# US 12,222,721 B2 · Autonomous work machine, autonomous work machine control method, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,721 B2 - Document ID: US12222721B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/577,916 - Filed: 2022-01-18 - Published: 2022-05-05 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-23 - Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takamasa Udagawa; Makoto Yamamura; Hiroto Takahashi; Masaya Honji - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222721B2 ## CPC - G05D 1/0214: {in accordance with safety or protection criteria, e.g. avoiding hazardous areas (monitoring the location of vehicles within a certain area, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas, in traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/13)} - G05D 1/0234: {using optical markers or beacons (optical beacons per se G01S1/70)} - G05D 1/0251: {extracting 3D information from a plurality of images taken from different locations, e.g. stereo vision (stereoscopic image analysis H04N13/00; depth recovery from images G06T7/593)} - G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS} - G05D 1/2435: {Extracting 3D information} - G05D 1/617: Safety or protection, e.g. defining protection zones around obstacles or avoiding hazards (arrangements for controlling the position or course of two or more vehicles for avoiding collisions therebetween G05D1/693; arrangements for reacting to or preventing system or operator failure G05D1/80) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract An autonomous work machine that works in a work area, comprising: a detection unit that detects a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; a specifying unit that specifies marker information based on a detection result of the detection unit; a setting unit that sets a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the marker information specified by the specifying unit; and a control unit that controls the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line set by the setting unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An autonomous work machine that works in a work area, the autonomous work machine comprising: at least one processor circuit with a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: detect a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; specify marker information based on a detection result of the detecting of the markers; set a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the specified marker information and control the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line, wherein a time required for the autonomous work machine to reach the virtual line is calculated, and the autonomous work machine is controlled based on the calculated time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the time is calculated based on a speed of the autonomous work machine and a distance from the autonomous work machine to the virtual line. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the marker information includes distance information indicating a distance from the autonomous work machine to a marker, and the virtual line is set based on the distance information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the marker information includes marker position information indicating a position coordinate of a marker, and the virtual line is set based on the marker position information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The autonomous work machine according to claim 4, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least reflect at least one of the marker position information and the information on the virtual line on map information of the work area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The autonomous work machine according to claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least present, to a user, the map information on which at least one of the marker position information and the information on the virtual line is reflected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The autonomous work machine according to claim 5, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least transmit, to a communication terminal of a user, the map information on which at least one of the marker position information and the information on the virtual line is reflected. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous work machine is controlled to stop, move backward, or turn in a case where a distance from the autonomous work machine to the virtual line becomes equal to or less than a first threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The autonomous work machine according to claim 8, wherein the autonomous work machine heading for the virtual line is controlled to decelerate in a case where the distance from the autonomous work machine to the virtual line becomes equal to or less than a second threshold larger than the first threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: specify two markers as adjacent markers among the plurality of markers detected, wherein a virtual line is set between the two markers specified as the adjacent markers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein two markers are specified as adjacent markers when the two markers have a distance therebetween within a predetermined distance range among the plurality of markers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein in a case where another marker detected is present in a region beyond a line connecting the two markers, the two markers are not specified as the adjacent markers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein each marker includes an indicator indicating a direction in which an adjacent marker is present, and a second marker present in a direction indicated by the indicator of a first marker is specified as the adjacent marker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: acquire trajectory information of the autonomous work machine by causing the autonomous work machine to travel along markers that are arranged, specify, as the adjacent markers, two markers matching the trajectory information among the plurality of markers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: acquire boundary information of the work area designated on a map including the work area, specify, as the adjacent markers, two markers matching the boundary information among the plurality of markers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The autonomous work machine according to claim 15, wherein the boundary information is arrangement information of a plurality of markers arranged at a boundary of the work area, or information of a boundary line indicating a boundary of the work area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of markers include a plurality of first type of markers defining an outer edge of the work area, and a plurality of second type of markers defining an inner region that is included in an inside of the outer edge and excluded from the work area, and wherein the first type of markers and the second type of markers are not specified as being the adjacent markers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The autonomous work machine according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of markers include a plurality of first type of markers arranged at first distance intervals, and a plurality of second type of markers arranged at second distance intervals smaller than the first distance intervals, and in a case where the second type of marker is present between two of the first type of markers among the plurality of first type of markers, the two of the first type of markers are specified as the adjacent markers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: set a travel route of the autonomous work machine, wherein the travel route is set such that the virtual line is not present on the travel route. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The autonomous work machine according to claim 19, wherein the travel route is a travel route for returning to a station. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The autonomous work machine according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, further cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: specify a current position of the autonomous work machine, wherein the autonomous work machine is controlled based on information on the virtual line and the current position of the autonomous work machine. ### Claim 22 A control method for an autonomous work machine that works in a work area, the control method comprising: detecting a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; specifying marker information based on a detection result in the detecting; setting a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the marker information specified in the specifying; and controlling the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line set in the setting, wherein a time required for the autonomous work machine to reach the virtual line is calculated, and the autonomous work machine is controlled based on the calculated time. ### Claim 23 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an autonomous work machine that works in a work area, the control method comprising: detecting a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; specifying marker information based on a detection result in the detecting; setting a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the marker information specified in the specifying; and controlling the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line set in the setting, wherein a time required for the autonomous work machine to reach the virtual line is calculated, and the autonomous work machine is controlled based on the calculated time. ### Claim 24 A control method for an autonomous work machine that works in a work area, the control method comprising: detecting a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; specifying marker information based on a detection result of the detecting of the markers; setting a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the specified marker information; and controlling the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line; measuring a moving distance of the autonomous work machine, wherein the controlling further comprises: calculating a distance from the autonomous work machine to the virtual line based on the marker information, and controlling the autonomous work machine based on the calculated distance and the moving distance from a position of the autonomous work machine where the distance has been calculated. ### Claim 25 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an autonomous work machine that works in a work area, the control method comprising: detecting a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; specifying marker information based on a detection result of the detecting of the markers; setting a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the specified marker information; and controlling the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line; measuring a moving distance of the autonomous work machine, wherein the controlling further comprises: calculating a distance from the autonomous work machine to the virtual line based on the marker information, and controlling the autonomous work machine based on the calculated distance and the moving distance from a position of the autonomous work machine where the distance has been calculated. ### Claim 26 An autonomous work machine that works in a work area, the autonomous work machine comprising: at least one processor circuit with a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor circuit, cause the at least one processor circuit to at least: detect a plurality of markers arranged to define the work area; specify marker information based on a detection result of the detecting of the markers; set a virtual line connecting the plurality of markers based on the specified marker information; and control the autonomous work machine such that the autonomous work machine does not deviate to a region beyond the virtual line; measure a moving distance of the autonomous work machine, wherein a distance is calculated from the autonomous work machine to the virtual line based on the marker information, and the autonomous work machine is controlled based on the calculated distance and the moving distance from a position of the autonomous work machine where the distance has been calculated.