Autonomous Mobile Body Stopping Logic for Safe Stoppable Regions

Solution Overview

Problem

In systems with multiple autonomous movable bodies, ensuring safety by stopping non-remotely controlled bodies is challenging, especially in locations where stopping is not safe.

Innovation Solution

A control system that includes a control device transmitting specific control signals to autonomous movable bodies, allowing them to determine if they are within a stoppable region and to stop accordingly, ensuring safety without causing hazards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an autonomous movable body is stopped to ensure safety when not remotely controlled, then safety is improved, but the ability to stop in appropriate locations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidstopping capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-recognizes stoppable regions before the autonomous movable body needs to stop. By advance identification of safe stopping locations, the body can immediately stop when remote control is requested without needing to search for suitable locations, thus both improving safety response time and ensuring stops occur in appropriate locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous movable body autonomously determines whether it is currently in a stoppable region and independently executes the stop decision without external intervention. This self-service capability allows the body to safely stop itself when needed, improving both safety and stopping capability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the autonomous movable body stops immediately when remote control is requested, then safety is improved, but the risk of stopping in unsafe locations increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidstopping hazard

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-recognizes stoppable regions before the autonomous movable body needs to stop. By advance identification of safe stopping locations, the body can immediately stop when remote control is requested without needing to search for suitable locations, thus both improving safety response time and ensuring stops occur in appropriate locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous movable body autonomously determines whether it is currently in a stoppable region and independently executes the stop decision without external intervention. This self-service capability allows the body to safely stop itself when needed, improving both safety and stopping capability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250165003A1Autonomous movable body control system, autonomous movable body, and control device

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP

AI summary

Provided are an autonomous movable body control system, an autonomous movable body, and a control device, each capable of stopping the autonomous movable body safely. The autonomous movable body control system according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of autonomous movable bodies, and a control device that transmits a control signal for controlling at least one of the plurality of autonomous movable bodies as a control target to each of the plurality of autonomous movable bodies. In the system, among the plurality of autonomous movable bodies, an autonomous movable body other than the control target determines whether an own movable body of the autonomous movable body is located within a stoppable region, and stops based on the result of the determination.