Method, system and apparatus for handling operational constraints for control of unmanned vehicles

A method in a system having at least one robot for deployment in an environment and a computing device connected to the at least one robot via a network, the method comprising:

• storing, in a memory of the computing device, a plurality of operational constraints;
• each operational constraint including (i) a class identifier that identifies one of a speed limit and a travel direction restriction of a region of the environment, (ii) an indication of the region, and (iii) a property defining a constraint on an operation of the at least one robot within the region;
• at the computing device:
• receiving a request sent from one of the at least one robot, the request associated with an operational constraint;
• responsive to receiving the request, retrieving an operational constraint from the memory based on the request;
• sending the retrieved operational constraint to the one of the at least one robot;
• and
• operating the one of the at least one robot according to the retrieved operational constraint by controlling at least one of a speed of at least one drive motor of the robot and a direction of the one of the at least one robot based on the one of the at least one robot being located within the region of the environment.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for execution by a processor of a computing device for causing the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

• storing a plurality of operational constraints;
• each operational constraint including (i) a class identifier that identifies one of a speed limit and a travel direction restriction of a region of the environment, (ii) an indication of the region in which at least one robot is to be deployed, and (iii) a property defining a constraint on an operation of the at least one robot within the region;
• receiving a request sent from one of the at least one robot, the request associated with an operational constraint;
• responsive to receiving the request, retrieving an operational constraint from the memory based on the request;
• sending the retrieved operational constraint to the one of the at least one robot via the network;
• and
• operating the one of the at least one robot according to the retrieved operational constraint by controlling at least one of a speed of at least one drive motor of the robot and a direction of the one of the at least one robot based on the one of the at least one robot being located within the region of the environment.