Mobile Robot Base Station Handover Near Radio Shielding Objects

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous mobile robots face challenges in maintaining radio connections due to radio wave shielding objects on their paths, leading to unreliable base station selection and potential communication failures.

Innovation Solution

A control system that includes a radio communication unit and a connection control unit, which prompts the robot to connect to a predetermined base station whose radio wave intensity is affected by the shielding object, even when the robot is about to pass through it, thereby ensuring a stable connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the autonomous mobile robot selects a base station based on received radio wave intensity, then the robot achieves good connection quality in most areas, but the robot cannot connect to the appropriate base station when a radio wave shielding object is on the moving path

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidadaptability to shielding objects
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by determining in advance whether a shielding object exists on the robot's moving path, and pre-selects an appropriate base station before the robot encounters the shielding object. This allows the robot to maintain connection reliability despite the presence of shielding objects that would normally block radio waves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connection control unit acts as an intermediary between the robot's movement path and base station selection. It receives information about shielding objects and movement paths, processes this information to determine appropriate base stations, and provides this selection to the radio communication unit, thereby mediating the connection decision-making process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the robot connects to a base station with low received radio wave intensity due to shielding objects, then the robot maintains connection through shielding objects, but the received radio wave intensity is insufficient for reliable communication

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection continuityVSAvoidreceived radio wave intensity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary selection of a base station that will provide adequate signal strength even when the robot is behind shielding objects. By determining the appropriate base station in advance based on the movement path and shielding object locations, the system ensures continuous connection without relying on insufficient signal strength during the shielding period.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the robot switches base stations frequently to maintain connection quality, then the robot achieves good signal strength, but the complexity of base station management increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal qualityVSAvoidbase station switching complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The connection control unit performs preliminary determination of the appropriate base station based on the robot's movement path and the locations of shielding objects. This advance planning reduces the need for frequent base station switching during robot operation, thereby maintaining signal quality while reducing the complexity of real-time base station management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3889718B1Control system , control method, and program
Publication Date: 2023.12.20 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3889718B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3889718B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3889718B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The control system is a control system that controls a connection between an autonomous mobile robot (10) and a base station (30), the control system including: a radio communication unit (104) that communicates with the base station (30); and a connection control unit (160) that performs control, in a connection of communication performed by the radio communication unit (104), when a radio wave shielding object which the autonomous mobile robot (10) is able to pass through is on a path along which the autonomous mobile robot (10) is to move, so that the autonomous mobile robot (10) is prompted to connect to a predetermined base station (30) of which a received radio wave intensity at a position on the path in front of the shielding object is affected by the shielding object.