US 5,488,277 A · Travel control method, travel control device, and mobile robot for mobile robot systems

Abstract

In the travel control method in the mobile robot system including a plurality of mobile robots and the control station for controlling these mobile robot, the control station directs one of a plurality of mobile robots to the destination robot, responding to the direction, searches the route to the destination directed by the control station and sends the result to the control station. The control station which receives this in formation checks if the travel path searched by the mobile robot is already reserved by other mobile robots or not by the reservation table. If not, the control station informs the reserve completion to said mobile robot. The mobile robot which received the information of the reservation completion travels automatically along the travel path which is already reserved. In addition, said control station, when there are other mobile robots which disturb the travel of each mobile robot, directs the robot to wait or to take an alternate route according to the situation, or directs other mobile robots that disturb the travel to halt.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A mobile robot adapted to move along a travel path, said path having sections and having associated therewith a path indicia means, said robot including:

a first sensor for detecting and measuring distances to surfaces along said path;
a first memory means for storing data corresponding to distances from the travel path to said surfaces;
first means for controlling the travel of the mobile robot so that the distances measured by said first sensor agree with the data stored in said first memory means;
a second sensor for detecting said indicia means associated with the travel path;
a second means for controlling the travel of said mobile robot so that said second sensor moves along said indicia means according to the output of said second sensor;
a second memory means for storing data indicating which of said first and second travel controlling means is used for every section of the travel path;
and
means for reading the data in said second memory means and activating the travel controlling means indicated by the data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Travel control method, travel control device, and mobile robot for mobile robot systems

Life of this patent

Travel control method, travel control device, and mobile robot for mobile robot systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims1