# US 12,602,047 B2 · Control method for mobile object, mobile object, and computer-readable storage medium

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,602,047 B2
- Document ID: US12602047B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/955,994
- Filed: 2022-09-29
- Published: 2023-06-29
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-28
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Logisnext Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Logisnext Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kenji Takao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12602047B2

## 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)}
- B66F 9/063: {Automatically guided}
- B66F 9/0755: {Position control; Position detectors}
- G05D 1/024: {in combination with a laser (lasers per se H01S)}
- G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80)
- G06T 2207/30252: Vehicle exterior; Vicinity of vehicle
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- B66F: HOISTING, LIFTING, HAULING OR PUSHING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. DEVICES WHICH APPLY A LIFTING OR PUSHING FORCE DIRECTLY TO THE SURFACE OF A LOAD ({invalid lifting devices A61G7/10; } mounting artificial islands on piles or like supports E02B17/00; scaffolding combined with lifting devices E04G1/22; lifting devices for sliding forms E04G11/24; lifting of buildings E04G23/06; shores or struts E04G25/00; lifts or other hoisting devices on ladders E06C7/12; props for mining E21D15/00)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A control method for a mobile object is a control method for a mobile object that automatically moves. The control method includes detecting a position of a target object to be conveyed with respect to the mobile object, and acquiring, based on a detection result of the position of the target object, positional information on the target object indicating the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in a state in which a fork disposed on the mobile object is inserted into a hole formed on the target object.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control method for a mobile object that automatically moves, the control method comprising:
detecting a position of a target object to be conveyed which is placed in a disposition region with respect to the mobile object in a second direction intersecting with a first direction toward the target object from the mobile object;
acquiring, based on a detection result of the position of the target object, positional information on the target object indicating the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction in a state in which a fork disposed on the mobile object is inserted into a hole formed on the target object;
moving the fork into the hole, and picking up the target object which is placed in the disposition region;
adjusting, based on the positional information, the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction by causing the fork to move toward the second direction side, in a state of picking up the target object, to move the target object in the second direction to reach an adjusting position where a distance between a center positions of the mobile object and the target object is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value in the second direction, so that the mobile object moves along a route, without correcting the route based on the adjusted positional information, towards the conveyance region;
causing the mobile object to move along the route towards a conveyance region which is different from the disposition region, in which the position of the target object is maintained at the adjusting position; and
unloading the target object in a state in which the position of the target object is maintained at the adjusting position, wherein
the method further including:
detecting a position, by emitting laser light by a first sensor disposed on the mobile object in a state in which an irradiation direction is fixed while moving the fork in the second direction, as an end part position of the fork in the second direction at a timing when reflected light from the target object can not be detected immediately after the reflected light from the target object was detected, and
moving the fork a predetermined distance with respect to the end part position such that the target object reaches to the adjusting position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control method for the mobile object according to claim 1, wherein,
the detecting of the position of the target object includes further detecting an attitude of the target object with respect to the mobile object, and
the acquiring of the positional information on the target object includes further acquiring, as the positional information, information indicating the attitude of the target object with respect to the mobile object in a state in which the fork is inserted into the hole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control method for the mobile object according to claim 1, wherein the detecting of the position of the target object includes detecting at least one of the position and an attitude of the target object with respect to the mobile object by imaging the target object by a second sensor disposed on the mobile object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control method for the mobile object according to claim 1, wherein,
the detecting of the position of the target object includes detecting the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object by bringing a side surface in the second direction of the fork inserted into the hole into contact with an inner peripheral surface of the hole.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control method for the mobile object according to claim 1, the control method further comprising:
adjusting the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction by causing the fork to move toward the second direction side to move the target object in the second direction in a state in which the fork is inserted into the hole based on the positional information; and
unloading the target object in a state in which the position of the target object in the second direction is adjusted.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control method for the mobile object according to claim 1, the control method further comprising:
acquiring a route toward a disposition region in which the target object is unloaded that is set based on the positional information;
causing the mobile object to move along the route; and
unloading the target object in the disposition region.

### Claim 7

A mobile object that automatically moves, the mobile object comprising:
a detection control unit configured to cause a position of a target object to be conveyed which is placed in a disposition region with respect to the mobile object to be detected in a second direction intersecting with a first direction toward the target object from the mobile object;
a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire positional information on the target object indicating the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction in a state in which a fork disposed on the mobile object is inserted into a hole formed on the target object based on a detection result of the position of the target object; and
a fork control unit configured to move the fork into the hole, and pick up the target object which is placed in the disposition region; and
a positional information unit configured to adjust, based on the positional information, the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction by causing the fork to move toward the second direction side, in a state of picking up the target object, to move the target object in the second direction to reach an adjusting position where a distance between a center positions of the mobile object and the target object is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value in the second direction, so that the mobile object moves along a route, without correcting the route based on the adjusted positional information, towards the conveyance region,
wherein the mobile object is moved along the route towards a conveyance region which is different from the disposition region, in which the position of the target object is maintained at the adjusting position,
the target object is unloaded in a state in which the position of the target object is maintained at the adjusting position,
the positional information acquisition unit is further configured to detect a position, by emitting laser light by a first sensor disposed on the mobile object in a state in which an irradiation direction is fixed while moving the fork in the second direction, as an end part position of the fork in the second direction at a timing when reflected light from the target object can not be detected immediately after the reflected light from the target object was detected, and
the positional information unit is further configured to cause the forks to move a predetermined distance with respect to the end part position such that the target object reaches to the adjusting position.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform a control method for a mobile object that automatically moves, the computer program comprising:
detecting a position of a target object to be conveyed which is placed in a disposition region with respect to the mobile object in a second direction intersecting with a first direction toward the target object from the mobile object;
acquiring, based on a detection result of the position of the target object, positional information on the target object indicating the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction in a state in which a fork disposed on the mobile object is inserted into a hole formed on the target object;
moving the fork into the hole, and picking up the target object which is placed in the disposition region;
adjusting, based on the positional information, the position of the target object with respect to the mobile object in the second direction by causing the fork to move toward the second direction side, in a state of picking up the target object, to move the target object in the second direction to reach an adjusting position where a distance between a center positions of the mobile object and the target object is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value in the second direction, so that the mobile object moves along a route, without correcting the route based on the adjusted positional information, towards the conveyance region;
causing the mobile object to move along the route towards a conveyance region which is different from the disposition region, in which the position of the target object is maintained at the adjusting position; and
unloading the target object in a state in which the position of the target object is maintained at the adjusting position, wherein
the computer program further including:
detecting a position, by emitting laser light by a first sensor disposed on the mobile object in a state in which an irradiation direction is fixed while moving the fork in the second direction, as an end part position of the fork in the second direction at a timing when reflected light from the target object can not be detected immediately after the reflected light from the target object was detected, and
moving the fork a predetermined distance with respect to the end part position such that the target object reaches to the adjusting position.