the first example, notification information is presented to the user each time it is determined that a detected item is in a position different from a pre-registered position. However, in the second example, the notification information is presented to the user all at once after self-propelled robot 10 acquires a command to end traveling, which is different from the first example. Steps S11 to S16 in FIG. 8 show the same processing as steps S11 to S16 in FIG. 7, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. The processing after step S16 (steps S21 to S23) will be described below.

[0070] If the determination unit 33 determines that an item is present at a location different from the previously registered location (Yes in S16), the control unit 32 of the server 30 links the item information of the item to the location where the item was detected (i.e., the detection position of the item) and the date and time, and stores them in the history information database 35b (S21).

[0071] Next, control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 determines whether or not a command to end traveling has been acquired (step S13), and if it is determined that a command to end traveling has been acquired (Yes in S13), it moves self-propelled robot 10 to a predetermined position (not shown) such as a charger and ends traveling (S18). On the other hand, if control unit 14 determines that a command to end traveling has not been acquired (No in S13), it performs the process of step S14.

[0072] When self-propelled robot 10 finishes traveling (S18), control unit 32 of server 30 causes notification information generator 34 to generate notification information (S22). Notification information generator 34 references history information database 35b, and generates notification information for all items that were detected while self-propelled robot 10 was traveling (steps S12 to S18) and were determined to be in a position different from the registered position, including at least any of the content of the determination, the name of the item, and the position where the item was detected (detection position). Furthermore, notification information generator 34 may generate notification information based on history information database 35b (more specifically, based on past history information stored in history information database 35b) that includes the number of times the item was detected within a predetermined period (e.g., a period designated by the user, such as one week or one month) and the position. When the notification information is generated by the notification information generation unit 34, the control unit 32 of the server 30 transmits an instruction to present the notification information generated by the notification information generation unit 34 to the user to the mobile terminal 20 via the communication unit 31. In accordance with the acquired instruction, the mobile terminal 20 presents the notification information to the presentation unit 25, and presents the notification information to the user (S23).

[0073] 8, the following process may be performed between steps S16 and S21. For example, when it is determined that the item is present in a position different from the pre-registered position (Yes in S16), control unit 32 of server 30 may transmit to self-propelled robot 10 an instruction to control the operation of self-propelled robot 10 based on the control information stored in control information database 35a. When control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10 acquires the instruction transmitted from server 30, it controls the operation of self-propelled robot 10 in accordance with the instruction.

[0074] An example of the notification information presented to the user in step S23 will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing notification information P4, which is an example of the notification information.

[0075] The notification information P4 is composed of only image information. The notification information P4 includes, for example, a map of a predetermined space, an item detected by the self-propelled robot 10, the detection position of an item determined to be present at a position different from the registered position, and the registered position of the item. In FIG. 9, the item 1 corresponds to the registered position 2 of the item 1, the item 1a corresponds to the registered position 2a of the item 1a, the item 1b corresponds to the registered position 2b of the item 1b, and the item 1c corresponds to the registered position 2c of the item 1c. In the notification information P4, for example, each of the items detected at a position different from the registered position may be displayed in the same color or may be displayed in a sequential blinking manner so that the item and the registered position of the item are shown in correspondence with each other. Furthermore, the notification information P4 may display text information. For example, in the notification information P4, the name of each item may be displayed below the mark of each of the items 1, 1a, 1b, and 1c, and a message indicating the content of the determination may be displayed.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 9, when the user taps the notification information P4 with a finger, the display mode of the notification information P4 may be changed. The display mode may be, for example, a mode in which the position of the item is visually displayed on a map, or a mode in which the information is displayed in a table format. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing notification information P5, which is another example of notification information.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 10, the notification information P5 may be a table that associates the name of an item, the location where the item was detected (detection location), the relationship with the registered location 2 of the item, and the number of times the item was detected within a specified period.

[0078] Although the notification information P4 and P5 are image information in the above example, they may include audio information, which may be, for example, a voice message that reads out the detection result.

[0079] [Effects, etc.] As described above, self-propelled robot system 100 according to embodiment 1 is a self-propelled robot system including self-propelled robot 10 that autonomously travels in a predetermined space, and includes item information acquisition unit 11 that acquires item information indicating the identifier and position of an item detected around the main body of self-propelled robot 10, map information acquisition unit 12 that acquires map information indicating a map of the predetermined space, self-position calculation unit 13 that calculates a self-position indicating the current position of the main body on the map, determination unit 33 that determines whether or not the item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position based on the item information and the self-position, and presentation unit 25 that presents notification information to the user when it is determined that the item is present at a position different from the pre-registered position.

[0080] In this way, self-propelled robot system 100 can reduce the occurrence of users forgetting or losing items by notifying the user that an item is located in a position different from a pre-registered position.

[0081] For example, in self-propelled robot system 100 according to the first embodiment, the notification information is at least one of image information and audio information.

[0082] This allows the self-propelled robot system 100 to effectively present notification information to the user.

[0083] For example, self-propelled robot system 100 according to embodiment 1 further includes control information database 35a in which item information and control information for self-propelled robot 10 are linked and stored, and control unit 14 that controls the operation of self-propelled robot 10, and when control unit 14 determines that an item is present in a position different from a pre-registered position, control unit 14 controls the operation of self-propelled robot 10 based on the control information stored in control information database 35a.

[0084] As a result, self-propelled robot system 100 can control the operation of self-propelled robot 10 based on control information registered in advance for each item, and can handle each item in accordance with the user's requests.

[0085] For example, in self-propelled robot system 100 according to the first embodiment, control unit 14 controls the operation of self-propelled robot 10 based on the control information so as to move an item to a pre-registered position or to the vicinity of that position.

[0086] As a result, self-propelled robot system 100 moves the item to a pre-registered location or the vicinity of that location, eliminating the need for the user to search for the item. Therefore, self-propelled robot system 100 reduces the effort required by the user, improving convenience.

[0087] For example, self-propelled robot system 100 according to embodiment 1 further includes notification information generation unit 34 that generates notification information. When notification information generation unit 34 determines that an item is present at a location different from a pre-registered location, notification information generation unit 34 generates notification information including at least one of the content of the determination, the name of the item, and the location where the item was detected, and presentation unit 25 presents the notification information generated by notification information generation unit 34 to the user.

[0088] This allows self-propelled robot system 100 to notify the user that an item has been detected at a position different from the pre-registered position.

[0089] For example, self-propelled robot system 100 according to embodiment 1 further includes history information database 35b in which item information of an item determined to be present at a location different from a previously registered location is stored in association with the location and date and time at which the item was detected, and notification information generator 34 further generates notification information based on history information database 35b, the notification information including the number of times the item was detected within a specified period and the location.

[0090] This allows the self-propelled robot system 100 to notify the user of whether an item detected at a location different from a pre-registered location is an item that is likely to be left behind or lost, and where the item is most likely to be left behind.

[0091] For example, in self-propelled robot system 100 according to the first embodiment, self-propelled robot 10 is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner equipped with a cleaning function.

[0092] As a result, when self-propelled robot 10 cleans a predetermined space, the robot moves throughout its movable range (for example, even into narrow spaces such as under a bed), making it easier for self-propelled robot system 100 to acquire item information. Furthermore, self-propelled robot system 100 is efficient because self-propelled robot 10 can acquire item information while cleaning a predetermined space.

[0093] In addition, the item management method of embodiment 1 includes an item information acquisition step of acquiring item information indicating an identifier and a position of an item detected around the main body of self-propelled robot 10 that travels autonomously in a specified space, a map information acquisition step of acquiring map information indicating a map of the specified space, a self-position calculation step of calculating a self-position indicating the current position of the main body on the map, a determination step of determining whether or not an item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position based on the item information and the self-position, and a presentation step of presenting notification information to a user when it is determined that an item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position.

[0094] As a result, the item management method can reduce the occurrence of users forgetting or losing items by informing the user that the item is located at a location different from the previously registered location.

[0095] (Embodiment 2) Next, a description will be given of a self-propelled robot system according to Embodiment 2. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a self-propelled robot system 100a according to Embodiment 2.

[0096] In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which self-propelled robot system 100 determines whether or not an item is present in a position different from the registered position by server 30 based on item information acquired by self-propelled robot 10. In the second embodiment, self-propelled robot system 100a differs from the first embodiment in that self-propelled robot 10a has the functions of server 30 in the first embodiment and performs the above-mentioned determinations and generates notification information. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of overlapping content will be omitted or simplified.

[0097] [composition] First, the configuration of self-propelled robot system 100a will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Self-propelled robot system 100a includes, for example, self-propelled robot 10a and mobile terminal 20. Self-propelled robot 10a has the functions included in server 30 in embodiment 1. For example, in addition to the components included in self-propelled robot 10, self-propelled robot 10a includes determination unit 133, notification information generation unit 134, and control information database 135a and history information database 135b stored in storage unit 15a.

[0098] Communication unit 16 is a communication circuit (communication module) for self-propelled robot 10a to communicate with mobile terminal 20. Communication unit 16 may include a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a wide area communication network, and a communication circuit (communication module) for communicating via a local communication network. Communication unit 16 is, for example, a wireless communication circuit that performs wireless communication. Note that there are no particular limitations on the communication standard for communication performed by communication unit 16.

[0099] The determination unit 133, the notification information generation unit 134, the control information database 135a, and the history information database 135b correspond to the determination unit 33, the notification information generation unit 34, the control information database 35a, and the history information database 35b shown in FIG. 2, respectively.

[0100] [Operation] Next, differences in the operation of self-propelled robot system 100a according to the second embodiment from the first embodiment will be described.

[0101] [First example] 3, a first example of the operation of self-propelled robot system 100a according to embodiment 2 will be described. In embodiment 2, in the processes of steps S13 to S17, the processes performed by server 30 are performed by self-propelled robot 10a. Points that differ from embodiment 1 will be described below.

[0102] For example, if control unit 14 of self-propelled robot 10a determines in step S15 that the position of the item has been registered in advance (Yes in S15), determination unit 133 of self-propelled robot 10a determines whether the item is present in a position different from the pre-registered position (S16). If determination unit 133 determines that the item is not present in a position different from the pre-registered position, that is, that the item is present in the pre-registered position (No in S16), control unit 14 performs the process of step S13. On the other hand, if determination unit 133 determines that the item is present in a position different from the pre-registered position (Yes in S16), control unit 14 causes notification information generation unit 134 to generate notification information. When notification information generation unit 134 generates notification information, control unit 14 transmits an instruction to mobile device 20 via communication unit 16 to present the notification information generated by notification information generation unit 134 to the user. The mobile terminal 20 presents the notification information on the presentation unit 25 in accordance with the acquired instruction, and presents the notification information to the user (S17).

[0103] [Second example] Next, with reference to FIG. 8 again, a second example of the operation of self-propelled robot system 100a according to embodiment 2 will be described, focusing on differences from embodiment 1.

[0104] If the judgment unit 133 determines that an item is present at a location different from the previously registered location (Yes in S16), the control unit 14 of the self-propelled robot 10a links the item information of the item with the location where the item was detected (i.e., the detected location of the item) and the date and time, and stores them in the history information database 135b (S21).

[0105] When self-propelled robot 10a finishes traveling (S18), control unit 14 causes notification information generation unit 134 to generate notification information (S22). Notification information generation unit 134 references history information database 135b, and generates notification information for all items that were detected while self-propelled robot 10a was traveling (steps S12 to S18) and were determined to be present in a position different from the registered position, including at least any of the content of the determination, the name of the item, and the position where the item was detected (detection position). Furthermore, notification information generation unit 134 may generate notification information based on history information database 135b (more specifically, based on past history information stored in history information database 135b) that includes the number of times the item was detected within a predetermined period (e.g., a period designated by the user, such as one week or one month) and the position. When the notification information is generated by the notification information generating unit 134, the control unit 14 transmits an instruction to present the notification information generated by the notification information generating unit 134 to the user to the mobile terminal 20 via the communication unit 16. In accordance with the acquired instruction, the mobile terminal 20 presents the notification information to the presentation unit 25, and presents the notification information to the user (S23).

[0106] Although not shown in Fig. 8, the following process may be performed between step S16 and step S21. For example, when it is determined that an item is present in a position different from a pre-registered position (Yes in S16), control unit 14 may control the operation of self-propelled robot 10a based on the control information stored in control information database 135a so as to move the item to the pre-registered position or to the vicinity of that position.

[0107] [Effects, etc.] As described above, in self-propelled robot system 100a according to embodiment 2, self-propelled robot 10a has the same configuration as server 30 according to embodiment 1, so self-propelled robot 10a does not need to communicate with server 30. Therefore, self-propelled robot system 100a is less susceptible to the effects of, for example, communication delays.

[0108] (Other embodiments) The self-propelled robot system and the item management method according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure have been described above based on the above embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. As long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure, various modifications conceivable by a person skilled in the art to the embodiments and embodiments formed by combining components of different embodiments may also be included within the scope of one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

[0109] For example, in the first embodiment, self-propelled robot 10 may include a presentation unit. In this case, the presentation unit may be at least one of a speaker and a lamp. For example, if the presentation unit is a speaker, control unit 14 may cause the speaker to output a sound to present notification information to the user. Also, for example, if the presentation unit is a lamp, control unit 14 may turn on the lamp to notify the user that an item has been detected at a position different from the registered position. In this way, even if the user does not have mobile terminal 20, for example, it is possible to notify the user that an item has been detected at a position different from the registered position.

[0110] Also, for example, in the first embodiment, self-propelled robot 10 may have a function provided by server 30. As a result, for example, a determination process or the like is performed by either self-propelled robot 10 or server 30 depending on the communication state, so that notification can be sent to the user without delay.

[0111] Furthermore, each of the processing units included in the self-propelled robot system and the item management system according to the above-described embodiments is typically realized as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These may be implemented individually as single chips, or some or all of them may be included in a single chip.

[0112] The integrated circuit is not limited to an LSI, but may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections and settings of the circuit cells inside the LSI may also be used.

[0113] In the above embodiment, each component may be implemented by dedicated hardware or by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be implemented by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a storage medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0114] Furthermore, all the numbers used above are merely examples for the purpose of specifically explaining the present disclosure, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the exemplified numbers.

[0115] In addition, the division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as one functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be transferred to another functional block. Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or in a time-sharing manner by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0116] In addition, the order in which each step is performed in the flowchart is merely for illustrative purposes and may be other than the above. In addition, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps. [Industrial Applicability]

[0117] The present disclosure is widely applicable to self-propelled robot systems that include self-propelled robots. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c goods 2, 2a, 2b, 2c Registered positions 10, 10a Self-propelled robot 11 Product Information Acquisition Department 12 Map information acquisition section 13 Self-position calculation section 14 Control section 15, 15a Storage section 16 Communications Department 17 Input reception section 18 Sensor section 19 Running part 20 Mobile Devices 21 Communications Department 22 Control section 23 Memory section 24 Input reception section 24a Touch Panel 24b Microphone 24c Camera 25 Presentation section 25a Display section 25b Audio output section 30 Servers 31 Communications Department 32 Control section 33 Judgment section 34 Notification information generation unit 35 Storage section 35a Control Information Database 35b History information database 133 Judgment section 134 Notification information generation unit 135a Control Information Database 135b History information database

Claims

1. A self-propelled robot system including a self-propelled robot that autonomously travels in a predetermined space, an article information acquisition unit that acquires article information indicating an identifier and a position of an article detected around a main body of the self-propelled robot; a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information indicating a map of the predetermined space; a self-position calculation unit that calculates a self-position indicating a current position of the main body on the map; a determination unit that determines whether the item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position based on the item information and the self-location; a notification unit that presents notification information to a user when it is determined that the item is present at a location different from a previously registered location; A notification information generating unit that generates the notification information; a history information database in which the article information of an article determined to be present at a position different from a previously registered position is associated with the position and date and time at which the article was detected, The notification information generating unit generates notification information including the number of times and the location of the item detected during a predetermined period based on the history information database. Self-propelled robot system.

2. The notification information is at least one of image information and audio information. The self-propelled robot system according to claim 1 .

3. The self-propelled robot system further comprises: a control information database in which the item information and control information of the self-propelled robot are stored in association with each other; A control unit that controls the operation of the self-propelled robot; Equipped with when it is determined that the item is present at a position different from a pre-registered position, the control unit controls an operation of the self-propelled robot based on the control information stored in the control information database.

3. The self-propelled robot system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit controls the operation of the self-propelled robot based on the control information so as to move the item to a pre-registered position or to the vicinity of the pre-registered position. The self-propelled robot system according to claim 3 .

5. when it is determined that the item is present at a location different from a previously registered location, the notification information generating unit generates notification information including at least one of the content of the determination, the name of the item, and the location where the item is detected; The presentation unit presents the notification information generated by the notification information generation unit to the user. The self-propelled robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The self-propelled robot is a self-propelled vacuum cleaner having a cleaning function. The self-propelled robot system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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