# US 9,434,074 B2 · Autonomous running control method and device of autonomous running apparatus, and program for autonomous running control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,074 B2 - Document ID: US9434074B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/568,551 - Filed: 2014-12-12 - Published: 2015-04-09 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-21 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Toru Tanigawa; Jun Ozawa; Yumi Wakita; Katsuyoshi Yamagami; Eiichi Naito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434074B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1666: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones} - G05D 1/0212: {with means for defining a desired trajectory (involving a plurality of land vehicles G05D1/0287)} - G05D 1/0246: {using a video camera in combination with image processing means} - G05B 2219/39135: For multiple manipulators operating at same time, avoid collision - G05B 2219/40201: Detect contact, collision with human - Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot - Y10S 901/46: Sensing device - Y10S 901/49: Protective device - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract In a running control method of a running apparatus, person moving direction and speed are estimated based on a person position history for predetermined time. It is decided whether contact with a person is likely to be made based on the estimation and running information about the running apparatus. When it is decided that the contact is likely to be made, a first route where the running apparatus avoids the person is generated for controlling running of the running apparatus therealong. It is decided whether the person has the intention to contact with the running apparatus based on the decision in the contact possibility deciding unit after the running along the first route. When it is decided that the person has the contact intention, a second route where the running apparatus approaches the person is generated for controlling the running of the running apparatus therealong. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An autonomous running control method of an autonomous running apparatus for changing a running route of the autonomous running apparatus according to a motion of a person with respect to the autonomous running apparatus that runs towards a destination given in advance, the method comprising: controlling running of the autonomous running apparatus along a first route where an autonomous running controller avoids the person when the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus according to a position history of the person for predetermined time; deciding whether the person has an intention to approach and make contact the autonomous running apparatus in a contact intention deciding unit after the autonomous running apparatus runs along the first route; generating a second route where the autonomous running apparatus approaches the person in an access route generating unit when decision is made that the person has the intention to approach and make contact with the autonomous running apparatus; and controlling the running of the autonomous running apparatus along the second route in the autonomous running controller so that the autonomous running apparatus makes contact with the person. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decision whether the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus is made by: estimating a moving direction and a moving speed of the person based on the position history of the person for the predetermined time in a person moving state estimating unit; and deciding whether the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus in a contact possibility deciding unit based on the moving direction and the moving speed of the person estimated by the person moving state estimating unit and running information about running of the autonomous running apparatus from a first position to a second position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the contact is likely to be made, an avoiding route generating unit generates the first route. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 3, wherein after the autonomous running apparatus runs along the first route, the contact intention deciding unit decides whether the person has the intention to approach the autonomous running apparatus based on decision in the contact possibility deciding unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the contact is unlikely to be made, a normal route generating unit generates a third route for moving to the destination, the autonomous running controller controls the running of the autonomous running apparatus along the third route. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the autonomous running apparatus is likely to contact with the person, and the contact intention deciding unit does not decide that the person has the intention to approach the autonomous running apparatus, the autonomous running controller controls the running of the autonomous running apparatus along the first route. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The autonomous running control method of autonomous running apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first route generated by the avoiding route generating unit is a route which avoids a region where the person moves based on the moving direction and moving speed of the person estimated by the person moving state estimating unit and where the autonomous running apparatus runs so that a route of the person and a route of the autonomous running apparatus do not cross each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first route generated by the avoiding route generating unit is a route where the autonomous running apparatus runs to a direction of a position of the person at time when the first route to be estimated by the person moving state estimating unit is generated so that the route of the person and the route of the autonomous running apparatus do not cross each other. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 6, wherein after the autonomous running apparatus starts to run along the second route generated by the avoiding route generating unit, the autonomous running apparatus runs along the second route until, at least, the person recognizes a change in a moving direction of the autonomous running apparatus. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 6, wherein after the autonomous running apparatus avoids the person, the avoiding route generating unit generates the first route so that an angle of change in a trajectory required for the person to contact with the autonomous running apparatus falls within a range of 30° to 50°. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The autonomous running control method of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus, and even when the contact intention deciding unit cannot decide the intention of the person to contact with the autonomous running apparatus based on information about opening hour of a shop present within a range where the autonomous running apparatus moves because the shop is not present in the moving direction of the person or the shop present in the moving direction of the person is outside the opening hour, the access route generating unit generates a second route where the contact with the person is made. ### Claim 12 An autonomous running control device of an autonomous running apparatus for changing a running route of the autonomous running apparatus according to a motion of a person with respect to the autonomous running apparatus that runs towards a destination given in advance, the apparatus comprising: an avoiding route generating unit that generates a first route where the autonomous running apparatus avoids the person when the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus based on a position history of the person for predetermined time; a contact intention deciding unit that decides whether the person has an intention to approach and make contact the autonomous running apparatus when the autonomous running apparatus runs along the first route generated by the avoiding route generating unit; an access route generating unit that generates a second route where the autonomous running apparatus approaches the person when the contact intention deciding unit decides that the person has the intention to approach and make contact with the autonomous running apparatus; and an autonomous running controller that controls running of the autonomous running apparatus along the first route or the second route so that the autonomous running apparatus makes contact with the person. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The autonomous running control device of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the decision in the contact intention deciding unit whether the person has the intention to approach the autonomous running apparatus is made by: a person position obtaining unit that obtains a position of the person at every predetermined time; a person moving state estimating unit that obtains the position history of the person for predetermined time from a position of the person at every predetermined time obtained by the person position obtaining unit and estimates a moving direction and a moving speed of the person; and a contact possibility deciding unit that decides whether the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus based on the moving direction and moving speed of the person estimated by the person moving state estimating unit and running information for the autonomous running apparatus to run from a first position to a second position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The autonomous running control device of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a normal route generating unit that generates a third route for moving to the destination when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the contact is unlikely to be made. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The autonomous running control device of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the autonomous running controller: controls running of the autonomous running apparatus along the first route or the second route or the third route, and when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the autonomous running apparatus is likely to contact with the person, and the contact intention deciding unit does not decide that the person has the intention to approach the autonomous running apparatus, controls the running of the autonomous running apparatus along the first route. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The autonomous running control device of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: a person position history database in which the position of the person obtained by the person position obtaining unit is recorded in chronological order; and an autonomous running apparatus database having the running information for the autonomous running apparatus to run from the first position to the second position, wherein the person moving state estimating unit obtains the position history of the person for the predetermined time from the position of the person at every predetermined time recorded in the person position history database, and estimates the moving direction and moving speed of the person, the contact possibility deciding unit decides whether the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus based on the moving direction and moving speed of the person estimated by the person moving state estimating unit, and the running information recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The autonomous running control device of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least an opening hour of a shop present within a range where the autonomous running apparatus moves are recorded in the autonomous running apparatus database, when the contact possibility deciding unit decides that the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus, and even when the contact intention deciding unit cannot decide the intention of the person to contact with the autonomous running apparatus based on information about the opening hour of the shop present within the range where the autonomous running apparatus moves because the shop is not present in the moving direction of the person or the shop present in the moving direction of the person is outside the opening hour, the access route generating unit generates the second route where the contact with the person is made. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The autonomous running control device of the autonomous running apparatus according to claim 12, wherein after the autonomous running apparatus avoids the person, the avoiding route generating unit generates the first route so that an angle of change in a trajectory required for the person to contact with the autonomous running apparatus falls within a range of 30° to 50°. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium including a program for an autonomous running control device of an autonomous running apparatus for changing a running route of the autonomous running apparatus according to a motion of a person with respect to the autonomous running apparatus running towards a destination given in advance, the program making a computer function as: an avoiding route generating unit that generates a first route where the autonomous running apparatus avoids the person when the person is likely to contact with the autonomous running apparatus according to a position history of the person for predetermined time; a contact intention deciding unit that decides whether the person has an intention to approach and make contact the autonomous running apparatus when the autonomous running apparatus runs along the first route generated by the avoiding route generating unit; an access route generating unit that generates a second route where the autonomous running apparatus approaches the person when the contact intention deciding unit decides that the person has the intention to approach and make contact with the autonomous running apparatus; and an autonomous running controller that controls running of the autonomous running apparatus along the first route or the second route so that the autonomous running apparatus makes contact with the person.