JP4861158B2 - Remote monitoring system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote monitoring system using a mobile robot, and more particularly to a remote monitoring system for remotely monitoring an abnormality detected by a mobile robot traveling in a monitoring area.

  In recent years, various mobile robots that autonomously move on a road surface have been put into practical use. As such a mobile robot, there is known a robot that transmits an abnormality signal to a remote monitoring device when an abnormality such as an obstacle or a fire is detected. Then, an abnormality is confirmed by a monitoring person who monitors the monitoring device, and the abnormality is appropriately recovered based on the judgment of the monitoring person.

As a remote monitoring system using such a mobile robot, in Patent Document 1, when trouble information is taken in from an automated guided vehicle (mobile robot), a buzzer is sounded to alert a monitor in the monitor room. A remote monitoring system for an automated guided vehicle is disclosed. In the remote monitoring system for an automatic guided vehicle in Patent Document 1, a monitoring person who has been alerted by a buzzer sounds, looks at the monitor, identifies the cause of the trouble, operates the keyboard, and sends a trouble cancellation signal to the automatic guided vehicle. By transmitting the start signal, the buzzer is stopped and the operation of the automatic guided vehicle is resumed. (Paragraphs 0009 to 0011)
JP 2002-41145 A

  In the remote monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the monitoring personnel can confirm the information on the abnormality detected by the mobile robot every time, so that the monitoring personnel can appropriately grasp the situation of the site that is the monitoring area, and the monitoring area is generated. To solve problems and improve the environment of the monitoring area.

  However, the remote monitoring system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is triggered by a buzzer every time information on an abnormality is received from a mobile robot, and the operation of the mobile robot is resumed after the monitor identifies the cause of the abnormality each time. In order to carry out the work, the observers could not leave the seat and take a break satisfactorily.

  In particular, if a conventional remote monitoring system is used for a mobile robot for security purposes that moves day and night for the purpose of security in the surveillance area, there is a possibility that the burden on the observer of the remote monitoring system will increase significantly. is there.

Therefore, as a countermeasure against such a burden, it is conceivable to design the mobile robot to resume operation autonomously without prompting the supervisor to confirm even if the mobile robot detects an abnormality.
However, in this case, in order for the monitor to confirm the abnormality detected in the monitoring area, a process of searching for an abnormality record after remembering the time zone when the monitor does not know the state of the mobile robot. There is a problem that it takes time and trouble to refer to the abnormality that the observer does not grasp. As a result, a problem such as a problem occurring in the monitoring area cannot be properly grasped by the monitoring person, which may cause a decrease in security.

  In order to solve such problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a remote monitoring system for a mobile robot that can reduce a burden on a monitoring person and easily check a record of an abnormality that the monitoring person does not grasp. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a remote monitoring system for a mobile robot according to the present invention includes a mobile robot including a detection unit that detects an abnormality in a monitoring area, and a display unit that displays abnormality information detected by the mobile robot. A remote monitoring system including a monitoring center, wherein the mobile robot includes a communication unit that communicates with the monitoring center, a storage unit that stores a state of the monitoring area, and the storage unit when the detection unit detects an abnormality. An abnormality determination unit that holds an abnormal state at the same time, a communication control unit that transmits abnormality information to the monitoring center when the detection unit detects an abnormality, and a recovery process that releases the storage of the abnormal state in the storage unit Recovery processing means, wherein the monitoring center stores a center communication unit that communicates with the mobile robot, and stores the abnormality information received from the mobile robot. A data storage unit, mode setting means for managing a plurality of operation modes including an automatic recovery mode, automatic recovery control means for causing the mobile robot to automatically execute the recovery processing in the automatic recovery mode, and the automatic recovery Storage control means for storing the abnormality information received in the mode and the abnormality information received in the other operation mode in the center storage unit so as to be distinguishable, and the operation mode is set from the automatic recovery mode to another operation mode. Then, a history display means for displaying on the display unit an abnormality history composed of abnormality information stored in the automatic recovery mode or a dialog for displaying the abnormality history is provided.

  If the monitoring center is set to the automatic recovery mode, the monitoring center causes the mobile robot to execute a recovery process for canceling the storage of the abnormality detected by the mobile robot and stored in the storage unit. The monitoring center stores the abnormal signal received in the automatic recovery mode so that it can be distinguished from the abnormal signal received in the other operation mode, and the operation mode is set from the automatic recovery mode to the other mode. Then, the history of the abnormality detected during the automatic recovery mode or a dialog for displaying the abnormality history is displayed on the display unit.

  Thereby, by setting the monitoring center to the automatic recovery mode, it is possible to execute the recovery process without bothering the observer and reduce the burden on the observer. In addition, when the automatic recovery mode ends, it is possible to display the history of abnormalities in the automatic recovery mode so that you can easily check the history of abnormalities for which recovery processing has been executed without the need for monitoring it can. Further, by distinguishing and storing the abnormality in the automatic recovery mode and the abnormality in the other operation mode, it becomes possible to easily search only the abnormality in the automatic recovery mode later.

In the mobile robot remote monitoring system according to the present invention, preferably, the mobile robot further includes an imaging unit that images the surroundings, and transmits the captured image to the monitoring center, and the storage control of the monitoring center. The means stores the image received when the operation mode is the automatic recovery mode and the image received when the operation mode is another operation mode in the center storage unit in a distinguishable manner.
The image of the surveillance area must be confirmed later by the surveillance staff to understand the status of the surveillance area, even if it is in the automatic recovery mode that restores the abnormality without requiring confirmation by the surveillance staff. Is preferred.
Therefore, in the present invention, the monitoring center acts to store the image received when in the automatic recovery mode so as to be distinguishable from the image stored when in the other operation mode.
As a result, it is possible to easily search and confirm only the images in the automatic recovery mode in which the recovery process is executed without confirmation by the monitoring person, and the convenience can be improved.

Furthermore, in the remote monitoring system for a mobile robot according to the present invention, preferably, the mobile robot stops moving when an abnormal state is held in the storage unit, and moves when the abnormal state is released. A movement control means for resuming is provided.
When the mobile robot detects an abnormality, the mobile robot acts to stop moving while holding this abnormality. This prevents the abnormality from being inadvertently expanded and observes the abnormality from the outside.

Furthermore, in the remote monitoring system for a mobile robot according to the present invention, it is preferable that the automatic recovery control means of the monitoring center is connected to the mobile robot if the operation mode when the abnormal signal is received is the automatic recovery mode. An automatic recovery signal is transmitted, and the recovery processing means of the mobile robot executes the recovery processing when receiving the automatic recovery signal from the monitoring center, and detects an abnormality corresponding to the abnormal state held in the storage unit. If the detection unit does not detect, the storage of the abnormal state by the storage unit is released.
When the automatic recovery mode is set, the monitoring center transmits an automatic recovery signal in response to the reception of the abnormal signal. Then, the mobile robot acts to execute the recovery process by receiving the automatic recovery signal.
This reduces the burden on the supervisor by executing the recovery process without requiring the supervisor to confirm the abnormality. Further, the mobile robot does not need to store and manage whether the operation mode of the monitoring center is the automatic recovery mode or another mode, and does not increase the load of the mobile robot.

In the remote monitoring system for a mobile robot according to the present invention, preferably, the automatic recovery control means of the monitoring center is configured such that when the operation mode is set to the automatic recovery mode by the mode setting means, the mobile robot An automatic recovery mode signal is transmitted to the mobile robot and an automatic recovery mode end signal is transmitted to the mobile robot when the automatic recovery mode is set to another mode. Until the automatic recovery mode end signal is received, the recovery process is executed when the abnormal state is held in the storage unit, and an abnormality corresponding to the abnormal state held in the storage unit is received. Is not detected by the detection unit, the storage of the abnormal state by the storage unit is released.
When the monitoring center is set to the automatic recovery mode, the monitoring center transmits an automatic recovery mode signal to the mobile robot. When the mobile robot detects an abnormality during the period from the reception of the automatic recovery mode signal to the reception of the automatic recovery mode end signal, the mobile robot acts to transmit the abnormality signal and execute the recovery process autonomously.
This reduces the burden on the supervisor by executing the recovery process without requiring the supervisor to confirm the abnormality. In addition, the monitoring center does not need to transmit an automatic recovery signal each time an abnormal signal is received, and the load on the monitoring center is not increased.

  According to the remote monitoring system of the present invention, every time an abnormal signal is received, the monitoring staff is not required to confirm, and the recovery process is executed without bothering the monitoring staff to reduce the burden on the monitoring staff. Is possible. In addition, it is possible to easily confirm the history of the abnormality in which the recovery process has been executed without confirmation by the monitor, and it is easy for the monitor to grasp the status of the monitored area, thereby preventing a decrease in security.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a remote monitoring system according to the present invention. The remote monitoring system is configured by wirelessly connecting a mobile robot 1 that moves in a monitoring area 3 and a monitoring center 2.
The mobile robot 1 is used to guard the monitoring area 3 that is the outer periphery of the building 4, and detects an abnormality in the monitoring area 3 while moving on the road surface of the monitoring area 3.

  The mobile robot 1 is wirelessly connected to the monitoring center 2 and is stopped at the reference position in the monitoring area 3. The mobile robot 1 circulates in the monitoring area 3 according to its own stored schedule or a control signal received from the monitoring center 2. To start. Then, the mobile robot 1 transmits the surrounding image and the location of the detected abnormality to the monitoring center 2.

  In FIG. 1, the periphery of the building 4 is a moving route that the mobile robot 1 circulates, and a guide 5 is fixedly provided over the entire length of the moving route. The guide 5 is made of a magnetic material, and the mobile robot 1 moves along the guide 5 along the guide 5 while detecting the guide 5 by a guide detection unit described later.

  A reference position 6 having a charging facility for charging the battery of the mobile robot 1 is disposed in the middle of the guide 5. The mobile robot 1 starts to move along the guide 5 from the reference position 6, performs processing such as temporarily stopping at a predetermined position on the guide 5 and monitoring the surroundings, and performing a tour on the guide 5. When the reference position 6 is reached, the movement is stopped and the patrol is completed.

  The monitoring center 2 is a facility equipped with a remote monitoring device 20 in which a monitoring person is stationed in the building 4 in the monitoring area 3, and a monitoring person who is an operator of the remote monitoring device 20 is monitored by information transmitted from the mobile robot 1. Area 3 is monitored. However, the monitoring center is not limited to this, and the monitoring center is provided in a remote facility operated by a security company or the like, and the monitoring staff uses information transmitted from the mobile robot to the remote monitoring device via the communication network and the wireless base station. The monitoring area may be monitored.

  When the remote monitoring device 20 receives an abnormality signal from the mobile robot 1, the remote monitoring device 20 sounds a buzzer to alert the monitoring personnel and requests confirmation of the abnormality. The monitoring person confirms the information received from the mobile robot 1, and when it is recognized that an emergency has occurred in the monitoring area 3, the mobile robot 1 is remotely operated to deal with the emergency. In addition, if the abnormality detected by the mobile robot 1 is a minor obstacle such as an obstacle, or a false alarm due to an instantaneous noise or the like, the monitoring person transmits a signal for restoring the mobile robot 1, and the mobile robot 1 Is restored from the abnormal detection state (the state in which the abnormality is retained).

  Further, when the automatic monitoring mode is set, the remote monitoring device 20 transmits an automatic recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 in response to an abnormal signal from the mobile robot 1. When the mobile robot 1 receives the automatic recovery signal, the mobile robot 1 recovers the minor abnormality (releases the abnormality holding state) and continues the circulation. Thereby, even if the monitoring center 2 becomes unmanned, the monitoring area can be guarded using the mobile robot 1.

<Mobile robot>
Next, the configuration of the mobile robot 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile robot 1.
The mobile robot 1 includes a control unit 11, a detection unit 12, a communication unit 13, a moving unit 14, a self-position detection unit 15, and a storage unit 16. The detection unit 12 is means for detecting the location of an abnormality in the monitoring area 3 and includes an imaging unit 121, an obstacle detection unit 122, a nearby object detection unit 123, a fire detection unit 124, and a guide detection unit 125. .

  The control unit 11 is realized by a CPU, a memory, and the like, and controls each unit of the mobile robot 1 according to various programs stored in the memory. Various programs are executed in parallel as necessary. The control unit 11 includes a communication control unit 111, an abnormality determination unit 112, a recovery processing unit 113, and a movement control unit 114.

  The imaging unit 121 is installed on the upper part of the vehicle body of the mobile robot 1, images the periphery of the mobile robot 1, and outputs an image to the control unit 11. The imaging unit 121 detects a moving object having a predetermined size or more by performing image processing on the captured image. Various methods for image processing have been proposed and will not be described in detail here. In addition, the imaging unit 121 detects an abnormality of the imaging device such as the imaging unit being shielded or being unable to capture an image. The imaging unit 121 outputs an abnormality detection signal to the control unit 11 when an abnormality of the moving object or the imaging device is detected.

  The obstacle detection unit 122 is configured by a laser sensor that scans the space ahead of the moving direction of the mobile robot 1 and detects the relative position of the obstacle existing on the moving path of the mobile robot 1. The obstacle detection unit 122 stores the position information of an existing object installed in advance in the monitoring area, and detects other than the existing object by comparing the detection information with the existing object position according to the current position of the mobile robot 1. The determined object is determined as an obstacle. When an obstacle is detected, an abnormality detection signal is output to the control unit 11.

The near object detection unit 123 includes a distance measuring sensor provided around the mobile robot 1 and detects an object existing in the vicinity of the mobile robot 1 (for example, within 40 cm). When a nearby object is detected, an abnormality detection signal is output to the control unit 11.
The fire detection unit 124 includes an ultraviolet sensor that detects ultraviolet rays generated when a fire occurs, and determines the occurrence of a fire based on the output of the sensor. When the occurrence of fire is detected, an abnormality detection signal is output to the control unit 11.

  The guide detection unit 125 includes a magnetic sensor provided at the bottom of the mobile robot 1, detects the guide 5 described above, and outputs a guide detection signal to the control unit 11. Further, the guide detection unit 125 outputs an abnormality detection signal to the control unit 11 when the guide 5 cannot be detected.

  In the control unit 11, the abnormality determination unit 112 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the monitoring area 3 or itself when an abnormality detection signal is input from each unit of the detection unit 12. Then, the abnormality determination unit 112 stores the determined abnormality in the current state 163 of the storage unit 16 as the monitored area 3 or its own abnormal state, and causes the storage unit 16 to hold that the abnormality is present. The abnormal signal shown is output to the communication control means 111. The current state 163 will be described later.

  In the control unit 11, the movement control unit 114 drives the movement unit 14 based on the guide detection signal. The moving means 14 includes wheels provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body and motors that drive the wheels. The mobile robot 1 travels so as to follow the guide 5 by independently driving one of the front and rear left and right wheels. The movement control unit 114 stops driving the moving robot 1 by stopping the driving of the moving unit 14 when the abnormality determining unit 112 determines that an abnormality has occurred and the storage unit 16 holds an abnormal state. The movement control means 114 stops the mobile robot 1 until the mobile robot 1 recovers from the state in which the abnormal state is maintained (until the abnormal state is released). Then, the movement control means 114 starts driving the movement means 14 again when the recovery processing means 113 recovers from the state in which the abnormal state is maintained, that is, the current state 163 is not in the state in which the abnormal state is maintained. The mobile robot 1 is moved along.

  The self-position detector 15 detects the rotation amounts of the motor rotation shafts of the left and right wheels, calculates the travel distance and turning angle of the mobile robot 1 from the rotation amounts of the left and right wheels, and calculates the current position. The calculated current position is stored in the storage unit 16.

The communication unit 13 is a wireless communication unit that is controlled by the communication control unit 111 to transmit and receive signals to and from the monitoring center 2. The communication control unit 111 encodes the current position detected by the self-position detection unit 15 and the image information captured by the imaging unit 121 while the mobile robot 1 is traveling around the monitoring area 3, and the communication center 13 receives the monitoring center 2. The signal received from the monitoring center 2 is decoded and output to each unit. Further, when the abnormality determination unit 112 determines the presence of an abnormality, the communication control unit 111 encodes information on the abnormality and transmits an abnormality signal from the communication unit 13 to the monitoring center 2.

  The storage unit 16 is realized by a memory or the like, and stores information used for various processes of the mobile robot 1. The information stored in the storage unit 16 stores automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161, traveling information 162 in which a traveling schedule, a traveling course, and the like are stored, and information on the current state 163 that holds the detected abnormality. . Although the storage unit 16 is described independently of the control unit 11 in the present embodiment for the sake of explanation, the storage unit 16 is not limited thereto, and may be realized by a memory included in the control unit 11.

  The automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161 stored in the storage unit 16 is a table that stores abnormality types for which execution of recovery processing by an automatic recovery signal received from the monitoring center 2 is prohibited. The types of abnormalities for which recovery processing using an automatic recovery signal is prohibited include fire detection by the fire detection unit 124, detection of nearby objects by the nearby object detection unit 123, and detection of guide line abnormalities by the guide detection unit 125. An abnormality type requiring confirmation is stored.

The information of the current state 163 stored in the storage unit 16 is information indicating the monitoring zone 3 and the current state of itself, and is a table that holds a corresponding abnormal state when each unit of the detection unit 12 detects an abnormality. An example of the current state 163 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4A, the current state 163 stores and holds that an abnormal state is detected when an abnormality is detected for each abnormality type detected by each unit of the detection unit 12. When the abnormality determining unit 112 determines that there is an abnormality, it records “abnormal” in the corresponding abnormality type, thereby holding the abnormal state in the current state 163. For example, in FIG. 4A, it is recorded in the No. 03 column that the obstacle detection unit 122 detects an abnormality and the current state 163 holds this abnormal state. Then, the “abnormality” held as the current state is erased by the recovery process described later, becomes “normal”, and is released from the holding of the abnormal state (becomes normal state).
In this embodiment, an abnormal state is held for each abnormality type. However, if even one abnormality has occurred in the entire mobile robot, the current state may be an abnormal state, and each part of the detection unit may be abnormal. You may make it hold | maintain a state.

  In the control unit 11, the recovery processing unit 114 executes the recovery processing based on the manual recovery signal or the automatic recovery signal received from the monitoring center 2 when the abnormality determination unit 112 determines that the abnormality is detected, and the mobile robot 1 is Recover from the abnormal holding state.

<Remote monitoring device>
Next, the configuration of the remote monitoring device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the remote monitoring device 20.
The remote monitoring device 20 is provided in the monitoring center 2 and is wirelessly connected to the mobile robot 1. In the monitoring center 2, a monitoring person monitors the monitoring area 3 based on information transmitted from the mobile robot 1.
The remote monitoring device 20 includes a control unit 21, a display unit 22, a notification unit 23, an operation unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a communication unit 26.

  The control unit 21 is realized by a CPU, a memory, and the like, and controls each unit of the remote monitoring device 20 according to various programs stored in the memory. Various programs are executed in parallel as necessary. The control unit 21 includes a communication control unit 211, a mode setting unit 212, a timing unit 213, an automatic recovery control unit 214, a history display unit 215, and a storage control unit 216.

The display unit 22 is configured by a liquid crystal monitor, a CRT, or the like. The display unit 22 includes a menu screen for command input by the operation unit 24, map information of the monitoring area 3, position display of the mobile robot 1, an image captured by the mobile robot 1, and information on an abnormality detected by the mobile robot 1. Etc. are displayed.
The notification unit 23 includes a buzzer or the like, alerts the monitoring staff when the remote monitoring device 20 receives an abnormality signal from the mobile robot 1, and requests confirmation of the abnormality displayed on the display unit 22.

  The operation unit 24 includes a keyboard, a pointing device, a joystick, and the like. The operation unit 24 is operated by a monitor to input a command for confirming an abnormality and a predetermined command for remotely controlling the mobile robot 1. The commands input from the operation unit 24 include a command for setting the operation mode of the remote monitoring device 20, a command for confirming abnormality information received from the mobile robot 1, a command for confirming past abnormality history and images, and a mobile robot. In addition to a command for restoring 1 from the abnormal holding state, there are a command for starting / stopping the movement of the mobile robot 1, a command for manually maneuvering the mobile robot 1, a command for setting a tour schedule, and the like.

  The communication unit 26 is a wireless communication unit that is controlled by the communication control unit 211 to transmit and receive signals to and from the mobile robot 1. The communication control unit 211 decodes the current position, image information, abnormality signal, and the like received from the mobile robot 1 and outputs them to the control unit 21. Further, the communication control unit 211 encodes a command for remotely controlling the mobile robot 1 input from the operation unit 24 and transmits the command to the mobile robot 1 from the communication unit 26. Further, in particular, in the present embodiment, the communication control unit 211 transmits a manual recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 when an operation unit 24 inputs a command for canceling the holding of the abnormal state to the mobile robot 1, thereby performing automatic recovery control. When receiving a transmission instruction from the means 214, an automatic recovery signal is transmitted to the mobile robot 1.

  The storage unit 25 is realized by a memory or the like, and stores information used for various processes of the remote monitoring device 20. Information stored in the storage unit 25 includes a monitoring image 251, an abnormality history 252, and an operation mode 253. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 25 is described independently of the control unit 21 for the sake of explanation. However, the storage unit 25 is not limited to this, and may be realized by a memory included in the control unit 11.

The monitoring image 251 is an accumulation of images captured by the imaging unit 121 received from the mobile robot 1. When receiving an image from the mobile robot 1, the storage control unit 216 in the control unit 21 sequentially stores and stores this image in the monitoring image 251 in association with the imaging time and the image number. Further, when storing the image in the monitoring image 251, the storage control unit 216 adds and records an automatic recovery mode flag indicating whether the image is in the automatic recovery mode. The automatic recovery mode flag is flag information that is turned on for an image received in the automatic recovery mode and turned off for an image received in a mode other than the automatic recovery mode.
In this way, by setting a flag to the captured image in the automatic recovery mode, the monitor can easily search only the images in the automatic recovery mode later, and the automatic recovery that the monitor did not confirm It becomes easy to sequentially refer to and reproduce only the mode images. Further, when referring to the image, it is possible to determine whether the image is in the normal mode and has been confirmed by the supervisor or whether it is in the automatic recovery mode and the supervisor has not been confirmed.

The abnormality history 252 stores information on abnormality signals received from the mobile robot 1. When the storage control means 216 of the control unit 21 receives an abnormality signal from the mobile robot 1, the abnormality information included in the abnormality signal, the time information, the position information, the corresponding image information, and whether the abnormality is in the automatic recovery mode. It is stored in the abnormality history 252 in association with the automatic recovery mode flag indicating whether or not.
An example of the abnormality history 252 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4B, the abnormality history 252 includes an abnormality type that is the content of the abnormality, a detection time thereof, a time when the mobile robot 1 is restored from the holding of the abnormal state, and an abnormality detected. The position, the image number of the image taken when the abnormality is detected, and the automatic recovery mode flag indicating whether the abnormality is in the automatic recovery mode are recorded. Similar to the above-described captured image 251, by setting a flag for an abnormality in the automatic recovery mode, it becomes easy for the monitoring staff to search and refer to only the abnormality in the automatic recovery mode later, and to refer to the abnormality history. In this case, it is possible to determine whether the abnormality is in the normal mode and the monitoring person has been confirmed, or whether the abnormality is in the automatic recovery mode and the monitoring person has not been confirmed.

For example, in No. 01 column in FIG. 4B, the obstacle detection by the obstacle detection unit 122 is recorded as the abnormality content, and the time when the abnormality is detected is 0:35:10, the mobile robot The time when the abnormal state 1 is released and restored is 0:35:15, the coordinates of the position where the abnormality is detected in the monitoring area 3 are X1, Y1, and the abnormality is detected. It is recorded that the image is Va and that it is not in the automatic recovery mode (normal mode) when an abnormality is detected.
In FIG. 4B, the No. 03 column records the abnormality of the imaging device such as the imaging unit 121 of the imaging unit 121 being shielded or being unable to capture an image as the abnormal content, and the No. 05 column. Are recorded as abnormalities in which a moving object is detected by image processing of the imaging unit 121 as abnormal contents.
Further, in No. 02 to 06 column in FIG. 4B, it is recorded that the automatic recovery mode is set when an abnormality is detected.
In the example shown in FIG. 4B, the history table is separated for each occurrence date. However, a configuration may be adopted in which abnormal histories for a plurality of days are recorded in one table.

The operation mode 253 of the storage unit 25 stores the current operation mode of the remote monitoring device 20. In the present embodiment, a normal mode for requesting the supervisor to check for an abnormality and an automatic recovery mode for not requesting the supervisor to check for an abnormality are prepared as operation modes.
In the control unit 21, the mode setting unit 212 is a unit that switches the operation mode of the remote monitoring device 20. The mode setting unit 212 switches the operation mode by the operation of the operation unit 24 by the monitor and stores the current operation mode in the storage unit 25. Note that the mode setting means 212 may switch the operation mode according to a predetermined schedule set by the supervisor.

  In the control unit 21, the automatic recovery control unit 214 is a unit that operates when the automatic recovery mode is set as the operation mode. The automatic recovery control unit 214 prohibits the operation of the notification unit 23 when an abnormal signal is received from the mobile robot 1 and transmits an automatic recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 in response to the abnormal signal. In addition, the automatic recovery control unit 214 generates an error when the mobile robot 1 does not cancel the holding of the abnormal state even if the automatic recovery signal is transmitted a predetermined number of times or a predetermined time has elapsed since the transmission of the automatic recovery signal. After confirming the presence of the alarm, the notification unit 23 is operated to alert the monitoring staff, and the confirmation of the abnormality displayed on the display unit 22 is requested.

In the control unit 21, the history display unit 215 indicates to the monitor the history of abnormality received during the automatic recovery mode when the operation mode is switched from the automatic recovery mode to the normal mode, that is, when the automatic recovery mode ends. Present. When the automatic recovery mode ends, the history display unit 215 refers to the abnormality history 252 stored in the storage unit 25, collects and lists information on abnormalities that are continuous in time series with the automatic recovery flag ON from the present time. Is displayed on the display unit 22.
Note that the display is not limited to the example of displaying a list of abnormality histories, and it may be configured to display a dialog asking the monitor whether or not to display such a list. When the display is selected, the list is displayed. It may be.
In addition, in the abnormality history list, an abnormality detection image associated with the abnormality in the abnormality history 252 may be reduced and displayed.

<Description of operation>
Next, the operation of the remote monitoring system of this embodiment will be described in order.
First, an outline of the operation will be described.
When the mobile robot 1 reaches the tour start time stored in the tour information 162 or receives a control signal indicating the start of travel from the monitoring center 2, the travel control unit 114 starts driving the travel unit 14 and guides 5. Start moving along. Then, the communication control unit 111 sequentially transmits information captured by the imaging unit 121 and information on the current position detected by the self-position detection unit 15 to the monitoring center 2. If the abnormality determination unit 112 determines that an abnormality has occurred due to an input from the detection unit 12 during the movement, the current state 163 holds that the corresponding abnormal state. At this time, the movement control unit 114 stops driving by moving the movement unit 14, and the communication control unit 111 transmits an abnormality signal to the monitoring center 2.

Next, a recovery process in which the mobile robot 1 releases the abnormal state will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control related to the recovery process of the mobile robot 1 executed after the abnormality is detected. First, FIG. 5A will be described. FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing the recovery process execution determination process.
When the abnormality determining unit 112 determines that the abnormality has occurred, the recovery processing unit 113 waits for a manual recovery signal or an automatic recovery signal from the monitoring center 2 (steps ST21 and ST22). At this time, the mobile robot 1 is stopped by the movement control process of the movement control means 114 executed in parallel.

  When the manual recovery signal is received (step ST21-Yes), the recovery process is executed (step ST23). The recovery process will be described later. When the recovery process is completed, the process proceeds to step ST24, in which it is determined whether the abnormal state is released and the abnormal state is recovered. If the restoration has been completed (step ST24-Yes), the process is terminated. If the recovery is not completed, that is, if the abnormal state is maintained (No in step ST24), the process returns to step ST21 and waits for a manual recovery signal or an automatic recovery signal again.

  On the other hand, when the automatic recovery signal is received (steps ST21-No, ST22-Yes), it is determined whether or not the abnormal state stored and held in the storage unit 16 as the current state 163 is the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161 ( Step ST25). As described above, the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161 stores an abnormality type that needs to be confirmed by a supervisor. If the abnormality in the current state 163 is an abnormality classified as the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161 (step ST25—Yes), the process returns to step ST21 without performing the recovery process. On the other hand, if the abnormality in the current state 163 is not classified as the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161 (step ST25-No), the process proceeds to step ST23 to execute the recovery process.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the recovery processing unit 113 executes the recovery process when receiving the manual recovery signal from the monitoring center 2 and, when receiving the automatic recovery signal, other than the abnormality corresponding to the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161. While executing the recovery process, an abnormality corresponding to the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161 prohibits the recovery process.
As a result, it is possible to execute the recovery process using the automatic recovery signal transmitted without the confirmation of the supervisor, thereby reducing the burden on the supervisor and improving the convenience. In addition, the automatic recovery signal that is sent without confirmation by the monitoring staff prevents the release of the highly important abnormal state, and ensures that the abnormal classification of high importance is By requiring confirmation, it is possible to prevent a decrease in security.

Next, FIG. 5B will be described. FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing the recovery process executed in step ST23 of FIG.
The recovery processing unit 113 checks the detection state of each part of the detection unit 12 (step ST30), and determines whether or not an abnormality stored and held in the current state 163 as an abnormal state is detected (step ST31).
Here, the detection state confirmation processing of the detection unit 12 differs depending on the type of the detection unit. For example, if the detection unit is a type that outputs an abnormality detection signal continuously while detecting an abnormality, it can be confirmed that no abnormality has been detected by confirming that no signal is being output. If it is a detection unit that outputs an abnormality detection signal in one shot when it is detected, output an inquiry signal to the detection unit to make the current detection state respond and check whether an abnormality is detected. To do.

When the abnormality stored and held in the current state 163 as an abnormal state has not been detected (step ST31-No), the abnormality stored and held in the current state 163 is deleted, and the mobile robot 1 is released from holding the abnormal state. The completion of the recovery is determined (step ST32). Then, a recovery OK signal is transmitted to the monitoring center 2 (step ST33).
As described above, when the abnormality stored in the current state 163 is not continuously detected, the recovery processing unit 113 recovers from holding the abnormal state. As a result, the movement control means 114 resumes the movement of the mobile robot 1 by the movement control process executed in parallel.

  On the other hand, in step ST31, when an abnormality stored and held in the current state 163 as an abnormal state is detected again (step ST31-Yes), it is determined that the holding of the abnormal state cannot be recovered (cancelled) and the monitoring center The restoration NG signal is transmitted to 2 (step ST34).

Next, processing when the remote monitoring device 20 receives an abnormal signal will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing at the time of receiving an abnormal signal, which is executed by the control unit 21 of the remote monitoring device 20.
When the remote monitoring device 20 is installed in the monitoring center 2 and turned on, the control unit 21 executes an abnormal signal reception process shown in FIG. First, the control unit 21 monitors reception of an abnormal signal from the mobile robot 1 (step ST51). When the abnormal signal is received (step ST51-Yes), the operation mode 253 stored in the storage unit 25 is checked to determine whether or not the currently set operation mode is the automatic recovery mode (step ST52).

If it is not the automatic recovery mode (No in step ST52), information on the abnormality due to the received abnormality signal is stored in the abnormality history 252 with the automatic recovery flag OFF (step ST53), and the notification unit 23 is operated to output a buzzer (step) ST54). The monitor then checks the content of the abnormality with reference to the display unit 22 and operates the operation unit 24 to transmit a manual recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 as necessary.
As described above, when the remote monitoring device 20 receives the abnormality signal when not in the automatic recovery mode, the remote monitoring device 20 operates the notification unit 23 to alert the monitoring staff and request confirmation of the abnormality.
On the other hand, if the currently set operation mode is the automatic recovery mode (step ST52—Yes), the automatic recovery control means 214 executes the automatic recovery control process (step ST55).

Next, automatic recovery control processing of the remote monitoring device 20 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the automatic recovery control process of the remote monitoring device 20 executed in step ST55 of FIG.
When executing the automatic recovery control process, the automatic recovery control means 20 first sets the information of abnormality by the received abnormality signal to the automatic recovery flag ON and stores it in the abnormality history 252 (step ST61).
As described above, the remote monitoring device 20 stores the abnormality detected by the mobile robot 1 in the automatic recovery mode with a flag that distinguishes it from the case of the other operation mode. Even if the contents are not confirmed, it can be easily retrieved and confirmed later.

Then, the automatic recovery control unit 214 transmits an automatic recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 that has transmitted the abnormal signal (step ST62), and stores 1 as the number of transmissions N (step ST63).
As described above, when in the automatic recovery mode, the remote monitoring device 20 does not operate the notification unit even when an abnormal signal is received, and transmits an automatic recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 without the need for confirmation by the monitoring staff.

  Then, the time measuring means 213 is operated to measure a predetermined transmission interval time (for example, 5 seconds) (step ST64). As described with reference to FIG. 5, when the mobile robot 1 receives the automatic recovery signal, the mobile robot 1 executes the recovery process according to the abnormality type. The transmission interval time described above is an interval until the automatic recovery signal is retransmitted, and is set as a time sufficient for the mobile robot 1 to execute recovery processing and determine recovery OK / NG.

Here, when the recovery OK signal is received from the mobile robot 1 (step ST65-Yes), the automatic recovery control means 214 ends the process, and the control unit 21 returns the process to step ST51 of FIG. Monitor reception.
On the other hand, when the time reaches the transmission time interval (5 seconds) without receiving the recovery OK signal (step ST65-No) (step ST66-Yes), the automatic recovery signal is transmitted again to the mobile robot 1 (step ST67). ), 1 is added to the number N of times of transmission (step ST68).

  In step ST69, it is determined whether or not the number of transmissions N has reached a predetermined number of transmissions (for example, 7 times) (step ST69). If the transmission count N has not reached the transmission end count (7 times) (No in step ST69), the process returns to step ST64, again measures the transmission interval time (5 seconds), and waits for a recovery OK signal.

If it is determined in step ST69 that the number of transmissions N has reached the number of transmission terminations (seven times) when the processing of steps ST64 to ST69 is repeated without receiving the recovery OK signal (step ST69-Yes), step ST70. Continue the process.
Here, the transmission end count is the number of times that is the limit of transmission of the automatic recovery signal, and is a reference value for determining that the abnormality could not be recovered even if the automatic recovery signal was transmitted (to determine the abnormality). . The number of transmission end times is preferably set in consideration of the transmission interval time described above. For example, in this embodiment, since the transmission interval is 5 seconds and the transmission end count is 7, the time until the last automatic recovery signal is transmitted is about 30 seconds after the abnormal signal is received.

  In step ST70, the time measuring means 213 is operated to measure a predetermined response abnormal time (for example, 10 seconds) (step ST64). The response abnormality time is a determination time for determining abnormality when there is no response from the mobile robot 1 after transmitting the last (seventh) automatic recovery signal, and is preferably set to a value equal to or greater than the transmission interval time described above. .

If the response abnormal time (10 seconds) elapses without receiving the recovery OK signal or the recovery NG signal from the mobile robot 1 (step ST71-No) (step ST72-Yes), the automatic recovery control means 214 will It is determined that the abnormality is confirmed, and the notification unit 23 is operated to output a buzzer (step ST73).
Also, when the recovery NG signal is received in step ST71 (steps ST71-Yes, ST74-No), the automatic recovery control means 214 determines that the abnormality of the mobile robot 1 is confirmed, operates the notification unit 23, and outputs a buzzer. (Step ST73).

Then, the monitor checks the content of the abnormality with reference to the display unit 22, operates the operation unit 23, and transmits a manual recovery signal to the mobile robot 1 as necessary.
As described above, when the remote monitoring device 20 is in the automatic recovery mode, if the mobile robot cannot recover from the abnormal state even if the automatic recovery signal is transmitted, the remote monitoring device 20 operates the notification unit 23 to the monitoring staff. Call attention and request confirmation of anomalies.

  On the other hand, when the recovery OK signal is received in step ST71 (steps ST71-Yes, ST74-Yes), the automatic recovery control unit 214 ends the process, and the control unit 21 returns the process to step ST51 of FIG. Then, the reception of the abnormal signal is monitored again.

  In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the notification unit 23 is operated when the mobile robot cannot recover from the abnormal state even if the automatic recovery signal is transmitted a predetermined number of transmission end times (seven times). Even if the recovery OK signal is not received between the reception of the abnormality signal and a predetermined abnormality confirmation time (for example, 40 seconds) without setting a limit on the number of transmissions, the notification unit 23 may be operated by confirming the abnormality. Good.

Next, the operation mode setting process of the remote monitoring device 20 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation mode setting process of the remote monitoring device 20.
When the remote monitoring device 20 is installed in the monitoring center 2 and turned on, the mode setting unit 212 first confirms the current operation mode with reference to the operation mode 252 of the storage unit 25 (step ST91). If it is the normal mode, it waits for setting input of the automatic recovery mode by the operation unit 24 (step ST92). When there is an input for setting the automatic recovery mode (step ST92-Yes), the operation mode is set to the automatic recovery mode, the automatic recovery mode is stored as the operation mode 253 in the storage unit 25, and the automatic recovery mode is further set. The current time is stored as the received time, and the process returns (step ST93).

If the current operation mode is the automatic recovery mode, a normal mode setting input from the operation unit 24, that is, an end input of the automatic recovery mode is awaited (step ST94). When there is an input to end the automatic recovery mode (step ST94-Yes), the mode setting means 212 sets the operation mode to the normal mode, stores the normal mode as the operation mode 253 in the storage unit 25, and further the normal mode is The current time is stored as the set time (step ST95).
Then, the history display unit 215 refers to the abnormality history 252 stored in the storage unit 25, and information on abnormalities that are continuous in time series when the automatic recovery flag is ON retroactive from the current time (the abnormality stored in the immediately preceding automatic recovery mode). Are collected and listed, an abnormality history in the automatic recovery mode is generated and displayed on the display unit 22 (step ST96), and the process returns. Note that the processing order of step ST95 and step ST96 is not limited to this, and the processing of step ST95 may be performed after step ST96.

  As described above, when the automatic recovery mode ends, the history display unit 215 presents information on the abnormality detected by the mobile robot 1 to the monitoring staff during the automatic recovery mode. The monitor checks the content of the abnormality that occurred during the automatic recovery mode with reference to the display unit 22, and confirms the abnormality by referring to an image at the time of abnormality detection that is associated with the abnormality as necessary. As a result, it is possible to easily confirm afterwards an abnormality that the monitoring process has been executed without the monitoring person confirming and the monitoring person has not grasped, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in security.

  In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which, when the automatic recovery mode ends, information on abnormalities whose automatic recovery flag is ON is collected and displayed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the previous automatic recovery mode is set. It is also possible to collect and list information on abnormalities detected after the set time and display them on the display unit.

<Modification>
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the above-described embodiment can be modified by appropriately combining the following modifications. A modification of the embodiment will be described below.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which an automatic recovery signal is transmitted from the remote control device 20 and the recovery process is executed every time the mobile robot 1 receives the automatic recovery signal for various control processes in the automatic recovery mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the mobile robot 1 may autonomously execute the recovery process while the remote control device 20 is set to the automatic recovery mode.

  In this case, the automatic recovery control unit 214 of the remote control device 20 replaces the configuration in which an automatic recovery signal is transmitted when an abnormal signal is received, and the remote control device 20 is set to the automatic recovery mode and the operation mode 253 of the storage unit 25 is set. When the automatic recovery mode is stored, an automatic recovery mode signal is transmitted to the mobile robot 1. Further, the automatic recovery control unit 214 transmits an automatic recovery mode end signal to the mobile robot 1 when the remote control device 20 is set from the automatic recovery mode to the normal mode.

  When the mobile robot 1 receives the automatic recovery mode signal, the mobile robot 1 stores the signal in the storage unit 16 and autonomously executes the recovery process while the automatic recovery mode signal is stored. That is, if the recovery processing means 113 of the mobile robot 1 stores the automatic recovery mode signal, the recovery is completed for a predetermined abnormality confirmation time (for example, 40 seconds) after detecting the abnormality and transmitting the abnormality signal. The recovery process shown in FIG. At this time, if the abnormality held as the abnormal state is the automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 161, it is preferable not to execute the recovery process. In the remote control device 20, when the recovery OK signal is not received between the reception of the abnormality signal and the abnormality confirmation time (40 seconds), the abnormality is confirmed and the notification unit 23 is operated.

  As described above, the control process in the automatic recovery mode is autonomously performed on the mobile robot 1 side by changing the configuration to instruct the execution of the automatic recovery process from the remote control device 20 side described in the above embodiment. It is good also as a structure to judge. Other configurations are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and the remote control device 20 can distinguish abnormality information received from the abnormality signal received during the automatic recovery mode from the abnormality signal received during other operation modes. As shown in FIG. 8, when the automatic recovery mode automatic recovery mode ends, an abnormality history in the automatic recovery mode is generated and displayed on the display unit 22 as shown in FIG.

Schematic showing a remote monitoring system according to the present invention Block diagram showing the configuration of the mobile robot Block diagram showing the configuration of the remote monitoring device The figure which shows the abnormal state of the present state of the mobile robot and the remote control device Flow chart showing control related to mobile robot recovery processing Flow chart showing processing at the time of receiving an abnormal signal of the remote monitoring device Flow chart showing automatic recovery control processing of remote monitoring device Flowchart showing the operation mode setting process of the remote monitoring device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mobile robot 2 Monitoring center 3 Monitoring area 4 Building 5 Guide 6 Reference position 11 Control part 111 Communication control means 112 Abnormality determination means 113 Recovery processing means 114 Movement control means 12 Detection part 13 Communication part 14 Movement means 15 Self-position detection part 16 Storage unit 161 Automatic recovery prohibition abnormality 20 Remote monitoring device 21 Control unit 211 Communication control unit 212 Mode setting unit 213 Timing unit 214 Automatic recovery control unit 215 History display unit 216 Storage control unit 22 Display unit 23 Notification unit 24 Operation unit 25 Storage unit 252 Abnormality history 26 Communication part

Claims (5)

A remote monitoring system comprising a mobile robot having a detection unit for detecting an abnormality in a monitoring area, and a monitoring center having a display unit for displaying abnormality information detected by the mobile robot,
The mobile robot is
A communication unit that communicates with the monitoring center;
A storage unit for storing a state of the monitoring area;
An abnormality determining means for holding an abnormal state in the storage unit when the detection unit detects an abnormality;
Communication control means for transmitting abnormality information to the monitoring center when the detection unit detects abnormality;
Recovery processing means for executing recovery processing for releasing the storage of the abnormal state of the storage unit,
The monitoring center is
A center communication unit communicating with the mobile robot;
A center storage unit for storing the abnormality information received from the mobile robot;
Mode setting means for managing a plurality of operation modes including an automatic recovery mode;
Automatic recovery control means for causing the mobile robot to automatically execute the recovery processing in the automatic recovery mode;
Storage control means for storing the abnormality information received in the automatic recovery mode and the abnormality information received in other operation modes in the center storage unit so as to be distinguishable;
When the operation mode is set from the automatic recovery mode to another operation mode, an abnormality history including abnormality information stored in the automatic recovery mode or a dialog for displaying the abnormality history is displayed on the display unit. And a history display means for performing remote monitoring.
Further, the mobile robot includes an imaging unit that images the surroundings, and transmits the captured image to the monitoring center.
The storage control means of the monitoring center stores the image received when the operation mode is the automatic recovery mode and the image received when the operation mode is another operation mode in the center storage unit. The remote monitoring system according to claim 1 for storing.
3. The mobile robot according to claim 1, further comprising a movement control unit that stops movement when an abnormal state is held in the storage unit and resumes movement when the holding of the abnormal state is released. Remote monitoring system.
Furthermore, the automatic recovery control means of the monitoring center includes:
If the operation mode when the abnormal signal is received is the automatic recovery mode, an automatic recovery signal is transmitted to the mobile robot,
The restoration processing means of the mobile robot is
When the automatic recovery signal is received from the monitoring center, the recovery process is executed. If the detection unit does not detect an abnormality corresponding to the abnormal state held in the storage unit, the abnormal state by the storage unit is detected. The remote monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the holding is released.
Furthermore, the automatic recovery control means of the monitoring center includes:
When the operation mode is set to the automatic recovery mode by the mode setting means, an automatic recovery mode signal is transmitted to the mobile robot, and when the automatic recovery mode is set to another mode, the mobile robot is automatically recovered. Send a mode end signal,
The restoration processing means of the mobile robot is
During the period from the reception of the automatic recovery mode signal to the reception of the automatic recovery mode end signal, when the abnormal state is retained in the storage unit, the recovery process is executed, and the abnormality retained in the storage unit The remote monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the detection unit does not detect an abnormality corresponding to a state, the storage unit releases the holding of the abnormal state.

Images