JP2009265801A - Autonomous traveling device and program for making the same device function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an autonomous traveling device for preventing the generation of any non-passing region where any body does not pass by improving the precision of the moving direction to move the body. <P>SOLUTION: The autonomous traveling device includes: an obstacle detection means 2 installed on the front face and side face of a body 1 for detecting the presence/absence of an obstacle and its distance to an obstacle; a direction detection means 3 for detecting the moving direction of the body 1; a traveling means 7 for making the body 1 move and travel; and a control means 5 for controlling the traveling means 7 based on the output signal of each detection means. In correcting the moving direction of the body by correcting the output of the direction detection means 3, the control means 5 determines whether to execute direction deviation correction processing according to an angle made with a wall face according to the establishment of the conditions of the earlier one of the elapsed time of an operation and the number of times of direction conversion. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an autonomous traveling device that travels while detecting and avoiding an obstacle, and a program for causing the device to function.

Conventionally, this type of autonomous traveling device includes control means, traveling means for moving the main body, traveling direction detecting means for detecting the traveling direction of the main body, and obstacle detecting means for detecting walls and obstacles. A process end determination means and a next process start position determination means, wherein the main body travels in a first direction according to the output of the travel direction detection means, and the obstacle detection means is in front of the vehicle while traveling in the first direction. When a wall or obstacle is detected, the main body is reversed, the main body is moved in the second direction which is the reverse direction of the first direction, and when a wall or obstacle is detected in front of the second direction, the main body is reversed. The main body repeatedly travels back and forth between the first direction and the second direction, such as traveling in the first direction which is the reverse direction of the second direction, and the predetermined area is moved in the first and second directions. So that it moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to There is a (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-241832 A

  However, the conventional techniques described above often use, for example, a gyro sensor or the like as the traveling direction detection means for detecting the traveling direction of the main body. In this gyro sensor, since the output signal becomes unstable temporarily at the time of activation, it is generally necessary to adjust the output signal with respect to the input angle. However, even if the characteristics of the output signal with respect to the input angle of the gyro sensor are adjusted, there is a problem that the output signal fluctuates (angle drift) over time or the output signal fluctuates due to temperature characteristics. Due to the deviation of the output signal, the movement direction of the main body 1 with respect to the wall is shifted at the start of operation, and as a result, a non-passing area is generated near the wall in the movement area, and the movement area can be moved without much. It had the problem of becoming difficult.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous traveling device that prevents the movement accuracy of the main body from moving down and prevents the occurrence of a non-passing area through which the main body does not pass.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the autonomous traveling device of the present invention includes an obstacle detection unit that is installed on the front and side surfaces of the main body and detects the presence or absence of an obstacle or the distance to the obstacle, and the moving direction of the main body Direction detecting means, traveling means for moving the main body, and control means for controlling the traveling means based on an output signal of each detecting means, the control means comprising: When correcting the output and correcting the direction of movement of the main unit, whether the direction deviation correction processing is executed according to the angle with the wall surface is satisfied, whichever of the operation elapsed time or the number of direction changes is satisfied This is an autonomous traveling device performed in Accordingly, the main body 1 moves in the direction of the main body 1 by correcting the direction of the main body 1 by adjusting the direction of the main body 1 based on the wall detected by the obstacle detecting means while the autonomous mobile device is moving in the moving area. It can prevent that a precision falls and can prevent the non-passing area | region which an autonomous traveling apparatus does not pass generate | occur | produces.

The autonomous traveling device of the present invention and the program for causing the device to function are arranged such that the main body is aligned parallel to or perpendicular to the wall detected by the obstacle detection means 2 while the main body is moving in the moving region, thereby The main body moving direction of the main body direction detecting means 3 is corrected, the movement accuracy of the main body moving is prevented from being lowered, and the occurrence of a non-passing area through which the autonomous traveling device does not pass can be prevented.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided obstacle detection means for detecting presence or absence of an obstacle or a distance to the obstacle, direction detection means for detecting a movement direction of the main body, and the main body. Travel means for traveling, and control means for controlling the travel means based on output signals of the detection means. The control means corrects the output of the direction detection means to correct the movement direction of the main body. By making an autonomous traveling device that determines whether or not to perform direction deviation correction processing depending on the angle with the wall surface when the operation elapsed time or the number of direction changes is satisfied, whichever is earlier, the main body Can move out of the immovable region, and the autonomous traveling device can be improved in that the reciprocal movement does not proceed and does not end by repeated operations.

  In a second aspect of the invention, the control means of the first aspect of the invention is an autonomous traveling device that corrects the main body moving direction based on the front wall surface detected by the obstacle detecting means while the main body is traveling in the moving region. The main body is oriented so that it is perpendicular to the wall detected in front of the main body by the obstacle detection means 2 while the main body is moving in the moving region, thereby correcting the direction of the main body direction detection means 3, It is possible to eliminate the output deviation of the direction detecting means 3 and prevent the movement accuracy of the main body 1 from being lowered and the occurrence of a non-passing area.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, the control means of the first or second aspect of the invention corrects the main body moving direction and then corrects the main body moving direction correction angle based on the change in the distance from the wall detected on the side surface of the main body while the main body moves straight The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main body is aligned in parallel with the side wall detected by the obstacle detection means 2 while the main body is moving in the moving area, Thus, it is possible to correct the direction of the direction detection means 3 of the main body, eliminate the output deviation of the direction detection means 3, and prevent the movement accuracy of the main body 1 from being lowered and the occurrence of a non-passing area.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, any one of the control means according to the first to fourth aspects of the present invention changes a determination value of the angle of the wall surface used for determining whether or not correction of the main body moving direction can be performed according to the elapsed operation time. By using the autonomous traveling device, it is possible to prevent the direction deviation correction process from being performed on the wrong wall that is inappropriate for the direction correction, and it is possible to prevent the movement accuracy of the main body 1 from being lowered and the occurrence of a non-passing area.

  According to a fifth aspect, after any one of the control means according to the first to fourth aspects verifies the correction angle in the moving direction of the main body based on a change in the distance from the wall detected on the side surface of the main body while the main body is moving straight ahead. By using an autonomous traveling device that repeats the correction operation when there is no moving direction of the main body within the preset angle range with the side wall, it is possible to perform the direction deviation correction processing with the wrong wall unsuitable for the direction correction. It is possible to prevent the lowering of the movement accuracy of the main body 1 and the occurrence of a non-passing area.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a distance change from the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection means on the side surface of the main body by the control means of any one of the first to fifth inventions rotating the main body clockwise or counterclockwise. By using the autonomous traveling device that corrects the movement direction of the main body based on the above, it is possible to prevent the direction deviation correction processing from being performed on the wrong wall that is inappropriate for the direction correction, and to reduce the movement accuracy of the main body 1 and the non-passing area. Occurrence can be prevented.

  In a seventh aspect, the control means according to any one of the first to sixth aspects determines the continuity of the detection distance detected by the obstacle detection means on the side surface of the main body and determines the wall surface and the unevenness of the wall surface. By using the autonomous traveling device, it is possible to prevent the direction deviation correction process from being performed on the wrong wall that is inappropriate for the direction correction, and it is possible to prevent the movement accuracy of the main body 1 from being lowered and the occurrence of a non-passing area.

The eighth invention is a program for causing a computer to function as all or part of the means of the autonomous mobile device according to any one of the first to seventh inventions. A part or all of the autonomous traveling device can be easily realized, and changes in the setting conditions and constants for realizing a change in characteristics and an operation such as change of the ultrasonic sensor or secular change can be flexibly dealt with. Also, the program can be easily distributed by recording it on a recording medium or distributing the program using a communication line.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the autonomous mobile device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the autonomous mobile device includes obstacle detection means 2 that is installed on the front and side surfaces of the main body 1 to detect the presence and distance of an obstacle, a gyro sensor, and the like. Direction detecting means 3 for detecting the moving direction of the main body 1, distance recognition means 4 for detecting the moving distance of the main body 1 from the diameter of the driving wheel 9 and its rotational speed, and a motor (not shown) connected to the driving wheel 9. ) And its drive circuit (not shown), driving means 9 for driving the drive wheel 9 to drive the main body 1 together with the follower wheel 10, the direction output of the direction detection means 3, and the distance output of the distance recognition means 4; The position recognition means 6 that calculates the position of the main body 1 based on the above and stores the movement trajectory of the main body 1 and a buffer that is installed on the front surface of the main body 1 to mitigate impact from the front and detect contact with an obstacle. Means 8 and progress from the start of energization The time measuring means 12 for measuring time such as the interval, the setting input means 11 for the user to input instructions such as starting and stopping the main body 1 or changing various settings (such as output correction instructions for the direction detecting means 3); Control means 5 for controlling the traveling means 7 based on the output signals of the obstacle detecting means 2, the direction detecting means 3, the distance recognizing means 4, the position recognizing means 6, the buffer means 8, the setting input means 11 and the time measuring means 12. I have. The direction detecting means 3 is composed of a gyro sensor that outputs a signal proportional to the angular velocity, and a circuit that integrates the output signal of the gyro sensor and converts it into a signal representing an angle.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the obstacle detection means 2 installed in the main body 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, transmitting-side ultrasonic sensors 2a and 2b that transmit ultrasonic waves are disposed in front of the body 1, and a receiving-side ultrasonic sensor 2d that receives reflected waves of ultrasonic waves reflected by an obstacle is disposed. Optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g for measuring the distance to the obstacle with infrared rays are arranged on the right side surface of the main body 1, and θc indicates a detection angle range of the receiving ultrasonic sensor 2d. The transmission side ultrasonic sensors 2a and 2b, the reception side ultrasonic sensor 2d, and the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g constitute the obstacle detection means 2.

  The operation of the autonomous traveling device configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of the autonomous traveling device, FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation state of the autonomous traveling device, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating distance detection characteristics of the obstacle detection means.

As shown in FIG. 3, after starting, the autonomous mobile device detects the distance to the obstacle by the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g, which are the obstacle detection means 2 arranged on the right side surface of the main body 1. Whether or not a wall is present on the right side of 1 is detected by the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g of the obstacle detecting means 2 (step 1). If no obstacle is detected, the main body 1 is advanced (step 2). When the obstacle detection means 2 (reception-side ultrasonic sensor 2d) detects an obstacle within a first predetermined distance (for example, 10 cm) in front of the main body 1 (step 3), the control means 5 controls the traveling means 7. After the main body 1 is stopped, it is rotated 90 degrees to the left (step 4). At this time, the control means 5 monitors the rotation angle of the main body 1 with the direction output of the direction detection means 3, while the traveling means 7 rotates the left and right drive wheels 9 in the reverse direction (the left drive wheel moves backward and the right drive wheel moves forward). ), The main body 1 is rotated 90 degrees to the left (counterclockwise).

  Then, since the obstacle (wall 13) that has been in front of the main body 1 is detected on the right side of the main body 1, the distances Df and Dg to the obstacle are detected by the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g (see FIG. 4). Is measured, and the difference between the front distance Df and the rear distance Dg is determined. If the front distance Df is larger than Dg (step 5), the main body 1 is moved to the right so that the main body 1 is parallel to the wall. A predetermined angle is rotated (step 8). Thereafter, returning to (Step 5) again, the front and rear distances Df and Dg are determined, and if the rear distance Dg is larger than Df (Step 6), the main body 1 is placed so as to be parallel to the wall 13. It rotates counterclockwise (step 7) and returns to (step 5) again to determine whether the front and rear distances Df and Dg are large or small (step 5). By repeating such an operation several times (3 to 4 times), the measured values of the front distance Df and the rear distance Dg are finally the same, and the main body 1 is parallel to the wall surface direction of the wall on the right side. Become.

  This is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, if the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g are the same, the optical distance measuring sensor 2f so that the direction of the main body 1 and the moving direction of the main body 1 are parallel to the wall 13 existing on the right side. And the attachment position to the main body 1 of 2g is determined.

  Next, FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the detection distances Df and Dg to the obstacle detected by the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g and the rotation angle of the main body 1. The solid line in FIG. The measurement distance Df of the distance measurement sensor 2f is shown, and the chain line shows the measurement distance Dg of the optical distance measurement sensor 2g. The vertical axis indicates the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g, the horizontal axis indicates the rotation angle, and when the rotation angle of the horizontal axis is changed from the left to the right, that is, the main body 1 is reversed. Each detection distance Df and Dg when rotating clockwise is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the wall 13 is a flat surface, when the orientation of the main body 1 is continuously rotated, the measurement distances of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g are continuously changed. When the direction of the main body 1 rotates counterclockwise from the parallel point PP parallel to the wall surface, the detection distance Df of the optical distance measuring sensor 2f gradually increases, and when it rotates clockwise from the parallel point PP, it decreases and then increases. The characteristics to be shown. Further, if the direction of the main body 1 rotates clockwise from a parallel point PP parallel to the wall surface, the detection distance Dg of the optical distance measuring sensor 2g gradually increases, and once it decreases in the counterclockwise direction, it shows a characteristic of increasing. . In addition, when the main body 1 and the wall 13 present on the side surface thereof are parallel, the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g are the same at the parallel distance L0, and the measurement distance Df when the main body 1 is rotated, Dg is not the same except for the wall and parallel point PP. This is because, as shown in FIG. 4, the optical distance measuring sensors 2 f and 2 g provided on the side surface of the main body 1 are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and the main body 1 maintains a predetermined interval from the wall 13. It is a phenomenon that occurs. When the main body 1 becomes parallel to the wall 13, the control means 5 initializes (resets) the direction output of the direction detection means 3 at that time, and sets the reference direction (0 °) of the rotation angle of the main body 1 thereafter. recognize.

  That is, in the example shown in FIG. 4, after the main body 1 is activated, the obstacle detection unit 2 detects whether or not the wall 13 is present on the right side. When a wall (obstacle) 13 is detected in front of the main body 1, the detected wall 13 is rotated 90 degrees to the left so that the wall 13 detected in front of the main body 1 can be detected on the right side of the main body 1. Then, the direction of the main body 1 with respect to the wall 13 is made parallel.

  An optical distance measuring sensor is also arranged on the left side of the main body 1, and after the main body 1 is activated, the presence or absence of a wall on the left side is also detected. If there are obstacles or walls on the left side, You may make it the main body 1 become parallel. In addition, when the main body 1 is first rotated 360 degrees immediately after activation and the wall 13 is detected by the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g on the right side surface of the main body 1 during the rotation operation, 1 may be parallel.

  Next, the operation after making the main body 1 parallel to the wall 13 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a movement trajectory of the autonomous traveling device, and shows a movement trajectory stored in the position recognition means 6 in the main body 1 within the movement region surrounded by the wall 13.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the position recognition means 6 is based on the rotation angle (movement direction) of the main body 1 detected by the direction detection means 3 of the main body 1 and the movement distance of the main body 1 detected by the distance recognition means 4. Then, the position information of the main body 1 is calculated, and the movement trajectory based on the position information is stored on the two-dimensional coordinates. The coordinates in FIG. 6 are defined so that the coordinate value increases when moving to the left of the X axis, and the coordinate value increases when moving upward on the Y axis. The coordinates of one unit are almost the same as the width of the main body 1. The size (for example, 30 cm) is used. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the uppermost Y coordinate value in the movement area shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the parallel alignment operation is finished at the point P0 of the coordinates (0, 0) and the movement is started from this point, the distance from the parallel aligned wall 13 is set to the first predetermined distance (10 cm). If the obstacle detection means 2 detects an obstacle (wall 13) in front of the main body 1, the direction is changed to 90 degrees to the left and the obstacle detected so far is detected. The right side of the main body 1 can be detected. Then, when the main body 1 moves to the left while maintaining the first predetermined distance (10 cm) with respect to the obstacle detected on the right side, and then detects an obstacle (wall 13) in front of the main body 1 The direction of the obstacle (wall 13) is also changed. By repeating this operation, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 6, an outer periphery moving operation is performed in which the outer periphery (inside the wall 13) in the moving region, which is a room, goes around counterclockwise. In this outer peripheral movement operation, the main body 1 returns to the starting point (the origin (0, 0) in FIG. 6) and changes its direction, and the detection distance Df detected by the optical distance measuring sensor 2f on the right side surface of the main body 1 is illustrated. 6 when the first predetermined distance is almost secured with respect to the right wall 13 in FIG.

  Next, the internal movement operation performed after the outer peripheral movement operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, when the control means 5 starts the internal movement operation, the control unit 5 first moves the main body 1 straight in the first direction (Y-axis direction) that is aligned parallel to the wall 13, and obstructs the body 1 in front. When the wall 13 is detected, the left and right drive wheels 9 are reversely rotated at the point (coordinate (0, p)) where the wall 13 is detected, and the main body 1 is turned 90 degrees to the left, and then leftward. A second predetermined distance (main body width of about 30 cm) is made to go straight. At that point (coordinates (1, p)), the main body 1 is further turned 90 degrees to the left, and then the main body 1 is moved straight in the second direction (the reverse direction of the Y axis).

  Then, after starting straight travel in the second direction (opposite direction of the Y axis), if the obstacle wall 13 is detected within the first predetermined distance in front of the main body 1, the point (coordinates (1, 0)) is detected. ), The left and right drive wheels 9 are reversely rotated to change the direction of the main body 1 to 90 degrees on the right side, and then go straight ahead by a second predetermined distance. At that point (coordinates (2, 0)), the main body 1 is further turned 90 degrees to the right, and the main body 1 is again moved straight in the first direction (Y-axis direction). The above operation is repeated to perform an internal movement operation in which the main body 1 travels in a zigzag manner in the movement area.

  As described above, when the main body 1 is traveling straight and detecting the wall 13 that is an obstacle within the first predetermined distance in front of the main body 1, the direction is 90 degrees with respect to the traveling direction of the reciprocating movement (Y-axis direction in FIG. 6). After the conversion, the vehicle travels straight ahead for a second predetermined distance in the opposite direction of the X axis, and then performs another 90-degree direction change. The direction change of 180 degrees is performed by this series of movements, and this direction change operation is repeatedly performed every time the wall 13 is detected. At this time, the control means 5 counts the number of times of direction change. In each of the internal movements, the first turn 90 degrees is detected by detecting the wall 13 which is an obstacle while going straight, the turn T1 is the turn, the transverse movement is the turn T2, and the turn 90 degrees thereafter. Is referred to as direction change T3.

In the internal movement operation, the position of the main body 1 is recognized based on the rotation angle (movement direction) of the main body 1 detected by the direction detection means 3 and the movement distance of the main body 1 detected by the distance recognition means 4. Are sequentially stored in the position recognizing means 6.

  Next, an operation when a deviation occurs in the output of the direction detection means 3 due to factors such as the passage of time will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an actual movement trajectory in which the main body 1 actually moves in the movement area when a deviation occurs in the output of the direction detection means 3.

  7 shows an actual movement locus when the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is slightly shifted (CW: clockwise with respect to FIG. 7), and the main body as shown in the non-passing region R1 (horizontal line filling portion) in FIG. As the moving direction of 1 shifts, a non-passing region is generated near the wall of the moving region. When a non-passing area is generated in this way, it is impossible to move without any movement in the moving area. Since the non-passing region is caused by the occurrence of the direction deviation of the direction detection means 3, it is necessary to eliminate the direction deviation of the direction detection means 3 as much as possible. Therefore, the control means 5 of the main body 1 starts the main body 1 during the internal movement operation, aligns it with the wall in the movement area by the outer peripheral movement operation, initializes the direction output of the direction detection means 3 for a predetermined time ( For example, 5 minutes) or more passes, or the direction detection unit 3 initializes the direction output and the direction change after starting the internal movement operation reaches a predetermined number of times, whichever comes first, whichever comes first. The operation of correcting the direction output 3 is performed.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the internal movement operation of the autonomous mobile device. As shown in FIG. 8, when the wall 13 is detected in front of the main body 1 while moving in the first direction (step 11), the control means 5 controls the traveling means 7 at that point (coordinates 0, p in FIG. 6). After the main body 1 is stopped, it is rotated 90 degrees to the left (step 12). At this time, the control means 5 reversely rotates the left and right drive wheels 9 by the traveling means 7 while monitoring the rotation angle of the main body 1 by the direction output of the direction detection means 3 (the left drive wheel moves backward and the right drive wheel moves forward). By doing so, the direction of the main body 1 is changed 90 degrees to the left (counterclockwise).

  When a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has passed since the direction output of the direction detection means 3 was initialized by parallel alignment with the wall during the outer peripheral movement operation (step 13), there is a front of the main body 1. Since the wall 13 is detected on the right side of the main body 1, the difference between the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is determined, and if the front detection distance Df is long (step 14), it is parallel to the wall. Thus, the main body 1 is rotated to the right (step 17), and the difference between the front and rear detection distances Df and Dg is determined again (step 14). Similarly, if the rear detection distance Dg is long (step 15), the main body 1 is rotated counterclockwise so as to be parallel to the wall (step 16), and again returns to (step 14) to detect the front and rear detection distances Df and Dg. Judging. By repeating such an operation several times, the front and rear detection distances Df and Dg are finally the same, and the main body 1 is parallel to the wall existing on the right side surface. On the other hand, when the predetermined time (5 minutes) has not elapsed in (Step 13) and the number of direction changes after the start of the internal movement operation reaches a predetermined number (for example, 4 times) (Step 22), Similarly to (Step 14) to (Step 17), the parallel alignment operation with the wall is performed.

And the control means 5 monitors the information of the direction output of the direction detection means 3, calculates | requires the difference of the direction output of the direction detection means 3 before and behind a direction change, and the difference of those direction outputs is within the preset angle. (For example, 90 ° ± 3 °) is determined (step 18). If the angle is equal to or greater than the angle, the direction of the direction detecting means 3 after the parallel alignment operation is newly set to 90 °, which is the target direction of the lateral straight advance T2 (for example, If the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 after the parallel alignment is 94 °, the setting is changed to 90 ° and set as the target direction of the lateral straight advance T2). That is, the direction error (deviation) of the control system including the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is corrected by 4 ° as a whole (step 19). After changing the target direction, the elapsed time counted by the time measuring means 12 and the number of times of direction change counted by the control means 5 are reset (step 20), and the elapsed time measured by the time measuring means 12 is set again in advance. The direction output of the direction detection unit 3 is not corrected until the time (for example, 5 minutes) elapses or the direction change is performed a predetermined number of times (for example, 4 times). On the other hand, the direction output of the direction detection unit 3 is not changed in a place where the difference in the direction output before and after the facing operation is within a preset angle (for example, 90 ° ± 3 °). Here, the direction correction operation of (Step 19) will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the direction correcting operation of the present invention. FIG. 9A shows a state in which the wall 13 is detected and stopped in front of the main body 1 in (Step 11), and the straight direction of the main body 1 until the stop is the main body moving direction D1 shown in FIG. 9A. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the main body 1 is turned 90 ° to the left from that state, and the main body 1 is parallelly aligned with the wall so that the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g are equal. As shown in FIG. 9B, the direction in which the front face of the main body 1 aligned in parallel is the main body moving direction D2 in FIG.

  When the direction output of the direction detection means 3 is large and the first straight movement direction of the main body 1 is largely deviated clockwise as shown in FIG. 9A, the main body movement direction D1 and the main body movement direction D2 The angle difference is larger than the normal turning angle of 90 degrees, and it is judged whether or not the angle difference is within a predetermined angle range (for example, 90 ° ± 3 °). The direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is corrected so that the subsequent main body moving direction D2 is 90 ° (the target direction of the laterally straight traveling T2).

  As described above, during the internal movement operation, after the direction output of the direction detection means 3 is initialized, the wall 13 is detected in front of the main body 1 in a state where a predetermined time has elapsed or the number of times of direction change has reached a predetermined number. Then, after the direction is changed, the main body 1 is aligned with the detected wall 13 in parallel. It is determined whether or not it is necessary to correct the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 from the angle difference before the direction change and after the direction change after the direction change. If necessary, the direction in which the main body 1 is parallel is determined. Thereafter, the target direction of the moving direction of the main body 1 is corrected.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the wall 13 is detected in front of the main body 1 during the internal movement operation, and the main body 1 is stopped and changed direction, the direction detecting means 3 is initialized after the initialization. If the passage of time or the number of times of direction change has reached a predetermined number, the direction difference from the direction output of the direction detection means 3 after parallel alignment after the direction change and the direction output before the direction change, It is determined whether or not the direction of the detection unit 3 needs to be corrected. If necessary, the direction of the direction detection unit 3 is determined by setting the target direction of the subsequent movement of the main body 1 based on the direction in which the main body 1 is parallel. The direction deviation can be corrected, the occurrence of a non-passing area due to the direction deviation can be prevented, the movement accuracy can be reduced, and the occurrence of cleaning residue can be prevented.

  In the first embodiment described above, it is determined whether the angle is within a set angle (for example, 90 ° to ± 3 °) within a predetermined time period (for example, 5 minutes). The target direction of the subsequent movement direction of the main body 1 is corrected based on the direction output of the direction detection means 3 after the parallel alignment operation, but is not limited to this. For example, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 7 minutes Alternatively, the determination may be made in a plurality of angle ranges (90 ° ± 5 °, 90 ° ± 4 °, 90 ° ± 3 °, respectively) according to a plurality of elapsed times.

  Also, in the number of reciprocations, a plurality of angle ranges (90 ° ± 5 °, 90 ° ± 4 °, 90 ° ± 3, respectively) according to a plurality of times (for example, 4, 6, 8 times or more). You may make it judge by °). As a result, the longer the elapsed time from the initialization of the direction detection means 3 and the larger the number of reciprocations, the narrower the angle range to be determined, and the more the correction opportunities, the more proportional to the elapsed time. This also corresponds to the amount of time), and may be matched to the direction deviation characteristics of the direction detection means 3.

In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the outer periphery of the room is first rotated counterclockwise. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an optical distance measuring sensor is also arranged on the left side surface of the main body 1. After the activation, it may be possible to perform a round movement around the outer circumference of the room clockwise around the wall existing on the left side.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, an autonomous traveling device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. In the following, differences from the configuration and operation of the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing a detailed configuration in which obstacle detection means 2c and 2e are additionally arranged in the main body 1. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 10, transmission-side ultrasonic sensors 2a and 2b for transmitting ultrasonic waves and reception-side ultrasonic sensors 2c, 2d and 2e for receiving reflected ultrasonic waves reflected by obstacles are provided on the front surface of the main body 1. Furthermore, optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g for measuring the distance to the obstacle with infrared rays are arranged on the right side of the main body, and θl, θc, and θr are the reception side ultrasonic sensors 2c, 2d, and 2e, respectively. The detection angle range is shown. These transmission-side ultrasonic sensors 2a and 2b, reception-side ultrasonic sensors 2c, 2d and 2e, and optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g constitute the obstacle detection means 2. The difference from the first embodiment is that there are three reception-side ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection in front of the main body 1.

  The operation of the autonomous traveling device configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the autonomous mobile device, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the autonomous mobile device.

  As shown in FIG. 11, during the internal movement operation, the main body 1 moves in the first direction A and approaches the wall 13 (step 10 in FIG. 12). Then, as shown in FIG. 12, when the wall 13 is detected in front of the main body 1 (step 11), the control means 5 controls the traveling means 7 at that point to stop the main body 1 (step 12).

  When a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has passed since the direction output of the direction detection means 3 was initialized by parallel alignment with the wall during the outer peripheral movement operation (step 13), the reception-side ultrasonic sensor 2c 2e, the distances Dc and De are measured, and the difference between the left and right distances (| Dc-De |) is determined. If the left side is far (step 24), the main body 1 is rotated to the right so as to face the wall (step 27). Again, the left and right distances are determined (step 24). Similarly, if the right side is far (step 25), the main body 1 is rotated counterclockwise so as to face the wall (step 26), and the left and right distances are determined again (step 24). By repeating such an operation several times, the distance measurement values on the left and right are finally the same, and the main body 1 faces the wall existing in front. Similarly, even before the predetermined time has elapsed in (Step 13), if it is equal to or more than a predetermined number of direction changes (for example, 4 times) in (Step 22), the control means 5 will detect the direction detection means 3 of the main body 1 after this facing. The difference between the directional output before and the directional output before the facing operation is obtained, and it is judged whether it is within a preset angle (for example, ± 3 °) (step 28). The direction 3 is set as the target direction of the first direction (step 29). After the target direction is changed, the elapsed time counted by the time measuring means 12 and the number of times of direction change counted by the control means 5 are reset (step 30), and the elapsed time measured by the time measuring means 12 is set again in advance. The direction output of the direction detector 3 is not corrected until the time (for example, 5 minutes) elapses or the direction change is performed a predetermined number of times (for example, 4 times). On the other hand, when the predetermined time (5 minutes) has not elapsed in (Step 13) and the number of direction changes after the start of the internal movement operation reaches a predetermined number (for example, 4 times) (Step 22), Similarly to (Step 24) to (Step 27), the parallel alignment operation with the wall 13 is performed.

Furthermore, if the difference in the direction output before and after the facing operation is within a preset angle (eg, ± 3 °) in step 28, the direction output from the direction detection means 3 at that location is not changed. . Similarly, while moving in the second direction, the main body 1 is operated so that the distance measurement values of the left and right receiving ultrasonic sensors 2c and 2e are the same even when a wall is detected forward after a lapse of a predetermined time. If the angle is equal to or greater than a preset angle (for example, ± 3 °), the direction of the direction detecting means 3 after the facing operation is set as the target direction of the second direction.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the obstacle detection means 2 is used for every predetermined time or a predetermined number of turnovers, and the direction facing the wall detected in front of the main body 1 and the straight target direction By changing the direction output of the direction detection means 3 in the direction opposite to the wall detected in front of the main body 1 when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle, the output deviation of the direction detection means 3 can be corrected with high accuracy. The generation of the passing area can be suppressed, and the entire moving area can be moved without any problem.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, an autonomous traveling device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 13 is an operation flowchart of the autonomous traveling device, and FIGS. 14 to 17 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the autonomous traveling device. In the present embodiment, only the operation after the direction output correcting operation of the direction detecting unit 3 performed in the control unit 5 is different, and the other configuration is the same as that of the above-described first embodiment, and the different points are mainly described. explain.

  As shown in FIG. 14, as in the first embodiment, the main body 1 finishes parallel alignment at the point P0 of the coordinates (0, 0) after starting, and moves in a room as indicated by a solid line with this point as the start point. Move the outer periphery of the area (inside the wall) counterclockwise, return to the start point (coordinate (0, 0): P0 point), and turn the main body 1 in the direction where the parallel alignment with the wall was performed first. Start moving.

  In FIG. 14, in the section from the X-axis coordinate 0 to 5, the internal movement locus based on the direction in which the first wall is aligned in parallel after the internal movement operation is started is indicated by a broken line. Thereafter, the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is corrected at the point P2 of the coordinates (5, p) as in the second embodiment, and the detection of the wall 13 detected on the side surface (right side surface) of the main body while traveling in the section A. Based on the change in distance, the correction angle of the main body moving direction at the point P2 is verified, the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is corrected again at the point P3 of the coordinates (5, p-2), and the subsequent main body 1 The movement trajectory is shown. At this point P3, while the main body 1 is traveling straight in the section A, the distance to the wall 13 detected on the side surface of the main body while the main body is traveling straight with reference to the history of the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensor 2f or 2g. Based on this change, the correction angle in the main body moving direction is verified, and if the angle between the wall and the main body 1 obtained from the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is equal to or larger than a predetermined angle (eg, 3 ° or more). If so, the direction output of the direction detection means 3 is corrected again.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the main body 1 and the wall 13 in the section A in FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the output correction of the direction detection means 3 at the point P2 in FIG. 14 is slightly affected by the noise of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g, the unevenness of the wall surface, etc. In the section A, the straight direction (second straight direction) of the main body 1 is the main body moving direction D3 in the section A, and the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g are Dg> Df. In addition, if the wall surface of the section A in FIG. 14 is not uneven and the wall surface is flat, the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g detect the right side of the main body 1 while the main body 1 is traveling straight in the second direction. The detection distances Df and Dg with respect to the wall surface gradually decrease, and the difference between them hardly changes.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g in the section A. In FIG. 16, the horizontal axis is the straight travel distance of the main body 1 in the second direction from the coordinates (5, p) in FIG. 14, and the vertical axis is the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g. Show.

As shown in FIG. 15, in a state where the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is shifted in the clockwise direction,
When the main body 1 starts moving from the coordinates (5, p) in FIG. 14 in the second direction, the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g gradually decrease continuously, and the distance difference ( | Df−Dg |) is a substantially constant value. The control means 5 stores the data of the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g while traveling, and refers to the history of the stored detection distances Df and Dg. As shown in FIG. 16, the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g gradually decrease continuously, the distance difference Ld between the distances Df and Dg is substantially constant, and the distances Df and Dg are When the distance is equal to or less than a preset distance (set distance M: 15 cm, for example), the determination of the presence / absence of unevenness of the detected wall is started. The optical distance sensors 2f and 2g move along the wall by the moving distance L until the average value of the detection distances Df and Dg reaches the first predetermined distance (10 cm), and reaches the stop point Pst in FIG. If the distance Ld between the detection distances Df and Dg remains constant and has been moved a preset distance (set distance N: for example, 10 cm), the control means 5 determines that the detected wall is a flat surface having no irregularities. judge. Then, the angle between this flat surface and the main body 1 is recognized from the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g, and the correction angle of the direction output of the previous direction detection means 3 is verified.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g during the parallel alignment operation with the side wall of the main body 1. The horizontal axis in FIG. 17 indicates the rotation angle of the main body 1, and the vertical axis indicates the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the detection distance Df of the optical distance measuring sensor 2f increases in the counterclockwise direction from the parallel point PP, and once decreases in the clockwise direction and then increases. Further, if the measurement distance of the optical distance measuring sensor 2g is rotated clockwise from the parallel point PP, the measurement distance of the optical distance measurement sensor 2g is increased, and once decreased in the counterclockwise direction, it is increased. When the main body 1 and the wall on the right side are parallel, the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g are L0 (distance when parallel, and the first predetermined distance (10 cm) when operating along the wall. The same). The detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g when rotated counterclockwise by a predetermined angle (for example, 3 °) from the parallel point PP are Df0 and Dg0, respectively, which are predetermined from the parallel point PP. Detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g when rotated clockwise by an angle (for example, 3 °) are Df1 and Dg1, respectively. This is because when the difference between the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is smaller than (Df0−Dg0) or (Dg1−Df1), the angle between the main body 1 and the right side wall is smaller than 3 °. Conversely, when the difference between the detection distances Df and Dg is greater than (Df0−Dg0) or (Dg1−Df1), it indicates that the angle between the main body 1 and the right side wall is greater than 3 °.

  Then, the control means 5 determines that the wall detected on the right side is a flat surface, and the output correction operation of the direction detection means 3 (FIG. 16) when the distance from the wall is equivalent to the parallel distance L0. If the angle between the wall and the main body 1 determined from the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is equal to or larger than a predetermined angle (for example, 3 ° or more), it is parallel again. By performing the matching operation, the main body 1 is made parallel to the wall, and the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 is corrected. And the control means 5 makes the direction of the direction detection means 3 in the state the target direction of a 2nd direction. On the other hand, if the angle between the wall and the main body 1 obtained from the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is within a predetermined angle (3 °), the vehicle goes straight as it is.

  Hereinafter, the direction correcting operation of the direction detecting unit 3 and the verification operation after the correcting operation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is an operation flowchart showing an operation flow of the autonomous mobile device. In the figure, the same operation as that of the first embodiment is given the same step number and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 13, after the outer peripheral movement operation is finished, the main body 1 is moving in the first direction (step 10), and when the wall 13 as an obstacle is detected within a predetermined distance in front of the main body 1 (step 11). ,
At that point, the control means 5 controls the traveling means 7 to stop the main body 1 and then rotates the main body 1 by a predetermined angle (90 ° to the left) (step 12).

  Then, when the direction output of the direction detection means 3 is initialized after the parallel alignment with the wall during the outer peripheral movement operation, a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) or more has elapsed (step 13), from (step 14) to ( When the parallel alignment operation is performed on the right wall 13 of the main body 1 until step 17), and the angular difference of the direction output before and after the parallel alignment operation of (step 18) is greater than or equal to a preset allowable angle range (for example, ± 3 °). In this case, the direction of the direction detecting means 3 after the parallel alignment operation is set as a straight target direction (step 19). After changing the target direction, the elapsed time measured by the time measuring means 12 and the number of direction changes are reset (step 20), and the elapsed time measured by the time measuring means 12 is again set to a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). Until this is done, the direction correction of the direction detection means 3 is not performed.

  For example, as the main body 1 travels in the section A shown in FIG. 14, the main body 1 is traveling straight (step 10), and the front wall is not detected as in the traveling of the section A (step 11). When the vehicle travels straight after correcting the direction of the direction detection means 3 at the point P2 (step 41), the detection distances Df and Dg are continuously detected from the detection history of the optical distance measurement sensors 2f and 2g. The wall is detected by the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g on the right side of the main body 1 within a predetermined distance (for example, 15 cm) (step 42), and the detection distance of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g in the detected state. When the average value of Df and Dg becomes the same as the first predetermined distance (10 cm) of the motion along the wall (step 43), a preset distance (set distance N: eg 10 cm) is determined from the point of step 42. When moving 44), when the distance difference (| distance Df−distance Dg |) between the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance difference (step 45), the control means 5 is the traveling means 7 The main body 1 is stopped (step 46), and the parallel alignment operation is performed on the right side wall of the main body 1 as in the first embodiment from step 14 to step 17, and the direction output before and after the parallel alignment operation in step 18 is output. If the angle difference is greater than or equal to a preset angle difference (for example, ± 3 °), the direction of the direction detecting means 3 after the parallel alignment operation is newly set as the straight target direction (step 19).

  Then, after the target direction is changed as described above, the elapsed time that the time measuring means 12 measures is reset (step 54), and again, the elapsed time that the time measuring means 12 measures is preset a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). Until the time elapses, the direction of the direction detection means 3 is not corrected.

  As described above, the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g continuously change within a preset distance (set distance M: 15 cm, for example), and the distance difference Ld is also a preset distance difference. (For example, 3 cm) or less and a predetermined distance (set distance N: for example, 10 cm) in a constant state, the control means 5 determines that the detected wall is a flat surface without unevenness, and the main body 1 is If moving in the first direction, the first direction is corrected in the direction after parallel alignment, and if moving in the second direction, the second direction is corrected in the direction after parallel alignment.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the distance to the wall detected on the side surface of the main body 1 during the straight movement of the internal movement operation after direction correction of the direction detection means 3 is determined by the two optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g. Detect. Based on the two detection distances Df and Dg, it is determined whether or not it is a flat surface without unevenness. When it is determined that the flat surface has no unevenness, the average value of the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is calculated. When it becomes the same as the first predetermined distance (10 cm) of the movement along the wall, the angle between the wall and the main body 1 is verified from the difference between the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g, and the predetermined angle If it is above, the direction output correction of the direction detection means 3 is performed again, so that the direction output correction of the direction detection means 3 can be reliably performed with a flat wall, and the accuracy is not affected by the unevenness of the wall surface. The output deviation of the direction detecting means 3 can be corrected well, the occurrence of a non-passing area can be suppressed, and the entire moving area can be moved without any problems.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, an autonomous mobile device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described using FIG. 18 and FIG. FIG. 18 is an operation flowchart of the autonomous traveling device, and FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the autonomous traveling device. In the fourth embodiment, the difference between the first and the first is that the judgment of the wall surface unevenness performed in the control means 5 using the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g is different during the rotation operation of the main body 1. The configuration is the same as that of the third embodiment, and the same operation is given the same step number and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 18, after the outer peripheral movement operation is finished, the main body 1 is moving in the first direction (step 10 in FIG. 13), and the main body 1 is stopped by detecting the wall 13 in the forward direction. Even if a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) or more has elapsed since the direction output of the direction detecting means 3 was initialized by parallel alignment with the wall 13, or even if the predetermined time (for 5 minutes) has not elapsed, When the number of direction changes after the start of the internal movement operation reaches a predetermined number of times (for example, 4 times), the control unit 5 controls the traveling unit 7, and the main body 1 is rotated clockwise at a first predetermined angle ( For example, the control means 5 stores the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g. Thereafter, the control means 5 rotates the main body 1 counterclockwise by a second predetermined angle (for example, 50 °, twice the first predetermined angle) and simultaneously detects the detection distances Df, Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f, 2g. Is stored (step 51). Further, the control means 5 rotates the main body 1 clockwise by a predetermined angle (for example, 25 °) and simultaneously stores the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g (step 52). Thereafter, the control means 5 determines the unevenness of the wall surface based on the history values of the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g obtained by the operations of (Step 50) to (Step 52).

  FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating changes in the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g obtained by the operations from (Step 50) to (Step 52). As shown in FIG. 19, as the body 1 rotates and the angle changes, the detection distances Df and Dg of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g change, and the optical distance measuring sensor 2f before the operation of step 50 in FIG. The detection distance of 2g is indicated by Dfsp and Dgsp, the detection distance after the operation of step 50 is indicated by Dfcw25 and Dgcw25, the detection distance after the operation of step 51 is indicated by Dfccw25 and Dgccw25, and the detection distance after the operation of step 52 is the first detection distance It is indicated by Dfsp and Dgsp. In FIG. 18 (step 53), the control means 5 assumes from the history of the detection distances of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g that the continuity of the detection distance and the point where Df and Dg are the same (PP in FIG. 19) are parallel points. Whether or not the detection distances Df and Dg are line symmetric with respect to the angle from the point (for example, the history of Df in the counterclockwise direction from the parallel point PP and the relationship of line symmetry in the history of the Dg in the clockwise direction and the parallel point PP) Or not) to determine the flatness of the wall. If the detection distances Df and Dg change continuously with the rotation of the main body 1 and are symmetrical with respect to the angle from the parallel point, it is determined that the wall is a plane (step 53). If it is determined that the plane is a plane, the control means 5 obtains an angle difference (| App−Asp |) to the parallel point PP, with the detection distances Df and Dg being the same (PP in FIG. 19) as parallel points. Step 54). If the angle difference is equal to or greater than a preset angle difference (for example, ± 3 °), the direction of the direction detecting means 3 after the parallel alignment operation is newly set as the straight target direction (step 56). Then, after the target direction is changed as described above, the elapsed time that the time measuring means 12 measures is reset (step 57), and the elapsed time that the time measuring means 12 measures is set again for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes). Until the time elapses, the direction correction of the direction detection means 3 is not performed. In (Step 58), the control means 5 changes the direction of the main body 1 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and resumes the straight-ahead operation. Further, when the angle difference is smaller than the preset angle difference (for example, ± 3 °) in (Step 55), the direction of the main body 1 is changed as it is, and the straight running operation is resumed.

As described above, the detection distances of the optical distance measuring sensors 2f and 2g continuously change below a preset distance (set distance M: for example, 15 cm), and the distance difference Ld is also set to a preset distance difference (for example, 3 cm). ) In the following and a predetermined distance (set distance N: 10 cm, for example) in a constant state, the control means 5 determines that the detected wall is a flat surface without unevenness, and further, at a place where it has stopped. The movement direction of the main body is corrected after judging the flatness of the wall (presence of unevenness) from the history of the detection distance from the wall when the main body 1 is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise (main body 1). Is moving in the first direction, the first direction is corrected in the direction of the recognized parallel point, and if moving in the second direction, the second direction is corrected in the direction of the recognized parallel point. to correct).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the flatness of the wall (presence of unevenness) detected on the side surface of the main body 1 during straight traveling is confirmed, and if the predetermined condition is met, the main body 1 is rotated clockwise at that point. Rotate counterclockwise, determine the continuity of the detection distance of the obstacle detection means 2 on the side surface during the rotation operation, and determine the wall surface and the flatness of the wall surface. By correcting the movement direction by obtaining a correction value in the main body movement direction based on the distance change with the detected obstacle, it is possible to prevent the direction deviation correction process from being performed on the wrong wall that is inappropriate for the direction correction. . Further, by determining the flatness of the wall at the place where correction is performed, it is possible to prevent the direction deviation correction process from being performed on the wrong wall that is inappropriate for the direction correction, and to reduce the movement accuracy of the main body 1 and the remaining cleaning. It is also possible to prevent the occurrence.

  In the fourth embodiment, the control means 5 rotates the main body 1 clockwise and counterclockwise after confirming the flatness with respect to the wall detected on the side surface of the main body 1 while the main body 1 is traveling straight. From the change in the measurement distance of the obstacle detection means 2, the flatness of the wall surface is confirmed and the direction is adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited to this. After detecting the wall 13 and changing the direction of the main body 1, the same direction alignment operation may be performed by rotating the clockwise and counterclockwise directions and detecting the distance of the obstacle detection means 2.

  Further, with respect to the wall detected on the side surface of the main body 1 while the main body 1 is traveling straight, the wall continuity is determined from the detection distance of the obstacle detection means 2 and the wall surface and the unevenness of the wall surface are determined. If it is determined that it is not a wall, it is assumed that the straight movement is performed as it is. However, if it is not a flat wall, it is determined that the wall 13 is not suitable for parallel alignment, the main body 1 is moved by a predetermined distance (for example, 20 cm), Even if 1 is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise to determine the unevenness, the same effect is obtained.

(Embodiment 5)
Next, the autonomous mobile device in Embodiment 5 of the present invention will be described.

  In the present embodiment, each means described in the first and second embodiments includes hardware such as a CPU (or microcomputer), an RAM / ROM, a storage device, an electrical / information device including an I / O, a computer, a server, and the like. It is implemented in the form of a program for cooperating resources.

  In the form of this program, it is possible to easily distribute and update new functions and install them by recording them on a recording medium such as magnetic media or optical media, or distributing them using a communication circuit such as the Internet.

  As described above, the autonomous traveling device according to the present invention and the program for causing the device to function can correct the displacement of the main body moving direction with high accuracy while the main body is moving in the moving region. It can be applied to surveillance robots and other robots.

The block block diagram which shows the structure of the autonomous traveling apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. The figure explaining the detail of the obstacle detection means 2 of the self-supporting traveling apparatus Operation flow diagram of the autonomous traveling device The figure explaining operation of the autonomous running device The figure which shows the detection characteristic of the optical ranging sensor of the autonomous running device The figure which shows the movement locus of the autonomous running device The figure which shows the movement locus when an error arises in the movement direction of the autonomous traveling device Operation flow diagram during internal movement of the autonomous traveling device The figure explaining direction correction operation of the autonomous traveling device Detailed configuration explanatory diagram of the obstacle detection means of the autonomous mobile device according to the second embodiment of the present invention The figure explaining operation of the autonomous running device Operation flow diagram of the autonomous traveling device Operation flow diagram of autonomous mobile device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention Explanatory drawing of the operation of the autonomous traveling device Explanatory drawing of the operation of the autonomous traveling device The figure which shows the detection characteristic of the optical ranging sensor of the autonomous running device The figure which shows the detection characteristic of the optical ranging sensor of the autonomous running device Operation flow diagram of autonomous mobile device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention The figure which shows the detection characteristic of the optical ranging sensor of the autonomous running device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Obstacle detection means 3 Direction detection means 4 Distance recognition means 5 Control means 6 Position recognition means 7 Traveling means 8 Buffer means 9 Drive wheel 10 Sub-wheel 11 Setting input means 12 Timing means

Claims (8)

Obstacle detection means installed on the front and side of the main body for detecting the presence or absence of an obstacle or the distance to the obstacle, direction detection means for detecting the movement direction of the main body, and traveling means for moving the main body to move Control means for controlling the travel means based on the output signals of the detection means, and the control means corrects the output of the direction detection means and corrects the movement direction of the main body. An autonomous traveling device that determines whether or not to execute a direction deviation correction process according to an angle when the operation elapsed time or the number of direction changes is satisfied, whichever is earlier. The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1, wherein the control means corrects the moving direction of the main body based on a front wall surface detected by the obstacle detecting means while the main body is traveling in the moving region. The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means verifies the correction angle in the main body moving direction based on a change in the distance to the wall detected on the side surface of the main body while the main body moves straight after correction of the main body moving direction. . The autonomous traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit changes a determination value of the angle of the wall surface used for determining whether or not correction of the main body moving direction can be performed according to the operation elapsed time. The control means, after verifying the correction angle of the main body moving direction based on the change in the distance between the main body and the wall detected on the side surface of the main body, the main body moving direction is within a preset angle range with the side wall. The autonomous traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the correction operation is performed again when there is not. 6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit rotates the main body in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction, and corrects the main body moving direction based on a change in distance from the obstacle detected on the side surface of the main body by the obstacle detection unit. The autonomous traveling device described in 1. The autonomous traveling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit determines the continuity of the detection distance detected by the obstacle detection unit on the side surface of the main body to determine the wall surface and the unevenness of the wall surface. The program for making a computer function as all or one part of the means of the autonomous running apparatus of any one of Claims 1-7.

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