Task execution system, autonomous mobile terminal and server

Abstract

To reduce the burden on managers required to assign tasks to a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals.SOLUTION: A task execution system includes a server 10 and a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201-20N and executes tasks. The autonomous mobile terminal 20 receives task information in which an area in which a task should be executed is associated with requirements of the task, executes the task based on the received task information, and sends evaluation-related information regarding evaluation of the executed task to the server 10. The server 10 refers to storage means that stores allocation information in which identification information on the autonomous mobile terminals is associated with the task information, sends the task information to the plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201-20N, and updates the allocation information by predetermined updating means using the evaluation-related information received from the plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201-20N.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a task execution system including a server and a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals, an autonomous mobile terminal, and a server.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various systems for causing an autonomous mobile terminal to execute a task (i.e., work) have been proposed. For example, some of such systems cause an autonomous mobile terminal to clean a predetermined location (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, as one task is difficult to execute (for example, because the area to be cleaned is extensive), one task may be divided into a plurality of tasks and assigned to a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals. In this case, for example, a method may be adopted in which a location to be the execution target of a task before division is divided into a plurality of areas, and tasks corresponding to the divided areas are assigned to a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals. Here, when it is desired to improve the assignment of tasks to a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals, the administrator of the system reviews the results of tasks executed by each autonomous mobile terminal (for example, the success or failure of the task and the time required until completion) and considers a more appropriate assignment. Therefore, the burden on the administrator may increase as the number of autonomous mobile terminals increases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to reduce the burden on an administrator required to assign tasks to a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The task execution system of the present invention comprises a server and a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals, and is a task execution system that executes tasks, wherein the autonomous mobile terminals include a terminal-side receiving unit that receives task information relating an area to which a task should be executed and the requirements of the task, an execution unit that executes the task based on the received task information, and a terminal-side transmitting unit that transmits evaluation-related information relating to the evaluation of completed tasks to the server, and the server includes a server-side transmitting unit that transmits the task information to each autonomous mobile terminal by referring to a storage means that stores assignment information relating the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal and the task information, and an update unit that updates the assignment information by a predetermined update means that uses the evaluation-related information received from each autonomous mobile terminal.

[0007] The autonomous mobile terminal in the present invention is an autonomous mobile terminal that performs a predetermined task, comprising: a terminal-side receiving unit that receives task information relating an area to which a task should be performed and the requirements of the task; an execution unit that performs the task based on the received task information; and a terminal-side transmitting unit that transmits evaluation-related information relating to the evaluation of the completed task to a server, wherein the evaluation-related information is used by the server for updating assignment information relating the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal and the task information using a predetermined update means.

[0008] The server in the present invention is a server for causing a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals to perform a predetermined task, and comprises a server-side transmission unit that transmits the task information to each autonomous mobile terminal by referring to a storage means that stores assignment information which associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal with task information, and an update unit that updates the assignment information by a predetermined update means which uses evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks received from each autonomous mobile terminal, wherein the task information is information which associates the area in which the task should be performed with the requirements of the task. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a task execution system, autonomous mobile terminals, and a server that can reduce the burden on administrators required to assign tasks to multiple autonomous mobile terminals. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the task execution system 100 according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This flowchart shows an example of task execution processing and assignment information update processing in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating assignment information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of server 10B corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20B corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows an example of the task information generation process for a new task in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows examples of the process for determining whether a new task has been generated and the process for executing a new task in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]A flowchart showing an example of a determination process for whether a new task has occurred and a new task execution process in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] An explanatory diagram for explaining an example of updating allocation information regarding the occurrence of a new task corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10C corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20C corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] A flowchart showing an example of a split task information generation process and an allocation information update process in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] A flowchart showing an example of a rescue request process and an allocation information update process in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] An explanatory diagram for explaining an example of updating allocation information regarding the generation of split task information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] An explanatory diagram for explaining an example of updating allocation information regarding the generation of split task information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] An explanatory diagram for explaining an example of function information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10D corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] A block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20D corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] A flowchart showing an example of a map information update process and an allocation information update process in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that various components in the examples of the embodiments described below can be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction. In addition, the description of the content described as an example of a certain embodiment may be omitted in other embodiments. Also, operations and processes not related to the characteristic parts of each embodiment may be omitted in their content. Furthermore, the order of various processes constituting the various flows described below is arbitrary as long as there is no contradiction in the processing content.

[0012] [First Embodiment] Hereinafter, an example of a task execution system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a task execution system 100 according to the present invention. The task execution system 100 includes at least a server 10 and a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N (N is an arbitrary integer). The server 10 and the plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N are connected to each other via a communication network 30 such as the Internet.

[0013] The server 10 is a device for causing a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N to execute a predetermined task. Here, a task means an action for which at least requirements to be satisfied are defined. The content of the requirements is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the success or failure of execution (or completion and incompletion) can be determined by a machine. Examples of requirements include, for the task of "mopping with water", the requirement of "mopping the target with water", and in this case, the action is "moving to the target and mopping with water". Also, examples of other requirements include, for the task of "ultraviolet irradiation", the requirement of "irradiating the target with ultraviolet rays", and in this case, the action is "moving to the target and ultraviolet irradiation operation". Further examples of other requirements include, for the task of "looking around", the requirement of "moving or photographing the target area or target path" and the action of "moving or photographing".

[0014] Server 10 has at least two functions: one that refers to a storage means that stores assignment information, which associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 with task information, and transmits task information to multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N; and another that updates the assignment information using a predetermined update means that uses evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N. Details of the functional configuration of Server 10 will be described later.

[0015] Server 10 is managed by the administrator of the task execution system 100 and has various functions for providing information on various processes to multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N. In this example, Server 10 is composed of information processing equipment such as a WWW server and is equipped with a storage medium for storing various information. The configuration of Server 10 is not particularly limited as long as it has a general configuration for performing various processes as a computer, such as a control unit and a communication unit. Below, an example of the hardware configuration of Server 10 will be briefly described.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the server 10 includes at least a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, memory 102, and storage device 103.

[0017] The CPU 101 is a central processing unit that performs various calculations and controls. If the server 10 is equipped with a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), some of the calculations and controls may be performed by the GPU. The server 10 uses the data read into memory 102 as appropriate to perform various information processing necessary for task assignment and update processing using the CPU 101, and stores the obtained processing results in storage device 103 as needed.

[0018] The storage device 103 functions as a storage medium for storing various types of information. The configuration of the storage device 103 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of reducing the processing load on each of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N, it may be configured to store all the various types of information necessary for the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to execute tasks. Examples of such configurations include HDDs and SSDs. However, the storage unit that stores the various types of information only needs to have a storage area that is accessible to the server 10, and for example, it may be configured to have a dedicated storage area outside the server 10.

[0019] The autonomous mobile terminal 20 is a terminal capable of autonomous movement and that performs a predetermined task. The autonomous mobile terminal 20 has at least the following functions: a function to receive task information that associates the area where the task should be performed with the requirements of the task; a function to perform the task based on the received task information; and a function to transmit evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of the completed task to the server 10. In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 is deployed in a medical facility and performs tasks such as ultraviolet irradiation, water wiping, and vomit removal. Note that the autonomous mobile terminal 20 and autonomous mobile terminals 201 to 20N may be terminals with the same functions or terminals with different functions. Hereafter, when we do not distinguish between autonomous mobile terminals based on differences in their functions, they may simply be referred to as "multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20". Details of the configuration of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 will be described later.

[0020] The autonomous mobile terminal 20 is assumed to be equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), memory, and storage such as a hard disk drive, which are typically found in general computers and server devices (not shown in the diagram). It goes without saying that various processes are executed by programs to enable the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to function.

[0021] Furthermore, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 uses the data read into memory as needed to perform information processing necessary for various operations using its CPU, and stores the obtained processing results in the storage device as necessary. The storage device functions as a storage medium for storing various types of information. The configuration of the storage device is not particularly limited, but examples include HDDs and SSDs.

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 2, the server 10 comprises at least a server-side transmission unit 11 and an update unit 12.

[0023] The server-side transmission unit 11 has the function of referring to a storage means that stores assignment information, which associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N with task information, and transmitting task information to each of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N.

[0024] Here, the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 refers to information used by the task execution system 100 to uniquely identify the autonomous mobile terminal 20. The identification information is not particularly limited as long as it is information that allows the task execution system 100 to distinguish the autonomous mobile terminal 20 from other terminals. An example of identification information is a unique identification number assigned to each of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20,201 to 20N controlled by the task execution system 100.

[0025] Task information refers to information that associates the area where a task should be performed with the requirements of the task. The area where a task should be performed refers to the defined range of objects for which the task should be performed. The configuration for identifying the area where a task should be performed is not particularly limited; it may be a configuration in which the target and range are specified by the task manager, or a configuration in which targets are set for multiple ranges according to specific criteria. Examples of such configurations include a configuration in which the manager specifies the floors and doorknobs in patient rooms and corridors that make up a hospital as targets, or a configuration in which targets (e.g., the floor including under the beds) are automatically set based on information about objects installed in patient rooms that make up a hospital (e.g., the number and arrangement of beds).

[0026] The content of the information representing the area where the task should be performed is not particularly limited, as long as it can be used by the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to move to the area where the task should be performed. It may be an area represented on a map, or it may be coordinates representing the area where the task should be performed.

[0027] Furthermore, task requirements refer to the conditions necessary to determine that a task has been completed. Task requirements are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that they be requirements that can be satisfied by a function possessed by at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20,201~20N. Examples of task requirements include the requirement "irradiate the target with ultraviolet light" which can be satisfied by the function "ultraviolet irradiation," and the requirement "wipe the target with water" which can be satisfied by the function "wipe with water." However, task requirements may also be requirements that cannot be satisfied by any of the functions possessed by the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20,201~20N. Even if a task with requirements exists, by configuring the server 10 to notify the administrator that the task requirements have not been met, the burden of the administrator having to decide whether or not the requirements of each task have been met is eliminated. The administrator can then use the notification from the server 10 as a basis for deciding whether to deploy an autonomous mobile terminal with a new function.

[0028] One example of a configuration for identifying functions capable of meeting task requirements is one that uses functional information that associates task requirements with the functions necessary to perform the task.

[0029] Furthermore, examples of configurations for identifying the type of object on which a task is performed (e.g., floor or handrail) include configurations that identify the object using at least part of the information representing the task requirements, and configurations that identify the object using at least part of the information representing the area on which the task should be performed. Examples of information configurations used in such configurations include configurations that associate the type of object on which a task is performed with the work required to satisfy the task requirements, and configurations that associate the type of object on which a task is performed with a map containing the area on which the task should be performed.

[0030] Furthermore, transmitting task information to multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20 means transmitting task information, associated with the identification information of each autonomous mobile terminal 20, to each autonomous mobile terminal 20. The timing of transmitting task information to each autonomous mobile terminal 20 is not particularly limited; it may be at predetermined intervals, or at the timing when the task execution status of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20,201~20N satisfies predetermined conditions. If the server-side transmission unit 11 is configured to transmit task information to each autonomous mobile terminal 20 at predetermined intervals, the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20,201~20N will be made to execute tasks periodically. The timing of updating the assignment information, which will be described later, is also not particularly limited, similar to the transmission of task information. That is, for example, the assignment information may be updated after all tasks have been executed, based on the various information received up to that point, or it may be updated at predetermined intervals.

[0031] Furthermore, the configuration for transmitting task information to multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N is not particularly limited. The task execution system 100 may be configured to transmit task information to all of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N at the same time, or it may be configured to transmit task information in response to any of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N transmitting evaluation-related information to the server 10.

[0032] The update unit 12 has a function to update assignment information using a predetermined update means that uses evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N.

[0033] Here, an "executed task" refers to a task that has been started and then stopped. An "executed task" is not limited to any task that has been started and then stopped; it may be a task whose requirements have been met (hereinafter also referred to as a "completed task") or a task whose execution has been stopped because its requirements have not been met (hereinafter also referred to as an "incomplete task"). An example of a completed task is a task whose execution has been stopped when its requirements have been met in a certain percentage or more of the entire area in which the task should be executed, or in all of the area in which the task should be executed. An example of an incomplete task is a task whose execution has been stopped when its requirements have been met in an area less than a certain percentage of the entire area in which the task should be executed.

[0034] Furthermore, evaluating completed tasks means determining the value of a task being completed. The criteria for evaluating completed tasks are not particularly limited as long as there is a standard that allows for a higher or lower level of evaluation for a task being completed. This could be a standard where the evaluation increases as the execution time of the completed task decreases, or a standard where the evaluation increases as the degree to which the requirements of the completed task are met increases, or a standard where the evaluation is given based on the direct evaluation content of the execution of the completed task. Examples of execution time for completed tasks include the total time the completed task was running, or the time from the start of execution to the stop of execution (i.e., time including interruptions). Examples of the degree to which the requirements of the completed task are met include the extent to which the requirements of the completed task were met (including a binary choice of met or not met), or the extent to which the requirements of the task were met within the area where the completed task should be executed (percentage of met requirements). An example of direct evaluation of completed tasks is the evaluation from the user of the completed task (e.g., "good," "average," or "bad").

[0035] Furthermore, evaluation-related information refers to information related to the evaluation of completed tasks. The structure of evaluation-related information is not particularly limited; it may be a structure that represents evaluation materials for completed tasks, or a structure that represents a direct evaluation of completed tasks. Examples of evaluation materials for completed tasks include the execution time of the completed task and the degree to which the requirements of the completed task were met. In addition, it is preferable that the structure of the evaluation-related information be such that it is possible to identify the autonomous mobile terminal 20 that performed the completed task. An example of such a structure is one in which the evaluation-related information and the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 are associated and transmitted to the server 10. With such a structure, evaluation-related information can be handled as information related to the evaluation of completed tasks for each of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20,201~20N.

[0036] Furthermore, updating the assignment information using a predetermined update means changing the correspondence between the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 in the assignment information and the task information using the predetermined update means. The predetermined update means will be explained after the functional configuration of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 is described.

[0037] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 3, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 comprises at least a terminal-side receiving unit 21, an execution unit 22, and a terminal-side transmitting unit 23.

[0038] The terminal-side receiving unit 21 has the function of receiving task information that associates the area where the task should be executed with the requirements of the task. Task information transmitted by the server-side transmitting unit 11 is received by the terminal-side receiving unit 21.

[0039] The execution unit 22 has the function of executing tasks based on the received task information.

[0040] Here, executing a task based on task information means controlling the autonomous mobile terminal 20 so that the requirements contained in the task information are met within the area contained in the task information. The configuration for executing a task based on task information is not particularly limited as long as it relates to the area and requirements contained in the task information. An example of a configuration for executing a task based on task information is a configuration that moves the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to the area contained in the task information and controls the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to use a function that can satisfy the requirements contained in the task information. In this example, if the area contained in the task information is "the first floor" and the requirement contained in the task information is "to irradiate the floor with ultraviolet light", the execution unit 22 moves the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to the first floor of the hospital and controls the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to irradiate the floor with ultraviolet light using the function "ultraviolet irradiation" that can satisfy the requirement. Examples of places to irradiate with ultraviolet light include stairs and corridors in medical and nursing care facilities, and the floors and handrails of patient rooms. Other examples of places to irradiate with ultraviolet light include the interiors of public vehicles (e.g., trains, buses, hovercrafts) and the floors and walls of toilets (including individual rooms). Furthermore, in public facilities and means of transportation with private rooms, such as buses with toilets (e.g., train stations and trains), the system may be configured to provide area information that allows for the identification of whether or not an area requires sterilization (or the priority of areas requiring sterilization).

[0041] Furthermore, the timing for starting task execution based on task information is not particularly limited; it may be at the time task information is received from server 10, or at the time predetermined execution conditions are met after task information is received from server 10.

[0042] Furthermore, the execution unit 22 may be configured such that, when the terminal-side receiving unit 21 receives multiple task information, it selects one of the received task information and executes the task based on the selected task information. Here, the execution unit 22 may be configured to start executing the tasks of the task information that was not selected after the tasks of the selected task information have been completed. In other words, the execution unit 22 may be configured to define the execution order for the tasks of multiple task information and execute them in that order.

[0043] The terminal-side transmission unit 23 has the function of sending evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks to the server 10.

[0044] Here, the evaluation-related information transmitted to the server 10 by the terminal-side transmission unit 23 is information acquired by the autonomous mobile terminal 20. The configuration for the autonomous mobile terminal 20 to acquire evaluation-related information is not particularly limited; it may be a configuration in which the execution unit 22 generates evaluation-related information based on the task execution status, or it may be a configuration in which it receives evaluation-related information from devices other than the server 10 and the autonomous mobile terminal 20 that can communicate with the server 10 and / or the autonomous mobile terminal 20 (hereinafter referred to as "external devices"). An example of a configuration in which the autonomous mobile terminal 20 generates evaluation-related information is a configuration in which it generates information representing the task execution time as evaluation-related information based on the time the task execution started and the time the task execution stopped. An example of a configuration in which it receives evaluation-related information from an external device is a configuration in which it receives information representing the evaluation of completed tasks entered by the user from a mobile terminal. Other examples of external devices include surveillance cameras and nurse call systems.

[0045] Furthermore, examples of timing for sending evaluation-related information to server 10 include the timing when the evaluation-related information is acquired and at predetermined time intervals. If evaluation-related information is sent to server 10 at predetermined time intervals, evaluation-related information for multiple completed tasks may be sent to server 10 all at once.

[0046] Next, a predetermined update means used for updating the allocation information by the update unit 12 described above will be explained. The update means refers to a means for updating the allocation information using evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N.

[0047] Here, the update means are not particularly limited, but a means of updating the assignment information is preferred such that the evaluation of the evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N after the update of the assignment information is higher than before the update. An example of such means is a means of updating the assignment information so that the total execution time of completed tasks represented by the evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N is shorter than before the update. Another example is a means of updating the assignment information so that the degree to which the requirements of completed tasks are satisfied, as represented by the evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N is higher than before the update (or exceeds a predetermined standard). Configurations for updating the assignment information to shorten the execution time of completed tasks or to increase the degree to which the requirements of completed tasks are satisfied include configurations that change the autonomous mobile terminal to which the task is assigned, configurations that update the functions of the autonomous mobile terminal that executes the task, and configurations that introduce a new autonomous mobile terminal to the task execution system 100, and since these use known technologies, a detailed description is omitted here.

[0048] Furthermore, examples of the total execution time of completed tasks represented by evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N include the sum of execution times for multiple completed tasks, and the time from when the execution of any of the multiple tasks begins until a predetermined number (e.g., all) of tasks are completed.

[0049] Furthermore, examples of the degree to which task requirements are met, as represented by evaluation-related information received from each autonomous mobile terminal 20, include the percentage of completed tasks whose requirements were met out of multiple completed tasks, and the percentage of tasks whose requirements were met out of multiple tasks.

[0050] The above describes an example of the functional configuration of a server 10 and an autonomous mobile terminal 20 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of task execution processing and assignment information update processing in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. Task execution processing and assignment information update processing are initiated, for example, when the task execution start conditions are met on a terminal that can communicate with the server 10 (for example, when the administrator's facial recognition process is performed).

[0052] First, the server 10 transmits task information to the autonomous mobile terminal 20 (step S101). In this example, the server 10 transmits task information to the autonomous mobile terminal 20 that is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20 in the assignment information.

[0053] Next, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 receives task information (step S102). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 receives task information from the server 10.

[0054] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20 receives task information, it executes the task based on the task information (step S103). In this example, based on the task information, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 autonomously moves within the first floor of the medical facility and irradiates the floor and handrails with ultraviolet light in order to satisfy the requirement "irradiate the floor and handrails with ultraviolet light" in the area "first floor".

[0055] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20 executes a task, it sends evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of the completed task to the server 10 (step S104). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20 sends evaluation-related information to the server 10 that includes information representing the time from the start to the completion of ultraviolet irradiation of the floor and handrails on the first floor of the medical facility.

[0056] When server 10 receives evaluation-related information from autonomous mobile terminal 20, it updates the assignment information using a predetermined update means that utilizes the evaluation-related information (step S105), and the task execution process and assignment information update process are completed. In this example, server 10 uses evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N to update the assignment information so that the time from when the execution of any of the multiple tasks begins until all tasks are completed is shorter than before the update.

[0057] Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating assignment information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The assignment information in Figure 5 includes a task number, task information, and identification information.

[0058] The task number refers to a number used to identify a task. Task information refers to information that associates the area where the task should be executed with the requirements of the task. Identification information refers to the identification information of autonomous mobile terminals A and B. The "Identification Information" column stores information indicating that task information is associated with the identification information of each autonomous mobile terminal A and B (identification information RA and RB in this example). In this example, the execution status of each task is managed in the "Identification Information" column, which shows that task information and identification information are associated.

[0059] Figure 5(a) shows the state of assignment information before task information is transmitted to autonomous mobile terminals A and B. In Figure 5(a), task information for task numbers 1 and 2 is associated with identification information RA, and task numbers 1 and 2 are assigned to autonomous mobile terminal A (specifically, the task execution has not yet started). Also, task information for task numbers 3 and 4 is associated with identification information RB, and task numbers 3 and 4 are assigned to autonomous mobile terminal B.

[0060] Figure 5(b) shows the state of assignment information after task information has been transmitted to autonomous mobile terminals A and B and task execution has begun. In Figure 5(b), after task information has been transmitted to autonomous mobile terminals A and B, the "Identification Information" column for task numbers 1 and 3 shows that the tasks are in progress. Here, the "Identification Information" column for task numbers 1 and 3 also manages information representing the time each task was started. In addition, the "Identification Information" column for task numbers 2 and 4 shows that the tasks are scheduled to be executed. Here, scheduled execution means that the task has not yet started execution but is scheduled to be executed later.

[0061] Figure 5(c) shows the state of assignment information after all tasks have been completed. In Figure 5(c), the "Identification Information" column shows that tasks 1 to 4 have been completed. The "Identification Information" column also manages information representing the time when tasks 1 to 4 were completed. Autonomous mobile terminals A and B transmit information representing the execution time of completed tasks to server 10 as evaluation-related information.

[0062] Figure 5(d) shows the state of assignment information after it has been updated by a predetermined update means using evaluation-related information. In Figure 5(d), it is shown that for task number 3, the identification information associated with the task information has changed from the state in Figure 5(a). That is, for task number 3, the assignment information has been updated from being assigned to identification information RA to being assigned to RB. The update of the assignment information is performed based on the task execution time by autonomous mobile terminals A and B, and is done in a way that shortens the task execution time for task numbers 1 to 4. "Next assignment" means that it has been decided that each task information will be sent to autonomous mobile terminal A or B next time. Then, the task information is sent to autonomous mobile terminals A and B based on the assignment information, and the task is executed again.

[0063] As described above, the task execution system 100 in the first embodiment is a system that executes tasks and comprises a server 10 and a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N. The autonomous mobile terminals 20 receive task information that associates the area to be executed with the requirements of the task, execute the task based on the received task information, and transmit evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of the completed task to the server 10. The server 10 refers to a storage means that stores assignment information that associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminals 20 with the task information, transmits the task information to each autonomous mobile terminal 20, and updates the assignment information using a predetermined update means that uses the evaluation-related information received from the plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N. This makes it possible to reduce the burden on the administrator required to assign tasks to the plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201 to 20N.

[0064] In other words, since the task assignments for multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20, 201~20N will be updated by referencing the evaluation of completed tasks, without the administrator having to perform the task assignment update work, the burden on administrators can be reduced. This effect is expected to become greater as the number of autonomous mobile terminals being managed increases.

[0065] [Second Embodiment] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10B corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the server 10B comprises at least a server-side transmission unit 11, an update unit 12B, a server-side determination unit 13, a server-side generation unit 14B, and a specification unit 15.

[0066] The server-side determination unit 13 has the function of determining whether a new task has been created or not, based on the determination information and predetermined determination criteria, when it receives determination information including location information as a request to determine whether a task has been created or not.

[0067] Here, "determination information" refers to information including location information that serves as a basis for determining whether or not a new task has occurred. The configuration of the determination information is not particularly limited as long as it is a configuration that allows the server 10B to recognize that it requests a determination of whether or not a task has occurred. It may include information that notifies the occurrence of a task, or it may include information that serves as a basis for determining whether or not a task has occurred. Examples of the configuration of the determination information include a configuration that includes information representing the area where the task should be executed and / or the requirements of the task, or a configuration that includes predetermined information acquired by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B or an external device. Examples of predetermined information include images captured by the imaging means provided by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, detection information from human presence sensors installed at predetermined locations in a medical facility, and entry and exit information for patient rooms in a medical facility. An example of a configuration in which the server acquires information that notifies the occurrence of a task is a configuration in which the server receives information indicating the location where the task occurred from a mobile terminal into which the user has entered the information.

[0068] Furthermore, the content of the location information included in the judgment information is not particularly limited; it could be the location of the device that sent the information notifying the occurrence of the task, or the location of the sensor that generated the sensor information included in the judgment information. Examples of the content of the location information included in the judgment information include the location where the patient vomited, the room number where the patient vomited, and the location where the captured image including the vomit or the patient who fell was taken.

[0069] Furthermore, the configuration for acquiring judgment information is not particularly limited. It may be a configuration that references a storage means for storing judgment information accessible from the server 10B, a configuration that receives judgment information from the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, or a configuration that receives judgment information from an external device.

[0070] Furthermore, the judgment criterion refers to the criteria used to determine that a new task has occurred based on the judgment information. The judgment criterion is different from the provisional judgment criterion in the terminal-side judgment unit 27. The judgment criterion is not particularly limited and may be a criterion that is satisfied when the judgment information includes information that notifies the occurrence of a task, or a criterion that is satisfied according to the analysis results of the sensor information included in the judgment information. Examples of such criteria include a criterion that the judgment information includes information representing the room number in which the patient vomited, or a criterion that the captured image included in the judgment information contains a predetermined object or person. In this example, the judgment criterion is a criterion that is satisfied when the image analysis result received from the autonomous mobile terminal 20B shows that the captured image contains vomit or a fallen patient.

[0071] Furthermore, a new task refers to a task for which task information has not been generated during the determination process by the server-side determination unit 13. In other words, a new task refers to a task that has newly arisen in relation to a task for which task information has already been generated. A new task is not particularly limited; it may be a task that is scheduled to be executed repeatedly, or a task that is scheduled to be executed only once without being repeated. An example of a new task that is scheduled to be executed only once without being repeated is the removal of vomit from a patient in a medical facility.

[0072] The server-side generation unit 14B has a function to generate task information that associates a region identified based on location information included in the determination information with the requirements of the new task identified based on the determination information, when it is determined that a new task has occurred.

[0073] Here, the identified area refers to the area where a new task should be executed. The configuration for identifying the area is not particularly limited as long as it is based on location information included in the judgment information. It may be a configuration that identifies an area that includes the location represented by the location information included in the judgment information, or a configuration that identifies an area using location information not included in the judgment information that corresponds to the location represented by the location information included in the judgment information. Examples of configurations for identifying an area include a configuration that identifies a patient room as an area when the location information included in the judgment information represents a location in one of the patient rooms, or a configuration that identifies an area of ​​a predetermined area centered on the location represented by the location information included in the judgment information. There is also a configuration that identifies a combination of an area that includes the location of a patient represented by the location information included in the judgment information and an area that includes the location of a patient represented by location information different from the location information included in the judgment information. The configuration for acquiring location information other than the judgment information is not particularly limited. It may be a configuration that refers to a storage means that is accessible to the server 10B, or a configuration that receives it from an external device that can communicate with the server 10B.

[0074] Furthermore, the configuration for identifying the requirements of a new task based on the judgment information is not particularly limited. It may be a configuration based on objects or people contained in the captured images included in the judgment information, or a configuration based on the location information included in the judgment information. An example of such a configuration is one that identifies the requirement "remove the vomit" based on the vomit or the posture of the vomiting patient contained in the captured images included in the judgment information. Another example is a configuration that identifies the requirements "irradiate the floor and handrail with ultraviolet light" or "wipe the floor with water" depending on the room number or room type represented by the location information included in the judgment information. Examples of room types include patient rooms, dining rooms, and toilets.

[0075] The update unit 12B has the function of updating assignment information so that the task information generated by the server-side generation unit 14B is associated with the identification information of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B to 20NB.

[0076] Here, the configuration for updating the assignment information is not particularly limited, but if a new task should be given priority, it is preferable to associate the task information with the identification information of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B~20NB so that the new task is given priority over other tasks. The configuration for determining whether a new task should be given priority is not particularly limited, and may be a configuration that determines the result according to the location represented by the location information included in the determination information, or a configuration that determines the result according to the requirements of the new task. An example of such a configuration is one in which information is associated with location or task requirements and whether or not the task should be given priority, and the location represented by the location information or whether or not the new task should be given priority is identified. Here, an example of a location where task execution should be given priority is a location in a medical facility where many people are present or a hospital room where a specific patient is housed. An example of a task requirement where task execution should be given priority is the requirement "remove vomit" for a task to remove vomit that should not be left unattended. This configuration allows the autonomous mobile terminal 20B to prioritize the execution of new tasks according to their priority.

[0077] Furthermore, the update unit 12B may be configured to update the assignment information so that, when the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is prioritizing the execution of a new task, the task that the autonomous mobile terminal 20B has interrupted or is scheduled to execute is executed by at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201B to 20NB. An example of such a configuration is one in which at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201B to 20NB is selected based on the distance from the autonomous mobile terminal 20B (for example, a configuration in which the nearest terminal that has the same functions as the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is selected). With such a configuration, it becomes possible to coordinate among the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B to 20NB to deal with the impact on the execution of other tasks due to the priority execution of a new task.

[0078] Furthermore, the update unit 12B may be configured to update assignment information so that locations that meet predetermined conditions are given priority over other locations. An example of such a configuration is one in which, when a new task arises at a location instructed by a person (for example, a nurse in a hospital) or at a location where the AI ​​has determined from image analysis that a fall or vomiting has occurred, the assignment information is updated so that it is given priority over new tasks arising at other locations (for example, so that the task is executed earlier, or so that a terminal with superior functionality is assigned). Furthermore, the system may be configured to record areas that should be given priority by marking such locations or areas containing such locations, and use this information to update the assignment information later. In other words, when there are multiple areas where a task should be executed, the system may be configured to update the assignment information using the priority set for each area.

[0079] The identification unit 15 has the function of identifying a trained model from which control information used to satisfy the requirements contained in the task information can be obtained. A detailed explanation of the identification unit 15 will be given later.

[0080] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20B corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B comprises at least a terminal-side receiving unit 21, an execution unit 22B, a terminal-side transmitting unit 23B, a terminal-side acquisition unit 24, a terminal-side provisional determination unit 25, and a terminal-side generation unit 26.

[0081] The terminal-side acquisition unit 24 has a function to acquire determination information, including location information, as a determination request to determine whether or not a task has occurred.

[0082] Here, the configuration for acquiring judgment information is not particularly limited, but a configuration that acquires judgment information without going through the server 10B is preferred. An example of such a configuration is one in which sensor information generated by sensors equipped on the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is acquired as judgment information. By adopting a configuration that acquires judgment information without going through the server 10B, the communication time required to request and acquire judgment information from the server 10B can be saved.

[0083] The terminal-side provisional determination unit 25 has the function of provisionally determining whether or not a new task has occurred, according to the determination information acquired by the terminal-side acquisition unit 24 and predetermined provisional determination criteria.

[0084] Here, the provisional judgment criterion refers to a criterion different from the judgment criterion in the server-side judgment unit 13, which provisionally determines whether or not a new task has occurred based on the judgment information. The provisional judgment criterion is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is a criterion that can reduce the processing load required for judgment compared to the judgment processing according to the judgment criterion in the server-side judgment unit 13. Examples of provisional judgment criteria include a criterion that makes a provisional judgment using only the information held by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, and a criterion that reduces the amount of information processing by making a provisional judgment using a criterion composed of the same elements as some of the multiple elements included in the judgment criterion in the server-side judgment unit 13.

[0085] Furthermore, a preliminary determination means making a temporary determination as to whether or not a new task has been created. If the terminal-side preliminary determination unit 25 makes a preliminary determination that a new task has been created, it identifies the area where the preliminary determination new task should be executed and the requirements of the new task. Then, the execution unit 22B starts executing the new task without waiting for the result of the final determination by the server 10B.

[0086] The terminal-side transmission unit 23B has the function of transmitting the determination information acquired by the terminal-side acquisition unit 24 to the server 10B.

[0087] Here, the conditions for sending the judgment information to the server 10B are not particularly limited. These conditions may be met only when the terminal-side provisional judgment unit 25 provisionally determines that a new task has occurred, or they may be met regardless of the result of the provisional judgment by the terminal-side provisional judgment unit 25.

[0088] The execution unit 22B has a function to cancel the execution of a new task if the new task is being executed or is scheduled to be executed with priority over other tasks, and if the server 10B determines that no new tasks have been generated.

[0089] Here, prioritizing a new task over other tasks means setting the execution order of a newly determined task, once it has been identified, before that of other tasks. While there are no particular limitations on the configuration for prioritizing a new task over other tasks, a configuration in which the execution order is set based on a priority determined according to the requirements of the new task is preferred. An example of such a configuration is one in which a new task with the requirement "remove vomit" is judged to have a "high" priority, and the execution order of the new task is set to 1st (i.e., it interrupts the execution of other tasks).

[0090] Furthermore, when the server 10B determines that no new tasks have been generated, it means that the server-side determination unit 13 has determined that no new tasks have been generated. When the server-side determination unit 13 determines that no new tasks have been generated, the server 10B transmits information representing the determination result of the server-side determination unit 13 to the autonomous mobile terminal 20, so that the autonomous mobile terminal 20B can recognize that the provisional determination result from the terminal-side provisional determination unit 25 is incorrect.

[0091] Furthermore, "scheduled to run a new task" means that other tasks are currently running besides the newly identified task, or that no tasks are currently running.

[0092] Furthermore, canceling the execution of a new task means stopping the execution of the new task and not resuming it, or not starting the execution of a new task that has not yet been started. The configuration for canceling the execution of a new task is not particularly limited, but a configuration that cancels the execution of a new task and starts or resumes the execution of a task other than the new task is preferred. Examples of configurations for selecting a task to start or resume execution of include a configuration that selects a task in the area closest to the current location of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, and a configuration that selects a task whose execution was interrupted in order to execute the new task. An example of such a configuration is one in which the execution unit 22B cancels the execution of the new task "vomit removal," which has been provisionally determined to have occurred and is being executed by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, and selects the execution of another task "ultraviolet irradiation," which is closest in area to the current location of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B. Another example is a configuration that selects another task "wiping with water," whose execution was interrupted in order to execute the new task "vomit removal."

[0093] When the server-side generation unit 14B generates task information for a new task, the terminal-side receiver 21 receives the task information generated by the server-side generation unit 14B from the server 10B. The execution unit 22B then executes the new task based on that task information. With this configuration, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B can execute a new task based on the task information included in the assignment information managed by the server 10B. In other words, the server 10B can also manage new tasks in the assignment information. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on administrators required to assign tasks, including new tasks, to multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B to 20NB.

[0094] The terminal-side generation unit 26 has the function of generating a trained model that has learned to acquire control information for more appropriately executing a task by performing a learning process based on sensor information acquired from sensors provided by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B during task execution.

[0095] Here, the sensors equipped in the autonomous mobile terminal 20B are not particularly limited as long as they are capable of acquiring sensor information used to execute tasks. Examples of sensors equipped in the autonomous mobile terminal 20B include cameras and microphones.

[0096] Furthermore, performing a learning process based on sensor information means inputting sensor information into the model and updating the model's parameters according to the output control information and predetermined criteria, until the predetermined criteria are met.

[0097] Furthermore, the type of trained model is not particularly limited, as long as it is a model that allows the terminal-side generation unit 26 to acquire control information for more appropriately executing the task by inputting sensor information. An example of a trained model is a model that uses a neural network. The training data used for training can be data representing the execution results of the task based on sensor information and control information acquired by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B during task execution. The training data used for training may also be data prepared by the administrator. In addition, the trained model may be defined as information into which the types and number of sensors and the number of motors equipped on the autonomous mobile terminal 20B are input.

[0098] Furthermore, executing a task more effectively means executing the task in such a way that the evaluation of the executed task is higher than that before the learning process. While there are no particular limitations on the configuration for executing a task more effectively, a configuration is preferred in which the task is executed in such a way that the evaluation represented by the evaluation-related information sent to server 10B is higher than that before the learning process. An example of such a configuration is one in which the evaluation represented by the evaluation-related information sent to server 10B is an evaluation that increases as the time from the start of task execution to the completion of task execution decreases, and the task is executed in such a way that this time is shorter than that before the learning process.

[0099] Furthermore, control information refers to information for controlling the autonomous mobile terminal 20B. The content of the control information is not particularly limited as long as it is information that can control the autonomous mobile terminal 20B. Examples of the content of the control information include information that represents the direction control and rotation count control of the rollers provided on the bottom surface of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, and information that represents the on / off control and irradiation direction control of the ultraviolet irradiation device provided on the front surface of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B.

[0100] The execution unit 22B has the function of inputting sensor information into the trained model generated by the terminal-side generation unit 26 to obtain control information for executing a task, and executing the task based on the obtained control information.

[0101] Here, the trained model to which sensor information is input is a trained model capable of acquiring control information that satisfies the requirements of the task being performed by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B.

[0102] The terminal-side transmitting unit 23B has the function of sending the generated trained model to the server 10B.

[0103] Here, the configuration for determining the trained model to send to the server 10B is not particularly limited, and a configuration based on the evaluation of executed tasks performed based on control information obtained from the trained model is preferred. An example of such a configuration is one in which the trained model whose execution time of executed tasks has been shortened by the training process performed by the terminal-side generation unit 26 is selected.

[0104] Next, the identification unit 15 described above will be explained. The identification unit 15 has the function of identifying a trained model from which control information used to satisfy the requirements of the task included in the task information can be obtained.

[0105] In this context, "task information" refers to the task information received from the autonomous mobile terminal 20B. Furthermore, the trained model to be identified is any of the trained models received by the server 10B from the autonomous mobile terminal 20B.

[0106] Furthermore, the control information used to satisfy the task requirements refers to information for controlling the autonomous mobile terminal 20B so that the task requirements can be met. The content of the control information is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it corresponds to the functions necessary to satisfy the task requirements. An example of control information used to satisfy the task requirements is, if the task requirement is "to irradiate the floor with ultraviolet light," information for controlling the on / off state and irradiation direction of the ultraviolet irradiation device provided on the front of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B.

[0107] Furthermore, the configuration for identifying trained models is not particularly limited as long as it identifies a model capable of obtaining control information to satisfy the requirements of the task included in the task information. However, a configuration that identifies a trained model capable of obtaining control information to execute the task more appropriately is preferred. An example of such a configuration is one that refers to memory information that stores information relating trained models to evaluations of task execution, and identifies a trained model that has a relatively high evaluation of the executed task in the evaluation-related information and can obtain control information capable of executing the task.

[0108] The server-side transmission unit 11 has the function of transmitting the trained model identified by the identification unit 15 to the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, which has identification information associated with the task information used in the identification process performed by the identification unit 15.

[0109] Here, the trained model transmitted to the autonomous mobile terminal 20B by the server-side transmission unit 11 is used by the execution unit 22B to acquire control information for task execution.

[0110] The above describes an example of the functional configuration of a server 10B and an autonomous mobile terminal 20B corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention.

[0111] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the task information generation process for a new task in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The task information generation process for a new task is started, for example, when the server 10B receives captured images from an external device.

[0112] Server 10B first determines whether a new task has been created based on determination information including location information and predetermined determination criteria as a request to determine whether a task has been created (step S201). In this example, Server 10B tentatively determines that a new task "vomit removal" has been created if the captured image contains vomit, and determines that no new task has been created if the captured image does not contain vomit.

[0113] When server 10B determines that a new task has been created, it identifies the area for the new task (step S202). In this example, server 10B identifies the area identified from the determination information as the area for the new task. On the other hand, if it determines that no new task has been created in this example, server 10B terminates the process at this point.

[0114] When server 10B identifies the area where a new task should be executed, it generates task information (step S203). In this example, server 10B generates task information that associates the identified area with the requirements of the new task identified based on the determination information.

[0115] When server 10B generates task information, it updates the assignment information (step S204). In this example, server 10B updates the assignment information so that the task information is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B. However, steps S205 to S208 are the same as steps S102 to S105 in Figure 4, so the explanation is omitted.

[0116] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing examples of a determination process for determining whether a new task has occurred and a new task execution process in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The determination process and the new task execution process are started, for example, when the automated mobile terminal 20B determines that the start conditions for the determination process have been met. The following explanation will describe an example in which the determination process is started when the camera or sensor provided by the automated mobile terminal 20B recognizes an obstacle to the task to be executed (for example, newly generated vomit in a cleaning task).

[0117] The autonomous mobile terminal 20B first acquires determination information, including location information, as a request to determine whether or not a task has occurred (step S301). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B acquires determination information that includes an image captured by its own camera and location information representing the location where the image was taken.

[0118] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20B acquires information for determination, it makes a preliminary determination as to whether or not a new task has occurred (step S302). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B makes a preliminary determination as to whether or not a new task has occurred based on the acquired captured image and location information, and the preliminary determination criterion "If the captured image contains vomit, a new task 'vomit removal' has occurred."

[0119] If the autonomous mobile terminal 20B determines that a new task has been created, it sends determination information to the server 10B (step S303). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B sends determination information that satisfies the provisional determination criteria to the server 10B. On the other hand, if the autonomous mobile terminal 20B determines that no new task has been created, it terminates processing at this point (illustration omitted). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B starts executing the new task without waiting for a response from the server 10B. However, if the conditions for starting the execution of the new task are not met (or if the conditions for planning to start are met), the autonomous mobile terminal 20B plans to execute the new task. An example of such a configuration is one in which, if a task with a higher priority than the new task is being executed or is scheduled to be executed, the new task is registered as a scheduled task in a predetermined memory area.

[0120] When server 10B receives determination information from autonomous mobile terminal 20B, it determines whether a new task has been created based on the received determination information and predetermined determination criteria (step S304). In this example, server 10B determines whether a new task has been created based on the determination information, which includes a captured image and location information indicating the location where the image was taken, and the determination criterion "If the captured image contains vomit, a new task 'vomit removal' has been created." Server 10B then transmits determination result information, which represents the determination result here, to autonomous mobile terminal 20B. In this example, server 10B determines that no new task has been created based on the fact that the captured image does not contain vomit, and transmits the determination result information to autonomous mobile terminal 20B. An example of when it is determined that a new task has been created will be described later.

[0121] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20B receives judgment result information from the server 10B, if it determines that a new task is being executed or is scheduled to be executed with priority over other tasks, and that no new tasks have been generated by the server 10, it cancels the execution of the new task (step S305) and terminates the judgment process and the new task execution process. In this example, when the autonomous mobile terminal 20B receives judgment result information from the server 10B indicating that no new tasks have been generated, it cancels the execution of the new task "vomit removal" that is currently being executed.

[0122] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining whether a new task has occurred and a process for executing a new task in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The determination process and the new task execution process are started, for example, when the automated mobile terminal 20B determines that the start conditions for the determination process have been met. The following explanation will use the case where the determination process is started when the camera or sensor provided by the automated mobile terminal 20B recognizes an obstacle to the task to be executed (for example, newly generated vomit in a cleaning task). However, steps S401 to S404 are the same as steps S301 to S304 in Figure 9, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0123] When Server 10B determines that a new task has occurred, it identifies the area where the new task should be executed (step S405). In this example, when Server 10B determines that a new task, "vomit removal," has occurred, it identifies the person who vomited based on the image captured by the external device, the location and time of the image, and images taken at a time close to the time of the image, and identifies the person's movement path as the area where the new task, "vomit removal," should be executed. Steps S406 to S411 are the same as steps S203 to S208 in Figure 8, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0124] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating assignment information related to the occurrence of a new task corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The assignment information in Figure 11 includes a task number, task information, and identification information.

[0125] Figure 11(a) shows the state of assignment information before task information for a new task is generated. The assignment information in Figure 11(a) is in the same state as the assignment information in Figure 5(a).

[0126] Figure 11(b) shows the state of assignment information when task information for a new task is generated. As shown in Figure 11(b), task information for a new task with task number 5 has been added. For task number 5, identification information RA has been associated with the task information. Furthermore, the new task with task number 5 has interrupted the execution of an existing task. Here, interrupting task execution means that the autonomous mobile terminal 20B stops (suspends or cancels) the execution of the task that is currently running and prioritizes the execution of the new task. Autonomous mobile terminal A is prioritizing the execution of task number 5.

[0127] Figure 11(c) shows the state of assignment information when a new task is being prioritized. Figure 11(c) shows that autonomous mobile terminal A has stopped executing task number 1 and started executing a new task, task number 5. When task number 5 is completed, autonomous mobile terminal A will resume execution of task number 1.

[0128] As described above, in the second embodiment, when the server 10B acquires determination information including location information as a request to determine whether a task has occurred, the task execution system 100 determines whether a new task has occurred according to the determination information and predetermined determination criteria. If it is determined that a new task has occurred, it generates task information that associates an area identified based on the location information with the requirements of the new task identified based on the determination information. The system then updates the assignment information so that the generated task information is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20B, thereby preventing an increase in the burden on the administrator required for assigning new tasks.

[0129] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the task execution system 100 has a two-stage determination process: a preliminary determination is made by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B (e.g., edge AI) and a final determination is made by the server 10B (e.g., cloud AI) to cancel the execution of the new task. This is achieved by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B (e.g., edge AI) and the server 10B (e.g., cloud AI). This allows for rapid task initiation by the autonomous mobile terminal 20B while improving the overall accuracy of the task execution system 100 in determining whether a new task has occurred. Consequently, it becomes possible to prevent situations where the autonomous mobile terminal 20B continues to perform unnecessary operations.

[0130] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the task execution system 100 is configured such that when the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is deployed to a location where it has no prior experience executing a task, it performs a learning process based on sensor information acquired from its own sensors during task execution to generate a trained model that has learned to acquire control information for more appropriately executing the task, inputs sensor information into the generated trained model to acquire control information for executing the task, executes the task based on the acquired control information, transmits the generated trained model to the server 10B, and the server 10B identifies a trained model capable of acquiring control information used to satisfy the requirements included in the task information and transmits the identified trained model to the autonomous mobile terminal 20B whose identification information is associated with the task information. Therefore, if the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is deployed to a location where it has no prior experience executing a task, it will be able to execute the task using a trained model generated by any of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201B to 20NB. Thus, it becomes possible to flexibly operate multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B to 20NB. In other words, flexible operation of terminals becomes possible, such as copying a clone of any of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201B to 20NB onto autonomous mobile terminal 20B. For example, a trained model generated by autonomous mobile terminal 20B will not be lost even if autonomous mobile terminal 20B fails, is destroyed, or burns out, and can be used on at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201B to 20NB. Furthermore, if the program for realizing the functions of server 10B is stored (backed up) in a predetermined storage means, even if server 10B fails, is destroyed, or burns out, it will be possible to reproduce the functions of server 10B using other servers.

[0131] Although not specifically mentioned in the second embodiment described above, the server 10B may be configured to notify the administrator of notification information when it receives judgment information from at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B to 20NB. The content of the notification information is not particularly limited; it may be the judgment information received by the server 10B itself, or it may be content that notifies the administrator that the server 10B has received judgment information (for example, by issuing an alert). The structure of the notification information is also not particularly limited; it may be image information or audio information. With such a configuration, the administrator will be able to understand that the server 10B is determining whether or not a new task has been created.

[0132] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the second embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may also be equipped with a guidance device that guides a person whose temperature has been measured to a predetermined location according to the temperature measurement result of a predetermined thermometer. An example of such a configuration is an output device that guides a person whose temperature has been measured to a different room depending on whether their temperature is normal or feverish in a hospital. By equipping the task execution system 100 with such a guidance device, it becomes possible to move a person who is highly likely to be infected with an infectious disease to a predetermined location, and thus it is expected that the area where the task "ultraviolet irradiation" should be performed will be suppressed, for example in a medical facility.

[0133] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the second embodiment described above, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B may be configured to measure the temperature of people passing around it using its own temperature-measuring device while performing a task, and to notify a predetermined notification target of the temperature measurement result if predetermined notification conditions are met. Here, an example of a notification condition is that the temperature of the person whose temperature was measured is above a threshold. An example of a notification target is a person whose temperature is above the threshold (a feverish state) or the administrator of the task execution system 100. An example of a configuration for notifying a notification target of the temperature measurement result (or notification information defined according to the notification purpose, such as that the temperature is an abnormal value) is to send an email containing a predetermined message to the mobile terminal held by the person or administrator who is the notification target. By using such a configuration, it becomes possible to quickly identify a person who is in a feverish state and prompt that person or the system to take appropriate action.

[0134] Although not specifically mentioned in the second embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured such that the server-side generation unit 14B identifies an area in which a new task should be executed according to a predetermined area identification rule and a route identified from the location information, time information, and person information included in the determination information.

[0135] Here, time information refers to information used to identify a route and representing time. The configuration of time information is not particularly limited; it may include information representing the time when the occurrence of a task was notified, or it may include information representing the generation time of sensor information (e.g., captured images or detection information from a human presence sensor) that detected a predetermined object or person, or it may include information representing the time when a predetermined person was present at the location represented by the location information included in the judgment information. An example of the configuration of time information included in judgment information is a configuration that includes information representing the time when the user notified the server 10B of the discovery of vomit. Other examples of the configuration of time information include a configuration that includes information representing the time when a captured image containing vomit was taken, or a configuration that includes information representing the entry and exit times included in the patient's stay history information in a hospital room or dining room.

[0136] Furthermore, person information refers to information used to identify a route and represents a person. The structure of person information is not particularly limited as long as it is structured to identify a person; it may be structured to include content that identifies a person, or it may be structured to make it possible to identify a person through analysis. Examples of person information include representing the patient's name and the patient's room number, or representing the patient's entry and exit history to a room. Another example of person information is representing captured images that can identify a patient through image analysis. An example of a structure that identifies a patient from an image is one that identifies a patient whose presence in the vicinity of vomit contained in a captured image is indicated by location information. Furthermore, if the time information included in the judgment information is "the time the captured image containing a person was taken," the structure may use information representing the person contained in the captured image as person information.

[0137] Furthermore, the route identified from the location information, time information, and person information included in the judgment information refers to the movement path (route) of the person who caused the new task to occur. The configuration for identifying the route is not particularly limited, but a configuration that identifies the person's movement history using the location information, time information, and person information included in the judgment information is preferred. An example of a configuration for identifying the route is a means of identifying the change in the patient's position represented by the person information based on the position represented by the location information at the time represented by the time information, and identifying the patient's movement history based on the identified change in position. An example of a patient's movement route is a combination of rooms and / or corridors visited in order by the patient. An example of a combination of rooms and / or corridors is a combination of the dining room visited first, the corridor visited second, and the patient's room visited third.

[0138] Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on how far back the movement path can be traced from the time the path is identified. The system may specify the time period for path identification based on the task occurrence time, or it may specify the time period based on the time the path is identified. In other words, the system may specify the patient's movement path before (or after, or around) the task occurrence time, or it may specify the patient's movement path from the time the path is identified to the task occurrence time. Examples of task occurrence times include the time when the occurrence of the task "vomit removal" is notified to server 10B, or the time when images containing vomit are taken. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the configuration for acquiring information representing changes in a person's position. The system may receive images containing the patient taken by an autonomous mobile terminal 20B or a surveillance camera, or it may receive location information from a mobile device held by the patient or medical facility staff as information representing the patient's or medical facility staff's position.

[0139] Furthermore, the server-side generation unit 14B may be configured to estimate the movement path of a person. That is, the server-side generation unit 14B may be configured to estimate the movement path of a person until a predetermined time has elapsed, based on the current time (when the path identification is started) or the last time the person's location could be identified from the information held by the server. The configuration for estimating the movement path is not particularly limited; for example, there is a configuration that estimates the movement path of a patient from a predetermined time onward based on the patient's movement tendencies. Examples of elements representing the patient's movement tendencies include the patient's movement speed, the patient's direction of movement, and the patient's entry and exit history. Examples of the patient's entry and exit history include the patient's movement path history and the history of rooms the patient has visited. By using such a configuration, it becomes possible to identify a wider area in which a desirable result will be obtained by executing a new task, compared to when no area is estimated. The end date for estimating the movement path is not particularly limited; it may be configured to estimate a predetermined amount of time (for example, 1 hour), or the end date may be determined according to an end condition (for example, until closing time).

[0140] Furthermore, the configuration for identifying the route may also be one that uses location information, time information, and person information not included in the judgment information for route identification and / or route estimation as described above. The location information, time information, and person information not included in the judgment information are not particularly limited as long as they contribute to route identification, but it is preferable that they are combinations that represent the status of objects and people. Examples of configurations for acquiring location information, time information, and person information not included in the judgment information include a configuration that receives from at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201B to 20NB, or a configuration that receives from an external device. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to identify areas that cannot be identified by the judgment information, so it becomes possible to identify a wider range of areas where a desirable result will be obtained by executing a new task compared to the case where location information, time information, and person information not included in the judgment information are not used for route identification and / or route estimation. That is, for example, if the judgment information represents patient A, the movement route of patient B whose relationship with patient A satisfies predetermined conditions (e.g., being in the same room) can also be included in the task execution area.

[0141] Furthermore, the configuration for identifying areas where new tasks should be performed according to area identification rules is not particularly limited. It may be a configuration that identifies a combination of multiple areas identified based on a path, or a configuration that identifies objects (e.g., floors, doorknobs, handrails) based on a path and then identifies areas containing the identified objects. An example of an area identification rule is a rule that identifies a combination of patient rooms and corridors included in a patient's movement path as an area. Another example of an area identification rule is a rule that identifies floors, doorknobs, and handrails that a patient is presumed to have touched based on their movement path.

[0142] Server 10B may be configured to receive images from multiple cameras that photograph the target being monitored, and to identify the area where a new task should be executed according to the movement path of the target being monitored, which is determined using the received multiple images, and a predetermined area identification rule. Here, the target being monitored refers to the object used to identify the path. The target being monitored is not particularly limited and may be a person or an object. With such a configuration, the amount and direction of movement of the target being monitored can be identified more accurately, making it possible to identify the movement path of the target being monitored more accurately.

[0143] As described above, the server-side generation unit 14B is configured to identify areas where a new task should be executed according to a predetermined area identification rule and a route identified from location information, time information, and person information included in the judgment information. This allows for a broader identification of areas where desirable results can be obtained by executing the new task, and enables the execution of the new task on at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20B, 201B~20NB in ​​the identified areas. For example, bacteria and viruses may adhere to floors and handrails along the movement routes of a patient suspected of having an infectious disease through droplets, contact, or aerosols. Therefore, by identifying areas to be irradiated with ultraviolet light based on the patient's movement route (for example, the locations the patient was in before and after vomiting) and the routes they are expected to move in the future, more effective sterilization can be achieved, reducing the risk of infection for patients and medical facility staff.

[0144] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the second embodiment described above, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B may be configured to determine whether or not a user is authorized to operate it using its own facial recognition means. An example of when a user operates the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is to have the autonomous mobile terminal 20B execute the task "ultraviolet irradiation". By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the autonomous mobile terminal 20B from being operated by a person not anticipated by the administrator, thereby reducing the administrator's management burden on the autonomous mobile terminal 20B.

[0145] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the second embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured to interrupt the execution of a task using a predetermined function when the autonomous mobile terminal 20B is executing a task using a predetermined function and a person is detected by a sensor. In addition, the autonomous mobile terminal 20B may be configured to resume the execution of a task using a predetermined function after interrupting the task using a predetermined function, if a person is no longer detected by its own sensors. With such a configuration, safety can be ensured even when the task execution uses a function that may have an impact on the human body (for example, a function that irradiates with ultraviolet (UV-C) light for disinfection).

[0146] [Third Embodiment] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10C corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 12, the server 10C comprises at least a server-side transmission unit 11, an update unit 12C, and a server-side generation unit 14C.

[0147] The server-side generation unit 14C has the function of generating multiple divided task information according to a predetermined division rule and task information associated with the identification information contained in the execution status information received from the autonomous mobile terminal 20C.

[0148] Here, the execution status information received from the autonomous mobile terminal 20C refers to information that associates the task execution status by the autonomous mobile terminal 20C with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C. The task execution status is not particularly limited and may be the progress of a single task or the progress of multiple tasks. Examples of task progress include the percentage of completion, whether the task is completed or not, whether it has been executed or not, or whether it is scheduled to be executed or not.

[0149] Furthermore, a division rule refers to a rule that divides the area where a task should be executed and / or the requirements of a task, which are included in the task information, based on the execution status information, and generates divided task information based on the divided area and / or requirements. The division rule is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the task is divided when the division conditions related to the execution status of the task (hereinafter referred to as the "first division condition") are met. An example of the first division condition is that the progress of the task is behind schedule. Another example of the first division condition is that the percentage of completed tasks is lower than scheduled. Examples of configurations for determining whether the first division condition is met include using information that associates the task start time, the task execution time, and the task progress, or using information that associates the number of completed tasks with the number of tasks to be executed.

[0150] Here, the configuration for dividing the area where the task should be performed is not particularly limited. If the area where the task should be performed is a building (for example, a medical facility), the configuration may divide it into predetermined units within the building (for example, floors or rooms). If the area where the task should be performed is defined by area, the configuration may divide it into predetermined area units.

[0151] Furthermore, the configuration for dividing task requirements is not particularly limited as long as it is applicable to tasks that can be divided into multiple requirements necessary for a task to be deemed completed. An example of such a configuration is one in which the requirement "remove the vomit" of the task "vomit removal" is divided into the requirement "suction the vomit" and the requirement "wipe the floor with water." An example of a configuration for dividing task requirements into multiple requirements is one in which a storage means that stores information associating the requirement before division with the multiple requirements after division is referenced, and the requirement to be divided is divided into the corresponding multiple requirements.

[0152] Another example of a division rule is to divide a task when a division condition (hereinafter referred to as the "second division condition") is met regarding the relative positions between at least two of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C to 20NC (hereinafter referred to as "two or more terminals").

[0153] Here, the relative position between two or more terminals means the position of other terminals identified based on the position of any one of the two or more terminals. The configuration for identifying the relative position between two or more terminals is not particularly limited; it may be a configuration that identifies the relative distance and / or direction of other terminals based on one of the two or more terminals, or a configuration that identifies the same or different positions of two or more terminals when the positions are identified for each predetermined unit in a building (e.g., floor or room). An example of a configuration for identifying the relative position between two or more terminals is a configuration that identifies the distance and / or direction of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C~20NC based on the position of autonomous mobile terminal 20C. Another example of a configuration for identifying the relative position between two or more terminals is a configuration that identifies the relationship between the position of autonomous mobile terminal 20C in a building and the position of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C~20NC (e.g., same floor, one floor above, two adjacent rooms) when the positions of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC are identified for each predetermined unit in a building.

[0154] Furthermore, the second division condition is not particularly limited and may be a condition relating to the relative distance and / or direction between two or more terminals, or a condition relating to the positions of two or more terminals. Examples of the second division condition include two terminals being less than a predetermined distance apart, two terminals being more than a predetermined distance apart and both terminals being in the area where the pre-division task should be performed, or at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C~20NC being in a predetermined direction relative to the position of autonomous mobile terminal 20C. Another example of the second division condition is when the positions of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC are identified for each predetermined unit in a building, and at least one of the positions of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C~20NC in the building may be in the same position as autonomous mobile terminal 20C, or in a different position. By including rules that use the relative positions between two or more terminals as conditions in the division rules, it becomes possible to generate division task information that takes into account elements related to the movement of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC (e.g., movement time).

[0155] The update unit 12C has a function to update the assignment information so that the identification information of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C to 20NC is newly associated with the divided task information.

[0156] Here, the configuration for associating identification information with divided task information is not particularly limited, but if the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is associated with the task information of the original task, it is preferable to associate the identification information of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC, which are different from the autonomous mobile terminal 20C, with the divided task information. An example of a configuration for associating identification information with divided task information is that, if the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is associated with the task information of the original task, one of the generated multiple divided task pieces is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C, and each of the remaining pieces is associated with the identification information of one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC.

[0157] Furthermore, when segmented task information is generated according to a segmentation rule that is conditional on the relative positions of two or more terminals, the configuration for associating identification information with the segmented task information is not particularly limited, but a configuration is preferred in which the identification information of two or more terminals whose relative positions are identified when it is determined whether or not the second segmentation condition has been met is associated with the segmented task information. An example of such a configuration is one in which, for the generated segmented task information, the identification information of the terminal whose area to be executed is closest to the area where the second segmentation condition has been met is associated with the two or more terminals whose relative positions have been identified when it is determined whether or not the second segmentation condition has been met.

[0158] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20C corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 13, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C comprises at least a terminal-side receiving unit 21, an execution unit 22C, a terminal-side transmitting unit 23C, and a terminal-side determination unit 27.

[0159] The terminal-side transmission unit 23C has the function of transmitting execution status information to the server 10C, which is an association between the task execution status by the execution unit 22C and the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C.

[0160] The timing for sending the execution status information is not particularly limited; it could be at regular intervals, or when the task is completed.

[0161] The terminal-side determination unit 27 has a function to determine whether the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is capable of executing a task by referring to a storage means that stores functional information that associates the requirements of a task with the functions of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C necessary for the execution of the task.

[0162] Here, the configuration of the functional information is not particularly limited, as long as the configuration allows the function of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C to be identified from the task requirements. An example of a functional information configuration is one in which the requirement "irradiate the floor and handrail with ultraviolet light" is associated with the function "ultraviolet light irradiation".

[0163] Furthermore, determining whether the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is capable of executing a task means determining whether the autonomous mobile terminal 20C has a function associated with the same requirements as the task requirements included in the task information received by the terminal-side receiving unit 21.

[0164] The request unit 28 has the function of requesting assistance from at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC that are capable of performing the task, if the terminal-side determination unit 27 determines that the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is not capable of performing the task.

[0165] Here, the configuration for identifying at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC capable of executing the task is not particularly limited. It may be a configuration that identifies the terminal using information that associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal with the functions of the autonomous mobile terminal, a configuration that identifies the terminal by communicating with multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC, or a configuration that has the server 10C identify the terminal.

[0166] Furthermore, the configuration for requesting assistance from at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC is not particularly limited, as long as the configuration allows the terminal identified as capable of performing the task to recognize the area in which the task should be performed and the requirements of the task. An example of such a configuration is one in which assistance request information, which associates task information with information indicating that it is an assistance request, is sent to the identified terminal.

[0167] Therefore, if, for example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is an autonomous mobile terminal that does not have an ultraviolet irradiation function (hereinafter referred to as the "first autonomous mobile terminal"), and task information including the requirement of irradiating ultraviolet light is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C, the request unit 28 requests assistance from an autonomous mobile terminal that has an ultraviolet irradiation function (hereinafter referred to as the "second autonomous mobile terminal").

[0168] The execution unit 22C has the function of executing tasks based on a request for assistance from one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC.

[0169] Here, the configuration for executing a task based on a request for assistance is not particularly limited. It may be configured to interrupt the execution of a task that is currently running and then execute the requested task, or it may be configured to execute the requested task after the task that is currently running has been completed.

[0170] The terminal-side transmission unit 23C has the function of transmitting evaluation-related information to the server 10C, including that the task was performed based on a request for assistance from one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC.

[0171] Here, the configuration of the evaluation-related information transmitted by the terminal-side transmitter 23C is not particularly limited, as long as it indicates that the task was performed based on a request for assistance from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC.

[0172] In server 10C, the update unit 12C updates the assignment information using an update means that includes evaluation-related information, including that the task was performed based on a request for assistance.

[0173] Here, the update means is not particularly limited as long as it is a means of updating assignment information based on a request for assistance, but it is preferable to update the assignment information so that the identification information of terminals among the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC that have completed a task based on a request for assistance is associated with the task information of that task. An example of such a configuration is one in which a terminal suitable for each task is selected or a new terminal is deployed (or activated) based on the execution status of the task and the use of the autonomous mobile terminal. Here, the server 10C may be configured to use the determination that it is efficient to increase the number of autonomous mobile terminals in order to execute all tasks as a trigger for introducing a new terminal. In this case, for example, the server 10C may be configured to have a function that simulates the execution of tasks based on the number and functions of the autonomous mobile terminals.

[0174] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the divided task information generation process and the assignment information update process in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The divided task information generation process and the assignment information update process are started, for example, when the server 10C is triggered by the fulfillment of the task execution start conditions at a communicationable terminal (for example, when the administrator's facial recognition process is performed). However, steps S501 to S503 are the same as steps S101 to S103 in Figure 4, so their explanation is omitted.

[0175] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20C starts executing a task, it sends execution status information to the server 10C (step S504). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C sends execution status information to the server 10C, which associates information representing the progress of the task "ultraviolet irradiation" that is currently being executed with its own identification information.

[0176] When server 10C receives execution status information, it generates divided task information (step S505). In this example, server 10C generates multiple divided task pieces according to task information associated with identification information contained in the execution status information received from autonomous mobile terminal 20C and predetermined division rules.

[0177] When server 10C generates divided task information, it updates the assignment information (step S506). In this example, server 10C updates the assignment information so that at least one of the divided task information is associated with the identification information of autonomous mobile terminal 201C that is not currently executing a task. Server 10C also updates the assignment information so that divided task information that was not associated with autonomous mobile terminal 201C is associated with the identification information of autonomous mobile terminal 20C.

[0178] When server 10C updates the assignment information, it sends the divided task information to autonomous mobile terminals 20C and 201C (step S507). In this example, server 10C sends the divided task information for the task "ultraviolet irradiation" associated with autonomous mobile terminals 20C and 201C in the assignment information to autonomous mobile terminals 20C and 201C. In this example, the transmission of task information to autonomous mobile terminals 20C and 201C occurs at the same time, but the transmission timing may differ.

[0179] The autonomous mobile terminal 20C receives the divided task information (step S508). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C receives the divided task information from the server 10C.

[0180] The autonomous mobile terminal 201C receives the divided task information (step S509). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 201C receives the divided task information from the server 10C.

[0181] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20C receives the divided task information, it executes a task based on the divided task information (step S510). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C stops the task "ultraviolet irradiation" that was being executed before the division and executes the task "ultraviolet irradiation" based on the divided task information.

[0182] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20C executes a task, it sends evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of the completed task to the server 10C (step S511). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C sends evaluation-related information to the server 10C that includes information representing the execution time of the task based on the divided task information.

[0183] When the autonomous mobile terminal 201C receives the divided task information, it executes a task based on the divided task information (step S512). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 201C executes the task "ultraviolet irradiation" based on the divided task information.

[0184] When the autonomous mobile terminal 201C executes a task, it sends evaluation-related information to the server 10C (step S513). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 201C sends evaluation-related information to the server 10C that includes information representing the execution time of the completed tasks based on the divided task information.

[0185] When server 10C receives evaluation-related information from autonomous mobile terminals 20C and 201C, it updates the assignment information based on each piece of evaluation-related information (step S514), and the task division information generation process and assignment information update process are completed. In this example, server 10C uses the evaluation-related information received from autonomous mobile terminals 20C and 201C to update the assignment information so that the time from when the execution of any of the multiple tasks, including the pre-division task, begins until all tasks are completed is shorter than the time before the update.

[0186] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a rescue request processing and assignment information update processing in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The rescue request processing and assignment information update processing are initiated, for example, when the task execution start conditions are met in a terminal that can communicate with the server 10C (for example, when the administrator's facial recognition process is performed). However, steps S601 and S602 are the same as steps S101 to S102 in Figure 4, so their explanation is omitted.

[0187] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20C receives task information, it determines whether it is capable of performing the task (step S603). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20C refers to a memory means that stores function information associating the task requirement "irradiate the floor with ultraviolet light" with the function "ultraviolet light irradiation," and determines whether it is capable of performing the task "ultraviolet light irradiation."

[0188] If autonomous mobile terminal 20C determines that it is not capable of performing the task, it requests assistance from autonomous mobile terminal 201C, which is capable of performing the task (step S604). In this example, autonomous mobile terminal 20C uses information that associates the autonomous mobile terminal's identification information 201C with the functions of autonomous mobile terminal 201C to determine whether it possesses the function "ultraviolet irradiation" necessary to perform the task "ultraviolet irradiation". Then, in this example, autonomous mobile terminal 20C transmits assistance request information to autonomous mobile terminal 201C, which associates the task information with the request for assistance. On the other hand, in this example, if autonomous mobile terminal 20C determines that it is capable of performing the task, the same processing as in steps S103 to S105 in Figure 4 is performed, and the processing here ends.

[0189] When autonomous mobile terminal 201C receives a rescue request, it executes a task based on the rescue request (step S605). In this example, autonomous mobile terminal 201C executes the task "ultraviolet irradiation" based on the rescue request from autonomous mobile terminal 20C.

[0190] When the autonomous mobile terminal 201C executes a task, it transmits evaluation-related information to the server 10C, including that the task was performed in response to a request for assistance (step S606). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 201C transmits evaluation-related information to the server 10C, including that the task "ultraviolet irradiation" was performed in response to a request for assistance.

[0191] When server 10C receives evaluation-related information, it updates the assignment information using an update means that utilizes the evaluation-related information (step S606), and the rescue request processing and assignment information update processing are completed. In this example, server 10C updates the assignment information using an update means that utilizes evaluation-related information, including that the task "ultraviolet irradiation" is a task performed based on a rescue request, so that the task information for the task "ultraviolet irradiation" is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal 201C.

[0192] Figure 16 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating assignment information related to the generation of partitioned task information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The assignment information shown in Figure 16 includes a task number, an execution status partitioned task number, a relative position partitioned task number, task information, and identification information.

[0193] The execution status partitioned task number refers to a number used to identify a task generated according to execution status information and a predetermined partitioning rule. The relative position partitioned task number refers to a number used to identify a task generated according to a partitioning rule that includes a rule that is conditional on the relative position between two or more terminals. Task information refers to information that associates the area where a task should be executed with the requirements of the task, and includes partitioned task information that associates the area where a task should be executed with the requirements of the partitioned task.

[0194] Figure 16(a) shows the state of assignment information before the division task information is generated. In Figure 16(a), autonomous mobile terminal A is executing task number 1, and autonomous mobile terminal B is executing task number 3. Autonomous mobile terminals C and D do not have task information associated with their own identification information.

[0195] Figure 16(b) shows the state of assignment information after execution status information and divided task information have been generated according to a predetermined division rule. As shown in Figure 16(b), three divided task information sets are generated based on the fact that the progress of task number 1 was below a predetermined standard (in other words, the progress of task number 1 was slow). The execution status divided task numbers of the three divided task information sets are 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3. For execution status divided task number 1-1, the divided task information is associated with identification information RA. Autonomous mobile terminal A has started executing the task for execution status divided task number 1-1. Also, for execution status divided task number 1-2, the divided task information is associated with identification information RC. Therefore, autonomous mobile terminal C executes the task for execution status divided task number 1-2.

[0196] Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating assignment information related to the generation of partitioned task information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The assignment information in Figure 17 includes a task number, an execution status partitioned task number, a relative position partitioned task number, task information, and identification information. The same parts as in Figure 16 are omitted from the explanation.

[0197] Figure 17 shows the state of assignment information after divided task information has been generated according to a division rule that includes a rule based on the relative position between two or more terminals. In Figure 17, for task numbers 1-3, two divided task information sets have been generated from the divided task information. The two divided task information sets were generated based on the proximity of the positions between autonomous mobile terminal A and autonomous mobile terminal D. The relative position divided task numbers of the two divided task information sets are 1-3-1 and 1-3-2. Here, the task information associated with the identification information RA has been changed from the task information for task number 1-3 to the task for relative position divided task number 1-3-1. Therefore, autonomous mobile terminal A is scheduled to start executing the task for relative position divided task number 1-3-1 after the task for task number 1-1 has been completed. Also, for relative position divided task number 1-3-2, the identification information RD is associated with the divided task information. Therefore, autonomous mobile terminal D will execute the task for relative position divided task number 1-3-2.

[0198] Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of functional information corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the functional information includes a requirement number, a requirement, and a function.

[0199] A requirement number is a number used to identify the requirements of a task. The requirements included in the functional information are the requirements of the task. The functions included in the functional information are at least one of the functions of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC that can satisfy the requirements. In this example, the functional information is associated with the requirement "irradiate the floor and handrail with ultraviolet light" and the function "irradiate with ultraviolet light," the requirement "wipe the floor with water" and the function "wipe with water," and the requirement "remove vomit" and the functions "suction" and "wipe with water."

[0200] As described above, in the third embodiment, the task execution system 100 is configured such that the autonomous mobile terminal 20C transmits execution status information (for example, information representing a common ledger) to the server 10C, which associates the task execution status with its own identification information. The server 10C generates multiple divided task information according to a predetermined division rule and task information associated with the identification information contained in the received execution status information, and updates the assignment information so that new identification information is associated with the divided task information. This enables the updating of the assignment of subdivided tasks. For example, it becomes possible to update the assignment information so that multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC share the execution of the task before division, depending on the task execution status. In other words, it becomes possible to update the assignment information so that multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC cooperate in the execution of the task. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the burden on the administrator by eliminating the need for the administrator to update the task assignment according to the task execution status.

[0201] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the task execution system 100 has the following configuration: the autonomous mobile terminal 20C refers to a storage means that stores functional information associating the requirements of a task with the functions of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C necessary for task execution, determines whether it is capable of executing the task, and if the terminal-side determination unit 27 determines that it is not capable of executing the task, it requests assistance from another autonomous mobile terminal 201C that is capable of executing the task, the other autonomous mobile terminal 201C executes the task based on the request, and transmits evaluation-related information, including that the task was executed based on the request, to the server 10C, and the server 10C updates the assignment information using an update means that uses the evaluation-related information. As a result, even if the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is unable to execute a task, the task of the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is handled among multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C~20NC without the administrator having to perform the task assignment update work, thus preventing an increase in the administrator's workload.

[0202] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the task execution system 100 includes a task requirement that includes irradiating with ultraviolet light, and the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC include a first autonomous mobile terminal that does not have an ultraviolet light irradiation function and a second autonomous mobile terminal that has an ultraviolet light irradiation function. If an autonomous mobile terminal 20C is identified as the first autonomous mobile terminal and task information including the requirement to irradiate with ultraviolet light is associated with its own identification information, it will request assistance from the second autonomous mobile terminal. This ensures that the task requirement of irradiating with ultraviolet light is met without the administrator having to confirm whether the autonomous mobile terminal 20C has an ultraviolet light irradiation function. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations where ultraviolet light is not irradiated in areas where it should be irradiated, and to reduce the risk of bacterial or viral infection to people in those areas.

[0203] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the third embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured such that when the autonomous mobile terminal 20C transmits information representing its battery level to the server 10C, and the server 10C updates the assignment information based on the battery level of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC, so that the task information of the task that the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is currently executing or scheduled to execute is associated with the identification information of at least one of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC. Here, the configuration for updating the assignment information based on the battery level is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the task information of the task that the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is currently executing or scheduled to execute is associated with the identification information of the terminal with a higher battery level compared to the other terminals among the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C to 20NC. With such a configuration, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the autonomous mobile terminal 20C runs out of battery while executing a task.

[0204] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the third embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured to request the administrator to handle the task if the terminal-side determination unit 27 determines that the autonomous mobile terminal 20C is unable to execute the task. The conditions for requesting the administrator are not particularly limited; it may be that no multiple autonomous mobile terminals 201C~20NC capable of executing the task were identified, or that the task requirements cannot be met by the functions of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC. With such a configuration, for example, even if a situation arises that cannot be handled by multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC, the administrator can be expected to take action.

[0205] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the third embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured such that the server 10C displays the task execution status for each of the multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C to 20NC on a display means. Here, the configuration for displaying the task execution status is not particularly limited as long as it allows the administrator to visually confirm the task execution status, but a configuration that displays an image of a color corresponding to the task execution status is preferred. An example of such a configuration is one in which an image of a color corresponding to the task execution speed, representing the task execution time, is displayed for each autonomous mobile terminal. By configuring the system to display the task execution status on a display means, the administrator can visually confirm the task execution status for each autonomous mobile terminal, thereby reducing the burden on the administrator to check the task execution status.

[0206] Furthermore, although not specifically mentioned in the third embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured such that the server 10C transmits execution status information (for example, information representing a common ledger) of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC to multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC. The task execution system 100 may also be configured such that multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20C, 201C~20NC check the execution status information of other terminals and assist in the execution of tasks that other terminals are currently executing or are scheduled to execute.

[0207] [Fourth Embodiment] Figure 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 10D corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 19, the server 10D comprises at least a server-side transmission unit 11 and an update unit 12D.

[0208] The update unit 12D has the function of updating the server-side map information by referring to a storage means that stores server-side map information which associates a map of a location containing an area where an autonomous mobile terminal can perform a task with the location of an object in that location, and based on terminal-side map information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D to 20ND, so that the location of an object is associated with the location map.

[0209] Here, the location where the task can be performed is not particularly limited, as long as it is a place where multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND can move autonomously. Examples of places where the task can be performed include medical facilities, nursing homes, and trains.

[0210] Furthermore, a location map refers to a map that identifies the area where a task should be performed. The configuration for identifying the area where a task should be performed from the location map is not particularly limited; it may be a configuration where the area where the task should be performed is included in the location map, or it may be a configuration where the server 10D or autonomous mobile terminal 20D identifies the area where the task should be performed from the information contained in the location map. An example of information contained in the location map is information that represents the location of walls and steps present in the location. That is, for example, there is a map of a medical facility that can identify areas where autonomous movement is possible based on the location of walls and steps that separate patient rooms and corridors in a medical facility. The type of map is not particularly limited; it may be a 2D map that represents the location in two dimensions, or a 3D map that represents the location in three dimensions (for example, a map that adds height to a so-called floor map).

[0211] Furthermore, server-side map information refers to information that allows server 10D to recognize the location of objects in a given area. The configuration of server-side map information is not particularly limited, but a configuration that can identify areas where multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND can perform tasks is preferred. An example of server-side map information is information that associates a map of a medical facility with the locations of beds and chairs in the medical facility and areas where multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND can move autonomously.

[0212] Furthermore, the configuration for updating the server-side map information so that the location of an object is mapped to the location map is not particularly limited. It could be a configuration where the location of an object included in the terminal-side map information received by server 10D is added as a point to the location map, or a configuration where the area occupied by the object, including its location, is added to the location map. Examples of such configurations include, if the terminal-side map information received by server 10D includes the locations of beds and chairs, a configuration that adds points representing the locations of those beds and chairs to the medical facility map, or a configuration that adds the area occupied by those beds and chairs to the medical facility map. The terminal-side map information will be discussed later.

[0213] The update unit 12D has the function of updating assignment information based on evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D to 20ND and updated server-side map information.

[0214] Here, the configuration for updating assignment information is not particularly limited, but a configuration that updates the assignment information so as to reflect the impact that the positions of objects included in the updated server-side map information have on task execution is preferred. An example of a configuration for updating assignment information is one in which, when the movable path of an autonomous mobile terminal is changed by a chair added in the server-side map information update, the task assignment is changed based on the changed movable path. An example of such a configuration is one in which, when an object is placed on the movement path from hospital room A to hospital room B, the system searches for a terminal that can move to hospital room B faster than autonomous mobile terminal 20D compared to before the object was placed, and if such a terminal is found, the task related to hospital room B that was assigned to autonomous mobile terminal 20D is assigned to that terminal. Alternatively, when a shelf is placed in a hospital room in the server-side map information update, the system may determine that the work time required to execute the task "wiping" has decreased because the area of ​​the floor to be wiped with water has become smaller, and change the terminal to which the task "wiping with water" is assigned. Another example of updating assignment information is when autonomous mobile terminals are used to perform cleaning activities within a hospital at night. If a task that needs to be completed by 6 AM cannot be completed on time, an autonomous mobile terminal is deployed. In other words, the AI ​​on the server determines, before or during the task's execution, whether the task can be executed (or completed) by 6 AM. If it determines that it cannot be executed, it calculates the necessary actions (adding robots, assigning tasks, or deleting tasks) by working backward to make it possible to execute the task. For autonomous mobile terminals in standby, the server may also be configured to check the charging status of the autonomous mobile terminals and deploy terminals that meet the conditions for being able to be added to the site.

[0215] Figure 20 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an autonomous mobile terminal 20D corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 20, the autonomous mobile terminal 20D comprises at least a terminal-side receiving unit 21, an execution unit 22, a terminal-side transmitting unit 23D, a detection unit 29, and a map update unit 210.

[0216] The detection unit 29 has the function of detecting the position of objects present around the autonomous mobile terminal 20D.

[0217] Here, the configuration for determining whether or not an object exists around the autonomous mobile terminal 20D is not particularly limited, but a configuration that uses sensor information acquired by the sensor device equipped on the autonomous mobile terminal 20D is preferred. An example of such a configuration is one that determines whether or not an object is included in the image captured by the camera equipped on the autonomous mobile terminal 20D.

[0218] Furthermore, while the configuration for detecting the position of an object is not particularly limited, a preferred configuration is one in which the relative positional relationship between the position of the autonomous mobile terminal 20D and the position of the object is determined based on sensor information acquired by sensors provided by the autonomous mobile terminal 20D, and the position of the object is detected based on the determined relative position. The method for determining the position of the autonomous mobile terminal 20D is not particularly limited, and for example, one method is to use the type and position of markers (for example, departments, divisions, room numbers, or plates indicating floor names on the walls of the medical facility) included in the image taken by the autonomous mobile terminal 20D from among multiple markers installed in the medical facility. Other examples of configurations for determining the self-position of the autonomous mobile terminal 20D include a configuration in which the autonomous mobile terminal 20D receives multiple beacon radio waves transmitted from multiple transmitters installed in the medical facility and utilizes the received strength of those beacon radio waves, or a configuration that uses the position of a device that emits a predetermined radio wave (for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag). Other examples of configurations for determining the autonomous mobile terminal 20D's own position include a configuration in which the autonomous mobile terminal 20D receives and utilizes GPS signals, or, if the autonomous mobile terminal 20D is equipped with a microphone, a configuration in which the microphone is used to pick up sounds of a specific amplitude or frequency and identify the source of those sounds.

[0219] Furthermore, the conditions for detecting the object's position are not particularly limited; the autonomous mobile terminal 20D may be performing a task, or it may not be performing a task.

[0220] The map update unit 210 has the function of updating the terminal-side map information by referring to a storage means that stores terminal-side map information which associates a map of a location containing an area where the autonomous mobile terminal 20D can perform a task with the location of an object in that location, and by associating the location of the object detected by the detection unit 29 with the location map.

[0221] Here, terminal-side map information refers to information that allows the autonomous mobile terminal 20D to detect and recognize the position of objects in a given location. The configuration of the terminal-side map information is not particularly limited, but a configuration that can identify areas in which the autonomous mobile terminal 20D can perform tasks is preferred.

[0222] Furthermore, the configuration for updating the terminal-side map information to associate the location of an object with the location map is not particularly limited. It may be a configuration in which the location of an object detected by the detection unit 29 is added as a point to the location map, or a configuration in which the area occupied by the object, including the location of the object detected by the detection unit 29, is added to the location map. Examples of such configurations include a configuration in which, when a bed or chair is detected by the detection unit 29, a point representing the location of the bed or chair is added to the medical facility map, or a configuration in which the area occupied by the bed or chair is added to the medical facility map.

[0223] The terminal-side transmission unit 23D has the function of transmitting terminal-side map information updated by the map update unit 210 to the server 10D.

[0224] Here, the timing for sending the updated terminal-side map information to the server 10D is not particularly limited; it may be done each time the terminal-side map information is updated, or at intervals of a predetermined time.

[0225] Figure 21 is a flowchart showing examples of map information update processing and assignment information update processing in a task execution system 100 corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present invention. The map information update processing is initiated, for example, when the autonomous mobile terminal 20D autonomously moves to execute a task.

[0226] The autonomous mobile terminal 20D first detects the positions of objects in its surroundings (step S701). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20D identifies the relative positional relationship between its own position and the position of the object, and detects the position of the object based on the identified relative position.

[0227] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20D detects the location of an object, it updates the terminal-side map information to associate the detected object's location with a location map (step S702). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20D refers to a storage means that stores terminal-side map information which associates a map of a medical facility with the locations of beds and chairs in the medical facility, and updates the terminal-side map information to add the area occupied by the detected beds and chairs to the map of the medical facility.

[0228] When the autonomous mobile terminal 20D updates the terminal-side map information, it sends the updated terminal-side map information to the server 10D (step S703). In this example, the autonomous mobile terminal 20D sends the updated terminal-side map information, including the map of the medical facility, to the server 10D.

[0229] When server 10D receives terminal-side map information, it updates the server-side map information based on that terminal-side map information so that the locations of objects are associated with the map (step S704). In this example, server 10D refers to a storage means that stores server-side map information which associates the locations of beds and chairs with the map of the medical facility, and updates the server-side map information to add the areas occupied by beds and chairs to the map of the medical facility.

[0230] When server 10D updates the server-side map information, it updates the assignment information based on the evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D to 20ND and the updated server-side map information (step S705), and the map information update process and assignment information update process are completed. In this example, server 10D updates the assignment information so that the impact of the positions of beds and chairs included in the evaluation-related information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D to 20ND and the updated server-side map information on task execution is reflected.

[0231] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the task execution system 100 has the following configuration: the autonomous mobile terminal 20D detects the location of objects in its surroundings, refers to a storage means that stores terminal-side map information which associates a map of a location containing an area where multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND can perform tasks with the location of objects in that location, updates the terminal-side map information to associate the detected location of the object with the map, transmits the updated terminal-side map information to the server 10D, and the server 10D refers to a storage means that stores server-side map information which associates a map of a location with the location of objects in that location, updates the server-side map information based on the terminal-side map information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND with the location map, updates the server-side map information so that the location of the object is associated with the map of the location, and updates the assignment information based on the evaluation-related information and the updated server-side map information. As a result, the map information is updated and the assignment information based on that map information is updated without the administrator having to check the location of the object and reflect it in the map, thus reducing the burden on the administrator.

[0232] Although not specifically mentioned in the fourth embodiment described above, the task execution system 100 may be configured such that the server 10D transmits server-side map information to a plurality of autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND, and the autonomous mobile terminals 20D identify areas where object position detection has not been completed based on the server-side map information received from the server 10D, and detect the positions of objects present around them in the identified areas.

[0233] Here, the area where object position detection is not yet complete is not particularly limited, but may be an area where object position has not been detected, or an area where object detection accuracy satisfies predetermined re-detection conditions. An example of an area where object position detection is not yet complete is an area belonging to a cube of a predetermined volume set in space, where object position has not been detected or where object detection accuracy satisfies predetermined re-detection conditions. An example of a re-detection condition is when an object of an unexpected shape is detected in that location. With this configuration, multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND can share the same map to identify areas for object position detection in places where the terrain details are unknown and GPS cannot be used, such as the lunar surface, thus reducing the wasted effort of multiple autonomous mobile terminals 20D, 201D~20ND in detecting object positions.

[0234] The task execution system 100 may be configured to process multiple tasks with defined execution orders. For example, if the task "wiping with water" and the task "ultraviolet light" are set to the same or nearby area, the system may be configured to create or update assignment information so that the task "ultraviolet light" is executed after the task "wiping with water" is executed. Such a configuration is expected to improve work efficiency.

[0235] Furthermore, the task execution system 100 may be configured to acquire information indicating the disinfection effect and update the assignment information to enhance the disinfection effect. That is, for example, it is known that if water remains on the floor after wiping with water, the effectiveness of subsequent disinfection work (including so-called spray disinfection and disinfection by ultraviolet irradiation) will decrease. Therefore, the task execution system 100 may be configured to acquire information (disinfection information) representing the disinfection status of the target of the task execution (e.g., floor or handrail) and update the assignment information so that another task (such as dust removal or dry wiping of the floor) is added before the disinfection-related task is executed based on the disinfection information. In this case, the configuration for acquiring the disinfection information is not particularly limited and may be configured to accept human input, or it may be configured to acquire information that is automatically generated using predetermined evaluation criteria (e.g., the time ultraviolet irradiation is performed). The task execution system 100 may also be configured to add disinfection-related tasks based on the disinfection information (for example, it is envisioned that the disinfection effect will be enhanced in a hybrid manner by adding alcohol spraying to the area where ultraviolet irradiation is performed).

[0236] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various configurations or embodiments can be taken without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0237] [Note] The above-described embodiments are written in such a way that at least the following invention can be put into practice by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. [1] A task execution system comprising a server and multiple autonomous mobile terminals, which performs tasks, The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal is A terminal-side receiving unit that receives task information, which associates the area where the task should be performed with the requirements of the task, An execution unit that executes the task based on the received task information, The system includes a terminal-side transmission unit that transmits evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks to the server, The aforementioned server, A server-side transmission unit that refers to a storage means that stores assignment information, which associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal with the task information, and transmits the task information to each autonomous mobile terminal, The system includes an update unit that updates the assignment information by a predetermined update means that uses the evaluation-related information received from each autonomous mobile terminal. A task execution system characterized by the following: [2] The aforementioned server, When a determination request is received to determine whether a task has occurred, the server-side determination unit obtains determination information including location information, and determines whether a new task has occurred according to the said determination information and predetermined determination criteria. When it is determined that the aforementioned new task has occurred, the server-side generation unit generates task information that associates a region identified based on the location information with the requirements of the new task identified based on the determination information. The update unit updates the assignment information so that the generated task information is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal. [1] The task execution system described in the task execution system. [3] The server-side generation unit identifies a route identified from the location information, time information, and person information included in the determination information, and a predetermined area identification rule to determine the area where the new task should be executed. [2] The task execution system described in the task execution system. [4] The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal is A terminal-side acquisition unit acquires determination information, including location information, as a request to determine whether or not a task has occurred. It includes a terminal-side provisional determination unit that provisionally determines whether a new task has occurred according to the acquired determination information and predetermined provisional determination criteria, The terminal-side transmitting unit transmits the determination information to the server. The execution unit shall cancel the execution of the new task if it is currently executing or scheduled to execute the new task with priority over other tasks, and the server determines that the new task has not been generated. A task execution system as described in any of [1] through [3]. [5] The autonomous mobile terminal includes a terminal-side generation unit that generates a trained model that has learned to acquire control information for more appropriately executing the task by performing a learning process based on sensor information acquired from its own sensors during the execution of the task. The execution unit is, The sensor information is input to the generated trained model to obtain the control information for executing the task. Based on the acquired control information, the task is executed. The terminal-side transmitting unit transmits the generated trained model to the server. The server includes a identification unit that identifies the trained model capable of acquiring the control information used to satisfy the requirements included in the task information, The server-side transmission unit transmits the identified trained model to the autonomous mobile terminal, which has identification information associated with the task information. A task execution system described in any of [1] through [4]. [6] The terminal-side transmitting unit transmits execution status information to the server, which associates the execution status of the task performed by the execution unit with its own identification information. The server includes a server-side generation unit that generates a plurality of divided task information according to a predetermined division rule and task information associated with the identification information contained in the received execution status information, The update unit updates the assignment information so that the identification information is newly associated with the divided task information. A task execution system as described in any of [1] through [5]. [6-1] The aforementioned predetermined division rule includes a rule that is conditional on the relative positions between multiple autonomous mobile terminals. [6] The task execution system described in the task execution system. [7] The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal is A terminal-side determination unit refers to a storage means that stores functional information relating the requirements of the task to the functions of the autonomous mobile terminal necessary for the execution of the task, and determines whether or not it is capable of executing the task. The terminal includes a request unit that, if the terminal-side determination unit determines that it is not capable of performing the task, requests assistance from another autonomous mobile terminal capable of performing the task. The execution unit executes the task based on the request, The terminal-side transmitting unit transmits the evaluation-related information, including that the task was performed based on the request, to the server. The update unit updates the assignment information using the update means that utilizes the evaluation-related information. A task execution system as described in any of [1] through [6]. [8] The requirements of the aforementioned task include irradiating with ultraviolet light, The aforementioned plurality of autonomous mobile terminals include a first autonomous mobile terminal that does not have an ultraviolet irradiation function and a second autonomous mobile terminal that has an ultraviolet irradiation function. The request unit, if it is the first autonomous mobile terminal and the task information including the requirement of irradiating ultraviolet light is associated with its own identification information, requests assistance from the second autonomous mobile terminal. [7] The task execution system described in the task execution system. [9] The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal is A detection unit that detects the position of objects in its surroundings, The system includes a storage means that stores terminal-side map information, which associates a map of a location including an area where the autonomous mobile terminal can perform a task with the location of an object in that location, and a map update unit that updates the terminal-side map information so associating the location detected by the detection unit with the map. The terminal-side transmission unit transmits the updated terminal-side map information to the server. The aforementioned update unit is The server-side map information, which stores server-side map information that associates the map of the location with the location at that location, is referenced, and the server-side map information is updated based on the terminal-side map information received from multiple autonomous mobile terminals so that the location is associated with the map. The allocation information is updated based on the aforementioned evaluation-related information and the updated server-side map information. A task execution system as described in any of [1] through [8].

[10] An autonomous mobile terminal that performs a task, A terminal-side receiving unit that receives task information, which associates the area where the task should be performed with the requirements of the task, An execution unit that executes the task based on the received task information, It includes a terminal-side transmission unit that sends evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks to a server, The aforementioned evaluation-related information is used by the server for updating assignment information, which is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal and the task information, using a predetermined update means. Autonomous mobile terminal.

[11] A server for causing multiple autonomous mobile terminals to perform predetermined tasks, A server-side transmission unit that refers to a storage means that stores assignment information, which associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal with task information, and transmits the task information to each autonomous mobile terminal, The system includes an update unit that updates the assignment information by a predetermined update means that uses evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks received from each autonomous mobile terminal, The aforementioned task information is information that associates the area where the task should be performed with the requirements of the task. server.

[12] A task execution program for implementing the ability to perform tasks in an autonomous mobile terminal, The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal, A terminal-side receiving function that receives task information, which associates the area where the task should be performed with the requirements of the task. An execution function that executes the task based on the received task information, This implements a terminal-side transmission function that sends evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks to the server. The aforementioned evaluation-related information is used by the server for updating assignment information, which is associated with the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal and the task information, using a predetermined update means. Task execution program.

[13] A task execution program for implementing a function on a server to allow multiple autonomous mobile terminals to perform tasks, To the aforementioned server, A server-side transmission function that refers to a storage means that stores assignment information, which associates the identification information of the autonomous mobile terminal with task information, and transmits the task information to each autonomous mobile terminal, The system implements an update function that updates the assignment information by a predetermined update means that uses evaluation-related information regarding the evaluation of completed tasks received from each autonomous mobile terminal, The aforementioned task information is information that associates the area where the task should be performed with the requirements of the task. Task execution program. [Explanation of symbols]

[0238] 100 Task Execution System 10 servers 101 CPU 102 memory 103 Storage device 11 Server-side transmission unit 12 Update section 13 Server-side determination unit 14 Server-side generation unit 15 Specific section 20,201~20N Autonomous Mobile Terminal 21 Terminal-side receiving unit 22 Execution Department 23 Terminal-side transmitting unit 24 Terminal-side acquisition unit 25 Terminal-side provisional determination unit 26 Terminal-side generation unit 27 Terminal-side determination unit 28 Request Department 29 Detection unit 210 Map Update Section

Claims

1. An autonomous mobile terminal that performs a task, An acquisition unit acquires determination information, including location information, as a request to determine whether or not a task has occurred. A preliminary determination unit that makes a preliminary determination of whether a task has occurred according to the determination information and predetermined preliminary determination criteria, and if it is preliminaryly determined that a task has occurred, identifies the area in which the preliminaryly determined task should be executed based on the location information, and identifies the requirements of the task based on the determination information, A transmission unit that transmits the aforementioned determination information to a predetermined determination server, A receiving unit that receives determination result information representing the determination result of whether or not the task occurred by the determination server, The execution unit sets the execution order of the task ahead of other tasks based on the priority of the task, so that the task is being executed or is scheduled to be executed with priority over other tasks without waiting for the result of the determination server's determination of whether or not the task has occurred, and if the determination server determines that the task has not occurred, the execution unit cancels the execution of the task. An autonomous mobile terminal characterized by the following features.

2. The system includes a generation unit that, upon receiving sensor information acquired from its own sensors during the execution of the aforementioned task, generates a trained model that has been supervised and trained on a predetermined model to acquire control information for more appropriately executing the aforementioned task. The execution unit inputs the sensor information into the generated trained model to obtain the control information for executing the task, and executes the task based on the obtained control information. The autonomous mobile terminal according to claim 1.

3. A determination unit that refers to a storage means that stores functional information relating the requirements of the task to the functions of the autonomous mobile terminal necessary for the execution of the task, and determines whether or not it is capable of executing the task, If the determination unit determines that it is not capable of performing the task, the device includes a request unit that requests assistance from another autonomous mobile terminal capable of performing the task. The execution unit executes the task based on the request. The autonomous mobile terminal according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The requirements of the aforementioned task include irradiating with ultraviolet light, The request unit, if it is an autonomous mobile terminal that does not have an ultraviolet irradiation function and the requirements of the task include irradiating with ultraviolet light, requests assistance from another terminal that has an ultraviolet irradiation function. The autonomous mobile terminal according to claim 3.

5. A task execution program for implementing the ability to perform tasks in an autonomous mobile terminal, The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal, A function to acquire determination information, including location information, as a request to determine whether or not a task has occurred, A preliminary determination function that makes a preliminary determination of whether a task has occurred according to the determination information and predetermined preliminary determination criteria, and if it is determined that a task has occurred, identifies the area where the task should be executed based on the location information, and identifies the requirements of the task based on the determination information, A transmission function that transmits the aforementioned determination information to a predetermined determination server, A receiving function that receives determination result information representing the determination result of whether or not the task occurred by the determination server, By setting the execution order of the aforementioned task before the execution order of other tasks based on the priority of the aforementioned task, an execution function is implemented that prioritizes the execution of the task over other tasks, and if the judgment server determines that the aforementioned task has not occurred, the execution of the task is stopped, without waiting for the result of the judgment server's determination of whether or not the aforementioned task has occurred. Task execution program.

6. A task execution system comprising a determination server and an autonomous mobile terminal, which performs a task, The aforementioned autonomous mobile terminal is An acquisition unit acquires determination information, including location information, as a request to determine whether or not a task has occurred. A preliminary determination unit that makes a preliminary determination of whether a task has occurred according to the determination information and predetermined preliminary determination criteria, and if it is preliminaryly determined that a task has occurred, identifies the area in which the preliminaryly determined task should be executed based on the location information, and identifies the requirements of the task based on the determination information, A transmission unit that transmits the aforementioned determination information to the determination server, A receiving unit that receives determination result information representing the determination result of whether or not the task occurred by the determination server, The execution unit sets the execution order of the task ahead of other tasks based on the priority of the task, so that the task is being executed or is scheduled to be executed with priority over other tasks without waiting for the result of the determination server's determination of whether or not the task has occurred, and if the determination server determines that the task has not occurred, the execution unit cancels the execution of the task. Task execution system.

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