Management systems, management methods, and management programs

Abstract

To smoothly provide hindrance information of traveling of an autonomous traveling robot to various cooperation destinations.SOLUTION: A management system includes at least a terminal 30 used by an operator who monitors and controls traveling of a plurality of types of robots 10A and 10B that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, and a management server 40 capable of communicating with external devices including the terminal 30 and control servers 20A and 20B of the robots. A registration unit configured to, when hindrance to travel of a robot is detected based on a detection result detected by a sensor provided in each robot, classify a hindrance factor to the travel and a level of the hindrance factor, and register the hindrance factor and the level of the hindrance factor in a database as hindrance information in association with position information of the hindrance factor; SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system, a management method, and a management program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to cope with labor shortages, self-driving robots have been developed. Self-driving robots perform a wide variety of tasks such as goods delivery, security, guidance, cleaning, and assisting people in boarding by traveling indoors or outdoors. In addition, self-driving robots are often provided by different robot operators depending on the type and task.

[0003] The driving area of self-driving robots has been expanded not only to the inside of a facility and the area around the facility by remote operation and simultaneous control of multiple robots, but also to areas between multiple facilities and their surroundings, and to travel between multiple areas and between those areas.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Here, when a certain robot cannot avoid obstacles or road abnormalities during traveling and stops traveling to the destination, or when a detour route is newly set by an operator, robots of other robot operators following it may also be unable to avoid obstacles or road abnormalities at the same location and may experience problems such as stopping traveling.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a management system, a management method, and a management program that can smoothly provide information on obstacles to the movement of an autonomous mobile robot to various partners. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the management system of the present invention comprises at least a terminal device used by an operator to monitor and control the movement of multiple types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, and a management server capable of communicating with external devices including the terminal device and the robots, wherein when an obstruction to the movement of the robot is detected based on the detection results detected by sensors provided on each robot, the management system includes a registration unit that classifies the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor, and registers the obstruction information in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor, and a cooperation unit that extracts obstruction information corresponding to a cooperation target from the obstruction information stored in the database, and transmits the extracted obstruction information to the cooperation target. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, information regarding obstacles to the movement of an autonomous mobile robot can be smoothly provided to various partners. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic of the management system in the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management system in the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of disruption information stored in a database (DB). [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an example of the items that can be inhibited. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a level table of inhibition factors. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data configuration of linked destination information. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the content of confirmation items. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the screen of the terminal device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the screen of the terminal device. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the screen of the terminal device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure of inhibition information registration processing in the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure of cooperation processing in the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the cooperation processing of the management server. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the traveling route of the robot. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server according to Modification Example 2 of the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device according to Modification Example 2 of the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure of inhibition information registration processing in Modification Example 2 of the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a device that executes traveling inhibition detection and its classification. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a computer in which a terminal device and a management server are realized by executing a program.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. In the description of the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] [Embodiment] First, the embodiment will be described. In the embodiment, a management system that collectively monitors and controls the travel of multiple types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors on a platform will be described.

[0012] [Outline of Management System] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the management system in the embodiment.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, in the management system in the embodiment, the platform, for example, as part of the management of Smart Town T1, collectively performs the situation of the area, monitoring, and control of each robot.

[0014] The platform collectively manages the travel of multiple types of robots provided by multiple robot operators. The operator P1 of the platform, for example, collectively executes the monitoring and control of the delivery robot 10A that travels between the zones Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 of the smart town, the security robot 10C, the multi-purpose robot 10E for cleaning, guiding, security, etc., the cleaning robot 10B that travels within the zone Z, and the guiding robot 10D that travels in the zone Z3 ((1) in FIG. 1).

[0015] For example, the robot 10A is provided by the robot operator A, the robot 10B is provided by the robot operator B, the robot 10C is provided by the robot operator C, the robot 10D is provided by the robot operator D, and the robot 10E is provided by the robot operator E.

[0016] The platform provider then classifies, registers, and stores information about any obstruction to the robot's movement, and provides this obstruction information, categorized according to each partner, to various collaborators, including robot operators A through E (Figure 1 (2)).

[0017] This allows information about obstacles to autonomous robot operation to be smoothly provided not only to robot operators A-E but also to other partners. These partners include administrative districts A and B where the robots operate, government agencies (e.g., the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), service providers F that provide private services, and other robot operators H. Based on the provided obstacle information, these partners can take actions such as changing the routes of robots and transport vehicles, repairing roads, removing obstacles such as parked vehicles, and notifying pedestrians.

[0018] [Management System] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management system in the embodiment. In Figure 2, robots 10A and 10B are shown as examples, but the type of robot is not limited to robots 10A and 10B. When referring to robots 10A and 10B collectively, they are referred to as robot 10. Also, in Figure 2, robot operators A and B are shown as examples, but the actual robot operators include C to E, or other operators. When referring to control servers 20A and 20B collectively, they are referred to as control server 20.

[0019] Robots 10A and 10B are autonomous mobile robots that, for example, autonomously navigate the outdoor and indoor areas of Smart Town T1. Robots 10A and 10B are equipped with GPS (Global Positioning System), various sensors (imaging device, LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), distance sensor, geomagnetic sensor, etc.) to detect the environment around them. Robots 10A and 10B autonomously navigate the outdoor and indoor areas of Smart Town T1 along routes set by operator P1 via applications on control servers 20A and 20B.

[0020] The control servers 20A and 20B communicate wirelessly with the robots 10A and 10B that are controlled by each server. The control servers 20A and 20B also communicate with the terminal device 30. The control servers 20A and 20B move the robots 10A and 10B according to the movement control provided by the terminal device 30 operated by operator P1.

[0021] When the platform (management system) detects an obstruction to the robot's movement based on the detection results (sensor information) detected by sensors installed on each robot 10, it classifies the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor, and registers it as obstruction information in DB427 (described later) in association with the location information of the obstruction factor. The platform then extracts the obstruction information corresponding to the target of the collaboration from the obstruction information stored in DB427 and transmits the extracted obstruction information to the aforementioned collaboration target.

[0022] The platform includes a terminal device 30 used by operator P1, which centrally monitors and controls the area's conditions and each robot, and a management server 40 that registers and links information related to robot control.

[0023] Terminal device 30 communicates with the control servers 20A and 20B of robots 10A and 10B and the management server 40. Terminal device 30 is operated by the platform operator P1. The terminal device 30 is equipped with robot control applications used by each robot operator A and B that are being monitored and controlled, and accepts operations from operator P1 regarding the monitoring and control of the movement of each robot 10A and 10B. In other words, terminal device 30 controls the movement of robots 10A and 10B collectively through operations by operator P1 using the applications of control servers 20A and 20B.

[0024] Furthermore, if the terminal device 30 detects an obstruction to the robot 10A's movement, it classifies the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor, and requests the management server 40 to register the obstruction information, which is associated with the location information of the obstruction factor, into the DB 427. For example, in accordance with the operation by operator P1, the terminal device 30 detects obstructions to the robot's movement and classifies the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor based on sensor information from the sensors of each robot 10.

[0025] The management server 40 assists robots 10A and 10B in their movement by setting tasks and recommending travel routes. If the robots' movement is hindered, the management server 40 stores information about the hindering in DB427 (described later).

[0026] The management server 40, for example, refers to the obstruction information stored in DB427 and recommends a driving route. The management server 40 receives a request from the terminal device 30 to register the obstruction information in DB427 and registers the obstruction information in DB427.

[0027] The management server 40 then sorts the disruption information according to the recipient and sends the sorted disruption information to the recipient, thereby facilitating the exchange of disruption information. The recipients include, for example, Administrative District A (server 50), Administrative District B (server 60), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (server 70), private service provider F (server 80), and robotics company H (server 90).

[0028] In this embodiment, we will explain an example in which operator P1 detects obstructions to the movement of robots 10A and 10B based on sensor information from the sensors of each robot, classifies the factors obstructing movement and the level of those factors, and inputs the classification results to terminal device 30.

[0029] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 can, for example, display the screens of robot control applications used by each robot operator in different browsers. The terminal device 30 also requests the management server 40 to register interference information via an application for registering interference information.

[0030] [Management Server] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 40 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the management server 40 includes, for example, a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, and a control unit 43.

[0031] The communication unit 41 controls communications related to various types of information. For example, the communication unit 41 controls communications with the terminal device 30, communications with the control server 20, and communications with the partner servers 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90. The communication unit 41 transmits the set task and a suitable travel route to the terminal device 30. The communication unit 41 also receives the robot 10's location information via the control server 20. The communication unit 41 receives a request from the terminal device 30 to register interference information for the robot 10. The communication unit 41 transmits interference information corresponding to each partner server 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90.

[0032] The memory unit 42 stores data and programs necessary for various processes performed by the control unit 43. For example, the memory unit 42 may be a semiconductor memory element such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or Flash Memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disc. The memory unit 42 contains robot information 421, map information 422, task memory unit 423, travel route information 424, robot position information 425, sensor information 426, DB 427, and linked information 428.

[0033] The robot information 421 includes identification information, type, and information on the sensors installed for each robot 10 that travels through Smart Town T1, and may also include information on executable tasks.

[0034] Map information 422 includes, for example, maps of each zone Z1 to Z4 of Smart Town T1, and maps of movement between each zone Z1 to Z4. Map information 522 is acquired in advance and may be updated as appropriate based on various sensor information and information transmitted from robot 10. Map information 422 may superimpose the facilities of each zone Z1 to Z4, the areas in which robot 10 can travel within and around the facilities, and the areas in which robot 10 can travel between each zone Z1 to Z4 onto the map.

[0035] The task storage unit 423 contains history information of tasks performed by each robot 10. The task storage unit 423 may also include tasks that each robot 10 is currently performing. For example, tasks may include goods delivery, security, guidance, cleaning, and transferring people. The task storage unit 423 stores the identification information of the robot 10, the identification information of the task, the task execution period, etc.

[0036] The travel route information 324 is information indicating the travel route of the robot 10. For example, depending on the zone, task, and / or the type of robot 10, several representative routes are pre-set and can be modified or added as appropriate depending on the travel situation.

[0037] The robot position information 425 is information that associates the identification information of the robot 10, the position of the robot 10, and the time of position detection. The position of the robot 10 is expressed, for example, in latitude and longitude coordinates or in a plane rectangular coordinate system. The robot position information 425 is transmitted from the control servers 20A and 20B.

[0038] Sensor information 426 is sensor information from sensors installed on each robot 10. Sensor information 426 includes items such as identification information of the robot 10 on which it is mounted, identification information of the sensor, type of sensor, detection result detected by the sensor, detection time, and the position of the robot 10 at the time of detection. Sensor information may include, for example, an image, distance to the object, properties of the object, reflectivity, feature points, and location.

[0039] DB427 stores obstruction information. Obstruction information is information that associates at least the obstruction factor, the level of the obstruction factor, and the location of the obstruction factor. The obstruction information may further associate the object obstructing the road, whether the obstruction factor is a road anomaly and / or obstacle, the area where the obstruction factor is located, the type of obstruction factor, the image of the obstruction factor, and the height of the obstruction factor.

[0040] Figure 4 shows an example of the data structure of interference information stored in DB427. As shown in interference information 427-1 in Figure 4, the interference information includes the following items: interference information ID (identification), interference factor, region where the interference factor is located, location information of the interference factor (e.g., longitude and latitude information), level of the interference factor, details of the interference factor, type of interference factor, image of the interference factor, and height of the interference factor.

[0041] The category of obstructing factors includes a major category indicating whether the obstructing factor is an abnormality or / or an obstacle on the road, and a subcategory that further details the type of obstructing factor. Figure 5 is an example of the category of obstructing factors.

[0042] For example, as shown in Figure 5, among the items of obstruction factors, the major category is registered as whether the obstruction factor is an obstacle or a road abnormality. Then, sub-categories are set for each major category. For example, if the major category is "obstacle," then sub-categories such as "fallen object," "parked car," and "chair" are set. Note that the obstacles at each level in Figure 5 are only a part of the total; in reality, a wide variety of obstacles are set.

[0043] The content of the sub-items is set according to the expected data users at the partner company (e.g., robot operators, citizens (pedestrians, wheelchair users, etc.)), and is adjusted as needed according to the partner company's requests and data usage trends. Specifically, wheelchair users using private service provider F may only want "step" information from the obstacle information, and robot operator H may not need road surface dirt information from the road anomaly information. Sub-items (categories) are provided so that obstruction information can be sorted according to these individual requests. Furthermore, each category of the sub-item is associated with the expected attributes of the data users, making sorting based on data user attributes possible as well.

[0044] For example, in the case of an administrative district (e.g., Administrative District A), in addition to Administrative District A, there may be requests for information on disruptions in the adjacent Administrative District B, which is part of the residents' living area. In order to quickly share disruption information for the areas requested by the partner, a regional category is included as an item for disruption information.

[0045] For example, if the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism requests the identification of a road collapse, it is necessary to provide location information of the obstructing factor while maintaining a certain level of accuracy. For this reason, latitude and longitude are included as items in the obstructing information. However, location information using a plane rectangular coordinate system is also acceptable, as long as it can accurately represent the location of the obstructing factor, rather than being limited to latitude and longitude.

[0046] Furthermore, depending on the partner, only information on obstacles at a predetermined level may be desired. For example, a transportation company might only want information on obstacles or road abnormalities that hinder the movement of large trucks.

[0047] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the target of movement is robots, automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians, the level is set to multiple stages depending on the presence or absence of a target and the type of target, thereby enabling the provision of obstruction information that precisely matches the wishes of the partner.

[0048] Let's explain the levels. Figure 6 is an example of a level table for inhibiting factors. As shown in the level table in Figure 6, the levels are divided into S+ (major obstacle), A (moderate obstacle), B (minor obstacle), and info (information-only obstacle). Each level is associated with a corresponding condition or obstacle depending on the drivable object (e.g., large vehicle, regular car, bicycle, remotely operated small vehicle (robot 10), pedestrian). Note that the obstacles for each level in Figure 6 are only a partial list; in reality, a wide variety of obstacles are set.

[0049] Detailed information about obstructions is recorded to respond to requests from partner organizations (e.g., local governments) who want to know what obstacles or road abnormalities were present. For example, the details of the obstruction information include further detailed information about sub-items of obstruction factors, such as whether an obstacle is mounted on the road or whether there is a step in the road that is too high for a robot to overcome.

[0050] Sometimes, partner organizations (for example, local governments) may request to know the road surface conditions before conducting a road surface survey to repair a "road collapse." In such cases, when partner organizations request images showing what obstacles or road abnormalities were present, images capturing the obstructing factors are registered in the obstruction information.

[0051] Furthermore, for example, a robot operator may request height information because their robot is 1.2m tall and cannot pass through vegetation lower than 1.2m. Similarly, if the data user is a pedestrian, they may request information about the presence of obstacles that obstruct pedestrian movement. In order to meet these requests from partners, the height information of obstacles (obstructive factors) is registered as obstruction information. The height of obstacles is determined not only through image analysis, but also based on sensor information from other sensors on the robot 10 and sensor information from various sensors installed in Smart Town T1.

[0052] The partner information 428 associates information about the partner with the disruption information to be sent to the partner. Figure 7 shows an example of the data structure of the partner information 428.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the linked information 428-1 includes the following items: linked party, region where the inhibiting factor exists, location of the inhibiting factor, level of the inhibiting factor, type of inhibiting factor, data user of the linked party, data format of the linked information to be provided to the linked party, necessity of image linking, necessity of linking the height of the inhibiting factor, and necessity of detailed information. The linked information 428 is registered in advance by the linked party via an application for registering inhibiting information. Alternatively, the management server 40 may automatically set and / or update the linked information 428 by estimating from past linking content.

[0054] The control unit 43 has an internal memory for storing programs that define various processing procedures and required data, and executes various processes using these. Here, the control unit 43 may be, for example, an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0055] The control unit 43 includes a driving support unit 431 that assists the robot 10 in its movement, a registration unit 432 that registers obstruction information, and a coordination unit 433 that coordinates the obstruction information to the partner.

[0056] The driving support unit 431 includes a task setting unit 4311, a data viewing unit 4312, a driving route recommendation unit 4313, a driving control support unit 4314, and a robot position acquisition unit 4315.

[0057] For example, when the task setting unit 4311 receives a service request from a user, it sets the task to be executed and selects a robot 10 to perform this task.

[0058] The data viewing unit 4312 views information related to the robot 10 that performs the task from the travel route information 424 and DB 427.

[0059] The route recommendation unit 4313, for example, selects a route appropriate to the task for the robot 10 selected by the task setting unit 231 and recommends it to the terminal device 30. In this case, the route recommendation unit 4313 selects a route suitable for the robot 10 selected by the task setting unit 4311 based on the route and obstruction information viewed by the data viewing unit 4312. The route recommendation unit 4313 excludes from the recommendation targets any routes that would hinder the robot 10's movement due to obstruction factors, from among the route routes corresponding to the task set by the task setting unit 4311 and the selected robot 10.

[0060] The driving control support unit 4314 assists operator P1 in controlling the movement of robot 10. For example, if terminal device 30 requests a route change because the movement of robot 10 is obstructed while it is in motion, the driving control support unit 4314 recommends an alternative route to terminal device 30. Also, for example, if the registration process of registration unit 432 causes an obstruction to occur at the planned movement location of another robot 10 that is in motion, the driving control support unit 4314 transmits identification information of the robot 10 whose movement may be obstructed, the details of the obstruction, and / or an alternative route to terminal device 30, thereby supporting the smooth movement of each robot 10.

[0061] The robot position acquisition unit 4315 acquires the position information of each robot 10 traveling in the smart town T1 through communication with the control servers 20A and 20B. The robot position acquisition unit 4315 acquires the current position of each robot 10 to be controlled using a positioning system such as GPS. The robot position acquisition unit 4315 may associate the robot 10's identification information with the robot 10's position and the time of position detection and store it in the storage unit 42.

[0062] The registration unit 432 registers the interference information in the DB 427. The registration unit 432 includes a registration request receiving unit 4321 and an interference information registration unit 4322.

[0063] The registration request receiving unit 4321 receives a registration request for interference information from the terminal device 30. The registration request includes interference information to be registered. The interference information includes interference factors (major items, minor items), region, location, level, details, type, image, and height.

[0064] The obstruction information registration unit 4322 assigns an obstruction information ID to the obstruction information requested for registration by the terminal device 30 and registers it in DB 427. For items of the obstruction information to be registered that have missing data, the obstruction information registration unit 4322 may acquire or estimate the missing data based on images, sensor information from other robots 10, sensor information installed in smart town T1, etc., and complete the registration.

[0065] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 may request the registration of obstruction information to be updated (deleted) due to the elimination of the obstruction factor, or due to a change in the obstruction factor. In this case, the obstruction information registration unit 4322 updates the DB 427 with the most recent information, which is the obstruction information in which the obstruction to the robot 10's movement has been resolved, or the obstruction information in which the registered obstruction factor has changed.

[0066] The collaboration unit 433 extracts the interference information corresponding to the target collaboration destination from the interference information stored in DB427, and sends the extracted interference information to the collaboration destination.

[0067] The linking unit 433 includes a linking partner registration unit 4331 (acquisition unit), an extraction unit 4332, a formatting unit 4333), and an information linking unit 4334 (transmission unit).

[0068] The partner registration unit 4331 obtains the type of inhibiting factor, the level of the inhibiting factor, the region where the inhibiting factor was detected, and the attributes of data users at the partner, corresponding to the partner. Then, based on the information obtained, the partner registration unit 4331 sets the linking conditions for each partner that wishes to share data on the inhibiting information and registers them in the partner information 428.

[0069] Here, in order to sort the interference information desired by each partner, the partner registration unit 4331 sets the details of the interference information desired by the partner. For example, the partner registration unit 4331 sets for each partner the region indicated by the interference information to be linked, the location indicated by the interference information to be linked, the level of the interference information to be linked, the type of interference factor of the interference information to be linked, the data user of the partner, the data format of the linked information to be provided to the partner, whether or not images included in the interference information need to be linked, whether or not heights included in the interference information need to be linked, and whether or not detailed information is required.

[0070] For example, the partner registration unit 4331 displays a pull-down menu to the partner via an application for registering obstruction information, allowing the partner to select the region of the obstruction factor, whether or not the obstruction factor is located, the level and type of the obstruction factor, the data format, whether or not images are required, whether or not height information is required, and whether or not detailed information is required. The partner can set the linking conditions simply by selecting items from the displayed menu. In other words, the desired level of obstacles / road anomalies is interviewed in advance from the data user, and the system is set up to link the obstruction information when obstruction information of the corresponding level is registered.

[0071] Furthermore, the partner registration unit 4331 may estimate the linking conditions based on the content of past obstruction information linking and the attributes of data users (such as users who want to understand dirt, steps, etc.), and automatically set and / or update the linking conditions of the partner. The partner registration unit 4331 may also collect citizens' movement history and estimate the linking conditions based on movement trends.

[0072] Figure 8 shows an example of the contents of the verification items. As shown in Figure 8, when the data user is a robot operator (for example, robot operator H), it is desirable to confirm whether the robot being used is two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. For this reason, when the data user is a robot operator, the partner registration unit 4331 provides a dropdown menu with a selection field for whether the robot is two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. In the case of two-wheel drive, even a small step can hinder movement, so it is clear that it is better to transmit even minor obstacle information. For this reason, when the robot used by robot operator H is two-wheel drive, the partner registration unit 4331 includes the transmission of minor obstacle information (for example, steps) as a condition for cooperation.

[0073] Furthermore, if the data user is a member of the general public, it is desirable to confirm their walking ability. Since the desired level of obstacle information and road anomaly information varies depending on the data user, such as able-bodied individuals, wheelchair users, visually impaired individuals, the elderly, and cyclists, it is desirable to filter and provide information that meets their needs. For this reason, the partner registration unit 4331 may include a field in the pull-down menu to confirm, for example, walking ability, if the data user is a member of the general public. The partner registration unit 4331 may then set the type of obstacle information and whether or not to send detailed information as linking conditions, according to the walking ability selected by the member of the general public.

[0074] In this way, by registering integration conditions so that the management server 40 can determine whether or not the data should be provided based on the attributes of the data users, data integration that meets the needs of various data users can be achieved.

[0075] The extraction unit 4332 extracts from the interference information stored in DB 427 the interference information that the partner desires, which includes the type of interference factor, the level of the interference factor, the region where the interference factor was detected, and the attributes of the data users at the partner. The extraction unit 4332 refers to the partner information 428 and extracts the interference information desired by the partner from the interference information stored in DB 427.

[0076] The extraction unit 4332 refers to the major and minor categories of the inhibiting information to narrow down the data desired by the data user. Alternatively, the extraction unit 4332 may refer to the level table in Figure 6 and extract the inhibiting information by narrowing down the data desired by each data user.

[0077] The formatting unit 4333 formats the inhibitory information extracted by the extraction unit 4332 into a data model corresponding to the linked party. The formatting unit 4333 refers to the linked party information 428 and formats the inhibitory information extracted by the extraction unit 4332 using the data model set by the linked party.

[0078] The information sharing unit 4334 transmits the disruption information, which has been formatted by the formatting unit 4333, to the partner at the timing and communication path requested by the partner.

[0079] [Terminal device] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 30 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 9, the terminal device 30 includes, for example, a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, and an input / output unit 34.

[0080] The communication unit 31 controls communications related to various types of information. For example, the communication unit 31 controls communications with the management server 40 and communications with the control server 20. The communication unit 31 transmits instructions for setting travel routes and travel control information corresponding to the set tasks to each robot 10 via the control server 20. The communication unit 31 also receives sensor information from the sensors of each robot 10 via the control server 20. The communication unit 31 transmits a request to the management server 40 for registration of obstruction information from the robot 10.

[0081] The input / output unit 34 outputs various types of information. The input / output unit 34 accepts information input via operation by operator P1. The input / output unit 34 includes, for example, an LCD screen, mouse, keyboard, touch panel, speaker, microphone, etc.

[0082] The memory unit 32 stores data and programs necessary for various processes performed by the control unit 33. For example, the memory unit 32 may be a semiconductor memory element such as RAM or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disc. The memory unit 32 contains robot information 321, map information 322, task memory unit 323, travel route information 324, robot position information 325, sensor information 326, and classification results 327.

[0083] The robot information 321 includes identification information, type, and information on the sensors installed for each robot 10 controlled by the control server 20, and may also include information on executable tasks.

[0084] Map information 322 contains the same information as map information 422.

[0085] The task storage unit 323 contains history information of tasks performed by each robot 10. The task storage unit 323 may also include tasks that each robot 10 is currently performing. For example, tasks may include goods delivery, security, guidance, cleaning, and transferring people. The task storage unit 323 stores the identification information of the robot 10, the identification information of the task, the task execution period, etc.

[0086] The travel route information 324 is information indicating the travel route of the robot 10. For example, depending on the zone, task, and / or the type of robot 10, several representative routes are pre-set and can be modified or added as appropriate depending on the travel situation.

[0087] The robot position information 325 is information that associates the identification information of the robot 10, the position of the robot 10, and the time of position detection. The position of the robot 10 is expressed, for example, in latitude and longitude coordinates or in a plane rectangular coordinate system.

[0088] Sensor information 326 is the detection result (sensor information) detected by various sensors installed on the robot 10. The sensor information is received from each robot 10 via each control server 20.

[0089] The control unit 33 has an internal memory for storing programs that define various processing procedures and required data, and executes various processes using these. Here, the control unit 33 may be, for example, an electronic circuit such as a CPU or MPU, or an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0090] The control unit 33 includes a travel control unit 331 that controls the movement of the robot 10, and a registration request unit 332 that requests the registration of obstruction information that hinders the movement of the robot 10 to the DB427.

[0091] The driving control unit 331 includes a task receiving unit 3311 that receives tasks to be executed from the management server 40, a driving route setting unit 3312, a driving control unit 3313, a robot position acquisition unit 3314, and a sensor information acquisition unit 3315.

[0092] The task receiving unit 3311 receives tasks to be executed from the management server 40. The task receiving unit 3311 may select a robot 10 to execute the received task based on the instruction information from the management server 40.

[0093] The travel route setting unit 3312 sets a travel route for the selected robot 10 according to the task. For example, the travel route setting unit 3312 sets a travel route recommended by the management server 40 as the travel route for the robot 10. Alternatively, for example, the travel route setting unit 3312 selects one of the pre-set routes as the travel route in response to the operation of operator P1. Alternatively, for example, the travel route setting unit 3312 may set a modified route from a pre-set route in response to the operation of operator P1.

[0094] The travel control unit 3313 controls the movement of the robot 10 to be controlled, for example, by controlling the movement of the robot 10 to be controlled, so that the robot 10 moves according to the travel route set by the travel route setting unit 3312. The travel control unit 3313 controls the movement of the robot 10 by communicating with the control server 20.

[0095] The robot position acquisition unit 3314, like the robot position acquisition unit 4315, acquires position information for each robot 10 traveling in the smart town T1 via the control server 20. The robot position acquisition unit 3314 may associate the robot 10's identification information with the robot 10's position and position detection time and store it in the storage unit 32.

[0096] The sensor information acquisition unit 3315 receives detection results (sensor information) detected by sensors installed on each robot 10 via the control server 20.

[0097] The position of robot 10 is displayed in real time on the application screen for robot control of each robot operator on the screen of the terminal device 30. The position of robot 10 is superimposed on a map. This map may also superimpose the travel route of robot 10, the facilities of each zone Z1 to Z4, the areas in which robot 10 can travel within and around the facilities, and the areas in which robot 10 can travel between each zone Z1 to Z4. The position of robot 10 is displayed in real time on the application screen for robot control of each robot operator on the screen of the terminal device 30. Sensor information is also displayed in a predetermined area on each robot control application screen.

[0098] The registration request unit 332 includes an information collection unit 3321, a detection unit 3322, a classification unit 3323, and an inhibitor information registration request unit 3324.

[0099] The information gathering unit 3321 collects the location information of each robot 10 and the sensor information of each robot 10. The information gathering unit 3321 also collects images captured by each robot 10.

[0100] The detection unit 3322 detects whether or not there is any obstruction to the movement of each robot 10, based on the images captured by the imaging device of each robot 10.

[0101] The classification unit 3323 classifies the factors hindering movement and the level of those factors detected by the detection unit 3322. Based on the images captured by the imaging devices of each robot 10, the classification unit 3323 classifies whether the hindering factor is a road abnormality and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the hindering factor, and what is hindering the robot's movement.

[0102] The obstruction information registration request unit 3324 requests the management server 40 to register obstruction information that hinders the movement of the robot 10 in DB 427. The management server 40 registers the obstruction information in DB 427 in response to this registration request, thereby accumulating the obstruction information. The obstruction information is information that associates the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor with the location information of the obstruction factor. Specifically, the obstruction information is information that associates at least the obstruction factor, the level of the obstruction factor, and the object that is hindering the robot's movement with the location information of the obstruction factor. Specifically, as described above, the obstruction information includes the obstruction factor (major item, minor item), region, location, level, details, type, image, and height.

[0103] The processing in the terminal device 30 from the detection of obstruction to the request for obstruction information will be explained. Figures 10 to 12 show examples of the screen of the terminal device 30. Menu M1 in Figures 10 to 12 is the application screen for registering obstruction information. As shown in Figure 10, in menu M1, for example, the travel route of robot 10A is displayed superimposed on the map. In addition to the application screen for registering obstruction information, the terminal device 30 also displays, for example, an application screen for robot control (not shown).

[0104] Operator P1 detects whether there is any obstruction to the movement of robot 10A by viewing the images captured by the imaging devices of each robot 10 via the robot control application screen displayed on the terminal device 30.

[0105] Then, when operator P1 detects that the movement of robot 10A has been obstructed via the application screen for robot control, P1 right-clicks on the route in menu M1 and places a pin at the location where the obstruction occurred (Figure 11 (1)). As a result, information that the movement of robot 10A has been obstructed and the location where the obstruction occurred is input to terminal device 30, and detection unit 3322 detects that the movement of robot 10 has been obstructed.

[0106] Furthermore, the detection unit 3322 detects that there is no obstruction to the robot 10A's movement if no pin is placed by operator P1 while the robot 10A is traveling along the route of menu M1. The obstruction information registration request unit 3324 requests the management server 40 to update the obstruction information in order to resolve the obstruction if obstruction information is registered for this travel route.

[0107] Next, operator P1 checks the images captured by each robot 10 via the robot control application screen and identifies the inhibiting factors, the level of the inhibiting factors, and what is hindering the robot's movement.

[0108] Operator P1 selects in the Road Conditions field L1 whether the road condition hindering the robot's movement is a road anomaly or an obstacle. Then, in the Free Description field, Operator P1 writes what was hindering the robot 10A's movement and the level of the hindering factor (Figure 12 (2)). When Operator P1 selects the Register button N1, a registration request for the pin data (hindering information) from the Road Conditions field L1 is sent from the Terminal Device 30 to the Management Server 40 and registered in DB427.

[0109] In addition to the free-text field, a pull-down menu may be provided in menu M1 that allows operator P1 to select specific road anomalies or obstacles. In this case, the selectable road anomalies and obstacles may be displayed according to the level of the obstruction factor. Furthermore, the latitude and longitude of the location pinned by operator P1 will be automatically reflected in the system (Figure 12 (3)).

[0110] As a result, the terminal device 30 receives input indicating whether the obstacle to the robot 10A's movement is a road anomaly and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstacle, and the object that is obstructing the robot 10A's movement. Based on the input information, the classification unit 3323 classifies the obstacle, the level of the obstacle, and the object that is obstructing the robot's movement.

[0111] Here, as shown in Figure 6, the level of the inhibiting factor is set in multiple stages depending on the presence or absence of a drivable object and the type of object, when robots, automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians are considered as drivable objects.

[0112] The classification unit 3323 may refer to the level table shown in Figure 6 and classify the level of the obstruction factor according to the object that is hindering the robot's movement as input by operator P1.

[0113] Furthermore, the classification unit 3323 may classify the type of obstructing factor, i.e., the type of obstacle or the type of road abnormality, according to the information input by operator P1.

[0114] The classification unit 3323 may then classify the height of the inhibiting factor based on the image in which the inhibiting factor was captured, as well as the position and imaging direction of the imaging device on the robot 10A that captured the image.

[0115] [Inhibition Information Registration Process] Figure 13 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure for registering inhibitory information in the embodiment.

[0116] For example, when the management server 40 receives a service request from a user, it sets the task to be executed (step S1). The management server 40 may also select a robot 10 to execute this task. The management server 40 looks up information related to the robot 10 that will execute the task from the travel route information 424 and DB 427 (step S2).

[0117] Then, the management server 40 selects a travel route according to the task for the robot 10 and sends the set task along with the recommended travel route information to the terminal device 30 (step S3).

[0118] The terminal device 30 receives task and travel route recommendation information based on the operation by operator P1, and sets the travel route for the selected robot 10 (for example, robots 10A, 10B) (step S4).

[0119] Then, based on the operation by operator P1, terminal device 30 controls the movement of the robot 10 to be controlled via control servers 20A and 20B (steps S5-1, S5-2, S6-1, S6-2).

[0120] The terminal device 30 receives location information and sensor information for each robot 10 via the control server 20 (steps S7-1, S7-2, S9-1, S9-2). The management server 40 receives location information for each robot 10 via the control server 20 (steps S8-1, S8-2, S10-1, S10-2).

[0121] The terminal device 30 displays the received location information and sensor information of each robot on the screen (step S11). Then, the terminal device 30 collects the location information and sensor information of each robot 10 by repeating steps S5-1, S5-2, S6-1, S6-2, S7-1, S7-2, S9-1, and S9-2 (step S12).

[0122] When operator P1 places a pin on the travel route, terminal device 30 detects that an obstruction to the robot's movement has occurred at the location where the pin was placed (Step S13: Yes). Then, based on the input from operator P1 regarding the obstruction factor, the level of the obstruction factor, and the object obstructing the robot's movement, terminal device 30 classifies the obstruction factor, the level of the obstruction factor, and the object obstructing the robot's movement (Step S14).

[0123] Next, the terminal device 30 requests the management server 40 to register obstruction information that hinders the robot 10's movement in DB427 (steps S15, S16). If the terminal device 30 does not detect that the robot 10's movement is being hindered (step S13: No), and if obstruction information is registered for this travel route, it requests the management server 40 to update the obstruction information by resolving the obstruction (steps S15, S16). The terminal device 30 also requests the management server 40 to update the obstruction information if the cause of the obstruction changes.

[0124] The management server 40 registers the interference information in DB427 in response to a request to register the interference information in DB427 (step S17). Alternatively, the management server 40 updates the interference information in DB427 in response to a request to update the interference information in DB427.

[0125] [Integration Process] Figure 14 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure of the collaborative process in the embodiment.

[0126] The management server 40 registers the data exchange conditions for each data exchange partner that wishes to exchange disruption information in the data exchange partner information 428 (step S21).

[0127] The management server 40 determines whether it is the right time to link with each partner (step S22). The linking timing is set for each partner. Alternatively, the linking timing may be set according to the level and type of the interference information. For example, if interference information of level S+ is registered, this interference information is sent to each partner at the time of registration.

[0128] If it is not time for coordination (step S22: No), the management server 40 returns to the determination in step S22.

[0129] For example, if it is time for coordination between administrative districts A and B (step S22: Yes), the management server 40 refers to the coordination partner information 428 and extracts the interference information desired by the coordination partners (administrative districts A and B) (step S23). Then, the management server 40 formats the extracted interference information into a data model corresponding to the coordination partner (step S24) and sends it to the coordination partner (for example, servers 50 and 60 in administrative districts A and B) (steps S25, S26).

[0130] [Effects of the embodiment] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating the coordination process of the management server 40. As shown in Figure 15, the management server 40 refers to the coordination destination information 428 and extracts the disruption information K1 from DB 427. The management server 40 then transmits the information to the coordination destinations registered in the coordination destination information 428, for example, administrative districts A and B, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the Road Traffic Information Communication System, and service provider F.

[0131] By receiving this obstruction information K1, administrative districts A and B can notify residents of their respective districts that fallen trees are blocking roads and recommend alternative routes. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism can also receive this obstruction information K1 to accurately determine the location of fallen trees that need to be removed quickly and arrange for their removal. Service provider F can also notify users that some roads are unusable due to fallen trees.

[0132] Figure 16 shows an example of a travel route for robot 10. As shown in Figure 16, robot 10 travels through multiple areas (administrative districts A and B). Therefore, the management server 40 can collect disruption information that spans multiple areas. Furthermore, if, for example, the living area of ​​residents in administrative district A also includes the adjacent administrative district B, the management server 40 can provide information that is appropriate to the actual lives of residents in administrative district A by sharing the disruption information for administrative district A not only with administrative district A but also with administrative district B.

[0133] For example, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism does not need information that does not hinder normal walking or driving for users, such as dirt or uneven road surfaces. However, they want to quickly obtain information on major obstacles such as road collapses, collapsed buildings, and accident vehicles for road repair purposes. Also, wheelchair users want to obtain only information on obstacles related to uneven sidewalks. Furthermore, robotics companies want to avoid information on road abnormalities other than dirt on the road surface.

[0134] In response, the management server 40 extracts interference information at a level appropriate to the partner and transmits the interference information to the partner, so that it can appropriately and smoothly provide the interference information desired by each partner, depending on whether it is a robot, car, bicycle, or pedestrian. The management server 40 may also extract interference information corresponding to the attributes of the data user from DB427 and transmit the extracted interference information to the data user and the service provider from which the data user is receiving services.

[0135] The partner listed is merely an example. Partners may include prefectures, municipalities, other government agencies (e.g., the National Police Agency), transportation companies, map makers, beacon makers, navigation makers, drone operating companies, and ordinary citizens. In the case of residents living in the area where Smart Town T1 is deployed, the management server 40 may directly provide disruption information via the Smart Town-related application downloaded to the resident's mobile device. In this case, since there is no need to go through administrative districts, disruption information can be provided to residents quickly.

[0136] Thus, according to this embodiment, by efficiently collecting and distributing disruptive information, it is possible to contribute to cost reduction and service improvement in various industries, and to improve the quality of life of end users.

[0137] For example, according to the embodiment, road conditions can be understood without going to the site, thus reducing the operating costs for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which is responsible for road repair, and for businesses that provide services using robots that travel on public roads. Also, according to the embodiment, real-time information such as road passability can be reflected in car navigation and map services, providing users with more accurate navigation. Furthermore, according to the embodiment, wheelchair users and others can understand road conditions in advance, enabling safer and more secure travel, and contributing to the development of smart cities and barrier-free environments.

[0138] [Example 1] Furthermore, the terminal device 30 may reduce the burden on operator P1 by performing detection and classification of disruptive information using various machine learning models.

[0139] The detection unit 3322 uses a trained image analysis model to detect when an obstruction occurs in the robot 10's movement. For example, the detection unit 3322 uses the image analysis model to compare an image captured by the controlled robot 10 with an image taken at the same location in the past where no obstruction was detected. The detection unit 3322 may then detect that an obstruction has occurred in the robot 10's movement if there are differences exceeding a predetermined level.

[0140] Furthermore, the detection unit 3322 may use a trained object recognition model to detect objects and their positions in the images captured by the robot 10, and determine whether or not the robot 10's movement is being obstructed based on the objects and their positions. If the detection unit 3322 detects that the robot 10's movement is being obstructed, it issues an alert to the terminal device 30 used by the operator P1, prompting the operator P1 to check the robot 10's movement status. By checking this alert, the operator P1 can quickly recognize that the robot 10's movement is being obstructed.

[0141] Furthermore, the classification unit 3323 uses a trained classification model to classify, based on the images captured by the robot 10's imaging device, whether the obstructing factor is a road anomaly and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstructing factor, and what is hindering the robot 10's movement, and outputs the classification result.

[0142] This section explains what happens when operator P1 places a pin at a location where movement is obstructed, in the application screen for robot control.

[0143] In this case, the classification unit 3323 displays either a road anomaly or an obstacle in the road condition column L1 (Figure 12). The classification unit 3323 then displays the road anomaly or obstacle in the free-text field of the road condition column L1 based on the classification result. After confirming the road conditions, road anomalies, or obstacles displayed in the road condition column L1, operator P1 can request the management server 40 to register the obstruction information simply by pressing the registration request button. Operator P1 can also modify, change, or add to the road conditions, road anomalies, or obstacles displayed in the road condition column L1.

[0144] [Differentiation 2] Furthermore, in order to reduce the processing load on the terminal device 30, the management server 40 may also collect information to detect and classify factors that hinder the robot 10, and send alerts or classification results to the terminal device 30.

[0145] Figure 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to a modified example 2 of the embodiment. As shown in Figure 17, the management server 40A according to the modified example 2 of the embodiment has a control unit 43A having a registration unit 432A, compared to the control unit 43 in Figure 3.

[0146] The registration unit 432A includes an information collection unit 4321A, a detection unit 4322A, a classification unit 4323A, a registration request receiving unit 4321, and an obstruction information registration unit 4322.

[0147] The information gathering unit 4321A collects the location information and sensor information of each robot 10 through communication with the control server 20.

[0148] The detection unit 4322A detects whether or not there is an obstruction to the movement of each robot 10 based on the images captured by the imaging device of each robot 10. The detection unit 4322A uses a trained image analysis model and an object recognition model to determine whether or not the movement of the robot 10 is being obstructed. If the detection unit 4322A detects that the movement of the robot 10 has been obstructed, it sends an alert to the operator P1 to prompt them to check the movement status of the robot 10. The detection unit 4322A may also perform detection based on sensor information from other sensors on each robot and sensor information from various sensors installed in Smart Town T1.

[0149] The classification unit 4323A uses a trained classification model to classify, based on images captured by the robot 10's imaging device, whether the obstructing factor is a road anomaly and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstructing factor, and what is hindering the robot 10's movement. The classification unit 4323A outputs the classification results to the terminal device 30A. The classification unit 4323A may also perform classification based on sensor information from other sensors on each robot and sensor information from various sensors installed in Smart Town T1.

[0150] Figure 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to a modified example 2 of the embodiment. As shown in Figure 18, the terminal device 30A according to the modified example 2 of the embodiment has a control unit 33A having a registration request unit 332A, compared to the terminal device 30 in Figure 9.

[0151] The registration request unit 332A includes an information collection unit 3321, an alert receiving unit 3322A, a classification result receiving unit 3323A, and an obstruction information registration request unit 3324.

[0152] The alert receiving unit 3322A receives and outputs alerts sent from the management server 40. The alert is information indicating that the movement of the robot 10 has been obstructed. By checking this alert, operator P1 can recognize that the movement of the robot 10 has been obstructed. Operator P1 can then quickly place a pin at the location where the movement obstruction occurred on the application screen for registering obstruction information (for example, Figures 10 to 12).

[0153] The classification result receiving unit 3323A receives and outputs the classification results transmitted from the management server 40. For example, similar to the modified example 1, the classification result receiving unit 3323A displays either a road abnormality or an obstacle in the road condition field L1 (Figure 12) of the application screen for registering obstruction information based on the classification results, and displays the road abnormality or obstacle in the free description field.

[0154] Figure 19 is a sequence diagram showing the processing procedure for registering inhibitory information in a modified example 2 of the embodiment.

[0155] Steps S31 to S37-2, S39-1, and S39-2 in Figure 19 are the same processes as steps S1 to S7-2, S9-1, and S9-2 in Figure 13.

[0156] The management server 40 receives position information and sensor information for each robot 10 via the control server 20 (steps S38-1, S38-2, S40-1, S40-2).

[0157] The terminal device 30A displays the received location information and sensor information for each robot (step S41).

[0158] The management server 40A collects the location information of each robot 10 and the sensor information of each robot 10 (step S42).

[0159] The management server 40A detects whether there is any obstruction to the movement of each robot 10 based on the images captured by the imaging device of each robot 10 (step S43). When the management server 40A detects that an obstruction to the movement of the robot 10 has occurred (step S43: Yes), it sends an alert to the terminal device 30A (step S44).

[0160] The terminal device 30 outputs an alert, and the location of the alert is confirmed in response to the operator P1's actions (step S45). For example, in step S45, operator P1 places a pin on the application screen for registering obstruction information at the location where the obstruction occurred.

[0161] The management server 40, based on the image captured by the robot 10's imaging device, classifies whether the obstructing factor is a road anomaly and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstructing factor, and what is hindering the robot 10's movement (step S46). The management server 40 transmits the classification results to the terminal device 30A (step S47).

[0162] On the terminal device 30, the classification results are displayed, and a confirmation process of the classification results is performed according to the operator P1's operation (step S48). At this time, either a road abnormality or an obstacle is automatically displayed in the road condition field L1 (Figure 12) of the application screen for registering obstruction information, and the road abnormality or obstacle is automatically displayed in the free description field. Then, operator P1 checks the road condition field L1, and if he determines that the contents are correct, he selects the registration button N1 (Figure 12).

[0163] As a result, terminal device 30A requests management server 40A to register pin data (obstruction information) in road condition column L1 to DB427 (steps S49, S50). Management server 40A registers the obstruction information in DB427 in response to the request to register the obstruction information to DB427 (step S51).

[0164] Furthermore, if the management server 40A does not detect any obstruction to the robot 10's movement (step S43: No), and if obstruction information is registered for this travel route, it will update or delete the obstruction information by resolving the obstruction. The management server 40A will also update the obstruction information if the cause of the obstruction changes.

[0165] [Difference 3] The management server 40A may automatically register the interference information in DB 427 based on the processing results of the detection unit 4322A and the classification unit 4323A. The interference information is registered in DB 427 regardless of the interference information registration request from the terminal device 30. The management server 40A will still send alerts and classification results to the terminal device 30.

[0166] [Differentiation Example 4] Figure 20 shows an example of a device that performs motion obstruction detection and classification. Modifications 1 to 3 describe cases where the terminal device 30 performs motion obstruction detection and classification in response to the operator P1's operation or automatically (Figure 20 (1)), and where the management server 40A performs motion obstruction detection and classification on the cloud (Figure 20 (2)). However, it is also possible to perform motion obstruction detection and classification on the control server 20 (or as edge computing processing installed on the robot 10) (Figures 20 (3), (4)).

[0167] Note that the operating area for robot 10 is not limited to Smart Town T1.

[0168] [System configuration of the embodiment] The terminal devices 30, 30A and the management servers 40, 40A are functional concepts and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown in the diagram. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of the functions of the terminal devices 30, 30A and the management servers 40, 40A are not limited to those shown in the diagram, and all or part of them can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating them in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions.

[0169] Furthermore, each process performed in terminal devices 30, 30A and management servers 40, 40A may be implemented, in whole or in part, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a program that is analyzed and executed by the CPU and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Additionally, each process performed in terminal devices 30, 30A and management servers 40, 40A may be implemented as hardware using wired logic.

[0170] Furthermore, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually. Alternatively, all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters described above and illustrated may be changed as appropriate unless otherwise specified.

[0171] [program] Figure 21 shows an example of a computer in which terminal devices 30, 30A and management servers 40, 40A are realized when a program is executed. Computer 1000 has, for example, memory 1010 and CPU 1020. Computer 1000 also has a hard disk drive interface 1030, a disk drive interface 1040, a serial port interface 1050, a video adapter 1060, and a network interface 1070. These components are connected by a bus 1080.

[0172] Memory 1010 includes ROM 1011 and RAM 1012. ROM 1011 stores, for example, a boot program such as the BIOS (Basic Input Output System). The hard disk drive interface 1030 is connected to the hard disk drive 1090. The disk drive interface 1040 is connected to the disk drive 1100. For example, a removable storage medium such as a magnetic disk or optical disk is inserted into the disk drive 1100. The serial port interface 1050 is connected to, for example, the mouse 1110 and the keyboard 1120. The video adapter 1060 is connected to, for example, the display 1130.

[0173] The hard disk drive 1090 stores, for example, an OS (Operating System) 1091, an application program 1092, a program module 1093, and program data 1094. That is, the programs that define the processing of each terminal device 30, 30A and management servers 40, 40A are implemented as program modules 1093 in which code executable by the computer 1000 is written. The program modules 1093 are stored, for example, in the hard disk drive 1090. For example, a program module 1093 for performing processing similar to the functional configuration of the terminal devices 30, 30A and management servers 40, 40A is stored in the hard disk drive 1090. Note that the hard disk drive 1090 may be replaced by an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0174] Furthermore, the configuration data used in the processing of the above-described embodiment is stored as program data 1094 in, for example, memory 1010 or hard disk drive 1090. The CPU 1020 then reads the program module 1093 and program data 1094 stored in memory 1010 or hard disk drive 1090 into RAM 1012 as needed and executes them.

[0175] Furthermore, the program module 1093 and program data 1094 are not limited to being stored in the hard disk drive 1090; for example, they may be stored in a removable storage medium and read by the CPU 1020 via a disk drive 1100 or the like. Alternatively, the program module 1093 and program data 1094 may be stored in another computer connected via a network (LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), etc.). The program module 1093 and program data 1094 may then be read by the CPU 1020 from the other computer via a network interface 1070.

[0176] Although embodiments applying the invention made by the present inventors have been described above, the present invention is not limited by the descriptions and drawings that constitute part of the disclosure of the present invention in these embodiments. That is, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0177] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E Robots 20, 20A, 20B Control Server 24,34 Input / output section 30,30A Terminal device 31,41 Communications Department 32,42 Storage part 33, 33A, 43, 43A Control Unit 40,40A Management Server 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 servers 231,4311 Task setting section 321,421 Robot Information 322,422,522 Map Information 323,423 Task memory unit 332,332A Registration Request Section 324,424 Driving route information 325,425 Robot location information 326,426 Sensor Information 327 Classification results 331,3313 Driving control unit 427 DB 427-1, K1 Inhibition Information 428,428-1 Partner Information 431 Driving Support Unit 432,432A Registration Section 433 Liaison Department 3311 Task Receiver 3312 Driving Route Setting Unit 3314, 4315 Robot position acquisition unit 3315 Sensor Information Acquisition Unit 3321,4321A Information Gathering Department 3322, 4322A Detection Unit 3322A Alert Receiver 3323,4323A Classification Department 3323A Classification Result Receiving Unit 3324 Inhibition Information Registration Request Unit 4312 Data Viewing Section 4313 Driving Route Recommendation Section 4314 Driving Control Support Unit 4321 Registration Request Receiving Unit 4322 Inhibition Information Registration Department 4331 Partner Registration Department 4332 Extraction part 4333 Plastic Surgery Department 4334 Information Sharing Department

Claims

1. A management system comprising at least a terminal device used by an operator to monitor and control the movement of multiple types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, and a management server capable of communicating with external devices including the terminal device and the robot's control server, Based on the detection results obtained by sensors installed on each robot, when an obstruction to the robot's movement is detected, the registration unit classifies the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor, and registers the obstruction information in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor. A collaboration unit extracts interference information corresponding to the target collaboration destination from the interference information stored in the aforementioned database, and transmits the extracted interference information to the aforementioned collaboration destination. It has, The aforementioned sensor includes an imaging device, The aforementioned registration unit is A detection unit that detects whether or not the robot's movement is being obstructed based on the image captured by the aforementioned imaging device, A classification unit that, based on the image captured by the imaging device, classifies whether the obstructing factor is a road abnormality and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstructing factor, and the object that is hindering the robot's movement. At a minimum, an information registration unit registers the inhibiting factor, the level of the inhibiting factor, and the object hindering the robot's movement as the inhibiting information in the database, in association with the location information of the inhibiting factor. A management system characterized by having the following features.

2. The management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the registration unit updates the database with the most recent information regarding obstruction information in which the obstruction to the robot's movement has been resolved, or obstruction information in which the registered obstruction factor has changed.

3. The management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the obstruction information includes, as items, identification information of the obstruction information, whether the obstruction factor is a road abnormality and / or obstacle, the region where the obstruction factor is located, location information of the obstruction factor, level of the obstruction factor, type of the obstruction factor, image of the obstruction factor, and height of the obstruction factor.

4. The management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the level is set in multiple stages depending on the presence or absence of the drivable objects and the type of the drivable objects, when the drivable objects are robots, automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians.

5. A management system comprising at least a terminal device used by an operator to monitor and control the movement of multiple types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, and a management server that can communicate with an external device including the terminal device and the robots, Based on the detection results obtained by sensors installed on each robot, when an obstruction to the robot's movement is detected, the registration unit classifies the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor, and registers the obstruction information in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor. A collaboration unit extracts interference information corresponding to the target collaboration destination from the interference information stored in the aforementioned database, and transmits the extracted interference information to the aforementioned collaboration destination. It has, The aforementioned linkage unit is, An extraction unit extracts from the disruption information stored in the database the type of disruption factor, the level of the disruption factor, the region where the disruption factor was detected, and the attributes of the data user at the partner, as desired by the partner. A formatting unit that formats the inhibitory information extracted by the extraction unit into a data model corresponding to the linked partner, A transmitting unit transmits the interference information formatted by the formatting unit to the partner at the timing and communication path requested by the partner, A management system characterized by having the following features.

6. The aforementioned linkage unit is, An acquisition unit that acquires the type of inhibiting factor, the level of the inhibiting factor, the region where the inhibiting factor was detected, and the attributes of data users at the linked party, corresponding to the linked party. The management system according to claim 5, further comprising

7. A management method executed by a management system having at least a terminal device used by an operator to monitor and control the movement of multiple types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, and a management server that can communicate with external devices including the terminal device and the robot's control server, When an obstruction to the robot's movement is detected based on the detection results obtained by sensors installed on each robot, the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor are classified, and the obstruction information is registered in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor. The process involves extracting interference information corresponding to the target partner from the interference information stored in the aforementioned database, and transmitting the extracted interference information to the aforementioned partner. Includes, The aforementioned sensor includes an imaging device, The aforementioned registration process is: A step of detecting whether or not the robot's movement is obstructed based on the image captured by the imaging device, A step of classifying, based on the image captured by the imaging device, whether the obstructing factor is a road abnormality and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstructing factor, and what is obstructing the robot's movement. At a minimum, the process includes registering the inhibiting factor, the level of the inhibiting factor, and the object hindering the robot's movement in the database as the inhibiting information, in association with the location information of the inhibiting factor. A management method characterized by including [this].

8. A management method executed by a management system having at least a terminal device used by an operator to monitor and control the movement of multiple types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, and a management server that can communicate with an external device including the terminal device and a control server for the robots, When an obstruction to the robot's movement is detected based on the detection results obtained by sensors installed on each robot, the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor are classified, and the obstruction information is registered in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor. The process involves extracting interference information corresponding to the target partner from the interference information stored in the aforementioned database, and transmitting the extracted interference information to the aforementioned partner. Includes, The aforementioned transmission step is, The process of extracting from the disruption information stored in the database the type of disruption factor, the level of the disruption factor, the region where the disruption factor was detected, and the attributes of the data user at the partner, as desired by the partner. The process of formatting the inhibitory information extracted in the extraction process into a data model corresponding to the linked party, The process of transmitting the formatted disruption information from the formatting step to the partner at the timing and communication path requested by the partner, A management method characterized by including the following.

9. Based on detection results obtained by sensors installed on each of several types of robots that autonomously travel outdoors and indoors, when an obstruction to the robot's movement is detected, the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor are classified, and the obstruction information is registered in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor. The steps include extracting interference information corresponding to the target partner from the interference information stored in the database, and sending the extracted interference information to the partner; Have the computer run it, The aforementioned sensor includes an imaging device, The aforementioned registration step is, The steps include detecting whether or not the robot's movement is being obstructed based on the image captured by the imaging device, Based on the image captured by the imaging device, the steps include classifying whether the obstructing factor is a road anomaly and / or an obstacle on the road, the level of the obstructing factor, and what is hindering the robot's movement. The process includes at least the steps of registering the inhibiting factor, the level of the inhibiting factor, and the object hindering the robot's movement as the inhibiting information in the database, in association with the location information of the inhibiting factor. A management program that includes this.

10. When an obstruction to the movement of a robot is detected based on the detection results obtained by sensors provided on each of several types of robots that autonomously move outdoors and indoors, the obstruction factor and the level of the obstruction factor are classified and registered as obstruction information in a database in association with the location information of the obstruction factor, The steps include extracting interference information corresponding to the target partner from the interference information stored in the database, and sending the extracted interference information to the partner; Have the computer run it, The aforementioned transmission step is, The steps include extracting from the disruption information stored in the database the type of disruption factor, the level of the disruption factor, the region where the disruption factor was detected, and the attributes of the data user at the partner, as desired by the partner. The step of formatting the inhibitory information extracted in the extraction step into a data model corresponding to the linked partner, The steps include transmitting the formatted disruption information from the aforementioned formatting step to the aforementioned partner at the timing and communication path requested by the partner, A management program that includes this.

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