JP2022182100A - Autonomous travel type robot - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an autonomous travel type robot capable of changing its traveling mode according to various conditions within its traveling range.SOLUTION: An autonomous travel type cleaner 100 comprises: a main body unit 10 that travels on a floor; an acquisition unit 110 that acquires a predetermined boundary and a sort of a predetermined area within a traveling range; an input unit 70 that receives a traveling mode for the sort; and a control unit 170 that controls the travel of the main body 10 in the predetermined boundary or the predetermined area of the sort corresponding to the traveling mode, based on the traveling mode received by the input unit 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile robot.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an example of an autonomously traveling robot, an autonomously traveling cleaner that cleans a floor surface while autonomously traveling is known (see Patent Document 1, for example).

Japanese Patent No. 4277214

In such an autonomous mobile robot, there is a case where a map of the travel range is acquired in advance and travel is performed based on the map. Here, there is a demand to change the traveling mode of the autonomous mobile robot according to various conditions (for example, glass walls, steps, slopes, etc.) within the traveling range.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous mobile robot capable of changing its traveling mode according to various conditions within its travel range.

An autonomous mobile robot according to an aspect of the present invention includes a main unit that travels on a floor surface, an acquisition unit that acquires a type of at least one of a predetermined boundary and a predetermined area within a travel range, and a robot that travels with respect to the type. a receiving unit that receives a mode, and a control unit that, based on the running mode received by the receiving unit, controls running of the main body in the predetermined boundary or the predetermined region of the type corresponding to the running mode. Prepare.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the autonomous mobile robot which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention, a driving|running|working mode can be changed according to various conditions in a driving range.

1 is a side view showing an appearance of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view which shows the external appearance of the autonomous traveling cleaner which concerns on embodiment. It is a bottom view showing the appearance of the autonomous traveling cleaner according to the embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a characteristic functional configuration of an autonomously traveling cleaner according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a map based on map information according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a driving mode acceptance screen in the input unit according to the embodiment;

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of the autonomous running type cleaner as an autonomous running type robot based on this invention is described in detail using drawing. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below is a preferred specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection of components, steps, order of steps, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present invention.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings and the following description are provided for a full understanding of the invention by those skilled in the art and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter.

Each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Moreover, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to substantially the same structure, and the overlapping description may be abbreviate|omitted or simplified.

In addition, in the following embodiments, expressions using "substantially" such as a substantially cylindrical shape are used. For example, substantially cylindrical means substantially cylindrical as well as perfectly cylindrical. In other words, it also means to include, for example, a cylinder whose surface has some unevenness. The same applies to expressions using other "abbreviations".

Further, in the following embodiments, when an autonomously traveling cleaner that cleans the floor of a predetermined space is viewed from the vertically upward side, it is viewed from above, and when viewed from the vertically downward side, it is viewed from the bottom. It may be described.

(Embodiment)
[Constitution]
First, the configuration of an autonomously traveling cleaner 100 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the appearance of an autonomously traveling cleaner 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of autonomous traveling cleaner 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing the appearance of autonomously traveling cleaner 100 according to the embodiment.

The autonomously traveling cleaner 100 is an autonomously traveling cleaner that autonomously travels and cleans a predetermined space, which is a travel range. First, the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 generates map information (data) indicating a map of the predetermined space by running around on the floor surface in the predetermined space.

Next, autonomous traveling cleaner 100 calculates a traveling route to be traveled when cleaning a predetermined space based on the generated map information. Next, autonomous traveling cleaner 100 travels and cleans a predetermined space along the calculated travel route.

Autonomous traveling cleaner 100 generates map information of a predetermined space to be cleaned, for example, by SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), and self-position of autonomous traveling cleaner 100 on the map indicated by the generated map information. Estimate and do.

The autonomous traveling cleaner 100 includes, for example, a main unit 10, two wheels 20, two side brushes 30, a laser rangefinder 40, a main brush 50, an input unit 70, and a first ultrasonic sensor. A section 71 , a second ultrasonic sensor section 72 , an optical sensor section 73 , and a floor presence/absence sensor section 74 are provided.

The main body 10 accommodates each component included in the autonomously traveling cleaner 100 and has a cylindrical housing 11 . Note that the shape of the main body 10 when viewed from above is not particularly limited. The top view shape of the main body 10 may be, for example, a substantially rectangular shape or a substantially triangular shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the body portion 10 has a suction port 12 on its bottom surface.

The two wheels 20 are drive wheels for causing the autonomously traveling cleaner 100 to travel, and are rotatably provided on the lower surface of the main body 10 .

The side brush 30 is provided on the lower surface of the main body 10 and is a brush for cleaning the floor surface of a predetermined space. In this embodiment, autonomous traveling cleaner 100 includes two side brushes 30 . The number of side brushes 30 provided in the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 may be one, three or more, and is not particularly limited.

The laser rangefinder 40 is a first optical sensor unit for measuring the distance between the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 and an object, wall surface, or the like in a predetermined space. The laser rangefinder 40 is, for example, a so-called LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The laser rangefinder 40 is provided, for example, on the top of the main body 10 .

The main brush 50 is arranged at the suction port 12 and is a brush for sucking dust on the floor surface to the suction port 12 by rotating.

The input section 70 is arranged on the upper surface of the main body section 10 behind the laser rangefinder 40 . The input unit 70 is a part that receives various instructions by being operated by the user. Specifically, the input unit 70 is a touch panel. Therefore, the input unit 70 also functions as a display unit that displays various information. Note that the input unit 70 and the display unit may be separate units. Also, the input unit 70 may be a communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal that can communicate with the main unit 10 . In this case, the body part 10 may be provided with a tool to which the communication terminal can be freely attached.

The first ultrasonic sensor section 71 is rotatably provided between the upper surface of the main body section 10 and the laser rangefinder 40, and has a transmitting section and a receiving section. Specifically, the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 emits ultrasonic waves in the horizontal direction using the transmitting unit, and receives ultrasonic waves reflected from the object using the receiving unit, thereby measuring the distance to the object. Measure. In other words, the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 can measure the distance to a plurality of objects arranged around the main body unit 10 (front, side, rear, etc.) by emitting ultrasonic waves while rotating. It's like The first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 can detect an object made of a translucent member (glass, acrylic plate, etc.) that transmits light, which cannot be detected by the laser rangefinder 40 .

The second ultrasonic sensor section 72 is provided on the lower surface of the main body section 10 and has a transmitting section and a receiving section. Specifically, the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 measures the distance to the object by transmitting ultrasonic waves downward with the transmitting unit and receiving the ultrasonic waves reflected from the object with the receiving unit. do. The second ultrasonic sensor section 72 can detect an object made of a translucent member that cannot be detected by the optical sensor section 73 .

The optical sensor section 73 is provided on the lower surface of the main body section 10 and has a light emitting section and a light receiving section. The optical sensor unit 73 measures the distance to the object by emitting, for example, infrared light downward from the transmitting unit and receiving the infrared light reflected from the object by the light receiving unit. The optical sensor section 73 is an example of a second optical sensor section.

The floor presence/absence sensor section 74 is a mechanical sensor provided on the lower surface of the main body section 10 . For example, the floor presence/absence sensor portion 74 normally protrudes from the lower surface of the main body portion 10 by a certain length, and when the main body portion 10 runs on the floor surface, the tip portion contacts the floor surface. there is When there is a step on the floor that is recessed downward, when the main unit 10 reaches the step, the tip of the floor surface presence/absence sensor 74 is lowered more than usual, so that the step can be detected.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a characteristic functional configuration of the autonomous traveling cleaner according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the autonomous mobile cleaner 100 includes an input unit 70, an acquisition unit 110, an encoder 140, a map generation unit 150, a storage unit 220, a cleaning plan generation unit 160, and a control unit 170. , a suction unit 41 , a driving unit 25 , and a cleaning unit 35 .

Acquisition unit 110 acquires information necessary to create map information in a predetermined space. Specifically, acquisition section 110 has boundary acquisition section 120 and area acquisition section 130 .

The boundary acquisition unit 120 is a part that acquires boundary information indicating a boundary for partitioning each area in a predetermined space and the type of the boundary. The boundary acquisition section 120 has a laser rangefinder 40 , a first ultrasonic sensor section 71 and a first detection section 122 . The first detection unit 122 is a processing unit that detects the type of predetermined boundary based on the detection result of the laser rangefinder 40 and the detection result of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 . For example, when the boundary type is a general wall, the light emitted by the laser rangefinder 40 is reflected by the wall, and the ultrasonic waves emitted from the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 are also reflected by the wall. reflected. That is, when the laser rangefinder 40 receives the reflected light and the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 receives the reflected ultrasonic wave, the first detection unit 122 detects the boundary type as a general wall. .

On the other hand, when the type of the boundary is a translucent member or the like, the light emitted by the laser rangefinder 40 passes through the translucent member, whereas the ultrasonic wave emitted from the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 passes through the translucent member. A sound wave is reflected by the translucent member. That is, when the laser rangefinder 40 does not receive the reflected light and the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 receives the reflected ultrasonic wave, the first detection unit 122 detects the boundary type as a translucent member. .

The region acquisition unit 130 is a part that acquires the type of each region within a predetermined space. Specifically, the region acquisition unit 130 includes a gyro sensor unit 131, an optical sensor unit 73, a second ultrasonic sensor unit 72, a floor presence/absence sensor unit 74, and a second detection unit 132. there is

The gyro sensor section 131 is mounted on the main body section 10 and detects the orientation of the main body section 10 . The body portion 10 is tilted according to the tilt of the floor surface. In other words, it can be said that the gyro sensor unit 131 can detect the inclination of the floor by detecting the inclination of the main body 10 .

The second detection unit 132 is a processing unit that detects the type of a predetermined area based on the detection result of the optical sensor unit 73, the detection result of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72, and the detection result of the gyro sensor unit 131. For example, when the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74 detects the floor surface and the type of floor surface is a general floor that does not transmit light, the light emitted by the optical sensor unit 73 is The ultrasonic waves reflected by the floor and transmitted from the second ultrasonic sensor section 72 are also reflected by the floor. That is, when the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74 detects the floor surface, the optical sensor unit 73 receives the reflected light, and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 receives the reflected ultrasonic wave, the second detection unit 132 , detects the type of area as a floor that does not transmit light (general floor).

Further, when the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74 detects the floor surface and the type of the floor surface is a translucent member, the light emitted by the optical sensor unit 73 is detected by the translucent member. , whereas the ultrasonic waves emitted from the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 are reflected by the translucent member. That is, when the optical sensor unit 73 does not receive the reflected light and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 receives the reflected ultrasonic wave, the second detection unit 132 detects the type of the region as a translucent member.

Although the light-transmitting member also reflects light, most of the light passes through the light-transmitting member, so the amount of reflected light received is small compared to a general wall or floor. Therefore, when the amount of reflected light received by the laser rangefinder 40 or the optical sensor unit 73 is significantly smaller than that of a general wall or floor, the first detection unit 122 or the second detection unit 132 It may be determined that the reflected light is not received.

Further, when the gyro sensor unit 131 detects the inclination of the main body unit 10, the second detection unit 132 detects slope as the type of area. On the other hand, when the gyro sensor section 131 does not detect the tilt of the main body section 10, the second detection section 132 detects a flat floor as the type of area.

A state in which the floor surface presence/absence sensor unit 74 does not detect the floor surface means that the floor surface does not exist in the area. That is, in a state where the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74 does not detect the floor surface, the second detection unit 132 detects whether the detection result of the optical sensor unit 73 or the detection result of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 is detected. also detects the type of area as a step.

Encoder 140 detects the rotation angle of a pair of wheel motors 26 provided in drive unit 25 . Information from the encoder 140 can be used to calculate the traveling distance, turning angle, speed, acceleration, angular velocity, and the like of the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 .

Based on the detection result of the encoder 140, the detection result of the laser rangefinder 40, and the detection result of the gyro sensor unit 131, the map creation unit 150 recognizes the self-position within the predetermined space, and maps a planar image within the predetermined space. It is a processing unit that creates map information. At this time, the map creation unit 150 associates the type of boundary detected by the first detection unit 122 with each boundary included in the map information. Similarly, the map creation unit 150 associates each area included in the map information with the type of area detected by the second detection unit 132 .

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a map based on map information according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, among the boundaries L1 to L7 surrounding a predetermined space, the first detection unit 122 detects the type of the boundary L1 as a translucent member and the other boundaries L2 to L7 as general walls. If so, these detection results are associated with each boundary L1 to L7 and included in the map information. Further, when the second detection unit 132 detects the type of the region R1 forming the predetermined space as a general flat floor and the type of the region R2 as a step, these detection results are obtained for each region R1 , R2 and included in the map information.

Here, the input unit 70 is an example of a receiving unit that receives driving modes for boundary types and area types. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a driving mode reception screen on the input unit 70 according to the embodiment. Here, the running mode includes the approach distance to the object and the running speed within the area. For example, the approach distance to the object is accepted by the input unit 70 in the running mode for the type of boundary. Further, among the types of areas, in the case of a step, the vehicle cannot travel through it, so the input unit 70 accepts the approach distance to the step. Among the types of areas, for flat floors and slopes, the input unit 70 accepts the speed at which the vehicle travels through them. In this way, the user can register the running mode for each of the boundary type and the area type using the input unit 70, and can cause the autonomous running cleaner 100 to execute the desired running mode for each type. Note that the running mode may also include a cleaning mode (suction force of the suction motor 43, number of revolutions of the brush motor 36) and the like.

The storage unit 220 is a storage device that stores a running pattern database 222 . The storage unit 220 is implemented by, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, or the like. Further, the storage unit 220 stores, for example, control programs executed by various processing units such as the control unit 170 . The traveling pattern database 222 is used when the cleaning plan generation unit 160 generates a cleaning plan. The traveling pattern database 222 is a database of traveling patterns of the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 with respect to obstacles such as walls. For example, in the running pattern database 222, when the distance from the autonomous running cleaner 100 to the obstacle is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, the running pattern in which the autonomous running cleaner 100 moves closer to the obstacle is stored. It includes a traveling pattern in which the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 moves along the obstacle when the distance from the traveling cleaner 100 to the obstacle is less than a predetermined distance.

The cleaning plan generation unit 160 is a processing unit that generates a cleaning plan (plan information) indicating how the autonomously traveling cleaner 100 travels and cleans a predetermined space. For example, the cleaning plan generation unit 160 determines the travel route of the autonomous cleaner 100, specifically, the number of rotations of the wheel motors 26, the direction of the wheels 20, etc., based on the map information created by the map creation unit 150. A cleaning plan is generated in which a travel method, which is a control method for the driving unit 25, is determined. At this time, the cleaning plan generating unit 160 generates the cleaning plan while reflecting each driving pattern included in the driving pattern database 222 based on the map information. Further, the cleaning plan generation unit 160 generates a cleaning plan while associating the running modes of the type of boundary and the type of area received by the input unit 70 with each boundary and each area included in the map information.

In addition, the cleaning plan generation unit 160 controls the control method of the suction unit 41 (for example, the suction force, more specifically, the number of rotations of the suction motor 43), the number of rotations of the wheel motor 26, the direction of the wheel 20, etc. 25 and a cleaning plan indicating a cleaning method including a control method for the cleaning unit 35 (for example, the number of revolutions of the brush motor 36).

In this way, the cleaning plan generating unit 160 generates a cleaning plan, and based on the generated cleaning plan, the autonomous traveling cleaner 100, more specifically, the suction unit 41, the driving unit 25, and the cleaning unit 35 is controlled by the control unit 170 .

The control unit 170 controls the suction unit 41, the driving unit 25, and the cleaning unit 35 based on the plan information generated by the cleaning plan generation unit 160, thereby allowing the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 to autonomously create a predetermined space. Run and clean. In other words, based on the driving mode received by the input unit 70, the control unit 170 controls the driving of the main body 10 in a predetermined boundary or predetermined area of a type corresponding to the driving mode.

Various processing units such as the map creation unit 150, the first detection unit 122, the second detection unit 132, the cleaning plan generation unit 160, and the control unit 170 are, for example, a control program for executing the above-described processing, and the control program , a RAM, and a ROM. Each of these processing units may be realized by one or more CPUs.

The suction unit 41 is a mechanism for sucking dust on the floor surface of a predetermined space by sucking the floor surface. The suction unit 41 includes, for example, a suction motor 43 .

The suction motor 43 is a motor that is connected to a fan and rotates the fan to suck dust on the floor.

The driving unit 25 is a mechanism for causing the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 to travel. The drive unit 25 includes, for example, a pair of wheel motors 26 . Each wheel motor 26 is a motor that is connected to each of the left and right wheels 20 and drives each wheel 20 to rotate.

By independently controlling the rotation of the two wheels 20 of the driving unit 25, the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 can freely travel such as straight ahead, backward, left rotation, right rotation, and the like. Note that the autonomously traveling cleaner 100 may further include wheels (supplementary wheels) that are not rotated by the wheel motors 26 .

The cleaning unit 35 is a part for cleaning the floor surface. The cleaning unit 35 is connected to brushes such as the main brush 50 and has a brush motor for driving (rotating) the brushes such as the main brush 50 .

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 according to the embodiment includes the main unit 10 that travels on the floor surface, the acquisition unit 110 that acquires a predetermined boundary and the type of a predetermined area within the travel range, An input unit 70 that receives a driving mode for a type, and a control unit 170 that, based on the driving mode received by the input unit 70, controls the running of the main body 10 in a predetermined boundary or a predetermined region of the type corresponding to the driving mode. and

According to this, the user can register the running mode for each of the boundary type and the area type with the input unit 70, thereby allowing the autonomous running cleaner 100 to execute the desired running mode for each type. Therefore, it is possible to provide the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 that can change the traveling mode according to various conditions within the traveling range.

Acquisition unit 110 includes boundary acquisition unit 120 that acquires a predetermined type of boundary, and area acquisition unit 130 that acquires a predetermined type of area.

According to this, the boundary acquisition unit 120 can reliably acquire the type of the predetermined boundary, and the area acquisition unit 130 can reliably acquire the type of the predetermined area.

The boundary acquisition unit 120 includes a laser rangefinder 40 that irradiates a predetermined boundary with light, a first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 that irradiates an ultrasonic wave with respect to the predetermined boundary, and detection of the laser rangefinder 40. and a first detection unit 122 that detects the type of predetermined boundary based on the result and the detection result of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71 .

According to this, the first detection unit 122 detects the type of the predetermined boundary based on the detection result of the laser rangefinder 40 and the detection result of the first ultrasonic sensor unit 71, so that the type of the predetermined boundary can be detected. Automatic detection is possible. Therefore, it is possible to save the trouble of registering the type of the predetermined boundary.

The region acquisition unit 130 includes an optical sensor unit 73 that irradiates a predetermined region with light, a second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 that irradiates a predetermined region with ultrasonic waves, the detection results of the optical sensor unit 73 and and a second detection unit 132 that detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 .

According to this, since the second detection unit 132 detects the type of the predetermined region based on the detection result of the optical sensor unit 73 and the detection result of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72, the type of the predetermined region is automatically detected. can be detected by Therefore, it is possible to reduce the trouble of registering the type of the predetermined area.

The area acquisition unit 130 includes a floor surface presence/absence sensor unit 74 that detects the presence or absence of a floor surface, and a second detection unit 132 that detects the type of a predetermined area based on the detection result of the floor surface presence/absence sensor unit 74. have.

According to this, the second detection section 132 detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the floor presence/absence sensor section 74, so it is possible to automatically detect the type of the predetermined area. In particular, since the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74 is a mechanical sensor, it is possible to reliably detect when the type of the predetermined area is a step.

The area acquisition section 130 has a gyro sensor section 131 that detects the inclination of the main body section 10 , and the second detection section 132 detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the gyro sensor section 131 .

According to this, since the second detection unit 132 detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the gyro sensor unit 131, it is possible to automatically detect whether the predetermined area is a flat floor or a slope. is. Since it is possible to detect more diverse types of predetermined regions, it is possible to change the driving mode according to more detailed conditions.

Since the body part 10 has the cleaning part 35 for cleaning the floor surface, it is possible to clean the floor surface in a traveling mode according to various conditions. Therefore, cleaning efficiency can also be enhanced.

The present invention may be realized as a program that causes a computer to execute the steps included in the control method of the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 . In this case, the control method for autonomously traveling cleaner 100 according to the present embodiment can be easily executed by a computer.

Further, the present invention may be implemented as a non-temporary recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM in which the above program is recorded. Also, the present invention may be implemented as information, data, or signals indicating the program. These programs, information, data and signals may then be distributed over a communication network such as the Internet.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, the autonomous traveling cleaner and the like according to the present invention have been described based on the above embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the type of the predetermined boundary and the predetermined area within the travel range. may be obtained. In other words, acquisition section 110 may have only one of boundary acquisition section 120 and area acquisition section 130 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the second detection unit 132 detects whether or not the type of the predetermined area is a step based on the detection result of the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74 has been exemplified. Here, when the predetermined area is a step, the light emitted from the optical sensor section 73 passes through the step, and the ultrasonic wave emitted from the second ultrasonic sensor section 72 also passes through the step. That is, when the optical sensor unit 73 does not receive the reflected light and the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72 does not receive the reflected ultrasonic wave, the second detection unit 132 may detect the type of region as a step. . In this case, a step can be detected without the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74, and the number of parts of the autonomous traveling cleaner 100 can be reduced. In addition, if a step is detected using the detection result of the optical sensor unit 73 and the detection result of the second ultrasonic sensor unit 72, and the step is detected using the detection result of the floor presence/absence sensor unit 74, the step can be detected. More reliable detection is possible.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a case where the boundary acquisition unit 120 automatically acquires a predetermined type of boundary has been exemplified. However, it is also possible for the user to input the type of each boundary with the input section 70 . In this case, the input unit 70 is an example of the boundary acquisition unit. Since the user himself/herself inputs the type of each boundary to the input unit 70, it is possible to acquire the type of boundary more accurately. Note that the region acquisition unit 130 may acquire design data such as CAD data by wire or wirelessly, and acquire the type of each boundary written in the design data.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the area obtaining unit 130 automatically obtains the type of the predetermined area is exemplified. However, it is also possible for the user to input the type of each area with the input unit 70 . In this case, the input unit 70 is an example of the area acquisition unit. Since the user himself/herself inputs the type of each area into the input unit 70, it is possible to acquire the type of area more accurately. For example, it is also possible to input the type of the predetermined area in more detail. Note that the region acquisition unit 130 may acquire design data such as CAD data by wire or wirelessly, and acquire the type of each boundary written in the design data. In this case, the types of floors that do not allow light to pass through can be obtained in a more detailed manner. Types of floors that do not transmit light include, for example, carpets, tiles, marble, wood, flooring, and tatami mats.

Further, in the above embodiment, it has been explained that the processing units such as the cleaning plan generation unit and the control unit provided in the autonomous cleaner are realized by the CPU and the control program, respectively. For example, each component of the processing unit may be composed of one or more electronic circuits. Each of the one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit. One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, a semiconductor device, an IC (Integrated Circuit), or an LSI (Large Scale Integration). An IC or LSI may be integrated on one chip or may be integrated on a plurality of chips. Although they are called ICs or LSIs here, they may be called system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integration) depending on the degree of integration. An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that is programmed after the LSI is manufactured can also be used for the same purpose.

Also, general or specific aspects of the invention may be implemented in a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit or computer program product. Alternatively, the computer program may be implemented by a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or semiconductor memory storing the computer program. Also, any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs and recording media may be implemented.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the autonomous mobile cleaner 100 is exemplified as an autonomous mobile robot, but any robot capable of autonomous mobile may not have a cleaning function. Other autonomous robots include autonomous surveillance machines and autonomous delivery machines.

In addition, forms obtained by applying various modifications to the embodiments and modifications that a person skilled in the art can think of, or realized by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions in the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also included in the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely used for autonomous traveling robots capable of autonomous traveling.

10 Body Part 11 Housing 12 Suction Port 20 Wheel 25 Driving Part 26 Wheel Motor 30 Side Brush 35 Cleaning Part 36 Brush Motor 40 Laser Rangefinder (First Optical Sensor Part)
41 suction unit 43 suction motor 50 main brush 70 input unit (accepting unit)
71 first ultrasonic sensor section 72 second ultrasonic sensor section 73 optical sensor section (second optical sensor section)
74 floor presence/absence sensor unit 100 autonomous traveling cleaner 110 acquisition unit 120 boundary acquisition unit 122 first detection unit 130 area acquisition unit 131 gyro sensor unit 132 second detection unit 140 encoder 150 map creation unit 160 cleaning plan generation unit 170 control Unit 220 Storage unit 222 Driving pattern databases L1 to L7 Boundaries R1, R2 Regions

Claims (9)

a main body that travels on the floor;
an acquisition unit that acquires at least one type of a predetermined boundary and a predetermined area within the travel range;
a reception unit that receives a driving mode for the type;
an autonomous mobile robot that controls, based on the running mode received by the receiving part, the main body to run in the predetermined boundary or the predetermined area of the type corresponding to the running mode. The acquisition unit
a boundary acquisition unit that acquires the type of the predetermined boundary;
The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of an area acquisition unit that acquires the type of the predetermined area. The boundary acquisition unit
a first optical sensor unit that emits light to the predetermined boundary;
a first ultrasonic sensor unit that emits ultrasonic waves to the predetermined boundary;
3. The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 2, further comprising a first detection section that detects the type of the predetermined boundary based on the detection result of the first optical sensor section and the detection result of the first ultrasonic sensor section. . The autonomous mobile robot according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the boundary acquisition unit is an input unit for inputting the type of the predetermined boundary. The area acquisition unit
a second optical sensor unit that irradiates light to the predetermined area;
a second ultrasonic sensor unit that emits ultrasonic waves to the predetermined region;
A second detection unit that detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the second optical sensor unit and the detection result of the second ultrasonic sensor unit, and any one of claims 2 to 4. The autonomous running robot described in . The boundary acquisition unit
a floor presence/absence sensor unit that detects the presence/absence of the floor;
The autonomous mobile robot according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a second detection section that detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the floor presence/absence sensor section. The area acquisition unit
Having a gyro sensor unit that detects the inclination of the main body,
The autonomous mobile robot according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the second detection section detects the type of the predetermined area based on the detection result of the gyro sensor section. The autonomous mobile robot according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the area obtaining section is an input section for inputting the type of the predetermined area. The autonomous mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the main body has a cleaning section that cleans the floor surface.

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