Robot, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To improve a safety of a robot in performing an action indicated by a received command.SOLUTION: A robot comprises: a communication unit that receives an operational command from a management center; a determination unit that determines whether or not it is safe to execute an action indicated by the command received by the communication unit based on a sensing result of a surrounding environment and a command score according to a content of the command; and a control unit that controls an execution of the action indicated by the command based on a determination result by the determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a robot, an information processing method and a program. [Background Art]

[0002] In recent years, techniques have been developed for remotely receiving a command via a network and executing an operation indicated by the command. In such techniques, it is required to improve the safety for executing the operation indicated by the command.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that operates in accordance with a command received from a remote operation device. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-363969 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, in a robot that remotely receives a command via a network and executes an operation indicated by the received command, executing the operation indicated by the received command may exert negative impacts on the surroundings or the robot itself.

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved technique capable of improving the safety of a robot in executing an operation indicated by a received command. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a communication unit that receives an operation command from a management center, a determination unit that determines whether the execution of the operation indicated by the command received by the communication unit is safe based on the sensing results of the surrounding environment and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command, and a control unit that controls the execution of the operation indicated by the command based on the determination result by the determination unit, If the determination unit determines that the execution of the action indicated by the command is not safe, the command confirmation unit controls the communication unit to send a connection request to the management center. A robot equipped with the following features is provided.

[0008] The determination unit may calculate a safety level based on the environmental score corresponding to the surrounding environment determined based on the sensing results, the command score, and the self-position accuracy indicating the likelihood of its own position, and determine whether the execution of the operation is safe or not based on the relationship between the calculated safety level and the threshold.

[0009] The determination unit may further calculate the safety level based on the operating margin time, which is calculated from the time it takes for the robot to reach the charging equipment and the remaining operating time of the robot based on the remaining power of the robot.

[0010] The aforementioned environmental score may be a value set based on moving objects, steps, or obstacles present in the environment.

[0012] The control unit may control the robot so as not to perform the operation if the communication unit is unable to establish a connection for the connection request.

[0013] The command confirmation unit may control the communication unit to transmit the connection request to the remote control terminal operated by the operator managing the robot at the management center.

[0014] The command confirmation unit may further control the communication unit to send a confirmation message to the remote control terminal, which has established a connection, requesting a response from the operator.

[0015] The command confirmation unit determines the validity of the response to the confirmation message from the remote control terminal, and the control unit, if the command confirmation unit determines the response to be valid, to The robot is controlled to perform the action indicated by the command, and the command confirmation unit determines that the response is invalid. to The robot may be controlled so as not to perform the action indicated by the aforementioned command.

[0016] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, the system receives an operation command from a management center, determines whether the execution of the operation indicated by the received command is safe based on the sensing results of the surrounding environment and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command, and controls the execution of the operation indicated by the command based on the determination result of whether the execution of the operation indicated by the command is safe. If it is determined that the execution of the action indicated by the aforementioned command is unsafe, control will be made to send a connection request to the management center. A computer-based information processing method is provided, which includes [the following].

[0017] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, the computer comprises a communication unit that receives operation commands from a management center, a determination unit that determines whether the execution of the operation indicated by the command received by the communication unit is safe based on sensing results of the surrounding environment and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command, and a control unit that controls the execution of the operation indicated by the command based on the determination result by the determination unit. If the determination unit determines that the execution of the action indicated by the command is not safe, the command confirmation unit controls the communication unit to send a connection request to the management center. A program is provided to make it function as such. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to improve the safety of a robot in executing the actions indicated by the received commands. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an information processing system relating to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a table diagram showing an example of a robot instruction table stored in the storage unit 120. [Figure 4] It is a table diagram showing an example of a robot data table stored in the management database 240. [Figure 5] It is a table diagram showing an example of an instruction point table stored in the storage unit 120. [Figure 6] It is a table diagram showing an example of an environment point table stored in the storage unit 120. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the robot control unit 130. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operation processing of the robot 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus 900 that performs information processing in the robot 100 and the management center 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0021] Furthermore, in the present specification and the drawings, robots may be distinguished from each other by attaching different alphabets, such as robot 100A, robot 100B, . However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between the robots, they are simply referred to as robot 100. Similarly, remote operation terminals 230A, 230B, . . . may be distinguished from each other by attaching different alphabets. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between the remote operation terminals, they are simply referred to as remote operation terminal 230.

[0022] <<1. Overview of the Information Processing System>> First, with reference to Figure 1, an overview of the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention has a plurality of robots 100 and a management center 200. The robots 100 and the management center 200 are connected to a network 10 and are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate via the network 10.

[0023] Robot 100 is, for example, a mobile robot that patrols a designated building. By sensing the environment around it, robot 100 can transmit information about the structure and conditions of the building it patrols to a management center 200. Robot 100 can connect to the network 10 at any location using wireless communication.

[0024] Furthermore, the robot 100 can also execute actions indicated by commands received from the control center 200. For example, the robot 100 can receive a command from within the control center 200 to move to a specified location and then move to that location.

[0025] Here, a robot is defined as a mechanical device that is a so-called "artificial human," a "device that performs actions or tasks similar to those of a human," or a "device that performs actions or tasks through computer control based on instructions." For example, a robot may be defined as a "machine used in industry that has an automatic control manipulation function or a movement function and can perform various tasks by program" (JIS B 0134-1998), a "robot that serves humans" (JIS B 0187:2005), or an "intelligent mechanical system that has three elemental technologies: a sensor, an intelligent / control system, and a drive system" (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Robot Policy Study Group).

[0026] The management center 200 includes a business management unit 220 and a plurality of remote operation terminals 230. The management center 200 is connected to the network 10 via a gateway device. The business management unit 220 and the remote operation terminals 230 included in the management center 200 may be connected to each other using wired LAN communication within the management center 200.

[0027] The business management unit 220 controls and manages various tasks performed by the robot 100. Furthermore, when the business management unit 220 receives a connection request from the robot 100, it distributes the request to a remote control terminal 230 operated by an appropriate operator.

[0028] The remote control terminal 230 is a device used by an operator to monitor or remotely control the robot 100. For example, the remote control terminal 230 may include a terminal such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet device, or a smartphone, and peripheral devices connected to these terminals.

[0029] The remote control terminal 230 displays information about the status of the robot 100, displays notifications from the robot 100, issues commands to the robot 100 based on operator input, and monitors the operator's status. For example, the remote control terminal 230 presents the operator with information about the robot 100 and an image of the environment surrounding the robot 100. The operator may then command the robot 100 to move based on the information presented by the robot 100. Multiple remote control terminals 230 may be provided depending on the number of operators. Furthermore, although this specification describes an example in which the remote control terminal 230 is operated by an operator, the remote control terminal 230 may also be operated by a person other than an operator, such as the administrator of the management center 200.

[0030] Network 10 is a communication network that connects the robot 100 and the management center 200, enabling data transmission and reception between the robot 100 and the management center 200. Network 10 may be the Internet, a satellite communication network, a mobile communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

[0031] <<2. Example of Functional Configuration of an Information Processing System>> Next, with reference to Figure 2, the functional configuration of the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] <Robot 100> First, let's describe the functional configuration of the robot 100. As shown in Figure 2, the robot 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, a robot control unit 130, a sensor unit 140, an AI unit 150, an operation unit 160, a communication unit 170, a power supply unit 180, and a mobile unit 190.

[0033] (Communications Department 110) The communication unit 110 is a wireless communication interface that can connect to the network 10. For example, the communication unit 110 may be a wireless communication interface that can connect directly to the network 10. Alternatively, the communication unit 110 may be a wireless communication interface that can connect to the network 10 via a mobile phone network or another network such as a wireless LAN, or it may be a wireless communication interface that can connect to the network 10 via a relay device or base station. The communication unit 110 communicates with other robots 100 and the control center 200 via the network 10.

[0034] (Storage unit 120) The memory unit 120 is a storage device that stores various information in accordance with the control of the robot control unit 130. The memory unit 120 may store, for example, basic information of the places that the robot 100 patrols, map information, and a map containing information about the areas that the robot 100 has sensed, created based on the sensing results of the sensor unit 140.

[0035] Furthermore, the storage unit 120 may store a robot command table, as shown in Figure 3, which represents the contents of commands sent to the robot from the control center 200. Figure 3 is a table diagram showing an example of a robot command table stored in the storage unit 120.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the robot command table may manage the command ID received by the communication unit 110 from the management center 200, the content of the command indicated by the command ID, and the details of the command. The command ID is a number or string of characters used to identify the content of the command. The content indicates the content of the command indicated by the command ID. The command details are data that shows the details of the content of the command. Note that the commands from the management center 200 to the robot 100 are not limited to the commands shown in Figure 3.

[0037] (Robot control unit 130) The robot control unit 130 is an example of a control unit that processes various data acquired by the robot 100 and controls the overall operation of the robot 100. The robot control unit 130 consists of, for example, software that controls the overall operation of the robot 100, and hardware on which the software is installed. Examples of hardware include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Read Only Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory). It is also possible to use a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), microprocessor, or IC (Integrated Circuit) instead of a CPU. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the robot control unit 130 also functions as a judgment unit 131 and an instruction confirmation unit 132. The judgment unit 131 and the instruction confirmation unit 132 will be described later.

[0038] (Sensor unit 140) The sensor unit 140 includes an imaging device capable of acquiring environmental images around the robot 100, or various sensors capable of sensing parameters of the environment around the robot 100.

[0039] For example, the sensor unit 140 may include an imaging device such as an RGB camera, a stereo camera, a 360-degree camera, a thermographic camera, or an infrared camera. The sensor unit 140 may also include various sensors capable of sensing temperature, humidity, illuminance, atmospheric pressure, vibration, or distance to an object. Furthermore, the sensor unit 140 may include sensors capable of sensing the generation of smoke, odor, chemical substances, or static electricity.

[0040] (AI Department 150) The AI ​​unit 150 digitizes or converts the surrounding environmental images and sensing information collected by the sensor unit 140 into numerical or textual data, and makes various decisions in the robot 100 based on the digitized or textual data. For example, the AI ​​unit 150 may digitize or convert the environmental images and sensing information into numerical or textual data by performing image recognition, pattern recognition, or information analysis using a machine learning algorithm, and make various decisions in the robot 100 based on the digitized or textual data.

[0041] (Operating unit 160) The operating unit 160 performs actions directed to the outside. For example, the operating unit 160 executes the actions indicated by commands received by the communication unit 110 from the management center 200. The operating unit 160 may be, for example, a robot hand, in which case the operating unit 160 can grasp objects in the vicinity of the robot 100. Alternatively, the operating unit 160 may be a light source, a speaker, or a scent generator, etc.

[0042] (Telephone section 170) The communication unit 170 is configured to enable communication with the management center 200. The communication unit 170 may include a microphone, camera, or speaker. The communication unit 170 may be implemented, for example, by a tablet device. People around the robot 100 can communicate with an operator at the management center 200 via the communication unit 170.

[0043] (Power supply section 180) The power supply unit 180 is built into the robot 100 and supplies power to various parts of the robot 100. The power supply unit 180 may be a secondary battery, such as a lithium-ion secondary battery.

[0044] (Moving part 190) The mobile unit 190 is a moving mechanism capable of moving the robot 100 to any position based on control by the robot control unit 130. The mobile unit 190 may be a moving mechanism of various types, such as a wheeled, legged, crawlered, or air cushion type. The mobile unit 190 may also be a moving mechanism capable of moving through the air using rotor blades, or a moving mechanism capable of moving on or underwater using a screw. Furthermore, the mobile unit 190 may have multiple moving mechanisms, for example, it may have wheels and rotor blades to be able to move both on land and in the air.

[0045] <Management Center 200> Next, the functional configuration of the management center 200 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the management center 200 includes a communication device 210, a business management unit 220, a remote operation terminal 230, and a management database 240.

[0046] (Communication device 210) The communication device 210 is a gateway device that relays communication between the robot 100 and each component included in the management center 200 (business management unit 220, remote operation terminal 230, and management database 240). Furthermore, each component included in the management center 200 may be connected to each other by, for example, a wired or wireless LAN. The communication device 210 transmits, for example, operation commands to the robot 100.

[0047] (Business Management Department 220) As described above, the business management unit 220 controls and manages various tasks of the robot 100. For example, the business management unit 220 may generate commands for the robot 100 to perform actions. Also, when the business management unit 220 receives a connection request for remote operation from the robot 100, it distributes the connection request to a remote operation terminal 230 operated by an appropriate operator. The connection control between the robot 100 and the remote operation terminal 230 by the business management unit 220 may be implemented, for example, by WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication).

[0048] (Remote control terminal 230) The remote control terminal 230 includes a communication unit 231, an input unit 232, and a display unit 233. The operator can use the remote control terminal 230 to monitor the status of the robot 100 and issue commands to the robot 100 to perform actions.

[0049] The communication unit 231 is a communication interface for connecting to the LAN within the management center 200, and can send and receive data with the robot 100, or receive reports from the business management unit 220.

[0050] The input unit 232 is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, trackpad, directional keys, control lever, or microphone, and can receive operations from an operator, such as inputting commands for the robot 100 to perform actions.

[0051] The display unit 233 is a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or a touch panel display, and can display an environmental image of the robot 100 or a management screen containing information about the robot 100.

[0052] (Management Database 240) The management database 240 is a database that stores robot data tables that manage various information about the robot 100. For example, the management database 240 may store robot data tables as shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 is a table diagram showing an example of a robot data table stored in the management database 240.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the robot data table may manage various information for each robot 100, including ID, name, location, mounted sensors, communication status, and remaining operating time. The various information for robots 100 managed in the robot data table is updated as needed based on information transmitted from each robot 100 to the management center 200.

[0054] The ID represents a number or string of characters that uniquely identifies each robot 100. The Name represents the name of each robot 100. The Position represents the three-dimensional coordinates indicating the current position of each robot 100. The Mounted Sensors represent the types and status of the various sensors mounted on each robot 100. The Communication Status represents the radio wave strength of the wireless communication at the current position of each robot 100. The Communication Status may be represented, for example, as 100 for the best radio wave strength and as 0 for a state where the radio wave strength is low and judged to be out of range. The Remaining Operating Time represents the operating time of each robot 100 calculated from the remaining power of the power supply unit 180. That is, the remaining operating time indicates how much longer each robot 100 can operate from the current time.

[0055] <<3. Characteristic Configuration of the Invention>> In this embodiment, the robot 100 receives operation commands from the control center 200. However, the robot 100 may have a negative impact on its surroundings or on itself by executing the operation indicated by the command. For example, the robot 100 may be commanded by a third party, impersonating the control center 200, to perform an operation that has a negative impact on its surroundings or on itself.

[0056] Therefore, the robot 100 according to this embodiment determines whether the execution of the action indicated by the command received from the control center 200 is safe, and controls the execution of the action indicated by the command based on the determination result. This improves the safety of the execution of the action indicated by the command.

[0057] From here, we will explain the operation of the robot control unit 130 equipped with the robot 100 in order to realize the above-mentioned processing.

[0058] (Robot control unit 130) As described above, the robot control unit 130 processes various data acquired by the robot 100 and controls the overall operation of the robot 100. Based on the sensing results from the sensor unit 140, the robot control unit 130 may simultaneously estimate the robot 100's own position and create a map representing the environment of the sensing area. The robot control unit 130 may, for example, use SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) to estimate its own position and create the map. The robot control unit 130 may also further calculate the self-position accuracy, which indicates the likelihood of the estimated self-position.

[0059] (Judgment Department 131) The determination unit 131 determines whether the execution of the action indicated by the command is safe (hereinafter also referred to as "operational safety") based on the sensing results of the surrounding environment by the sensor unit 140 and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command received by the communication unit 110 from the management center 200. The robot 100 can make more accurate judgments about the environment than the management center 200 by using the sensing results it has sensed itself. Therefore, this configuration makes it possible to improve the safety of the execution of actions by the robot 100.

[0060] Alternatively, the judgment unit 131 may determine the safety of the operation based on the self-positioning accuracy calculated by the robot control unit 130.

[0061] Furthermore, the determination unit 131 may determine the safety of the operation based on the operating margin time, which is calculated from the time it takes for the robot 100 to reach the charging equipment and the remaining operating time of the robot 100 based on the remaining power of the robot 100. The operating margin time may be calculated, for example, based on the following formula 1. In the following formula 1, the remaining operating time and communication status may be the communication status and remaining operating time from the robot data table included in the management database 240, as shown in Figure 4. The speed of the robot 100 is obtained from the internal information of the robot 100. The distance to the charging equipment is obtained, for example, from the estimated self-position and map information stored in the memory unit 120.

[0062]

number

[0063] The operating margin time is the remaining time until the robot 100 can reach the charging equipment of the power supply unit 180 before the power supply unit 180 runs out. The larger the operating margin time, the longer the robot 100 can travel before reaching the charging equipment.

[0064] α and β are predetermined values. β is a coefficient for considering the power consumed by the wireless communication connection attempts to the management center 200. That is, the lower the radio signal strength and the worse the communication conditions (i.e., the closer the communication condition value is to 0), the lower the operating margin time. The value of β can be changed as appropriate based on the frequency of wireless communication connection attempts to the management center 200 and the power consumed by the attempts. α may be, for example, 1 minus β. For example, α and β may each be set to 0.5.

[0065] If the operating margin time is short, the robot 100 may run out of battery power if it performs the action indicated by the command. Therefore, depending on how short the operating margin time is, the determination unit 131 may determine that it is not safe to perform the action.

[0066] The determination unit 131 may calculate the safety level by weighting an environment score, which is a score corresponding to the sensing results of the surrounding environment, an instruction score, which is a score corresponding to the content of the instruction, the self-position accuracy, and a return score calculated based on the operating margin time. In this case, the determination unit 131 determines the safety of the operation based on the relationship between the calculated safety level and the threshold. The determination unit 131 may calculate the safety level based on, for example, the following formula 2.

[0067] Safety level = (Number of command points + Self-position accuracy) - (Environment points + Return points) ... Formula 2

[0068] The determination unit 131 may determine that the operation is safe if the safety level calculated based on formula 2 is equal to or greater than the threshold. Alternatively, the determination unit 131 may determine that the operation is unsafe if the safety level calculated based on formula 2 is less than the threshold.

[0069] The instruction points, one of the parameters in the above formula 2, is a value set based on the likelihood of negative consequences arising from the robot 100 executing the actions indicated by the instructions. The instruction points are set so that the value decreases as the likelihood of such consequences increases, and may be stored in the memory unit 120. For example, the instruction points may be set in the range of 0 to 100, with 0 representing the instruction with the highest likelihood of negative consequences and 100 representing the instruction with the lowest likelihood of negative consequences. Negative consequences may include, for example, the robot 100 being unable to operate normally due to a malfunction or power loss, the robot 100 being removed from the control center 200's control, or the robot 100 causing unintended physical effects on the surrounding environment. For example, the memory unit 120 may store a robot instruction table representing the instruction points of instructions transmitted by the control center 200, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a table diagram showing an example of an instruction point table stored in the memory unit 120.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, the command point table shows the command points corresponding to each command content, which is the action indicated by the command. For example, the command point for moving to point A is 70, and the command point for making a call is 80. The value for moving is set to be smaller than that for making a call because the execution of the action is more likely to have a negative impact. However, the likelihood of negative impact from the execution of each action varies depending on the situation inside the building, etc., so it may be set appropriately according to the situation.

[0071] The determination unit 131 refers to the instruction point table stored in the memory unit 120, extracts the instruction points corresponding to the content of the instruction received by the communication unit 110, and calculates the safety level based on those instruction points.

[0072] The self-position accuracy parameter in Equation 2 is calculated by the robot control unit 130. The self-position accuracy may be calculated in a range of 0 to 100, for example, with 100 representing the highest self-position accuracy and 0 representing the lowest self-position accuracy.

[0073] The environmental score, a parameter in equation 2, is a value set based on moving objects (humans, animals, or other robots 100, etc.), steps, or obstacles present in the environment. The environmental score is set to be higher in environments where the robot 100's actions are likely to have a negative impact on its surroundings or the robot 100 itself, and may be stored in the memory unit 120. For example, the environmental score may be set in the range of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the instruction with the highest probability of having a negative impact and 0 representing the instruction with the lowest probability of having a negative impact. However, if it is considered that the execution of an instruction is always unsafe in a given environment, the environmental score for that environment may be set to a value greater than 100 so that the determination unit 131 determines that the execution of the action is always unsafe (the safety level is always below the threshold).

[0074] For example, the memory unit 120 may store an environmental score table representing environmental scores, as shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a table diagram showing an example of an environmental score table stored in the memory unit 120.

[0075] As shown in Figure 6, the environment score table indicates the environment score corresponding to an environment. For example, it is shown that the environment score for a passageway is 10, and the environment score for a busy passageway is 15. A high value is set for busy passageways because there is a higher possibility of collisions between the robot 100 and people, and other negative impacts on the surroundings or the robot 100, compared to normal passageways. Furthermore, an example is shown where the environment score is set to 1000 outside the map area because there is a high possibility that the robot 100 will lose its sense of position, meaning that there is a possibility of negative impacts on the robot 100. This is so that the judgment unit 131 determines that it is not always safe to perform the action.

[0076] The judgment unit 131 refers to the environmental score table stored in the memory unit 120, determines the environmental score corresponding to the surrounding environment detected by the sensor unit 140, and calculates the safety level based on the determined environmental score. Alternatively, the judgment unit 131 may calculate the safety level based on the environmental score corresponding to the environmental judgment result by the AI ​​unit 150. The AI ​​unit 150 may determine the environment for each location using machine learning and generate a heat map representing the environmental score for each location. In that case, the judgment unit 131 may refer to the heat map generated by the AI ​​unit 150 and extract the environmental score for calculating the safety level.

[0077] Furthermore, if the action indicated by the command involves movement, the environmental score may be a value corresponding to the environment of the destination. Also, the environmental score may be a value corresponding to the environment of the location where the robot 100 is located when the communication unit 110 receives the command.

[0078] Here, a specific example of environmental scores will be explained using Figure 7. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a map created by the robot control unit 130. As shown in Figure 7, the robot control unit 130 creates a map M that includes the area R sensed by the sensor unit 140. In Figure 7, robots 100B and 100D are located outside area R (the shaded area in the diagram). Therefore, when robots 100B and 100D receive a command from the control center 200, the decision units 131 of robots 100B and 100D refer to the environmental score table and calculate the safety level based on the environmental scores corresponding to the area outside the map.

[0079] Let's continue the explanation of Equation 2. The number of return points, a parameter in Equation 2, is calculated based on the operating margin time and according to Equation 3 below.

[0080]

number

[0081] The maximum operating time is the operating time of the robot 100 when the power supply unit 180 is fully charged. N is a conversion coefficient to the return point number, which may be, for example, 100. The return point number becomes larger the larger the ratio of the maximum operating time to the operating margin time. In other words, the shorter the operating margin time, the larger the return point number becomes, and the lower the safety level is calculated. That is, by including the return point number as a parameter in the calculation of the safety level, the judgment unit 131 can calculate the safety level while taking into account the possibility of the robot 100 running out of charge when the operating margin time is short.

[0082] Up to this point, we have explained the parameters included in formula 2, which is an example of a safety level calculation formula by the judgment unit 131. However, the safety level calculation formula is not limited to formula 2. For example, the safety level calculation formula does not have to include all elements, and the safety level may be calculated using only the number of instruction points and the environmental points.

[0083] (Instruction confirmation unit 132) If the determination unit 131 determines that the execution of the action indicated by the command received by the communication unit 110 from the management center 200 is not safe, the command confirmation unit 132 controls the communication unit 110 to send a connection request to the management center 200.

[0084] More specifically, the command confirmation unit 132 controls the communication unit 110 to send a connection request to the remote control terminal 230 operated by the operator managing the robot 100 at the management center 200. If the communication unit 110 is unable to establish a connection for the connection request, the robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 so that they do not execute the action indicated by the command received from the management center 200. If the communication unit 110 establishes a connection for the above connection request, the robot 100 can request the operator operating the remote control terminal 230 to modify the command instructing the above action, or to confirm or approve the execution of the command.

[0085] If the communication unit 110 establishes a connection for the above connection request, the communication unit 110 may receive a modification order from the remote control terminal 230, which is a modified version of the above order that the operator entered into the remote control terminal 230. In this case, the determination unit 131 further determines the safety of executing the action indicated by the modification order. The modification order may be identical in content to the order initially received by the communication unit 110 from the remote control terminal 230. The communication unit 110 may also receive a signal from the remote control terminal 230 indicating that the order will not be modified, based on the operator's operation of the remote control terminal 230.

[0086] Furthermore, once the communication unit 110 has established a connection for the connection request, the command confirmation unit 132 may further control the communication unit 110 to send a confirmation message to the remote control terminal 230. The confirmation message is a message requesting a response from the operator. The command confirmation unit 132 determines whether or not to execute the action indicated by the command or modification command based on whether the response to the confirmation message is valid. The confirmation message may be a so-called secret question, such as "What is my name?", in which only a specific person, including the operator, knows the correct answer, or it may be a message that asks for the operator's name or employee number, etc., and the operator's response can be used to authenticate the operator. The confirmation message sent by the communication unit 110 may also be a ciphertext or a hash value.

[0087] The operator inputs a response to the confirmation message into the remote control terminal 230, and the communication unit 110 receives the response. The command confirmation unit 132 determines the validity of the response from the remote control terminal 230.

[0088] The robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 to execute the action indicated by the command or modified command if the command confirmation unit 132 determines that the response from the remote control terminal 230 is valid. The robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 not to execute the action indicated by the command or modified command if the command confirmation unit 132 determines that the response from the remote control terminal 230 is not valid. With this configuration, the robot 100 can reject unsafe commands instructed by someone pretending to be a management center who does not know the response to the confirmation message, thereby improving safety. Furthermore, with this configuration, an operator who knows the response to the confirmation message can recognize the safety risks and decide whether to have the robot 100 execute a command that the judgment unit 131 has determined to be unsafe, thus improving convenience for the operator.

[0089] <<4. Example of Operation>> Next, with reference to Figure 8, an example of the operation process of the robot 100 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation process flow of the robot 100 according to this embodiment.

[0090] First, the communication unit 110 receives an operation command from the management center 200 (S101). The robot control unit 130 calculates the actions required to execute the operation indicated by the command (S102). For example, if the operation is to move to point A, the robot control unit 130 calculates the movement path to point A, etc.

[0091] Next, the sensor unit 140 senses the environment around the robot 100 (S103). The robot control unit 130 calculates its own position and self-position accuracy based on the sensing results, and the judgment unit 131 calculates an environment score based on the sensing results (S104).

[0092] Next, the determination unit 131 calculates the operating margin time (S105). Then, the determination unit 131 calculates the safety level based on the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command received by the communication unit 110, the self-position accuracy, the environmental score, and the operating margin time (S106).

[0093] If the safety level is above the threshold, that is, if the judgment unit 131 determines that the command is safe (S107 / Yes), the robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 to execute the action indicated by the command (S108).

[0094] On the other hand, if the safety level is less than the threshold, that is, if the judgment unit 131 determines that the command is unsafe (S107 / No), the command confirmation unit 132 controls the communication unit 110 to send a connection request to the remote control terminal 230 operated by the operator managing the robot 100 (S109).

[0095] If a connection is not established between the communication unit 110 and the remote control terminal 230 (S110 / No), the robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 so as not to execute the operation indicated by the command received by the communication unit 110, and terminates the operation.

[0096] If a connection is established between the communication unit 110 and the remote control terminal 230 (S110 / Yes), the operator managing the robot 100 may modify the commands to the robot 100 via the remote control terminal 230. In such cases, the communication unit 110 receives the modification command from the remote control terminal 230 (S111).

[0097] The determination unit 131 calculates the safety level of the correction command received by the communication unit 110 (S112). If the safety level is above a threshold, that is, if the determination unit 131 determines that the correction command is safe (S113 / Yes), the robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 to execute the action indicated by the correction command (S108).

[0098] On the other hand, if the safety level is less than the threshold, that is, if the determination unit 131 determines that the modification command is unsafe (S113 / No), the command confirmation unit 132 controls the communication unit 110 to send a confirmation message to the remote control terminal 230 (S114).

[0099] Next, the communication unit 110 receives a response to the confirmation message from the remote control terminal 230 (S115). The command confirmation unit 132 determines whether the response received by the communication unit 110 is valid or not (S116).

[0100] If the answer is valid (S116 / Yes), the robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 to perform the action indicated by the modification command (S108). If the answer is not valid (S116 / No), the robot control unit 130 controls the operation unit 160, the communication unit 170, or the movement unit 190 not to perform the action indicated by the command received by the communication unit 110, and terminates the operation.

[0101] <<5. Hardware Configuration Example>> The information processing described above is realized through the collaboration of software and the hardware of the robot 100 and the control center 200, which are described below.

[0102] Figure 9 shows the hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 that performs information processing in a robot 100 and a management center 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing device 900 includes a CPU 901, a ROM 902, a RAM 903, a host bus 904, a bridge 905, an external bus 906, an interface 907, an input device 908, an output device 909, a storage device 910, and a communication device 911.

[0103] The CPU 901 functions as both an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, controlling the overall operation of the information processing unit 900 according to various programs. The CPU 901 may also be a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901 and parameters that change as needed during its execution. These are interconnected by a host bus 904, which consists of a CPU bus and other components.

[0104] The host bus 904 is connected to an external bus 906, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 905. It is not always necessary to configure the host bus 904, bridge 905, and external bus 906 separately; these functions may be implemented on a single bus.

[0105] The input device 908 consists of input means for the user to input information, such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, buttons, microphone, switches, and levers, and an input control circuit that generates input signals based on the user's input and outputs them to the CPU 901. The user operating the information processing device 900 can input various types of data to the information processing device 900 or instruct it to perform processing operations by operating this input device 908.

[0106] The output device 909 includes, for example, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display device, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, an OLED device, a display device such as a lamp, and an audio output device such as a speaker.

[0107] The storage device 910 is a device for storing data. The storage device 910 may include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deletion device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage device 910 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). This storage device 910 drives the hard disk and stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and various data.

[0108] The communication device 911 is a communication interface composed of, for example, a communication device for connecting to a network. The communication device 911 may support either wireless or wired communication.

[0109] <<6. Supplement>> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0110] For example, one or more computer programs can be created to enable the robot 100 and the control center 200 to perform their functions, and these programs can be stored in the hardware such as the CPU, ROM, and RAM built into the robot 100 and the control center 200. A computer-readable storage medium on which these one or more computer programs are stored is also provided. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0111] 10 Networks 100 robots 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 130 Robot Control Unit 131 Judgment Department 132 Command Confirmation Unit 140 Sensor section 150 AI Department 160 Operating part 170 Telephone section 180 Power supply section 190 Mobile Unit 200 Management Center 210 Communication equipment 220 Business Management Department 230 Remote Control Terminals 240 Management Databases

Claims

1. A communication unit that receives operational commands from the management center, A determination unit that determines whether the execution of the action indicated by the command received by the communication unit is safe, based on the sensing results of the surrounding environment and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command, Based on the determination result by the determination unit, a control unit controls the execution of the action indicated by the command, If the determination unit determines that the execution of the action indicated by the command is not safe, the command confirmation unit controls the communication unit to send a connection request to the management center. Equipped with, robot.

2. The determination unit calculates a safety level based on the environmental score corresponding to the surrounding environment determined based on the sensing results, the command score, and the self-position accuracy indicating the likelihood of its own position, and determines whether the execution of the operation is safe or not based on the relationship between the calculated safety level and the threshold. The robot according to claim 1.

3. The determination unit further calculates the safety level based on the operating margin time, which is calculated from the time it takes for the robot to reach the charging equipment and the remaining operating time of the robot based on the remaining power of the robot. The robot according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned environmental score is a value set based on moving objects, steps, or obstacles present in the environment. The robot according to claim 3.

5. The control unit controls the robot so as not to perform the operation if the communication unit cannot establish a connection for the connection request. The robot according to claim 1.

6. The command confirmation unit controls the communication unit to transmit the connection request to the remote control terminal operated by the operator managing the robot at the management center. The robot according to claim 5.

7. The command confirmation unit further controls the communication unit to send a confirmation message to the remote control terminal, which has established a connection, requesting a response from the operator. The robot according to claim 6.

8. The command confirmation unit determines the validity of the response to the confirmation message from the remote control terminal, The control unit controls the robot to execute the action indicated by the command if the command confirmation unit determines that the response is valid, and controls the robot not to execute the action indicated by the command if the command confirmation unit determines that the response is invalid. The robot according to claim 7.

9. Receiving operation commands from the control center, Based on the sensing results of the surrounding environment and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command, it is determined whether or not the execution of the action indicated by the received command is safe. Based on the determination result of whether or not the execution of the action indicated by the aforementioned command is safe, the execution of the action indicated by the aforementioned command is controlled. If it is determined that the execution of the action indicated by the aforementioned command is unsafe, control will be made to send a connection request to the management center. A computer-based information processing method, including [a specific type of computer-based method].

10. Computers, A communication unit that receives operational commands from the management center, A determination unit that determines whether the execution of the action indicated by the command received by the communication unit is safe, based on the sensing results of the surrounding environment and the number of command points corresponding to the content of the command, Based on the determination result by the determination unit, a control unit controls the execution of the action indicated by the command, If the determination unit determines that the execution of the action indicated by the command is not safe, the command confirmation unit controls the communication unit to send a connection request to the management center. A program that makes something function as such.

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