IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,735,305
Granted Patent B2
US 12,735,305 · App. 18/843,078 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Route setting method, program, and moving body

Inventors: Yohei Chishiki (Tokyo, JP); Kenji Takao (Tokyo, JP); Kazushige Takaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
B66F9/0755B66F9/063G05D1/622G05D1/646G05D2105/20G05D2107/70
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,735,305
App. No.
18/843,078
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to move appropriately along a set reference route. This route setting method includes: a step for acquiring information relating to a reference route, which is a route along which a moving body moves; a step for determining whether the moving body is positioned on the reference route; and a step for setting a return route, which is a route for arriving at a merging position on the reference route, if the moving body is not positioned on the reference route.

Claims (42)

1 . A route setting method comprising:

a step of acquiring information of a reference route which is a route along which a moving body moves;

a step of determining whether or not the moving body is positioned on the reference route;

a step of setting a return route which is a route for reaching a merging position on the reference route in a case where the moving body is not positioned on the reference route; and

a step of moving the moving body along the return route to the merging position,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, a route including either a single linear route having a linear shape that approaches the merging position, a single arc route having an arc shape that approaches the merging position, or a combination of a single linear route having a linear shape that approaches the merging position and a single arc route having an arc shape that approaches the merging position is set as a first candidate route,

if it is determined that the first candidate route does not interfere with an obstacle, the first candidate route is set as the return route,

if it is determined that the first candidate route interferes with an obstacle, a portion of a second candidate route that does not interfere with an obstacle is set as the return route, the second candidate route including a turning route away from the merging position.

2 . The route setting method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, the merging position is selected from among a plurality of candidate positions on the reference route, and the return route to the selected merging position is set.

3 . The route setting method according to claim 2 ,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, a candidate route to the candidate position is set for each of the candidate positions, and the return route is selected from among a plurality of the candidate routes.

4 . The route setting method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, a turn radius of the arc route is set by a binary search in which a minimum turn radius set in advance is set as a minimum value and a maximum turn radius set in advance is set as a maximum value.

5 . The route setting method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, the return route is set based on an approach route for approaching a target object in a case where the moving body is not positioned on the reference route because the moving body has moved along the approach route from the reference route.

6 . The route setting method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the step of acquiring the information of the reference route, information of a plurality of the reference routes is acquired, and

in the step of setting the return route, the return route for reaching the merging position is set for each of the plurality of reference routes, and the reference route to be used for the movement of the moving body is selected from among the reference routes based on each of the return routes.

7 . The route setting method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a step of setting a periphery of the return route to a prohibited region in which a movement of another moving body is not permitted, while the moving body is moving along the return route.

8 . The route setting method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, a linear route that is away from the merging position is set as the turning route.

9 . The route setting method according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, in a case where there are a plurality of candidate routes that do not interfere with an obstacle from among candidate routes for the return route including the turning route, a candidate route in which a turn radius of the arc route is at its maximum is selected as the return route from among the plurality of candidate routes.

10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program causing a computer to execute:

a step of acquiring information of a reference route which is a route along which a moving body moves;

a step of determining whether or not the moving body is positioned on the reference route;

a step of setting a return route which is a route for reaching a merging position on the reference route in a case where the moving body is not positioned on the reference route; and

a step of moving the moving body along the return route to the merging position,

wherein in the step of setting the return route, a route including either a single linear route having a linear shape that approaches the merging position, an single arc route having an arc shape that approaches the merging position, or a combination of a single linear route having a linear shape that approaches the merging position and an single arc route having an arc shape that approaches the merging position is set as a first candidate route,

if it is determined that the first candidate route does not interfere with an obstacle, the first candidate route is set as the return route,

if it is determined that the first candidate route interferes with an obstacle, a portion of a second candidate route that does not interfere with an obstacle is set as the return route, the second candidate route including a turning route away from the merging position.

11 . A moving body that automatically moves, comprising:

a non-transitory memory configured to store a program;

a processor configured to execute the program stored on the memory to cause the moving body to:

acquire information of a reference route which is a route for moving;

acquire a return route which is a route for reaching a merging position on the reference route in a case where the moving body is not positioned on the reference route; and

move the moving body along the return route to the merging position,

set a first candidate route in which is a route including either a single linear route having a linear shape that approaches the merging position, an single arc route having an arc shape that approaches the merging position, or a combination of a single linear route having a linear shape that approaches the merging position and an single arc route having an arc shape that approaches the merging position,

if it is determined that the first candidate route does not interfere with an obstacle, the first candidate route is set as the return route,

if it is determined that the first candidate route interferes with an obstacle, a portion of a second candidate route that does not interfere with an obstacle is set as the return route, the second candidate route including a turning route away from the merging position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2024
From: CHISHIKI, YOHEI; TAKAO, KENJI; TAKAKI, KAZUSHIGE
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 068496/0305 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-106257 · Jun 30, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250187890A1 · Jun 12, 2025
References Cited (47)
US 6064926A · Sarangapani · 2000 [cited by examiner]
US 6246932B1 · Kageyama · 2001 [cited by examiner]
US 8860564B2 · Rubin · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8884782B2 · Rubin · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8922391B2 · Rubin · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 8935094B2 · Rubin · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 10365657B2 · Tokuyama · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10422647B2 · Shitamoto · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10997439B2 · Li · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11753039B2 · Scott · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11768504B2 · Ebrahimi Afrouzi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 12116253B2 · Kawashima · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20090043504A1 · Bandyopadhyay · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20130282271A1 · Rubin · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20130282277A1 · Rubin · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 20140277691A1 · Jacobus · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20180017395A1 · Shitamoto · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180310461A1 · Shinkai et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180357601A1 · Jacobus · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190171238A1 · Sasao · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190187699A1 · Salour · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190310626A1 · Salour · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190367021A1 · Zhao · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190367022A1 · Zhao · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190369616A1 · Ostafew · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190369626A1 · Lui · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200209011A1 · Iwasaki · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200288622A1 · Nishii · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210035057A1 · Jacobus · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210035442A1 · Baig · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210109529A1 · Tsusaka et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210293561A1 · Tamura · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220147058A1 · Dupuis · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220163969A1 · Li · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220187847A1 · Cella · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220276654A1 · Lee · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220374018A1 · Zhang · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230133480A1 · Kim · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240310851A1 · Ebrahimi Afrouzi · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20250340416A1 · Yamaguchi · 2025 [cited by examiner]
JP 2006285547 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007310698 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 20219707 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
JP 7004475 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
JP 7027206 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report issued Apr. 11, 2023 in International (PCT) Application No. PCT/JP2023/006782, with English-language Translation. [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority issued Apr. 11, 2023 in International (PCT) Application No. PCT/JP2023/006782, with English-language Translation. [cited by applicant]