JP2006313476A - Work situation automatic notification system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a work situation notification system capable of preventing that a person leading an autonomous traveling vehicle is idly restrained in each floor when performing prescribed work while moving the autonomous traveling vehicle over a plurality of floors inside one building to drastically improve working efficiency overall. <P>SOLUTION: This work situation automatic notification system 1 automatically notifies a work situation of the autonomous traveling vehicle 10 performing the prescribed work while performing an autonomous travel. In the work situation automatic notification system 1, the prescribed person P is made to carry a portable wireless device 20 with one, and an IC tag 30 transmitting specific information is installed in a prescribed work area A inside the building B. The autonomous traveling vehicle 10 is loaded with: a specific information detection means detecting the specific information transmitted from the IC tag 30; a wireless device for the traveling vehicle; and a controller generating work situation information on the basis of the detected specific information, and making it to be transmitted to the portable wireless device 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a work status automatic notification system, and more particularly to a work status automatic notification system that can automatically notify a predetermined person of the work status of an autonomous vehicle that performs a predetermined work in a building.

Currently, various autonomous vehicles (cleaning robots, security robots, trash can transport robots, etc.) that perform predetermined work while autonomously traveling have been proposed. Further, in recent years, a wireless device is mounted on an autonomous vehicle, and a wireless device is installed in an elevator car or an elevator machine room. When the work on a predetermined floor is completed, the autonomous vehicle moves the elevator car via the wireless device. There has been proposed a system for calling and getting into an elevator car and moving to another floor (for example, see Patent Document 1). Such a system is useful when performing predetermined work on each floor of a high-rise building.
JP 2004-171041 A

  However, in order to implement the system described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a wireless device in an elevator car or an elevator machine room, in addition to mounting a wireless device in an autonomous vehicle. Therefore, when a predetermined work is performed on each floor of a building having a small number of floors, it is conceivable that the use of the system increases the disadvantage in terms of cost effectiveness.

  For this reason, if the autonomous vehicle is to perform a predetermined operation on each floor of a building with a small number of floors, or if the autonomous vehicle is to perform a predetermined operation over a plurality of buildings, the predetermined system is not adopted. The method of guiding an autonomous vehicle from one floor (one building) to another floor (other building) was adopted. When such a method is adopted, it is convenient to be able to perform another work away from the autonomous vehicle if the person who guides the autonomous vehicle can know the end of the work of the autonomous vehicle at a remote location. .

  Moreover, in order to implement the system described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a specific actuator in the elevator car. Therefore, since the behavior of the elevator user is hindered, there is a problem that the system can be substantially used only at “night” when there are few elevator users.

  The subject of the present invention is that a person who guides an autonomous traveling vehicle randomly in each floor (each building) in performing a predetermined work while moving the autonomous traveling vehicle across multiple floors (or multiple buildings) in one building. It is intended to provide a work status notification system that can prevent restraint and can significantly improve work efficiency as a whole.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is an automatic work situation notification system for automatically notifying a work situation of an autonomous vehicle that performs a predetermined work while performing autonomous running. A portable wireless device carried by a person, an IC tag provided in a predetermined work area for transmitting specific information, a traveling vehicle wireless device mounted on the autonomous traveling vehicle, and an autonomous traveling vehicle , Specific information detection means for detecting the specific information transmitted from the IC tag, and work status information mounted on the autonomous vehicle, based on the specific information detected by the specific information detection means, And a control device that transmits the work status information from the traveling vehicle wireless device to the portable wireless device.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the control device mounted on the autonomous vehicle generates work situation information based on the specific information transmitted from the IC tag, and the work situation information is transmitted to the autonomous vehicle. Transmission can be performed from the mounted wireless device for traveling vehicles toward the portable wireless device.

  Therefore, for example, when performing a predetermined work while moving an autonomous vehicle over a plurality of floors in one building, a person who guides the autonomous vehicle from one floor to another floor is a portable wireless device. By carrying, it is possible to automatically know the work status of the autonomous vehicle even at a position away from the autonomous vehicle. As a result, the person who guides the autonomous vehicle is not restrained at each floor (each building) and can perform another work during the operation of the autonomous vehicle, so that the manpower can be used effectively. As a result, the overall work efficiency can be greatly improved.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 1, since it is not necessary to install a specific actuator in the elevator car, the behavior of the elevator user is not hindered. Therefore, since the system according to the present invention can be used for work on each floor of a “daytime” high-rise building, work that can only be done at night can be performed in “daytime”. Work efficiency can be greatly improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the work status notifying system according to the first aspect, the portable radio device and the radio device for the rider are PHS terminals, and the control device is connected via a PHS network. The work status information is transmitted from the traveling vehicle wireless device to the portable wireless device.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, a PHS line is directed from a traveling vehicle radio device (PHS terminal) mounted on an autonomous vehicle to a portable radio device (PHS terminal) carried by a predetermined person. Since work status information is transmitted using the network, when a given person is far away from the autonomous vehicle or when a given person is on a different floor (a different building) from the autonomous vehicle In this case, it is possible to reliably transmit work status information.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the work status notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the autonomous traveling vehicle is a cleaning robot that cleans the work area while performing autonomous traveling. The generated work status information is information indicating that the cleaning work in the work area ends after a predetermined time.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, a predetermined person (for example, a person who guides the cleaning robot from one floor of the building to another floor) automatically notifies that the cleaning work by the cleaning robot is finished after a predetermined time. Can know. Therefore, since the predetermined person can pick up the cleaning robot in accordance with the scheduled cleaning end time, the work efficiency can be further improved.

  According to the present invention, the work status information is automatically generated based on the specific information transmitted from the IC tag, and this work status information is automatically transmitted from the autonomous work vehicle to the portable wireless device. A person carrying a portable wireless device can automatically know the status of work by an autonomous vehicle. Therefore, in the case of performing a predetermined work while moving the autonomous traveling vehicle across multiple floors (or multiple buildings) in one building, the person carrying the portable wireless device (the person who guides the autonomous traveling vehicle) It is possible to perform another work while automatically recognizing the work situation at a position away from the autonomous vehicle. As a result, the manpower can be effectively utilized, and the work efficiency can be greatly improved as a whole.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, as an example of the work status notification system according to the present invention, a “cleaning work status notification system” that notifies the cleaning work status of the cleaning robot 10 that cleans a predetermined area in a building while performing autonomous traveling. Will be described.

  First, the structure of the cleaning operation status notification system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cleaning operation status notification system 1 includes a cleaning robot 10 that cleans a predetermined cleaning area A while autonomously running in a predetermined building B, and the cleaning robot 10 is a part of the building B. A PHS terminal 20 carried by a guide P who leads from one floor to another floor, an IC tag 30 provided in a cleaning area A in the building B, and the like.

  The cleaning robot 10 is an autonomous vehicle according to the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 2, wheels 11 for automatically traveling on the floor, a driving device 12 for driving the wheels 11, a cleaning device 13, and an obstacle detection device. 14, a position confirmation device 15, a PHS terminal 16, a reader / writer 17, a main controller 18, a battery (not shown) that supplies power to various devices of the cleaning robot 10, an operation panel, and the like.

  One wheel 11 is provided on each of the left and right of the cleaning robot 10, and is driven and controlled by the main controller 18 via the drive device 12. The drive device 12 includes a left and right drive motor for rotating the left and right wheels 11, a left and right speed reducer for decelerating the left and right wheels 11, and a left and right rotation detector for detecting the rotational speed of the left and right wheels 11. The left and right wheels 11 are driven independently.

  The cleaning device 13 is for cleaning the floor surface when traveling straight ahead. In the present embodiment, a suction nozzle provided in the lower part of the cleaning robot 10, a power brush provided in front of the suction nozzle, a blower motor for sucking dust on the floor, a filter for adsorbing and removing sucked dust, etc. Constitutes the cleaning device 13.

  The obstacle detection device 14 measures the distance from the cleaning robot 10 to a predetermined obstacle. In the present embodiment, an ultrasonic sensor as an obstacle detection device is employed, and the ultrasonic sensors are provided in front and side of the cleaning robot 10, and distances to obstacles existing in front of the cleaning robot 10 The distance to the wall (side wall) existing on the side of the cleaning robot 10 is measured. Information relating to the distance to the predetermined obstacle measured by the obstacle detection device is input to the main controller 18 and used for traveling control.

  The position confirmation device 15 is for confirming the position of the cleaning robot 10. In the present embodiment, the position confirmation device 15 is composed of an odometer that measures the mileage of the cleaning robot 10, an azimuth meter that detects the orientation of the cleaning robot 10, and the like. Information relating to the travel distance and direction detected by the position confirmation device 15 is input to the main controller 18 and used for travel control.

  The PHS terminal 16 is for performing wireless communication with the PHS terminal 20 carried by the guide P, and is a traveling vehicle wireless device according to the present invention. The PHS terminal 16 has an antenna 16 a, and the transmission / reception operation is controlled by the main controller 18.

  The reader / writer 17 transmits a weak specific radio wave (for example, a radio wave reaching a circular area having a predetermined radius centered on the cleaning robot 10) toward the IC tag 30, and is transmitted from the IC tag 30 operated by the specific radio wave. The specific information is detected, and is a specific information detection apparatus according to the present invention. The reader / writer 17 has an antenna 17a, and the transmission / reception operation thereof is controlled by the main controller 18.

  The main controller 18 is composed of an MPU and a memory, and performs integrated control of various devices of the cleaning robot 10. Specifically, the main controller 18 realizes autonomous traveling by independently driving and controlling the left and right wheels 11 via the driving device 12. Moreover, the main controller 18 implements the cleaning operation of the floor surface of the cleaning area A by driving and controlling the cleaning device 13 at a predetermined timing.

  Further, the main controller 18 controls the driving device 12 to maintain the distance to the side wall measured by the obstacle detection device 14 at a constant value, thereby realizing traveling along the wall. The main controller 18 controls the driving device 12 using the direction information detected by the position confirmation device 15 in addition to controlling the driving device 12 using the distance information during traveling along the wall. For example, when the side wall is interrupted or the distance to the side wall becomes long, the main controller 18 performs traveling control using the direction information and continues straight traveling.

  Further, the main controller 18 generates work status information based on the specific information detected by the reader / writer 17, and this work status information is transmitted from the PHS terminal 16 mounted on the cleaning robot 10 via the PHS network 40. Transmission is performed toward the PHS terminal 20 of the guide P. That is, the main controller 18 is a control device in the present invention.

  The PHS terminal 20 is a portable wireless device according to the present invention, receives the work status information transmitted from the PHS terminal 16 mounted on the cleaning robot 10, and outputs the work status information to the outside via a speaker. The guide P carrying the PHS terminal 20 can know the cleaning work status of the cleaning robot 10 by referring to the work status information output from the speaker.

  The IC tag 30 has a memory in which specific information is recorded and an antenna for realizing wireless communication, and operates by a specific radio wave transmitted from the reader / writer 17 of the cleaning robot 10 to transmit the specific information. It is configured to. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, IC tags 30 are installed at two places (a substantially central portion in the horizontal direction and a horizontal end portion) in the cleaning area A.

  Next, operation | movement of the cleaning operation condition alerting | reporting system 1 which concerns on this Embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.1 and FIG.3. In the present embodiment, the cleaning robot 10 is allowed to travel straight in the “longitudinal” direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) in the rectangular cleaning area A as shown in FIG. 3 and at the end of the cleaning area A. The cleaning is performed while being rotated 180 ° and gradually moving in the “lateral” direction of the cleaning area A (the horizontal direction in FIG. 3).

First, guided occupant P, using an elevator, not shown, to induce the cleaning robot 10 to a predetermined floor F ₂ shown in FIG. Then, guided occupant P is corner cleaning area A of the cleaning robot 10 at a predetermined floor F ₂ arranged (lower left point in Figure 3), inputs the range of the cleaning area A using the operation panel An instruction is input to allow autonomous running. Then, guided occupant P, as shown in FIG. 1, performs other tasks to move the elevator from a given floor F ₂ while carrying the PHS terminal 20 to other floors F _n.

  The main controller 18 of the cleaning robot 10 that has received an instruction input from the guide P controls the driving device 12 to start straight traveling, and drives the cleaning device 13 to start cleaning the cleaning area A. Specifically, the main controller 18 measures the distance from the cleaning robot 10 to the side wall using the obstacle detection device 14, determines whether the measured distance exceeds a preset threshold value, and measures When the measured distance is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, the driving device 12 is controlled so as to maintain the measured distance to the side wall at a constant value, thereby realizing traveling along the wall. At this time, the main controller 18 controls the traveling direction of the cleaning robot 10 while detecting the direction by the position confirmation device 15 (direction meter) and measures the travel distance.

  When the cleaning robot 10 reaches the end of the cleaning area A (the upper left point in FIG. 3), the main controller 18 controls the driving device 12 to stop the left and right wheels 11. Then, the main controller 18 controls the driving device 12 to reversely rotate the left and right wheels 11 at the same speed, thereby realizing a clockwise 90 ° spin turn. After that, the main controller 18 controls the driving device 12 to perform a slight forward travel, and then realizes a 90 ° clockwise spin turn again. As a result, the cleaning robot 10 is rotated 180 ° clockwise and the traveling direction is reversed, and then the straight traveling is resumed. The main controller 18 causes the cleaning robot 10 to travel along a route as shown in FIG. 3 by sequentially performing such travel control.

  Further, the main controller 18 drives the reader / writer 17 while performing such traveling control, and transmits weak specific radio waves that reach a circular area having a predetermined radius (for example, 0.5 m to 1 m) with the cleaning robot 10 as the center. Let As a result of the movement of the cleaning robot 10, when the IC tag 30 enters a circular area where the specific radio wave reaches, the IC tag 30 is activated by the specific radio wave transmitted from the reader / writer 17 to specify specific information toward the reader / writer 17. To send. The main controller 18 detects specific information transmitted from the IC tag 30 with the reader / writer 17, generates work status information based on the specific information, and uses the generated work status information as the PHS terminal 16 and the PHS network 40. To the PHS terminal 20 of the guide P.

  When the main controller 18 of the cleaning robot 10 in the present embodiment detects specific information transmitted from the IC tag 30 embedded in the substantially central portion in the horizontal direction of the cleaning area A as shown in FIG. The cleaning work status information is generated to the effect that the half has been completed. Then, from the speaker of the PHS terminal 20 that has received such cleaning work status information, a voice saying “Half cleaning has been completed” is repeatedly output. In addition, the main controller 18, as shown in FIG. 3, when the specific information transmitted from the IC tag 30 embedded in the lateral end of the cleaning area A is detected, the cleaning operation that the cleaning operation will be completed soon. Generate status information. The speaker of the PHS terminal 20 that has received such cleaning work status information repeatedly outputs a voice saying “Cleaning is about to end”.

The guide P carrying the PHS terminal 20 recognizes the status of the cleaning work by the cleaning robot 10 from the sound (cleaning work status information) output from the speaker of the PHS terminal 20, and the floor F _n on which the PHS terminal 20 is working. cleaning robot 10 is moved to the floor F ₂ doing cleaning work. Then, the guide P guides the cleaning robot 10 to the front of the elevator door, calls the elevator cage, gets into the elevator cage together with the cleaning robot 10, moves to another floor (for example, the lower floor F ₁ ), and the cleaning robot. 10 and get off the elevator. Thereafter, the guide P inputs an instruction to the cleaning robot 10 and restarts the cleaning operation in the same manner as described above.

  In the cleaning work status notification system 1 according to the embodiment described above, the main controller 18 mounted on the cleaning robot 10 generates cleaning work status information based on the specific information transmitted from the IC tag 30, and this The cleaning work status information can be transmitted from the PHS terminal 16 mounted on the cleaning robot 10 toward the PHS terminal 20 carried by the guide P. Therefore, the guide P can automatically know the cleaning work status of the cleaning robot 10 even at a position away from the cleaning robot 10. As a result, the guider P is not restrained on each floor and can perform another work during the cleaning work of the cleaning robot 10, so that the manpower can be effectively utilized and the work efficiency as a whole can be improved. Can be greatly improved.

  Moreover, in the cleaning operation status notification system 1 according to the embodiment described above, it is not necessary to install a specific actuator in the elevator car, so that the behavior of the elevator user is not hindered. Therefore, since the system according to the present embodiment can be used for cleaning work on each floor of a high-rise building in “daytime”, it is possible to perform cleaning work on a high-rise building that can only be done at nighttime in “daytime”. Therefore, the working efficiency can be remarkably improved from this point.

  Moreover, in the cleaning operation status notification system 1 according to the embodiment described above, the PHS network 40 is connected from the PHS terminal 16 mounted on the cleaning robot 10 to the PHS terminal 20 carried by the guide P. Since the cleaning work status information is transmitted by using, the cleaning is surely performed even when the guide P is far away from the cleaning robot 10 or when the guide P is on a different floor from the cleaning robot 10. It is possible to transmit work status information.

  In the embodiment described above, the IC tags 30 are installed at two locations in the cleaning area A (approximately the center in the horizontal direction and the end in the horizontal direction of the cleaning area A), and the main controller 18 of the cleaning robot 10 Although the example in which the cleaning work status information is generated in two stages based on the specific information transmitted from the two IC tags 30 has been shown, the number and position of the IC tags 30 are not limited to this, It can be appropriately set according to the shape / size of the cleaning area A, the traveling speed / traveling route of the cleaning robot 10, and the like.

  For example, only one IC tag is installed in the central portion in the horizontal direction of the cleaning area A, specific information transmitted from the IC tag, the elapsed time since the specific information was detected, and the traveling speed of the cleaning robot 10 In response to this, the main controller 18 can generate cleaning work status information indicating that “the cleaning work will be completed soon”. Further, the main controller 18 of the cleaning robot 10 generates cleaning work status information indicating that “the cleaning work is finished after a predetermined time” in accordance with the specific information transmitted from the IC tag and the traveling speed of the cleaning robot 10. You can also. When such information is generated, the guide P can automatically know that the cleaning operation by the cleaning robot 10 is finished after a predetermined time, and picks up the cleaning robot 10 in accordance with the scheduled cleaning end time. Therefore, work efficiency can be further improved.

  In the above embodiment, the “PHS terminal” is adopted as the portable wireless device and the wireless device for the runner, and the cleaning work is performed from the cleaning robot 10 toward the guide P through the “PHS network 40”. Although an example in which the status information is transmitted has been shown, the wireless communication means is not limited to this. For example, a “mobile phone” may be adopted as the portable wireless device and the traveling wireless device, and the cleaning work status information may be transmitted from the cleaning robot 10 to the guide P via the “mobile phone network”.

  In the above embodiment, the cleaning work according to the present embodiment is performed when the cleaning robot 10 is guided while being guided from one “floor” to another “floor” in a predetermined building B. Although the example which applied the condition alerting | reporting system 1 was shown, also when performing the cleaning work, guiding the cleaning robot 10 from one “building” to another “building”, the cleaning work situation according to the present embodiment The notification system 1 can be applied.

  Moreover, in the above embodiment, in the case where the cleaning operation is performed using only “one” cleaning robot 10, an example in which the cleaning operation state notification system 1 according to the present embodiment is applied has been described. Even when a cleaning operation is performed using “a plurality of” cleaning robots 10, the cleaning operation state notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can be applied. When the cleaning work is performed using the “multiple” cleaning robots 10 in this way, each cleaning robot 10 is set so that the guide P can recognize and recognize the cleaning work status of each cleaning robot 10. Information related to the name and number (No. 1, No. 2, etc.) for distinction is transmitted together with the cleaning work status information.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the “cleaning robot” is adopted as the autonomous traveling vehicle, and the example in which the present invention is applied to the “cleaning operation status notification system” is shown. The present invention can also be applied to a “security work status notification system”. In addition, a “trash can transport robot” may be adopted as an autonomous vehicle, and the present invention may be applied to a “transport work status notification system”.

  It can be judged by attaching a magnetic tape to the floor or the like instead of the IC tag, but if the floor is a mat, the magnetic tape may be placed under the mat. Installation is difficult. Since the IC tag is small, it can be easily installed even on a tile floor. In addition, the work area can be stored in the main controller 18 and the work status can be determined and reported. However, when a plurality of cleaning robots are used, it is necessary to input a work place, and the input device and its work are complicated. become. In the case of an IC tag, identification data can be input in advance and used.

It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure of the cleaning work condition alerting | reporting system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the functional structure of the cleaning robot of the cleaning operation condition alerting | reporting system shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the driving | running route and cleaning area | region of the cleaning robot of the cleaning operation condition alerting | reporting system shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Cleaning status automatic notification system 10 Cleaning robot (autonomous vehicle)
16 PHS terminal (wireless device for traveling vehicle)
17 Reader / writer (specific information detection means)
18 Main controller (control device)
20 PHS terminal (portable wireless device)
30 IC tag 40 PHS network A Cleaning area (predetermined work area)
B Building P Guider (predetermined person)

Claims (3)

A work status automatic notification system that automatically notifies the work status of an autonomous vehicle that performs a predetermined work while performing autonomous travel,
A portable wireless device carried by a predetermined person;
An IC tag that is provided in a predetermined work area and transmits specific information;
A traveling vehicle radio device mounted on the autonomous traveling vehicle;
Specific information detecting means mounted on the autonomous vehicle and detecting the specific information transmitted from the IC tag;
Work status information is generated based on the specific information that is mounted on the autonomous vehicle and detected by the specific information detection means, and the work status information is transmitted from the traveling vehicle radio device to the portable radio device. A control device to transmit;
A work status automatic notification system comprising: The portable wireless device and the traveling vehicle wireless device are:
A PHS terminal,
The control device includes:
The work status notification system according to claim 1, wherein the work status information is transmitted from the traveling vehicle wireless device to the portable wireless device via a PHS network. The autonomous vehicle is
A cleaning robot that cleans the work area while autonomously running;
The work status information generated by the control device is:
The work status notification system according to claim 1, wherein the work status notification system is information indicating that the cleaning work in the work area is finished after a predetermined time.

Images