Autonomous vehicle
AssigneePreferred Robotics, Inc.
InventorsKoji Terada, Toru Isobe, Jun Hatori, Ryosuke Okuta, Hirotoshi Kunori
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An autonomous vehicle capable of executing a task corresponding to a conveyance instruction by sound is provided. The autonomous vehicle docks with a conveyance target and conveys the conveyance target. The autonomous vehicle includes a docking mechanism configured to dock with the conveyance target, an audio input device, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the docking mechanism to dock with the conveyance target that is identified based on a conveyance instruction acquired via the audio input device, and to control conveyance of the docked conveyance target to a conveyance destination position that is identified based on the conveyance instruction.
Claims26
An autonomous vehicle configured to dock with a wheeled conveyance target equipped with casters and to convey the wheeled conveyance target, the autonomous vehicle comprising:
- a docking mechanism configured to dock with the wheeled conveyance target;
- and
- a controller, including a memory, configured
- to store data associating a position of the wheeled conveyance target with information assigned to the wheeled conveyance target in the memory,
- to (i) identify the wheeled conveyance target from among one or more wheeled conveyance targets, based on at least one of a name assigned to the wheeled conveyance target or a type tag assigned to the wheeled conveyance target recognized by analyzing a content of a first voice instruction for conveying the wheeled conveyance target acquired via an audio input device, (ii) retrieve the position of the wheeled conveyance target associated with the information assigned to the identified wheeled conveyance target, by referring to the data stored in the memory, (iii) cause the autonomous vehicle to move to the retrieved position of the identified wheeled conveyance target, and (iv) subsequently control the docking mechanism to dock with the identified wheeled conveyance target at the retrieved position, and
- to control the conveyance of the docked wheeled conveyance target to a conveyance destination position, the conveyance destination position being identified based on the analyzing of the content of the first voice instruction, wherein
- the autonomous vehicle docks with the wheeled conveyance target equipped with the casters through the docking mechanism that docks with the wheeled conveyance target in a state in which the docking mechanism enters between the casters of the wheeled conveyance target.
A system for controlling an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
- a wheeled conveyance target equipped with casters;
- an autonomous vehicle having a docking mechanism configured to dock with the wheeled conveyance target;
- and
- a controller, including a memory, configured
- to store data associating a position of the wheeled conveyance target with information assigned to the wheeled conveyance target in the memory,
- to (i) identify the wheeled conveyance target from among one or more wheeled conveyance targets, based on at least one of a name assigned to the wheeled conveyance target or a type tag assigned to the wheeled conveyance target recognized by analyzing a content of a first voice instruction for conveying the wheeled conveyance target acquired via an audio input device, (ii) retrieve the position of the wheeled conveyance target associated with the information assigned to the identified wheeled conveyance target, by referring to the data stored in the memory, (iii) cause the autonomous vehicle to move to the retrieved position of the identified wheeled conveyance target, and (iv) subsequently control the autonomous vehicle to dock, by the docking mechanism, with the identified wheeled conveyance target at the retrieved position, and
- to control the autonomous vehicle to convey the docked wheeled conveyance target to a conveyance destination position, the conveyance destination position being identified based on the analyzing of the content of the first voice instruction, wherein
- the autonomous vehicle docks with the wheeled conveyance target equipped with the casters through the docking mechanism that docks with the wheeled conveyance target in a state in which the docking mechanism enters between the casters of the wheeled conveyance target.
A method for controlling an autonomous vehicle configured to dock with a wheeled conveyance target equipped with casters and to convey the wheeled conveyance target, the method comprising:
- storing data associating a position of the wheeled conveyance target with information assigned to the wheeled conveyance target in a memory,
- acquiring a first voice instruction for conveying the wheeled conveyance target via an audio input device;
- (i) identifying the wheeled conveyance target from among one or more wheeled conveyance targets, based on at least one of a name assigned to the wheeled conveyance target or a type tag assigned to the wheeled conveyance target recognized by analyzing a content of the first voice instruction, (ii) retrieving the position of the wheeled conveyance target associated with the information assigned to the identified wheeled conveyance target, by referring to the data stored in the memory, (iii) causing the autonomous vehicle to move to the retrieved position of the identified wheeled conveyance target, and (iv) subsequently controlling a docking mechanism of the autonomous vehicle to dock with the identified wheeled conveyance target at the retrieved position;
- and
- controlling the conveyance of the docked wheeled conveyance target to a conveyance destination position, the conveyance destination position being identified based on the analyzing of the content of the first voice instruction, wherein
- the autonomous vehicle docks with the identified wheeled conveyance target equipped with the casters through the docking mechanism that docks with the wheeled conveyance target in a state in which the docking mechanism enters between the casters of the wheeled conveyance target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.