IP Library Granted Patent US 12,585,287
Granted Patent B2
US 12,585,287 · App. 18/696,362 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Autonomous traveling device and autonomous traveling device control method

Inventors: Jun Nishiyama (Kyoto, JP); Shohei Imada (Kyoto, JP); Tomoki Yoshikawa (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: NIDEC DRIVE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
G05D1/2464G05D1/622G05D1/639
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,585,287
App. No.
18/696,362
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

One aspect of an autonomous traveling device includes: an information adding unit that adds, as positional information of a virtual obstacle, to map information, positional information of a virtual obstacle that passes through a rear side of the device with respect to a starting point of a travel route and continuously extends to a front side on both right and left sides of the device itself; and a route search unit that searches for a travel route based on the map information to which the positional information of the virtual obstacle is added.

Claims (22)

1 . An autonomous traveling device, comprising:

an information adding unit that adds, as positional information of a virtual obstacle, to map information, positional information of a virtual obstacle that passes through a rear side of the autonomous traveling device with respect to a starting point of a travel route and continuously extends to a front side on both right and left sides of the autonomous traveling device; and

a route search unit that searches for the travel route based on the map information to which the positional information of the virtual obstacle is added, wherein

the autonomous traveling device is configured to autonomously travel along the travel route while keeping a center of the autonomous traveling device at a prescribed distance or more from the virtual obstacle.

2 . The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the virtual obstacle extends in an arc shape.

3 . The autonomous traveling device according to claim 2 , wherein,

when a destination exists on an inner side of the virtual obstacle extending in an arc shape, the information adding unit adds, to the map information, positional information of an additional virtual obstacle that extends in an arc shape with a radius shorter than a distance from the starting point to the destination.

4 . The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein

the autonomous traveling device performs rotation on a spot only when a direction of the autonomous traveling device and a direction of the travel route are separated by more than a prescribed degree, and

both ends of the virtual obstacle extending in the front side are each located in directions separate from a frontward direction of the autonomous traveling device within the prescribed degree.

5 . The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a check unit that checks whether an obstacle exists at a close distance where rotation on a spot is not possible, wherein

the information adding unit:

adds the positional information of the virtual obstacle to the map information when the obstacle exists; and

excludes the positional information of the virtual obstacle from the map information when the obstacle does not exist.

6 . The autonomous traveling device according to claim 1 , wherein,

while traveling along the travel route, the route search unit searches for a new travel route based on the map information.

7 . An autonomous traveling device control method, comprising:

an information adding step of adding, as positional information of a virtual obstacle, to map information, positional information of a virtual obstacle that passes through a rear side of the autonomous traveling device with respect to a starting point of a travel route and continuously extends to a front side on both right and left sides of the autonomous traveling device; and

a route search step of searching for the travel route based on the map information to which the positional information of the virtual obstacle is added, wherein

the autonomous traveling device is configured to autonomously travel along the travel route while keeping a center of the autonomous traveling device at a prescribed distance or more from the virtual obstacle.

Assignments (3)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2026
From: NIDEC DRIVE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
To: MUSASHI SEIMITSU INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 074390/0651 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2025
From: NIDEC CORPORATION
To: NIDEC DRIVE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 071751/0918 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2024
From: NISHIYAMA, JUN; IMADA, SHOHEI; YOSHIKAWA, TOMOKI
To: NIDEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066927/0595 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-159837 · Sep 29, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240385624A1 · Nov 21, 2024
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