Granted Patent B2

US 12,304,071 · App. 17/696,331 · Granted May 20, 2025

Inventors: Shiro Oda (Anjo, JP); Tetsuya Taira (Nagakute, JP); Satoshi Toyoshima (Okazaki, JP); Yuta Watanabe (Toyota, JP); Takeshi Matsui (Nisshin, JP); Takayoshi Nasu (Okazaki, JP); Kei Yoshikawa (Nagoya, JP); Yusuke Ota (Nagakute, JP); Yutaro Ishida (Toyota, JP); Yuji Onuma (Nagoya, JP); Kyosuke Arai (Toyota, JP)

Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

B25J9/0084B25J9/162B25J9/1674B25J9/1679

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. A robot control system comprising:

a control device that includes a central processing unit, the central processing unit being configured to control a plurality of mobile robots by wireless communication, wherein

the plurality of mobile robots autonomously moves in a facility, and

the control device is configured to:

detect that two or more mobile robots from the plurality of mobile robots have malfunctioned or are stopped, and are in a recovery requiring state,

based upon the detection that the two or more mobile robots are in the recovery requiring state, determine a recovery priority for each of the two or more mobile robots, a first mobile robot from the two or more mobile robots having the highest recovery priority among the two or more mobile robots, a second mobile robot from the two or more mobile robots having the second highest recovery priority from the two or more mobile robots, and

while the two or more mobile robots are in the recovery requiring state, send a signal to the first mobile robot that causes the first mobile robot to provide a notification via at least one of a speaker or a monitor mounted on the first mobile robot, and

after a recovery operation of the first mobile robot is performed and the first mobile robot is recovered and no longer in the recovery requiring state, send a signal to the second mobile robot that causes the second mobile robot to provide a notification via at least one of a speaker or a monitor mounted on the second mobile robot, so that the notification by the first mobile robot and the notification by the second mobile robot are provided at different times from each other based on the recovery priority.

2. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device determines the recovery priority of each of the two or more mobile robots based on at least any of a transported object, a purpose of movement, or a current position of each of the two or more mobile robots.

3. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to provide a notification that each of the two or more mobile robots is in the recovery requiring state, together with the recovery priority of each of the two or more mobile robots, via a communication device provided in the facility.

4. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to provide a notification that each of the two or more mobile robots is in the recovery requiring state, together with the recovery priority of each of the two or more mobile robots, via a mobile terminal possessed by a related person of the facility.

5. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to provide the signal to the first mobile robot via a communication device provided in the first mobile robot.

6. The robot control system according to claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to provide the signal to the second mobile robot via the communication device provided in the second mobile robot.

7. The robot control system according to claim 1 , wherein the notification includes information indicating at least any of a transported object, a purpose of movement, or a current position of each of the two or more mobile robots.

8. The robot control system according to claim 1 , further comprising

the plurality of mobile robots that moves autonomously in the facility.

9. A robot control method comprising:

detecting an operating state of each of a plurality of mobile robots that moves autonomously in a facility by wireless communication;

detecting that two or more mobile robots from the plurality of mobile robots have malfunctioned or are stopped, and are in a recovery requiring state;

based upon the detection that the two or more mobile robots are in the recovery requiring state, determining a recovery priority for each of the two or more mobile robots, a first mobile robot from the two or more mobile robots having the highest recovery priority among the two or more mobile robots, a second mobile robot from the two or more mobile robots having the second highest recovery priority from the two or more mobile robots; and

while the two or more mobile robots are in the recovery requiring state, sending a signal to the first mobile robot that causes the first mobile robot to provide a notification via at least one of a speaker or a monitor mounted on the first mobile robot, and

after a recovery operation of the first mobile robot is performed and the first mobile robot is recovered and no longer in the recovery requiring state, sending a signal to the second mobile robot that causes the second mobile robot to provide a notification via at least one of a speaker or a monitor mounted on the second mobile robot, so that the notification by the first mobile robot and the notification by the second mobile robot are provided at different times from each other based on the recovery priority.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a code that causes a computer to execute:

a process of detecting an operating state of each of a plurality of mobile robots that moves autonomously in a facility by wireless communication;

a process of detecting that two or more mobile robots from the plurality of mobile robots have malfunctioned or are stopped, and are in a recovery requiring state;

based upon the detection that the two or more mobile robots are in the recovery requiring state, a process of determining a recovery priority for each of the two or more mobile robots, a first mobile robot from the two or more mobile robots having the highest recovery priority among the two or more mobile robots, a second mobile robot from the two or more mobile robots having the second highest recovery priority from the two or more mobile robots, and

while the two or more mobile robots are in the recovery requiring state, a process of sending a signal to the first mobile robot that causes the first mobile robot to provide a notification via at least one of a speaker or a monitor mounted on the first mobile robot, and

after a recovery operation of the first mobile robot is performed and the first mobile robot is recovered and no longer in the recovery requiring state, a process of sending a signal to the second mobile robot that causes the second mobile robot to provide a notification via at least one of a speaker or a monitor mounted on the second mobile robot, so that the notification by the first mobile robot and the notification by the second mobile robot are provided at different times from each other based on the recovery priority.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (31)